does faith really bring couples together??
354043
It can but does not have to.
668403
First, GOOD FOR YOU that you have decided to become a Christian! THat's wonderful! I know it is difficult, but yes, your religion will have an effect on your relationship. The opposite also holds true-- your relationship will have an effect on your religion. It sounds as if you really love your boyfriend. If I were in your situation, I would pray and sit him down. Explain to him how you feel and how important this is to you to raise your children this way. Your faith may prove to be a turning point for him. Your faith will mean that there will be things you should no longer do (such as premarital sex, etc). IS he willing to stand by you? You have to communicate with him. If he really loves you, it will be difficult, but he will respect your faith, even if he does not "buy into it" at this time. You also have to be prepared that he may not understand and may try to talk you out of it. Be strong and stay prayerful. Pray for him as well, that he may also find the Lord. Even if you break up, continue to lift him up in prayer. Pray for the strength to be true to your faith. I wish you the best of luck. I know it is a difficult path you are about to embark on. Be strong. God will not forsake you and you may lead your boyfriend to the Kingdom as well!!!
635085
Yes, I believe in marriage. I married my husband because I was, and still am, in love with him. In the eyes of GOD, we share each other and are bonded to one another. We became one person on that day. That's not to say that we don't have individual thoughts, feelings and ideas but to say that we share feelings, thoughts and ideas with each other in a way unlike if we knew "there would be a way out" or "backdoor". He is half of me and I half of him. We have from that day on thought of each other and consulted each other before making decisions to be courteous and considerate of the other feelings. The one you marry would, rather should, love you through it all and truly mean the words he/she vows. For me, I know my husband does and as do I. It's hard but it's well worth all the effort. I hope that you can find this kind of love and one day decide to share this kind of bond with someone you will love for always. Best wishes. Take care.
303723
Yes it can if each partner respect the other and their families are understanding.. My mum wasnt a msulim when she married my dad and shes from a totallly different culture(my dads arab, shes british) but things worked out fine.. my mum actually knows much more about our culture than i do.. my dads family LOVE my mum.. my mum was so happy with all of this that she began seeing what true muslims are like and she converted to islam.. and she says she couldnt be happier.. but i also know of many other non muslim women who have married muslims and it all depends on the families,  alot of them have bad relationships.. it depends
195022
I wish it were so simple an issue as to be able to say that If you love him and he loves you then your faith should not be an issue. Unfortunately, that is not usually the case when two people have different yet equally strong ties to a separate faiths.\n\nIn a relationship between two adults, religious differences can often cause tremendous stress and rifts in the relationship. Particularly when you are talking about a religion such as Christianity that believes that their faith is the only right faith and all others are condemned to eternal suffering in hell.  Right away, you are no longer an equal with your partner. Then there is the problem that comes from the questions of your future. If you stay together and decide to get married, will you have a Buddhist of Christian wedding? As a Buddhist, I would have no problem having a Christian wedding because Buddhism is less about pomp and ceremony and more about self awareness and compassion. I am sure you feel the same way.  But then comes the BIG question, if you have children, will you raise the child as a Christian or as a Buddhist? If you Choose Christianity, what will you tell you children when they see you practicing your Buddhism or reading sutras? If they ask about your faith, what will you tell them? Do you lie? This would be wrong. Do you tell the truth and watch as the conflicts between Christian ideology and Buddhist wisdom cause your children to question their faith in the Christian god? What do you do if a child chooses to become Buddhist? Would you husband let that happen or would it become a battle? \n\nI have seen the differences in faiths work. I know a couple who have lived a very happy life and have two beautiful children and they don’t fight over religion. But then again, neither of these two have ever felt so strongly about their faith that they would not be willing to make such concessions. \n\nIf your man is asking you to give up Buddhism, as your self this. Why must you give anything up? Are you asking him to give up his faith? If not, then why would someone that purportedly 'loves' you ask you to do something he is unwilling to do? That should tell you something. \n\nRemember, Buddha said that there is a cause of suffering, which is attachment or desire rooted in ignorance. To desire someone so much as to give up what is fundamentally apart of your beliefs is to give into attachment and thus give into suffering. \n\nI am a Chan Buddhist and we believe in balance. If your man is unwilling to give up Christianity, then that is his choice. We, as Buddhists, should not ask him to give up anything. However, he should not as us to give up anything either. Buddhists should be understanding of all faiths.\n\nIn summery, I think you should ask yourself what it is you hope to get from the relationship. If you can not believe what you choose to believe, then is this a healthy relationship or is it a relationship based on less then admirable traits?  Only you can answer. \n\nI hope this helps.
776662
Of course we need to love one another!  \n\n "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another." -Jesus, John 13:34 \n\nAnd yes, we are saved by God's grace, not faith.  One can believe in God & still not serve Him.
