would you change your religion?

danniemcq

while lying red eyed in bed listenin to tv theme songs (i know i know i'm such a fun party lovin guy) and the cheers theme came on, this made me start to recall some genius gags and scences from cheers.

then i remembered one episode when the postman (Cliff) was going out with someone and they were meant to marry but she was a differnet religion.

in order to marry her Cliff had to change religion though. he eventually decided that he would change in order to avoid them spending eternity in heaven with a mile high fence awith watchtowers seperating them (her words)

anyway the question is would you change your religion to marry someone?

ferdi

if i was totally head over heals besotted, there is no telling what i'd do

LundiMardi

I'd do anything for love but i won't do that.

Karl Hungus

The kind of woman who'd want me to change my religion is not the kind I'd even go out with.

www.churchofsatan.com

blu_sonic

my great grand father was church of england and a major in the British army, he met my great grand mother fell in love and relinquished his prostentism for catholism. his family cut him out and to this day we never had contact with our english relatives (if we have any). he also quit the army to become a watchman for a hospital.

i relinqushed my faith, i could accept the basic premise of the catholic faith and hence after a few years read and learning about other religions and beliefs became an atheist or maybe more accuratly an agnostic

ps. i think it was woody not cliff, woody was going to marry a girl that was a different version of his faith and there were "hysterical" concequences etc

simu

No, I wouldn't marry a person with strong religious beliefs tbh. Don't trust them.

Ba_barbaraAnne

I have considered changing my religion, but not for another person. Anyone I would want to be with would have to be the kind of person who would accept me as I am.... not what they wanted me to be.

danniemcq

danniemcq wrote:

then i remembered one episode when the postman (Cliff) was going out with someone and they were meant to marry but she was a differnet religion.

What about Seinfeld when Geoge changes to Latvian Orthodox to keep a girlfriend.

But the answer is no anyway. I'm not the most devout, but cedtainly wouldn't change.

danniemcq

who cares about Seinfeld though it's about as funny as Karl Spain (just my opinion) who ironically enough is sitting right beside me at the minute, wonder if he can hear what i'm thinkin...

monkeyfudge

I could only ever marry another bright

Actually... I'm not all that keen on the concept of marriage either.

I changed mine recently, actually. Not to marry someone though.
I wouldn't change mine to marry them though.
The only way I can see people doing that is if their first one didn't mean too much in the first place or the other one was similar

ChillyS

I really really hope I wouldn't but who can say what they'll do untill they're in the situation.

robinph

Voted 'No'.

But thats not in a 'I won't change which God I belive in inorder to marry you' kind of way, its in a 'If you belive in some almighty being that no-one has ever come up with any proof of then what the hell am I doing wanting to marry you' kind of way.

Crucifix

No. I would probably go through with a religous wedding if I really liked the person, but I wouldn't go round pretending.

WhiteWashMan

im not sure about religion, but i would change my philosophy of life. while it isnt a change in an organised religion as such, i dont think its far off theology.

i guess it really depends.

but then again, im not religious in the sense of organised religion anyway.

Blisterman

It depends. If it was becoming Protesdant or greek orthadox, then yeah. Muslim, no. I used to go out with a hindu, but I probably wouldn't change it to that either.

Blisterman

Blisterman wrote:

I used to go out with a hindu, but I probably wouldn't change it to that either.

You can't convert to that anyway

Although maybe marriage is an exception...

Aporia

changing your religion is changing what you believe in.

you can't just wake up one day and decide ''i want to change what i believe in''.

however you can change it on a piece of paper and if someone i loved that wanted me to do that i probably would to make them happy but still be an atheist.

jonny68

Football is my religion therefore the answer is a resounding NO

Karl Hungus

Could I possibly convince any of the fine ladies of boards to join The Esoteric Order Of Dagon so they could marry me?

Tar.Aldarion

I don't know...
I would hazard no, for reasons.

rsynnott

Hmm, I suppose theoretically, I already have; I was brought up nominally catholic, I've been an atheist for some time. I wouldn't go out with someone who wanted me to embrace some god or other, no.

CathyMoran

Like blu_sonic, my great-grandparents were from slightly differing faiths - I would have no major problem changing to another judeo/christian faith but would have serious reservations beyond that - at one stage I did consider it.

biko

I'm atheist and could not really marry someone who's a believer - too much of a culture clash. On the other hand, I could watch telly while she's off to Sunday Mass.

monkeyfudge

biko wrote:

On the other hand, I could watch telly while she's off to Sunday Mass.

