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Is it OK to date someone from outside your faith?

By: Tracy Simmons

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Is it OK to date someone from outside your faith?

Tracy Simmons
Tracy Simmons
Tracy Simmons is an award-winning journalist specializing in religion reporting and digital entrepreneurship. In her approximate 20 years on the religion beat, Simmons has tucked a notepad in her pocket and found some of her favorite stories aboard cargo ships in New Jersey, on a police chase in Albuquerque, in dusty Texas church bell towers, on the streets of New York and in tent cities in Haiti. Simmons has worked as a multimedia journalist for newspapers across New Mexico, Texas, Connecticut and Washington. She is the executive director of FāVS.News, a digital journalism start-up covering religion news and commentary in Spokane, Washington. She also writes for The Spokesman-Review and national publications. She is a Scholarly Associate Professor of Journalism at Washington State University.
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Ryan Downie
Ryan Downie
13 years ago

This is actually a very difficult question and likely does not have a universal answer. This is because of the problem with the word “okay”. Is it “okay” by what standard? Is there an objective one? In many cases, it depends on the faith or religion in question. Perhaps a better way of phrasing it would be: should it be okay to date someone from outside your faith?

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Tracy Simmons
Tracy Simmons
13 years ago

Good question Ryan! I guess my question is “from YOUR individual faith perspective, is it OK…”

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Amy Rice
Amy Rice
13 years ago

I think it is frowned upon, but not necessarily outright forbidden.

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Ryan Downie
Ryan Downie
13 years ago

From my perspective it’s okay, as in there is no principle which forbids it on moral grounds. That said, it may not be a wise thing to do.

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Neal Schindler
Neal Schindler
13 years ago

Case-by-case basis, depending on what the individuals involved in the relationship believe, how much their families’ opinions matter to them, and so on.

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Bruce
Bruce
13 years ago

Maybe its beneficial? One problem with religions is they become too ingrown. If Christians only date Christians, for example, then they never learn to see another perspective. They become hardened to any other viewpoint. Faith doesn’t grow unless its challenged, and being with someone of another faith challenges traditions and preconceptions.

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Ryan Downie
Ryan Downie
13 years ago

Why would someone need to date a person of a differing faith to learn about it? That seems like a bad way to go about things. People should just learn about other positions or be friends with a variety of people with varying perspectives. Adding the extra complication of dating seems to be asking for trouble.

In fact, the bible even says that one should not be unequally yoked.

You said, ” If Christians only date Christians, for example, then they never learn to see another perspective.”

This seems to be clearly false. There are many ways in which a Christian might learn to see another perspective even if he/she only dates other Christians. There are many ways to be challenged and to resist being hardened to other viewpoints.

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