Love & Religion
Declining a possibly beautiful relationship because of differing religious views, is like throwing away a diamond just cause it doesn't suit your skin color isn't it ? It might sound like a noble thing to do, but there is a tinge of ignorance in this.
We were taught to believe in many unwholesome statements that are idealized in an attempt to protect us. But no, an overprotective parent always manage to kill a part of their child in some way unknowingly. It gives results, only at the expense of good mental health and personal growth.
We were taught to believe in many unwholesome statements that are idealized in an attempt to protect us. But no, an overprotective parent always manage to kill a part of their child in some way unknowingly. It gives results, only at the expense of good mental health and personal growth.
Well, it really depends on what kind of relationship one is seeking isn't it? A love sought after by the world or a love that is a gift that was bestowed upon humans by Him?
ReplyDeleteMay i know how are you so certain that a christian's relationship with a non-believer is not bestowed by Him?
ReplyDeleteI know not. Neither am I saying it can't possibly be God's will. But the bible did say
ReplyDeleteDo not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?
2 Corinthians 6:14
But of cos, with that being said, Christians who get together need not necessarily be bestowed by God. I experienced it myself. I know, but sometimes we emphasize feelings and desires over God's guidance. We tend to go haywire.
And nonetheless, I know there are many examples. Couples who married despite being christians and non-christians, later converted and led a happy life ever since. Well, there's certainly a difference between God allowing something to happen and God wanting it to happen so. If God blessed their marriage, then I am truly happy for them. Similarly, when you make a wrong turn, but God intervenes and salvage the situation, blessing it even. But surely we won't purposely outright defy God and expecting Him to save the day.
Do not put the Lord your God to the test
Deuteronomy 6:16
Its so true that when we emphasize feelings and desires over God's guidance, we tend to go haywire. Thanks for this timely reminder :) Honestly, i do not know if it is considered sinful for believers to marry non believers as i haven't got time to ask and clarify my doubts about these two seemingly contradicting verses.
ReplyDelete1.
Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?
2 Corinthians 6:14
2.
To the rest I say this: If any brother has a wife who is not a believer and she is willing to live with him, he must not divorce her. 13 And if a woman has a husband who is not a believer and he is willing to live with her, she must not divorce him. 14 For the unbelieving husband has been sanctified through his wife, and the unbelieving wife has been sanctified through her believing husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but as it is, they are holy.
1 Corinthians 7:12-14
However, i was addressing something i know for sure in this blog post. Dating and being in a relationship allows room for us to change our minds if we figure that this is not what God has in mind for us. Declining these from the start just seems like we are not giving ourselves a chance to seek God's guidance regarding this relationship.
You see, the chapter, Corinthians, was the letter that Paul wrote to the christians of Corinth. And also it was meant to be addressed to specified circumstances they were in back then.
ReplyDeleteIn a nutshell, it was because similarly, as we were, the Corinthians believers back then, thought that they 'are not to be yoked together with unbelievers' thus there were many that sought separation and divorce. So what Paul was saying is, don't divorce (unless the other party has the desire to do so, 'but if the unbeliever leaves, let it be so' 1 Corinthians 7:15 ) and don't separate. Cos pertaining to separation, some married couples did not divorce, but they slept separately.
So this applies to us as well in a modern context, if one converts, a couple does not necessarily have to divorce. Thus the verse.
Well, I am probably antique for saying this. Haha. I believe relationship is the pathway to marriage, none other. That's why because of this and various other factors, haha, I was never in a relationship.
I concur with being in a relationship, but not dating. As dating, is the world's answer to finding our partner(s), aligned with values such as consumerism. We tend to get the mentality and stereotypes
"Your first love can never be your lifelong partner"
"We need to accumulate experience, before we can mature"
and to some, dating became a game. To many, you have to suffer so many heartbreaks to find the right one? Surely, that is not the love God, has given to fuel the union between man and women.
Don't you think there are more ways to find out how a person is, without declaring a relationship? You don't have to be couples to talk and understand one another. You don't have to spend time alone with one another, so many days in a week to know how they are like. For instance, knowing how this person treats his family should be a good indication of how this person is? For instance, I like kids, i mean of course, it doesn't mean i'll have to find a Sunday School teacher or what but, those are the indications, but you get the drift =) if you are really attracted to a person, it shouldn't take you alot of effort to observe him/her too(not to judge of cos).
=)
So i am finding my onion slicer too, then i'll make her cry
LOL (sorry, for the random crack)