Caution-Religious question about interfaith marriages

[goodstarr]

PamOKW, I was not as immersed in my faith as I am now (Pentecostal), though I was always a believer. DH is Buddhist. Laura, DH mentioned the encounters that he keeps having with her to me, sounding like he was feeling attacked. It seemed to bother him so it did bother me. It is true that i feel she may be "undoing" what I've spent years "doing". In my original post, I was really wondering if people felt that my way of doing things was in some way too weak, and if my friend was correct in her ways. It was good to hear from someone else who had a husband who eventually accepted Christ through his wife's example and prayer (and patience).

 

[C.Ann]

Religious beliefs are very personal and I don't believe that anyone can - or should - try to change someone's beliefs - regardless of what their own beliefs might be..

 

[PamOKW]

It sounds like you are working things out between you and your husband. What you do on your own through prayer, discussion and example to possibly convert your husband is personal -- between husband and wife. You also seem to have found a way to blend these two very different views into a family.

Your friend's attack mode sounds somewhat dangerous to your marriage. She is badgering your husband and trying to get you to question why you would be married to someone so different and/or questioning why you are unable to convert him. I would be cautious with this friendship. It could be hazardous to your marriage.

 

[tigercat]

I became a Baha'i after I had been married several years. He told me at the time that he would put nothing in my way when it came to my faith as long as I did badger him about it. We have kept our bargin and it has worked out really well. He has never put anything in my way and has helped me out several time to make sure that I could do things. He now will attend certain functions with me and the other Baha'is here in town are his friends but I do not force or push anything on him.
tigercat

 

[goodstarr]

PamOKW, you are so right about being cautious about this friendship. It is a new one that she has aggressively pursued from the beginning. DH and I spent time at her house once and she and I just did breakfast together, but I do believe that our views are so vastly different that a deeper friendship wouldn't last. And this is very difficult to accept since she is my sister in Christ. Oh well, just another challenge to pray for

 

[GeorgeG]

My wife was a practicing Catholic and quite active in her church prior to marrying me, a non-practicing (read agnostic), twice divorced, protestant. She still embraces her religion but no longer goes to church (her decision).

We had some friends with whom we used to be very close. They were great friends, indeed, until they got very heavily into their church. Eventually, my wife was no longer a "Christian" unless she saw things 100% their way and I was beyond understanding since I was, in their words, "a good person and that's just not possible because I don't 'believe'." It didn't take long for our friendship to sour, basically because we didn't believe what we were told to believe.

I really don't care what anyone believes in as long as they stay out of my face with it. I'm a good person, as honest and patriotic as it gets, and don't have to prove it to anyone. Where I end up after I'm gone is anybody's guess, but I'm sure I'll be in good company.

As far as the good Catholic girl marrying the devout heathen... well, we're celebrating our 25th this year and still quite happy. Gee, who woulda thunk it!