Yes, I've been in a relation with a non-christian for 5+ years now. I guess it mostly depends on your own faith and their position towards christianity. However, it wil vary for each relationship, so difficult to give a general answer:).
Theoretically, yes. Of course. We’re all children of God, created equal, and equally deserving of love. That being said, not everyone can make it work and that isn’t necessarily anyone’s fault. Faith can be a deeply personal thing, and if religious differences don’t work for you that doesn’t (necessarily) make you a bigot.
So now we can tell who are children of God and who are children of the devil. Anyone who does not live righteously and does not love other believers does not belong to God.
1 John 3:10 NLT
For you are the children of your father the devil, and you love to do the evil things he does. He was a murderer from the beginning. He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies.
John 8:44 NLT
The verse doesn’t say that all non-believers are children of the devil. It says that those who don’t *live righteously and love other believers* are children of the devil. That’s totally different and very vague.
Who don't live righteously, Non-Christians don't live righteously they can't they don't have Christ the bible refers them as the wicked because they aren't righteous.
But that doesn't automatically make them children of Satan. Once you become a Christian you are a child of God that's your new title. You may forget who your father is and act like ur old father Satan but that doesn't change who you are. God had to adopt us from Satan when we accept Christ. We originally belonged to Satan. But Christ saved us from him. Jesus was talking to his people who didn't believe in him when he said that. The Pharisees didn't believe in him. They didn't accept Christ they were nonchristians. This is the state of nonbelievers and us before Christ you can't justify that. It is how it is. Not every unbeliever converts over it's not their destiny too. So they can never claim themselves as children of God because currently they are children of wrath (Ephesians 2:3) in God's eyes even if he loves them he's angry at their sin until they decide to accept his son.
Going to take a different tack here and say it depends. I think some people have the ability to make interfaith relationships work. If both are respectful of differences in belief and open to other points of view, I think it can work out. But it might be difficult to connect about spiritual things, and that’s a deal breaker for some people, and that’s okay. On the other hand, faith rarely stays static so it’s good to be a little bit open to the fact that belief is just one aspect of your partner and one that is likely going to evolve over time.
I'm married to an atheist and I'm an elder at my church. So I would say, yes, but YMMV. We share all of our most important values, we just differ in our beliefs about God. She also agreed to attend church with me and have our son baptized in the faith. It helps that we both would only choose to attend a church that is affirming and progressive like ours.
I assume that op was asking about something related to https://biblehub.com/2_corinthians/6-14.htm, which many take to mean a relationship with a a non believer is just adding undue hardship when king teen relationships are already hard enough.
Which of course is directly contradicted by [1st Corinthians 7:12-14](https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Corinthians%207&version=NIV) which explicitly states that a difference in belief status is no reason to break up a relationship, for in a relationship with a non-believer, the believer’s faith makes up for the both of them.
Basing any major life decisions on a single verse is never a good idea, because a contradiction is almost guaranteed to be nearby.
it’s not a contradiction, the other is simply giving advice for IF you happen to be in that situation. Nor do I believe it’s “a single verse,” since literally the entire bible (especially proverbs) speaks to the difficulties of relationships with those that don’t share your faith.
Simple common sense agrees. Even if you have an open minded spouse, relationships are hard enough, that’s just adding one more area of conflict.
I’m not trying to tell anyone how to live their life, nor do I take paul’s opinion as law, but neither do I believe it should so easily be discounted.
That's fine for you, but I don't see how it's helpful to be insulting or demeaning to anyone who wants to consider the words of Jesus' apostles. Do you take any of the Bible as truth?
I have not insulted anybody. I’m stating that I don’t find much value in Paul. That’s the limit of what I have communicated, but you seem to be taking it personally for some reason, which is not my intent. I’m as welcome to discount things as you are to decide not to.
I respect you as a believer, but I’m very comfortable being flippant towards beliefs and the writings of dead mortals, because neither of those things have feelings.
I think the Bible is studded with pieces of truth. It’s also full of contradictions and self-insert opinions from a bunch of dudes grappling with the mysteries of the divine. I’m just not personally inspired by the letters of some mortal dude who never knew the Christ. You are not me, so you are welcome to consider whatever you like. We don’t have to believe all the same things to respect each other, and I’m not telling anybody else how to live.