Nah... slipping into the pub across the road FTW!

rainbow kirby

I'm atheist... I wouldn't suddenly find religion for a partner. It would be hypocritical of me to change my beliefs just because someone wanted me to.
I'm not sure either if I could have a serious relationship with someone who was very religious. Too much scope for argument.

larryone

Changing religion would not make me change my beliefs. I would change my religion for someone else. I probably will. My beliefs may change slightly, but not directly to suit the religion I might change to.

Sleepy

I was raised Catholic and the best relationship I ever had was with a girl who was Church of Ireland. Any time I attened a COI service with her and her family I was taken by how much saner the religion seemed than Catholicism so from that perspective I think I would.

However, given that I'm an extremely sceptical agnostic, I couldn't ever see myself adopting any religion for any reason. I'd be happy to have a marriage conducted according to the religious ceremony of any religion my partner might follow (and actually love the idea of the Quaker marriage ceremony) as long as the participants in that ceremony were aware of my lack of faith in that religion.

rsynnott

Sleepy wrote:

However, given that I'm an extremely sceptical agnostic, I couldn't ever see myself adopting any religion for any reason. I'd be happy to have a marriage conducted according to the religious ceremony of any religion my partner might follow (and actually love the idea of the Quaker marriage ceremony) as long as the participants in that ceremony were aware of my lack of faith in that religion.

For many religions, that's a deal-breaker. I think Catholicism still forbids interfaith marriage, for instance.

Marriage is not, for the moment, an option for me, but I don't think I'd consider a church wedding. Bit hypocritical.

Binomate

Hell now. I'd have nothing to do with religion or that evil mass murderer that everyone calls God.

YeatsCounty

If she was pressuring me into giving up my religion and following hers, whatever that may entail, just because she was a devout follower of her faith and not because our differing faiths would be a potential stumbling block towards out marriage plans, then no, I wouldn't accept those terms.

If we just needed my name on a slip of paper declaring that I was insert religion here in order to ensure that our marriage would go ahead, if we were in love (I'd hope that we would be!) and it wasn't an attempt to "convert" me, then I quite likely would.

As for the Catholic Church "forbidding" interfaith marriages, I found this on Wikipedia:

One issue is marriages with one of spouses belonging to a non-Christian religion (called the impediment "disparity of cult" - Catechism of the Catholic Church 1633): these marriages are not sacraments, since the letter of Canon law expressly defines the marriage as a "covenant" between baptized spouses. Still, a marriage between non-baptized spouses is called legitimum when validly celebrated, but it is really not encouraged.

CathyMoran

I would not have a problem with someone who did not have faith, though it does make things easier at times to be from similar backgrounds (going to mass can be nicer when you have your other half there, also, it is nice to pray together, but if I loved someone I could live without that).

Hagar

Would I worship the Dollar instead of the Euro?
Hmm, what exchange rate will you give me?

WhiteWashMan

Aporia wrote:

changing your religion is changing what you believe in.

you can't just wake up one day and decide ''i want to change what i believe in''.

however you can change it on a piece of paper and if someone i loved that wanted me to do that i probably would to make them happy but still be an atheist.

of course you can change what you believe in.

or is it against the law?

Kernel

I'm happy enough with my current religion, but people often struggle with personal beliefs, value systems and theology. If you decide after that it's not for you, and another religion is more true for you as a person, then I imagine you weigh it up carefully and make a decision to change - and that's up to themselves at the end of the day.

Siogfinsceal

Im not overly religious. Im catholic but I dont go to church. I have a simple view that if you live a good life then if there is a god whoever he or she is will look after you.
I wouldnt like to go out with someone who was extremely religious and I definately wouldnt change religion for someone

ZiabR

Aporia wrote:

changing your religion is changing what you believe in.

you can't just wake up one day and decide ''i want to change what i believe in''.

however you can change it on a piece of paper and if someone i loved that wanted me to do that i probably would to make them happy but still be an atheist.

But what if you really never believed in the first place? I am not a follower of any religion tbh. As soon as i was old enough my parents let me decide what i wanted to do in regards religion.

I am a believer of sicence NOT religion.

Kernel

logik wrote:

I am a believer of sicence NOT religion.

You can be a believer in science and religion, the two aren't mutually exclusive. Science deals with the physical, religion deals with the spiritual. We have a logical side and a spiritual side - recent studies show this - so I think it can be detrimental to a persons psyche to neglect their spiritual nature.

danniemcq

danniemcq wrote:

who cares about Seinfeld though

I guess the 70 or 80 million who tuned into the last epsode ever to make it the third biggest US audience for a sitcom ever behind the last show of MASH and Cheers.

