Dating with Children

While considering the hunting partner as a serious dating partner, I got to thinking about the religious aspect of of that relationship. Is it important to share a common belief with someone? What if you are Catholic and your partner is Protestant? What if you are Mormon and your partner is Buddhist? Does it really matter?

I am a Christian of some particular kind, as it has probably been determined before, and my ex-husband was an atheist. Don’t even ask me how that happened. It did cause some problems in our marriage. I was opposed to pornography in our home and he thought it was healthy. I was opposed to heavy drinking and he loved to drink. Those are just habits, however. What I found to be the main problem was raising the kids.

I have always taken my kids to church every Sunday. Unless we’re traveling, that is just what we do. While my ex didn’t make too many waves in that arena, I off and on thought about how nice it would be to be a ‘whole’ family at church. To have him there to hold hands with and help with the kids, especially when they were very young. Someone who didn’t contradict everything spiritual that I was trying to teach the kids, and one who would not teach them that there was nothing beyond this life and no spiritual guide of any kind.

My hunting partner is also a Christian, but of a very different denomination than mine. Of course the core values are similar in some respects, but other basic beliefs are very different. Would he come to my church? Would I go to his? Both of us are comfortable in the beliefs that we are learning in our respective religions. It was determined a long time ago, when we first met, that if we were to get serious and consider marriage that one of us would have to change religions. But who?

I think that in dating and trying to raise children in the religion with which you are most comfortable, it is probably much easier just to date in your own faith. It gives a common goal toward eternity and it causes far less confusion for the children. Granted, this is not always easy. I know that I am the only single person within 60 miles of me who is of my faith, but in the long run and for the sake of my kids, I think I’ll try to date those whose beliefs coincide with mine.

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