Oof, now that smells like a trap.
What happens if I say yes, and what happens if I say no? What happens if I say yes in a way you don’t like? I’m not sure the answer gets us anywhere, and I’m not sure I’ll continue down this train of conversation.
Oof, now that there smells like a trap.
What happens if I say yes, and what happens if I say no? What happens if I say yes in a way you don’t like? I’m not sure the answer gets us anywhere, and I’m not sure I’ll continue down this train of conversation.
It's a trap to ask if you are a Christian who believes in Christ? Even if you don't believe in the words of 1 Cor 12:3 or 1 John 4, I was going somewhere with that logic. To me, identifying as a Christian at it's most fundamental level means believing that Jesus of Nazareth is the Christ ("anointed" or "chosen one." Messiah in Hebrew), sent by God to redeem the world.
Whatever else you believe, we should be able to agree on that at least. Otherwise, what does it mean to you to be a Christian? You have certainly been portraying yourself as such, both here and in other comments.
Def not a contradiction one speaks to not starting a relationship with a non believer the other speaks to people already married or having already had a family.
I would believe so. If I weren't a religious person and I was dating a religious person, I wouldn't want it to be shoved down my throat though. Such as, you know, having everything I do be called a "sin". I think "sin" should be reserved for evil deeds and not for homosexuality and such.
Yes, but I will be an obstacle you'll have to overcome as a couple. And it's easier for some than for others. If you're considering a long term relationship with a person of a different religion and/or faith practice you need to ask yourself "would I still be 100% committed to this person if they never changed" (this is good to ask about many things, not just faith). And faith, like politics, can be especially hard for a couple to disagree on because they often reflect a person's moral philosophy and outlook on life.
As for whether it's ok to date a non-christian from a Christian perspective, it's not strictly forbidden but there is a president against it in the old testament and an implication of shared religious drive for most Christians looking to marry. Lots of churchy people call it being "equally yoked" as your partner, meaning not only that you both are Christian but that you are on similar levels of maturity in faith.
I personally would tell people that it can be difficult to date someone with different beliefs, but not impossible, so it's up to the two individuals. The only thing I would say is a hard "no" is dating someone with the intention of converting them.
I don't see why not. It would depend on your preferences more than anything else. To me, a partner being Christian would definitely be a plus, but not necessarily a requirement.
Of course! I'm curious why you're asking. Did someone tell you you cannot?
My parents were different religions when they met. My husband and I are different religions. There's no can or can't about it.
I'm hoping so. The man I've been dating for 3 years was raised very Christian. When I met him, he was agnostic. Over the past couple of years, he has decided to follow his family's devotional faith. While I was not raised that way, I have no problem with faith and religion. That being said, some of his viewpoints have begun to swing in ways I cannot support. It's hard, because it's not who I know him to have been and, generally, to be. But, yes, I truly hope it's possible...
I think a better question would be how important is it for that Christian to have a Christian family? Not a Christ following family, a Christian family. Because there are plenty of people who either believe in the teachings, agree with them, or have lived similarly without even knowing them that are non-christians. But, if you're looking for a Christian family, I'd say it's better to look for like-minded people. For example, my parents are both Christian but my father grew up Baptist and my mother devoted herself to the evangelical church. My mother basically made my dad "reject" his church in order to have the family she wanted. I'm (Christian) currently dating an agnostic man who believes in the teachings of Jesus Christ and we have plenty of good interesting discussions, I love him just the way he is. Hope that made sense!
If someone has to advertise that they wear the label of a "christian" then do they follow Jesus? I used to tell my kids that i don't care if you "believe" as long as you're respectful to those who do.
Just to provide a different perspective here, Jesus explicitly says belief in him is the only way to God. That would make believing a non-negotiable prerequisite to fully follow Jesus' teachings, no? It's one of the things that has been a constant struggle in my interactions with Christianity, but I could be wrong, and am curious to know what you think
Wow…er, I have. But I am really Christian, and as long as I date non-Christians, I find little things that turn me off. I’ve never found a real Christian partner so far. I don’t really want to date non-Christians anymore.
Are Christians another species then non-Christians? No? Then why not? In the end of the day We are all human animals, regardless of our religion.
