Religion - Does It Matter......

Hiya Guys and Dolls,

Politics and religion are a tricky topic of discussion. Everyone has their own opinion and in most cases a pretty strong one at that.

So it brings me to the question, how important is religion in your relationship. Would you not date or marry someone who had different religious beliefs than your own? Or what if the person doesn't believe in God at all and is an atheist. It could also be the opposite scenario where the person is extremely religious and you are not.

Would religious factors make or break your relationship with someone?

Lips

Yes, religious factors would definitely affect any relationship I had.  I was raised very religiously, and as an adult, am very anti-religion now (agnostic).  While I respect everyone's right to practice the religion of their choice, I would never get involved with someone who was religious.

I think religion can be a big factor in a relationship, but love can be a lot more powerful than that. Here's an example: a friend of mine just changed his religion from Christian to Muslim in order to marry the woman he loves, he even changed his name from George to Abdulkerim.

As for me, I decided to build my own sort of "religion". I was baptized Christian Orthodox when I was just a baby but then grew up and realized that I can't believe that there's somebody up in the sky coordinating my life. So I set up my own commandments, thought that five would be enough compared to the famous 10:

1. Don't do to others what you wouldn't want them to do to you.
2. If you can help anybody with anything, at least try to do it.
3. Don't lie.
4. Don't hate.
5. Keep your mind open to other views, you can never know the absolute truth. 

That's about it, served me well up to this point even though I did have some problems now and again as I tend to trust people a bit too much. Moving back to relationships, I guess I could be involved with a woman that is very religious, I do keep an open mind, but I doubt she could

I was baptized Catholic but it was always something I struggled with in school. Even as a child I questioned some of what I was taught. Now I am not religious at all and I would find it very difficult to be with someone who was. We would be spending our Sundays in very different ways.

I wasn't baptized and I've never been religious, not even spiritual as some people like to say. I'm an atheist and I don't really care whether my friends or partners believe in something or not, as long as they don't bother me with their stuff. I certainly don't talk about my value system or ethics except when I'm asked.

I'm far more sensitive about politics.

Both subjects are interesting and I like discussing different points of view, in a civilized manner.

I (hopefully) wouldn't allow religion to get in the way of a relationship.  That said, I doubt very much if I would be with someone who was overly religious as I'm not very religious. 

I don't pretend to be overly religious either. But it is something i find myself gravitating to when i lose someone very dear to me. I have suffered two major losses one last year and one just recently. Seems the only way i can find comfort is to keep telling myself "they are in a better place".

If i don't do this or feel that they are somehow, someway around me in spirit i would find it much more difficult to cope with it all. Mourning has to be one of the most difficult situations to deal with. It isn't like anything else in life where we find a resolution to the problem. There is none, there is no light at the end of the tunnel or silver lining to offer us a peace of mind.

It is when religious beliefs for some will kick in because it's the only thing that brings us just a tiny shred of peace.

Lips

I think you nailed that right on the head Lips.  So sorry to hear you have lost someone so close to you recently.  Life really sucks sometimes and I do feel for you.  xx

not to offend any1 but religion is one big hoax created to control the  masses.

Well said CBG.

I dont think I could be in a relationship with a person whose moral principles are build upon "Gods ccommandments" or something like that. Im fond of people that have mind of their own and have a habbit of thinking for themselves, its a quality that I value above everything else.

Thanks blue you're kind words mean a lot.

I have never been too religious. I was raised catholic and don't agree it completely. Religion has never been an issue for me, as long as its not forced upon me in the relationship. 

Good point Lips, when somebody close to us goes away we do tend to find comfort in the religious belief that he or she goes to a better place. I find some comfort by thinking about their lives and the happy moments in them but you can never fully get over something like this, death always leaves emotional scars in the people that were close to the one who died.

Sorry to hear about your loss, I know that it hurts but that's life, way shorter than most of us would deserve.

I do believe in something but I'm just not sure what that is. There may be a higher power and I'm comfortable not knowing. I don't fit into any religion because I don't claim to know all the answers. A list of rules and requirements to be accepted by a higher power makes no sense to me. Was all this created in 7 days, I think not but it's mind blowing to think about the beginning of time.

I am Christian, but I don't pretend to know all the answers.  I would hope I would never alienate anyone who didn't believe as I do.

People often mistake beliefs for religion and vice versa. Those are two totally different things. One can believe, have faith and not to be religious at all.

Lips, so when you say that ppl need some type of sense to living and dying, I fully agree with you, but you do not need religion to tell you that, or to show you the way.

We are spiritual beings by nature as most of us believe in something, but religion was created to not just channel such beliefs but also to control them.

I refuse to believe in dogma, whether its catholic, orthodox, muslim, buddhist etc, and in such sense Im an atheist.
But if you ask me if I have  faith I certainly do.

Zuga

Very well said Zuga. I agree 100%.