I respect everyone's right to their own beliefs, but I had an ex-girlfriend break up with me because I am an atheist. The religious believer she ended up with, sent her to the hospital by beating her up a few times. Now I do not get involved with anyone that is too religious. It is hard to find anyone who thinks of religion the same way that I do in the south.

Sort of. I had a serious relationship with a religious woman and she ended it because I wasn’t religious.

No, I’ve been preemptive on that one.. In my new location of red-neck virginia, usa, most I meet are linked to religion. It’s sick, sad and depressing… Thought I’d found who I’d ‘hoped to meet’ around here a year ago (an educated local), until her religious ties and regressive politics began to ooze. I’ve watched most marriages fall apart ..many I’d photographed their ceremony.. Too often, religious differences, that seemed irrelevant at the time, had taken over. Worse, after having children… If they’re religious, and you’re not - stay clear ~

I broke up with my last girl friend for many reasons. One was her religious beliefs. Don't get me wrong, she is a smart, beautiful, independent lady, but we just wanted different lives. Hers happened to include a new age religious view, mine does not.

Yes, kinda ... the religion itself wasn't a big issue because in this case it was a Buddhist and I am very tolerant. But the problems came because she was constantly saying things like "Well, my lama says X and he knows everything so you're wrong" ... and because people who are open to simple belief in the unproven are also open to superstition and plain illogical beliefs that they hold onto desperately, in the face of logic and reason. They just have closed minds and do not adjust their understanding of the world based on new knowledge. I just couldn't live with anyone like that.

"End" a relationship with someone I loved because or religious baggage? In my case, I actively torpedo (by asserting a vocal anti-theist position with an array of examples (from the bible etc.)) any potential relationship with a potential theist prior to the chance of any intimate relationship. I honestly feel sorry for theists as their thought process includes accepting faith (belief without evidence) claims as truth (things that can be demonstrated). Years ago I formed a relationship with a brilliant woman based on feeling sorry for her (thinking I could help her) This failed. As I consider accepting as truth any religious faith claims a form of mental disorder, I no longer commit time to attempt to "fix" a person with mental problems.

If there was "baggage" ( of any kind, for that matter ), it's unlikely it would ever get to the love stage for me.

Technically no, but realistically yes.

"Religion" proper was never an issue between my "Christian" ex and my atheist self. But it was.

My values are my religion: they are sacred to me. My ex's values were so out of sync with mine that I couldn't take it anymore and bailed. (He thinks some poor folks should be left to rot and I think no one should ever be left to rot.)

So I was the one with the "religious baggage"--in a manner of speaking. And I'm totally fine with it.

No...

My ex wife was religious and we made it work for 8 years. We argued over religion but it was always very respectful. Not once did it become more than an intellectual excercize. My kids have been told they have to make there own minds up on the subject. My son leans athiest, my daughter is "spiritual but not religious," whatever that means.

Only my entire Christian fundamentalist family. Not a genuine human being in the bunch.

I briefly dated a woman who was studying divinity, many years ago. She found me interesting and exotic, and said I was the first atheist she'd ever met and was surprised at both my easygoing attitude and my intelligence. I was impressed with her intelligence also. The dating went well and we had sex one evening. After that, she freaked out, refused to talk about it, and rebuffed me physically. Then she stopped returning my calls, and then I stopped calling her.

So the difference in religion seemed okay, until it came to sex.

Absolutely! And have not looked back! He was a religious Christian (oxymoron). He wanted to get married. That’s when I ended it. No way would it work! He was trying to change my views. I explained to him that I was honest when me met that I am an agnostic and will not change because you throw out the word marriage. I immediately blocked him from contacting me. The End!

Religious baggage played a big part in the ending of my marriage, 18 years ago. Hallelujah!

I don't recall religious differences being an issue in any of my relationships. My most recent ex didn't really approve of my atheism although I would not call him a religious man. It was the "label" that "upset" him. It was rarely brought up as we're most things between us because he was a total sociopath who only checked in when he felt I was planning my great escape and he had to reel me back in to ensure his meal ticket didn't disappear into the night right along with her debit card. (Took 3 years but I finally shook that loser)

I briefly begun seeing a man who did claim to be a Christian but I had the hots for him so I overlooked it UNTIL I realized that not only did he believe in the jerk upstairs but he also believed in demons all around us making us sick and evil. All things horrible in the world we're not caused by human greed and cruelty but in fact by actual Satanic demons possessing us and we had to fight to keep them out. It was kind of interesting at first until I realized this would probably be his defense at my murder trial someday.

Yes. The profound disagreement over the existence of the Christian god was one of the big problems in my late marriage. She kept waiting for a "miracle" job to land in her lap, refusing to take anything less than ideal, which meant I had to carry the entire load for the sake of her "faith". Even our money and intimacy problems stemmed ultimately from religious differences.

From what I've learned, theists and non-theists don't mix. That's why I'm here.

Church was where I found it easiest to take naps at.

Pretty much every freaking time!

Pretty much yes and it wasn't any fun

Nope, as a matter of fact. 8 years after breaking up we still levitate to each other, if religion is what keep us separated... is what it is. Some things never change. But we don't put blame there. And we enjoy now a great friendship were sex is not an issue. Dinner, movie, dance dates with a friend.

Nope.

I think a relationship ended in part because of theological differences. Wasn’t the only thing, though.

My ex wife and I had multiple differences during our 17 year marriage ranging from our sense of humor to politics to religion. Never the less, I loved her.
When we met we agreed to leave religion out of it. I didn't have a problem with her as a believer, but in the end she had a problem with me as an agnostic. 5 or 6 years into the marriage, at her behest, we began discussing the subject ad nauseum until we couldn't talk about it together any longer. The most recent was about 7-8 months ago when I had to walk out of the room. In the past I had even agreed to go to several church events with her, but she couldn't convince me to reconvert. I just didn't "feel" it. It felt like I was competing with God in my own house.
She said that we could never be together in the afterlife unless I became a believer too. I'm sure this was a major factor when she decided to divorce me this past fall. She had hooked up with another "Born Again" and they went off together. The relationship is still new of course, but they seem very happy together. I am very sad about this and don't want "God" to come between me and any future lovers again.

as our entire society - east, west, worldwide - is strongly infiltrated by all sorts of religions, i would be surprised if a mature, experienced person never had to suffer relationship hiccups due to (in most cases probably veiled) religious mumbo-jumbo. i certainly did. on a different note: can someone please explain the meaning of the second quote, ending with "... no evidence, no belief"? does he mean to say that evidence equals belief, or is succeded by it, or what? it doesn't make sense to me.