Dating a Non
Christian
by: Tracy Jones
Be ye not unequally yoked
together with unbelievers: for what
fellowship hath righteousness with
unrighteousness? and what communion hath
light with darkness? -2 Corinthians 6:14
Any way you look at it,
dating can be tricky…especially when
religion is involved. Being raised in a
Christian home where tradition runs deep,
you may find yourself in the midst of a
major battle when your heart is given to
someone with different beliefs. There is, of
course, nothing wrong with dating a
non-Christian, just keep in mind that you
marry who you date. If this is understood,
and you are truly willing to accept and deal
with the repercussions, all the more power
to you. All we suggest is that you consider
a few things before jumping in.
What kind of dilemmas would
you face in the future? Can a non-Christian
help you spiritually, or will they gradually
pull you down? It's easy to compromise your
standards and beliefs in order to stay
appealing to that person, but is that really
being true to yourself? It shouldn't even be
an option to alter everything you've based
your life around because your beliefs have
helped shape you into the person you are,
the person that they fell for.
Then there's always the
issue of children. What kind of foundation
will their lives be built on? Would they be
encouraged to attend church and live the
principles that you live by, or will they be
brought up in the middle of a constant
tug-of-war? It general, it just seems to be
easier on everyone, especially kids, when
both parties follow the same rulebook. Then
again, there are those occasional exceptions
to the rule.
We've all heard different
stories of Christians dating non-Christians
who eventually do turn their lives to God.
They later marry and have strong, happy
relationships with values centered on
Christ. Or, there are those couples that
just don't let religion get in the way. Both
are willing to compromise and let the other
partner have their freedom to worship and
live in a way that suits them. As promising
as it sounds, though, it's not always
realistic. Many couples involved in
"dual-faith" relationships will find
themselves buried in conflict and heartache
at some point, causing them to break up or
divorce.
It's to be expected that
meeting new people, especially people that
you're compatible with, is going to be
challenging. But, consider carefully whether
short-term gain is worth ending up with the
wrong person. Falling in love is easy, but
it's hard to imagine ever voluntarily
walking away from the relationship because
your partner's beliefs contradict your own.
The bottom line is that it's
up to you who you date, because you're the
navigator of your future. No matter who you
end up with, you're bound to run into
problems now and then. That just comes with
the territory. From there, it's up to you
what happens. You'll either choose to stick
at it and work through the rough patches, or
you'll decide it's too hard and back out. If
it makes your decision any easier, just
remember this advice: when a Christian and a
non-Christian jump into a relationship, the
scales are uneven and likely to tip!
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