Does religion determine whom you will have a romantic relationship with?

My husband and I have been best of friends since we were very young. He is an observant Catholic, and I am an observant Jew. He was born in Cuba, and I was born in Massachusetts. We always thought those differences were too great to overcome. We both married other people who shared our religions and cultural backgrounds. Since he was only 8 when his family came to Miami (long before Castro!), he's pretty Americanized. Anyway, though, we were both very unhappily married, and we loved going places as sort of double dates and such. Although we'd been divorced for many years before that, we finally got married ten years ago. The honeymoon never ends! We are absolutely the happiest couple anywhere. In all these years, we've never had an argument; we discuss disagreements and work them out without drama. We both think the most important elements of a happy marriage are friendship and respect, along with loving trust. I wish everyone could be as happy as we are!

I think ultimately culture, including religious beliefs play strongly into the success or failure of a relationship. It is very difficult to overcome strongly held beliefs and the training of a lifetime. When two people come from very different backgrounds bridging these makes for added stress on a relationship. It can be done but why would you want to when relationships are already so difficult to begin with? Also, in most cases when the religions would prohibit marriage outside, one of the partners would have to convert. When you consider the sacrifices including loss of culture, family, personal identity, history, even God....I just don't think many people would be willing to go down this road. Even within faiths it is often difficult. Look at all the differences in the Christian faith itself. Catholic versus Protestant for example, one has to give up their strongly held beliefs to marry the other. Just to answer your other question, I am a recoverying Catholic.

I think for those who strongly believe in their faith, that it would be extremely difficult to marry someone outside the relegion. Dating is different and should not be a problem. Marriage would be because the idea of marrying outside the religion would directly or indirectly conflicting with pinciples of religion. Again my point of view is this is for someone who strongly believes their faith.

Not for me, unless it would interfere. My religion doesn't have odd rules about whom I may marry. I would only have issues if the one I am with has issues, and then that would get worse and worse and we would just end up breaking up right. So I guess it depends on the person and not really the religion. LOL Gods I am long winded today and still asleep LOL.

Although I would date somebody from another faith, to tell the truth, if I find someone who shares the same faith with me, I cannot say that I would be impartial. Relationships already come with so many differences in opinion that when there is an opportunity to find common ground, I would pursue it. The more we have in common, the better.