Why I Believe Religion Plays a Role in Selecting the Right Spouse
I have heard of situations where people say that religion doesn't matter in marriage or does it? It reminds me of how I remembered the example of a Roman Catholic woman who was dating a Muslim man. Both families were against it for this reason - religion always plays a part in getting married. Amos 3:3 says can the two walk together except they are agreed? If unbelievers can understand it then Christians too should know it better than to marry an unbeliever. If a Muslim can get mad at his son for dating a non-Muslim then it's a shame if Christians don't get mad if their children date non-Christians.
A really good reason why I have to turn down marriage invites from unbelievers even if I want to get a wife already is because God comes first. I was thinking about how I was advised before to date the daughter of a family friend of ours. However, she was an unbeliever so that's obviously a no-no. She may have a good personality and a cute face but she's still an unbeliever. When God says no He means it. It would be like Samson dating his Philistine wife or Delilah. Though the woman was no Delilah but God didn't honor Elimelech's two sons when they married Orphah and Ruth while they were unbelievers. Ruth's marriage with Boaz was only honored because she already became a convert at that time. I got out of Roman Catholicism so why should the daughter for a former parishioner be welcome? Even worse, the family was involved in Taoist and Buddhist organizations while I'm a Christian. I could try to justify missionary dating but I can't do God's law by breaking it. Missionary dating is disastrous as you'll see. Being single when others are getting married can be peer pressure. Yet, many of them were choosing the wrong partners such as even entering into interreligious marriage. I feel every temptation to justify missionary dating which I shouldn't do in the first place. I wanted to justify dating an unbeliever (at least to myself) then I realize what in the world am I thinking about doing that. I have to confess that I did sin by flirting with unbelieving women without considering that I was playing with fire. It ruined my testimony like it did with David and Solomon. Worse, it left me in the dumps until I repented.
One of the worst things that a Christian can do is to think that it's okay to intermarry with unbelievers. That was the great mistake that brought the worldwide flood.
One of the worst things that a Christian can do is to think that it's okay to intermarry with unbelievers. That was the great mistake that brought the worldwide flood.
Genesis 6:1-2
And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them, [2] That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose.
The sons of God are not angels or fallen angels as some would suggest. Instead, they were the descendants of Seth or the believers who began intermarrying with the Cainite women. The whole danger brought in children born to them were not giants as some quack theology would suggest. Instead, these children were of a confused bloodline. Remember that the mother brings up the home and the wickedness of the Cainite way of life was taught by these daughters of Cain. This was a great assault on the godly line of Seth. I think the sons of God thought that they could win over the daughters of Cain to worshiping the true God by marrying them.
Later, the Book of Judges tells us the same thing when the Israelites married Canaanite women. Samson once married an unnamed Philistine woman and later dated Delilah to his demise. David was married to Maacah a pagan woman hence leading to his estranged son Absalom. Solomon later entered into massive polygyny by marrying idolatrous princesses including a daughter of Egypt. Did missionary dating work? It didn't and we can see that the pollution of Seth's line caused ungodly descendants of Seth. After that, only Noah and his family were left and we all descended from Noah as a result. The Israelites' intermarriage with the Canaanites gave a new generation of unsaved descendants as a result. Samson was soon fooled into revealing his secret. Solomon's pagan wives soon led him to extreme backsliding. Was the risk truly worth it? Yet I find it so tempting to marry an unbeliever rather than wait on God's perfect timing like Boaz did.
The Bible doesn't stop there. The New Testament also has strong warnings against marrying unbelievers.
2 Corinthians 6:14-15
Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? [15] And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?
Ephesians 5:11
And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.
If there are cases Christians themselves do have marital problems then how much more if Christians marry unbelievers. It reminded me of why it would be best for anyone to turn down any matchmaking that happens between a Christian and an unbeliever because it would be disastrous. Not to mention the other great divider in topics is not only about politics but also religion. If I would marry an unbeliever then what's the real assurance that we won't argue about religion. Politics already divides then how much more religion? The battle for the truth is very important. Religion is very important. I may sound like a fanatic to modernists but the Bible is clear about not entering into unequal yokes with unbelievers. Yet, I still feel the temptation to do so because I'm still single and praying for the right one.
How are world religions dividing against Christianity? Christianity adheres to John 14:6 while religions say otherwise. True religion is different from false religion. You can see how world religions don't agree with the Bible's theology at 100%. Sure, you can disagree with anything but never with the truth of the Word of God. It's like how can you reconcile Hebrews 9:27 with reincarnation or how can you reconcile Purgatory with Jesus having paid the penalty for sin in full? Truth and error can't be reconciled and there's no fellowship with light and darkness. If false religions can't even get along in a mixed marriage (ex. having a Roman Catholic marry a non-Roman Catholic unbeliever) then how much more with Christianity?