4 Cinderella75

Are you saying above that it is your impression that an atheist is a person who worships the devil and has no morals or bad morals?

I think you are assuming the wrong things about what an atheist is.

1. They do not "worship the devil .. and stuff.."
2. Just because they don't believe in God does not mean they have no morals or bad morals.

Some of the nicest and most ethical people I know are atheists. Please take another look at your assumptions.

JB

Birth - I meant by being raised in a Christian Family with a Christian Background. Then as your older and understanding accepting Christ into your heart.

Sorry for the confusion

Many people are essentially Christian from birth because their parents are Christian and the brainwashing begins immediately, just like it happened for most of these parents. Not that many people actually choose to follow any religion, the choice was already made for them by their parents/place of birth.

I would date a Christian, depending on how sane and logical her views were about her religion and how she implemented her religion into her daily life. Basically, no religious nuts. She would have to fully accept that i am totally non religious and accept that i find much about religion in general and Christianity laughable.

I was raised Catholic and was allowed to make my own decisions to follow or not. I did made my mistakes growing up and did the party hardy value scale and just about did what I wanted. BUT after all was said and done and about a year ago. I went away from Catholisim(?) and turned to Christianity due to things happening in my life. So I am happy my parents gave me room to grow and learn but in the end it was my decision to seek God or not.

I find in general that it can be very difficult to find a man or a woman that you really have enough in common with from the start to begin pursuing a serious relationship. So if I found a man that I truly enjoyed being around, then the fact that he was Christian certainly would not be a reason for me to permanently dismiss him as a potential mate. The only concession I would require in that situation is that he not push his beliefs on me in such a manner as to cause it to become the focus of the relationship and a constant battle of wills. Over the course of the long haul, who wants to put up with that?

Ive dated, excons (long timers)

Ive dated men with emotional and physical challenges and disabilities.

A Christian is certainly not going to be a problem unless they choose to create one. .

I don't think there is anything wrong with this myself. As long as one doesn't prevent the other from following their own beliefs or non beliefs.

I might date a Christian man, as long as he was not too extreme like some of the southern Baptists who want to preach and convert everyone they see, but a person like that would have no interest in me anyway.

I probably would not marry one.
Because...

If you truly want intimacy with your permanent partner, I think you should have very similar values and beliefs. I don't think you have to agree on everything that would be impossible. A few differences would leave room for growth and learning.

jb

I think I may have to agree with you.. I was seeing off and on a southern baptist and I dont think that he thought I was good enough for him. I think that was the main reason he finally decided to leave me

SharpShooter10,

I would date you but you may have to join my coven of hot tubbing and movie watching and participate in our sacred ritual of anointing each other with oil and whipping cream.

Now that sounds..............................................................................................................truly fun. Bet the initiation would be out of this world

Well...I cannot speak for Christians.

I am Jewish from BIRTH. My mother is Jewish. Religion is passed from the mother. I am also Jewish because I believe in the practice and principles of my faith.

I have dated the throughout the realm of faiths and no faiths (Catholic, Brethren, Pentecostal, Agnostic, Atheist, Jewish, etc). Dating out of your faith can cause difficulty with holidays, customs, etc.

Just my 2 cents worth, M

In my opinion...

... it would depend on whether or not one confuses FAITH with PAGAN RELIGIOUS RITUALS.

When one 'cements' faith to religious practices, dogma and rituals, it is no longer faith, it becomes a perverse form of religiosity; man's most powerful divisive weapon.

As is the case with the question you raise, when one is attached to a 'MORALIZING checklist', born out of pagan religious rituals, it only serves to filter and corrupt one's natural ability to accept oneself and others with integrity.

Divisiveness, founded on the tribal mentality of fear, is the ultimate destructive end result.

Faith has nothing to do with divisive religious rituals, or church dogma.

That would amount to claiming that one's unwavering commitment to 'well-being' could only be achieved by running marathons, practicing yoga, or a eating a daily ration of beansprouts!!!

Does that mean that one could then only date marathoners, yogists, or bean sprout enthusiasts???

If anything, one's faith stands for freeing one of one's prejudices, fears, judgments of oneself and others, and above all,
faith ought to free us all from this primitive and obsessive dependance on 'pagan ritualistic' crutches, which have nothing to do with faith.

I firmly 'believe', and have faith that the question you raise was never a preoccupation for Jesus.
If it had been a preoccupation for Jesus, he would have praised, and would have hung out with the Pharisees (the 'checklist religiosity pagans' of the time)!!!

Mutual respect, and loving relationships should never be based on fear, and its primitive imposition of a grocery list of addictions on others.

Trust faith!

Trust life,

... and chuck the 'pagan ritualistic checklist' out the window!!!


(just an editorial comment!)

I was recently rejected by a Christian woman because of my lack of faith. When we first met we were fairly smitten with each other and quickly developed a warm romantic relationship. Then one evening she asked: "Do you believe in the one true God?" I replied that I had undefined spiritual beliefs. She was very quiet and then said, to the effect, that the bible said not to convenant with unbelievers.

My perception is that people come to their understanding or belief from a lifetime of searching and experience, and as a consequence garner my respect regardless of their conclusions. I can't know how hard it has been for another, nor can I or should I make a judgment about their hard won beliefs. What I can do is try and understand the best I'm able.

What's sad in this situation is the feeling we had for each other and that a doctrine got in the way. I could have reasoned with her in many ways about that supposed biblical edict but felt that it could be perceived that I was attacking her faith - and more importantly, that if she didn't see the problem with it then I doubt that an outsider's reason would do much good.

So...one of those rare (I'm finding) encounters of mutual attraction died on the vine - or Cross, if you will - and we're left with a sadness of what might have been.

Cowboy

That is truly a sad story. It is rare that you find someone with whom you are drawn to, but if religious conflicts arise, then you know you have hit a wall because if that is important to them, there is no going further in the relationship, and the best thing to do is to go your separate ways.

jb

I was not a christian from birth per se, it is a faith I chose as a child. I would not date a non-christian, except as friends only. (ie. someone wanted a partner to accompany them to an event)
Someone that recently became christian, or shared a similar faith system, I would consider certainly.

Nothing to do with fear, or following man-made doctrine, just my personal preferences.

I am sad to hear. I was or am in the same position now. I was dating someone on and off for 2 years. I was rejected and he found another that has been a christain longer than I. He also left me sitting in church quit often alone. I dont know if I would date another Christain just for that reason. They leave you just on a whim and dont really have a good reason just "it wasnt a good fit" so there you stand dumbfounded. So i have put my faith on the line bacause I am not like that or do I want to become that type of person