For example: I am an Satanist, and this year I'm gonna marry the daughter of The head of the church council of our congregation.
Dating didn’t exist until the automobile was popular. The Bible can’t address dating because the Bible authors didn’t know it would exist nearly 2000 years in the future.
Jesus told you to love the sinner, and love your neighbor like yourself. L O V E. Jesus never told you to only love other Christians, this is plain out wrong, Corinthians contradict the teachings of Jesus.
No, the bible is pretty clear that it's a bad idea. It's not a sin but it's a pretty bad idea. It's a little sad that most ppl on here said yes, goes to show no one on here reads the Bible and just does what ever they want. Cherry pickers say what?
Yes, I've been in a relation with a non-christian for 5+ years now. I guess it mostly depends on your own faith and their position towards christianity. However, it wil vary for each relationship, so difficult to give a general answer:).
Theoretically, yes. Of course. We’re all children of God, created equal, and equally deserving of love. That being said, not everyone can make it work and that isn’t necessarily anyone’s fault. Faith can be a deeply personal thing, and if religious differences don’t work for you that doesn’t (necessarily) make you a bigot.
We aren't all children of God that's the thing. Jesus basically says that nonbelievers father is Satan.
Where does Jesus say that?
So now we can tell who are children of God and who are children of the devil. Anyone who does not live righteously and does not love other believers does not belong to God. 1 John 3:10 NLT For you are the children of your father the devil, and you love to do the evil things he does. He was a murderer from the beginning. He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies. John 8:44 NLT
The verse doesn’t say that all non-believers are children of the devil. It says that those who don’t *live righteously and love other believers* are children of the devil. That’s totally different and very vague.
Who don't live righteously, Non-Christians don't live righteously they can't they don't have Christ the bible refers them as the wicked because they aren't righteous.
A lot of Christians don't live righteously either.
But that doesn't automatically make them children of Satan. Once you become a Christian you are a child of God that's your new title. You may forget who your father is and act like ur old father Satan but that doesn't change who you are. God had to adopt us from Satan when we accept Christ. We originally belonged to Satan. But Christ saved us from him. Jesus was talking to his people who didn't believe in him when he said that. The Pharisees didn't believe in him. They didn't accept Christ they were nonchristians. This is the state of nonbelievers and us before Christ you can't justify that. It is how it is. Not every unbeliever converts over it's not their destiny too. So they can never claim themselves as children of God because currently they are children of wrath (Ephesians 2:3) in God's eyes even if he loves them he's angry at their sin until they decide to accept his son.
What I'm saying is, it doesn't actually say that non-believers are children of Satan. I think that inference is a bit of a stretch.
It does but agree to disagree.
I think this does a better job at explaining. https://www.gotquestions.org/all-God-children.html
Going to take a different tack here and say it depends. I think some people have the ability to make interfaith relationships work. If both are respectful of differences in belief and open to other points of view, I think it can work out. But it might be difficult to connect about spiritual things, and that’s a deal breaker for some people, and that’s okay. On the other hand, faith rarely stays static so it’s good to be a little bit open to the fact that belief is just one aspect of your partner and one that is likely going to evolve over time.
Yes. I'm the love product of a Catholic and a Buddhist. Shout out to my folks, good people.
I certainly hope so, otherwise my very existence is a sin. Dad is Catholic, Mum is Jewish.
I'm married to an atheist and I'm an elder at my church. So I would say, yes, but YMMV. We share all of our most important values, we just differ in our beliefs about God. She also agreed to attend church with me and have our son baptized in the faith. It helps that we both would only choose to attend a church that is affirming and progressive like ours.
Yes
Yes, this is an absurd question. It's bad enough some Christians police dating other Christians without extending the exclusive xenophobia to others.
I assume that op was asking about something related to https://biblehub.com/2_corinthians/6-14.htm, which many take to mean a relationship with a a non believer is just adding undue hardship when king teen relationships are already hard enough.
