I wish the answer to whether one should date outside of their religion was as cut and dry as the question. At our, "Happily Ever After Conferences" each year we speak on these type of issues. But the truth is that free will combined with whatever level of compassionate love you currently find yourself in when you choose a mate will depict that yoking. Since the "fall of man" in the Garden of Eden the Lord our God knew that we were imperfect. Since that time until the present day man has not been judged as perfect. Only the human species seeks inspiration to become as Christ like in his love and duties toward the Father.
Yes we are told in II Corinthians 6:14 to be equally yoked with a believer as a mate in marriage. But in subsequent verses we are also warned not to divorce a person who is a non believer. We are asked as a duty to the Lord to win that person over to the faith instead of walking out on them. The problem with the non-believing individual in a mismated relationship is not as much a conversion to the believers faith. Usually the non-believers largest hurdle to overcome becomes their spouse who places themselves as holier than God and beyond reproach to simple humanity. This separation within a relationship of one flesh becomes ever painful to work unless the Christian spouse/date remembers that all have fallen short and without the grace of God they too would be the sinner.
II Corinthians 6:14 should not be taken out of context in relation to all couplings. For it was written by the Apostle Paul in Macedonia after 2 years in Ephesus due to tensions and strife in the church of Corinth. His biggest complaint was that infultration of false unrepentent teachers and members had become to dominate that region. He became worried that too many false doctrines from false believers would become the doctrine of believers. This verse is more focused person to person and not man to woman.
I have either healed or counciled many relationships where one spouse was religious and the other not so religious. In some cases the one who was more religious was less tolerant and the one who was less religious had a higher hunger for God. But the one thing I knew for sure is that the only way to fix an unequaly yoked relationship is by showing your mate how light the Gods yoke really is. There is no greater proof to the pudding than someone being able to bring a love to God who would never have made it without crushing that persons soul. Search the entire life of Christ and you will see how his mission was to bring us, "the unequally yoked" to the God.
I offer any couple who is struggling with being equally yoked an open invitation to attend the, "Happily Ever After Conference" in Huntersville, N.C. this July. For details go to and register at web site www.filapublishing.com . Sincerely...
Charles Rivers- Christian Author of- "Heart of the Marriage, The Good Marriage Maintenance Kit, How To Become Your Spouse's Best Friend, How To Get the Most In Marriage and Married without Baggage."
This is true, one will be converted. This is why Christ was admonished many times for finding himself in the company of sinners. Do not mistake me believing that I am asking Christians to either date or dwell among sinners. But what I am saying is that one does not count themselves as hyper saved and all else to be sinners.
Do you realize in the entire ministry of Jesus Christ he held some of his harshest critiques for the Scribes, Pharisees or High Priest. These were the people who claimed themselves to be inherently holy and all others sinners who had to pass through their judgement to get to God. Case in point the story of, "Mary Magdalene" in John 8:1-7 If you can remember the Scribes and Pharisees were chasing her to stone her to death for the sin of adultery. What did Christ say to the assembled but, "he who is among you that is without sin let him be the first to cast a stone at her."
So I caution all people who are saved more in the mind then in the heart to check their sin past because we are told in the bible to "Judge not less we be judged." The point about dating someone in darkness is not as importantthan you painting them as a dark soul without the vision of God himself.
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