498772
ABSOLUTELY!!\nMy husband and I have just celebrated our 27th anniversary married and 28th together. The love we have today is much more than what we had on our wedding day. Our relationship is stronger and deeper than ever because of the 28 years we have been through together. You always hear the saying "through all the ups and downs", well it is so true. There were so many times during the first 5 years that I could have said "see ya". But I didn't. We had our first after we'd been married two years, he lost his job shortly after she was born and jobs were real hard to find so we had no money. We had to rely on family and other means to survive. But we did. I had faith in him and I had my Faith in God that we would get through. \nThere were many other financial hardships through the years that should have torn us apart and would have torn other couples apart, but we refused to let that happened becaused we loved each other and had faith in our marriage. We worked together. There was one time around our 17th year that we separated for awhile but I am too bullheaded to let him throw all that time away. So with some fight and work we saw what we needed to do and what we had done. We took each other for granted.\nOur marriage today is stronger, more passionate and devoted than ever. We have a greater understanding of what each other needs--time for each other and for ourselves. Be there for each other but know when to step back and stand beside each other for each other against all others no matter what.\nHe is my heart and soul. He is in law enforcement and I send him out every night with a kiss, a hug and I love you. The rest is in God's hand. I know there is always a chance that he may not come home or he may get seriously hurt. I take that chance because I love him that much. I can honestly tell you this much. If for some reason I would lose him to his job or by nature, he will be it for me. There will be no other in my life. That is how deep he is in my life.\nSo yes, there is long-lasting relationships and deep abiding love. It takes two to make them and lots of hard work every day. But the rewards are worth every minute of the life you will have together.\nI hope this helps
683469
Yes it works.\nDistance is not the end of the world in a relationship \nDistance cannot, and will not hurt a bond between two people that is based on mutual respect, trust, commitment, and love. \nAlthough you may feel like you are losing faith in your relationship at times, hold fast and trust your heart! \nI, like you, truly believe that love & relationships are what make your life special, and that ones built on love & understanding are always worth preserving, regardless of the miles that may separate two people. \n\n\nYOU ARE NOT ALONE ! \nAll across the world, there are couples just like you who are crazy about each other but are forced by circumstance to live apart..
1090777
i dont think it depends on the religion, but rather the person and the level of intimacy and love in the relationship.
262873
Not always. Faith is not a fix all. But, it can help you through the unhappy times.
979982
your relationship sounds like true love. some people never find that. yes they get married and live together but thats nothing if like you said, your not honest and trusting. it does seem simple. but somethings are worth fighting for.
938012
I believe what you believe is the best.\n\nShouldn't allow any one, including boyfriend/husband force you in to a religion.\n\nIf your bf was a Scientolgy Religion type, would you embrace that religion too ?  Make your own mind up like you appear to be doing. :)
535434
What you say just isn't true for many people.  People don't refuse faith; faith just doesn't exist for many people, especially thoughtful, rational-type people.  And you already know that it's not true that God always gives when asked; lots of times He doesn't.\n\nRE: Your Email (Yahoo wouln't let me respond directly):\n\nThanks Jenny.  I've read lots of the Bible growing up.  I have not decided "he doesn't exist."  But if He exists, he has not given me Faith.  To the contrary, He has given me a brain and a heart that do not lead me to Faith, even reading the Bible.  Who knows why, but that's the situation.  I can act like I have Faith, I can pretend I have Faith, but it would be a lie, and I can't just manufacture real Faith.  I'm sure it's very comforting to have Faith (regardless of whether it's well placed).
718149
sorry cant say anything you don't know our fill. my self been twice married to the same women and same thing happened again. you want to put all your faith into someone and they don't have the same feelings.  15 years for me in a relationship that i thought we had gotten past moving on, oops wrong but i do think that its all in a plan so brother or sister keep the ultimate faith that its all for a reason. i will say a pray for you and for anyone that feels that they have no one because he is watching over us at all\ntimes and testing us.  so if you stop having the faith nothing good can became of the lost faith of others. don't know if this is of any help but know u are not alone. keep the faith and stay focused on your life and not of someone that has no faith in the powers up above.  your path is not easy but don't make it harder than it needs to B. sounds like you have a kind and loving heart don't lose it. \n\nbless u and all for the prayers that we al need\n\ngood luck\ng
435222
I don’t personally believe, based on my own Christian faith, that God has dictated everything in your life.  Bottom line is, you are a co-writer of the story God is telling through you.\n\nYou will have opportunities to become romantically involved with different people in your life, and you simply do not “know” ahead of time what you are “supposed” to do. You might feel safer if God simply dictated every little step to you, but He won’t do that. You are not a robot, you are gloriously alive and part of the story yourself. That is scary, but it should also be exhilarating. (You have a say!)\n\nYou might end up picking someone who is similar to you, and marriage will be easy to make work -- but you won't be very challenged. Or you might end up picking someone with whom marriage is very difficult at first, but God still can make the marriage work and deepen as beautifully as the first option.\n\nMeanwhile, God wants you to be faithful to him in whatever you do. Act as He would have you in this relationship and see where it goes. If the relationship deepens (you grow to care about each other, your faith is leading you both in the same direction, and so on), let it deepen and see what happens. \n\nPray about it, pray for your romantic partner, focus on long-term growth and ask God for direction. Ask older wiser folks you trust for their opinions.\n\nMeanwhile, enjoy the friendship that is flowering. The abundant life (and by that I meant the spiritually fulfilling one, not the hedonistic pleasure-at-all-cost one) is meant to be lived and experienced.\n\nDon’t focus on whether or not you are “making a mistake” by perhaps not picking the earmarked person from the pool of 6 billion, that’s a fearful way to live. Focus on what God is doing in you and this person right now while you’re together, learn from it, and go where it takes you.
942690
I used to ... then I came to realize that all relationships are karmic.  It's only "unfinished business" between you and the other person from a previous lifetime.  This is one of the reasons you have such a strong attraction to one whom you think is your soul mate.  You are attracted to them because you've known them in another lifetime, and there is unfinished business that must be attended to.  It was a bit unsettling (and oh so unromantic) when the premise was first presented, but after a period of time, it became abundantly clear that it was true.  I now believe your true soul mate is God.  All of the yearning we experience is "separation anxiety" from our only true love .... GOD.
213353
of all the couples i know who have been together that long, the couples in our church are by far the happiest with each other! i think it`s because their relationships are based on biblical principles!