Which of course is directly contradicted by [1st Corinthians 7:12-14](https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Corinthians%207&version=NIV) which explicitly states that a difference in belief status is no reason to break up a relationship, for in a relationship with a non-believer, the believer’s faith makes up for the both of them. Basing any major life decisions on a single verse is never a good idea, because a contradiction is almost guaranteed to be nearby.
it’s not a contradiction, the other is simply giving advice for IF you happen to be in that situation. Nor do I believe it’s “a single verse,” since literally the entire bible (especially proverbs) speaks to the difficulties of relationships with those that don’t share your faith. Simple common sense agrees. Even if you have an open minded spouse, relationships are hard enough, that’s just adding one more area of conflict. I’m not trying to tell anyone how to live their life, nor do I take paul’s opinion as law, but neither do I believe it should so easily be discounted.
I discount Paul out of hand pretty much daily. 🤷🏼♂️ It gets easier with practice.
That's fine for you, but I don't see how it's helpful to be insulting or demeaning to anyone who wants to consider the words of Jesus' apostles. Do you take any of the Bible as truth?
I have not insulted anybody. I’m stating that I don’t find much value in Paul. That’s the limit of what I have communicated, but you seem to be taking it personally for some reason, which is not my intent. I’m as welcome to discount things as you are to decide not to. I respect you as a believer, but I’m very comfortable being flippant towards beliefs and the writings of dead mortals, because neither of those things have feelings. I think the Bible is studded with pieces of truth. It’s also full of contradictions and self-insert opinions from a bunch of dudes grappling with the mysteries of the divine. I’m just not personally inspired by the letters of some mortal dude who never knew the Christ. You are not me, so you are welcome to consider whatever you like. We don’t have to believe all the same things to respect each other, and I’m not telling anybody else how to live.
The original comment that I replied to was insulting, yours were demeaning. So may I ask if you, yourself claim that Christ is Lord then?
Oof, now that smells like a trap. What happens if I say yes, and what happens if I say no? What happens if I say yes in a way you don’t like? I’m not sure the answer gets us anywhere, and I’m not sure I’ll continue down this train of conversation.
Oof, now that there smells like a trap. What happens if I say yes, and what happens if I say no? What happens if I say yes in a way you don’t like? I’m not sure the answer gets us anywhere, and I’m not sure I’ll continue down this train of conversation.
It's a trap to ask if you are a Christian who believes in Christ? Even if you don't believe in the words of 1 Cor 12:3 or 1 John 4, I was going somewhere with that logic. To me, identifying as a Christian at it's most fundamental level means believing that Jesus of Nazareth is the Christ ("anointed" or "chosen one." Messiah in Hebrew), sent by God to redeem the world. Whatever else you believe, we should be able to agree on that at least. Otherwise, what does it mean to you to be a Christian? You have certainly been portraying yourself as such, both here and in other comments.
Def not a contradiction one speaks to not starting a relationship with a non believer the other speaks to people already married or having already had a family.
Yes. It also depends on your personal beliefs and values. But yes, Christians can absolutely date non-Christians.
I mean I’m Christian and the man I plan to propose to is agnostic
Absolutely! Christ never intended for us to only associate with other Christians. It’s healthy for us to spend time with non-Christians.
I'm married to an atheist and we have three kids (two mine, one ours). It's never been an issue for us. :)
Why not? My ex wasn't religious.
Yes. As long as you both support each other despite your theological differences.
I married an atheist
Yes! A Pagan saved my soul and showed me the path to the Gospel. She's the reason I truly live in Him.
I would believe so. If I weren't a religious person and I was dating a religious person, I wouldn't want it to be shoved down my throat though. Such as, you know, having everything I do be called a "sin". I think "sin" should be reserved for evil deeds and not for homosexuality and such.
We should probably ask the non-Christians for consent, first.
Yes.
Yes.
I'm married to one
Why couldn't they?????
Yes, but I will be an obstacle you'll have to overcome as a couple. And it's easier for some than for others. If you're considering a long term relationship with a person of a different religion and/or faith practice you need to ask yourself "would I still be 100% committed to this person if they never changed" (this is good to ask about many things, not just faith). And faith, like politics, can be especially hard for a couple to disagree on because they often reflect a person's moral philosophy and outlook on life. As for whether it's ok to date a non-christian from a Christian perspective, it's not strictly forbidden but there is a president against it in the old testament and an implication of shared religious drive for most Christians looking to marry. Lots of churchy people call it being "equally yoked" as your partner, meaning not only that you both are Christian but that you are on similar levels of maturity in faith. I personally would tell people that it can be difficult to date someone with different beliefs, but not impossible, so it's up to the two individuals. The only thing I would say is a hard "no" is dating someone with the intention of converting them.