ZiabR

Kernel wrote:

You can be a believer in science and religion, the two aren't mutually exclusive. Science deals with the physical, religion deals with the spiritual. We have a logical side and a spiritual side - recent studies show this - so I think it can be detrimental to a persons psyche to neglect their spiritual nature.

Yes you have a point there, but i dont think that religion is directly related to being spiritual. I don't like something that thinks for me and in many ways religions thinks for us. It states what is morally wrong and right. Just because i am not a believer of religion does not mean that i am not spiritual.

Kernel

logik wrote:

Yes you have a point there, but i dont think that religion is directly related to being spiritual. I don't like something that thinks for me and in many ways religions thinks for us. It states what is morally wrong and right. Just because i am not a believer of religion does not mean that i am not spiritual.

That's fair enough, people can be spiritual without organised religion, whatever works best for the person, but there's a danger of a la carte spirituality where people pick and choose what they want, and disregard any teaching that is difficult for them, or contrary to their lifestyle. It's easy to do. However, I'm hypocritical in saying that since I break several rules of my religion. I think if I followed all the rules, I would be a better person, and society would be better, but the flesh - as they say - is weak.

I'm somewhat religious, but I also believe and respect science, and for me, science reinforces my belief in an intelligent design to the universe. The strict moral guidelines were useful in getting us to a civilised ethical state, in the early years... took us a long time though, and there's still a lot of civilising we could do.

Binomate

Kernel wrote:

You can be a believer in science and religion, the two aren't mutually exclusive. Science deals with the physical, religion deals with the spiritual. We have a logical side and a spiritual side - recent studies show this - so I think it can be detrimental to a persons psyche to neglect their spiritual nature.

Can I possibly have a link to that study please? I thought it was the exact opposite? I though scientists had uncovered that the soul or the spirit doesn't exist.

As far as I am concerned, religion is darkness and science is light. Darkness doesn't exist. It is only a word we use for an abundance of light. The same way the idea of God only exists where science hasn't gone yet.

connundrum

I don't think I ever would have gone out with someone who was so deeply religious that it may have caused an akward situation in the first place.. I'm just not mad on the deeply religious type, as I am in no real way religious myself.

So the situation probably will never raise its head

Kernel

Binomate wrote:

Can I possibly have a link to that study please? I thought it was the exact opposite? I though scientists had uncovered that the soul or the spirit doesn't exist.

It's nothing to do with a soul or a spirit, just that we have a spiritual tendency hardwired into our make up. Look at even primitive, isolated tribes and you usually see that they all have spiritual beliefs.

Check out these articles:

http://www.aaas.org/news/releases/2005/0607godgene.shtml
http://www.maps.org/media/vedantam.html
http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/biology/b103/f01/web3/ekanayake.html

Binomate wrote:

As far as I am concerned, religion is darkness and science is light. Darkness doesn't exist. It is only a word we use for an abundance of light. The same way the idea of God only exists where science hasn't gone yet.

My interpretation is that the more science unravels the amazing mysteries of the universe, from quantum physics to DNA and evolution, the more it shows how intricate and perfectly designed the whole thing is. For me, God exists in the whole design, and science simply helps us understand the design and how marvellous and elaborate it is.

koneko

Same as some others above, I'm an athiest, and I wouldn't adopt a religion for them, it would be completely false as I wouldn't actually believe in it.

I wouldn't really date a religious person anyway, the type of people I date are people I have things in common with, it's very rare that I come across someone that has the same interests as me but is religious.

Kingp35

Im about as religious as a rock so no I would not take up a religion for someone else because I think all religions are ridiculous.

Bob the Seducer

Would I change my religion? Yes, if I wanted to.
Would I change my religion for somebody else? No, I don't think that's something that anyone should ask you to do.
Would I marry someone very religious? No, again. I'm not too gone on the whole indoctrination of my children, I don't mind a person following their particular faith but I also don't think you should decide what anyone elses religion is.

JaneHudson

I agree that religions are ridiculous. I couldn't go out with a religious person. I'd need someone who can make their own decisions.

Sifo

i don't have one to change. i was born a christian, but in reality it is only a word.. where was christianity before Jesus and where was islam before mohammad? if your going to pick up a new one i recommend hinduism as its been around the longest and doesnt rely on prophecies!!

Beruthiel

I'm agnostic, I could never be with someone who was really into any kind of religion, so the answer is no.

Tha Gopher

tbh i think the chances of anyone in 21st century Ireland finding themselves marrying a deeply religious young woman are slim to none. I only know one religious person of my age, and shes a feckin oddball.

At the same time i dont go for all this hating religion because its trendy thing. Born/baptised catholic like most of us. My parents were never big into mass so it was never an issue. Would still get my kids baptised though.