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IT is said that love conquers all, but that thought is not in the bible anywhere. But in I Corinthians, Chapter 13, Verse 13, Saint Paul does write this: "So, faith, hope, love remain, these three; but the greatest of these is love." Love then is the energy of the universe, the essence of God. HUMAN love can be the reflection of this creative energy of God, the very essence of God Himself. But human love is also flawed and weakened by sin. With that in mind, the only love I truly trust without limit is God's eternal and truly unconditional love. So, in regards to inter-religious marriages (marriages between a man and woman with different religious beliefs, such as Christian and Non-Christian, for example), the Catholic Church, and most Christians for that matter, discourage inter-religious marriages. IT is the experience of the Church that inter-religious marriages have inherent obstacles that destroy marriages, such as what religious community to go to worship, what religion should the children be brought up in, and the conflict of different family traditions that are based on religious observances. These are just some of the obstacles and conflicts that can destroy a marital union. I am going to say something that many don't want to hear: human love cannot overcome everything. The dictum, love conquers all, is not true because human love is flawed. Only God's love conquers all, not human love which at times can be blinded by a person's self-centered desires interpreted as love. That's why true love can only thrive when both man and woman share a common religious belief. Christians thrive with Christians, and other religious faith people thrive with their own faith traditions. MANY ask about biblical verses AGAINST inter-religious marriages. There is a danger of "proof-texting" (taking the bible out of context) to prove one's opinions even if those opinions are wrong. Even the devil himself used scripture against Jesus in the desert during Jesus' temptations (see Matthew, Chapter 4). HERE are the verses you seek to bolster our concerns about the danger of entering into inter-religious marriages. So, get your bible out, and because of the lack of space, I am only going to give you the verses and a little commentary about it so that you see what I am thinking about when I read that particular verse: In the Old Testament (the Hebrew Scriptures), the prohibition against inter-religious marriages is strong because the Hebrew people of that time (and some even now) see that inter-religious marriages endangers the Jewish faith of the one who is in such a relationship:
EXODUS 34:16
DEUTERONOMY 7:1-4
God is concerned about bringing other false religions
EZRA 10:2-3
NEHEMIAH 13:25-27
The prophet Nehemiah talks about the destruction that
MALACHI 2:11
The prophet Malachi uses the image of inter-religious IN the New Testament (the Christian Scriptures), Saint Paul writes clearly about his dislike of inter-religious marriages in regards to belief in Jesus as Lord and Savior. I CORINTHIANS 7:39
If a man or woman loses a spouse in death, they
2 CORINTHIANS 6:14-15
I
know that these biblical quotes MAY NOT make a Non-Christian
comfortable or peaceful about an inter-religious relationship.
But the challenges to inter-religious marriages are great. As a
non-believer, there will be many obstacles to a happy marital
union. Yes, these obstacles can be overcome through compromise
and through the absolute respect of each other's religious
faith. The male unbeliever may find that he will thrive with a
woman who shares his religious faith, his religious values, and
his religious traditions, which includes common family
activities. But let me say something that is the expectation of
the Church: We are praying that the non-Christian spouse will
one day convert to Christianity. Though not necessary for a
Christian marriage, conversion of the non-Christian party is
something that the Church and Christian family hopes for.
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