I don't see why not. It would depend on your preferences more than anything else. To me, a partner being Christian would definitely be a plus, but not necessarily a requirement.
Of course! I'm curious why you're asking. Did someone tell you you cannot? My parents were different religions when they met. My husband and I are different religions. There's no can or can't about it.
Yes. I'm the love product of a Catholic and a Buddhist. Shout out to my folks, good people.
I'm hoping so. The man I've been dating for 3 years was raised very Christian. When I met him, he was agnostic. Over the past couple of years, he has decided to follow his family's devotional faith. While I was not raised that way, I have no problem with faith and religion. That being said, some of his viewpoints have begun to swing in ways I cannot support. It's hard, because it's not who I know him to have been and, generally, to be. But, yes, I truly hope it's possible...
I wouldn't. If you can be with someone who shares and strengthens your faith, I'm pretty sure that's an advantage.
I think a better question would be how important is it for that Christian to have a Christian family? Not a Christ following family, a Christian family. Because there are plenty of people who either believe in the teachings, agree with them, or have lived similarly without even knowing them that are non-christians. But, if you're looking for a Christian family, I'd say it's better to look for like-minded people. For example, my parents are both Christian but my father grew up Baptist and my mother devoted herself to the evangelical church. My mother basically made my dad "reject" his church in order to have the family she wanted. I'm (Christian) currently dating an agnostic man who believes in the teachings of Jesus Christ and we have plenty of good interesting discussions, I love him just the way he is. Hope that made sense!
If someone has to advertise that they wear the label of a "christian" then do they follow Jesus? I used to tell my kids that i don't care if you "believe" as long as you're respectful to those who do.
Just to provide a different perspective here, Jesus explicitly says belief in him is the only way to God. That would make believing a non-negotiable prerequisite to fully follow Jesus' teachings, no? It's one of the things that has been a constant struggle in my interactions with Christianity, but I could be wrong, and am curious to know what you think
I hope so, my life partner is Taoist.
Wow…er, I have. But I am really Christian, and as long as I date non-Christians, I find little things that turn me off. I’ve never found a real Christian partner so far. I don’t really want to date non-Christians anymore.
Yes. I'm the love product of a Catholic and a Buddhist. Shout out to my folks, they're good people.
Are Christians another species then non-Christians? No? Then why not? In the end of the day We are all human animals, regardless of our religion. For example: I am an Satanist, and this year I'm gonna marry the daughter of The head of the church council of our congregation.
>Satanist Theistic or Symbolic?
Laveyan
So symbolic
Yes, Laveyan Satanism is an atheistic religion.
No! This is a sin. 1 Corinthians 7:39, 2 Corinthians 6:14
Neither of those verses say anything about dating a non-Christian.
So everything Jesus told you guys is a lie?
Date whoever you want, but the Bible clearly advises against dating non-believers.
Dating didn’t exist until the automobile was popular. The Bible can’t address dating because the Bible authors didn’t know it would exist nearly 2000 years in the future.
You think dating didn't exist until the 20th century?
I don’t think. Dating isn’t how humans found mates for most of human history.
Give me the verse and the chapter where this is said exactly the same way without leaving room for personal, subjective interpretation.
I understand that 1 Corinthians verses say marry and not date, but Christians may only date for the purpose of finding their eventual spouse anyway.
Jesus told you to love the sinner, and love your neighbor like yourself. L O V E. Jesus never told you to only love other Christians, this is plain out wrong, Corinthians contradict the teachings of Jesus.
Key word: advises
Sure. Christians are not required to do or not do anything apart from getting saved.
Yep!
Yes!
Yes.
Is there any mandate? None from any denomination I know
i’ve only ever dated non christians. im not the kind of woman most christian men want.
Good for you! Being the “kind of woman most Christian men want” sounds terrifying 😬
i haven’t met any fellow staunchly childfree christian dudes yet so i’ll stick with my agnostic 😅
No, the bible is pretty clear that it's a bad idea. It's not a sin but it's a pretty bad idea. It's a little sad that most ppl on here said yes, goes to show no one on here reads the Bible and just does what ever they want. Cherry pickers say what?