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Can a Christian and an atheist have a successful relationship?

I'm talking about a romantic relationship and potentially marriage. There is a woman I am interested in who I think is a very good match with me but she is a christian and I am an atheist. Our morals and values seem to match up but the foundations are different. Is there any chance of it working out?

brandonut 4 Nov 17
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13 comments

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As long as it does not involve a close personal one. Business relationships exclude discussions about religion and politics. My friends and lovers are skeptics like me.

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See if it lasts six months. A lot will depend on how much the rest of your cultural backgrounds are alike and how much non-religious relationship content you can share. You will need to give her space to engage in her beliefs and she will need to avoid proselytizing. Trust me, it's very very difficult and, personally, I don't think I would ever want it again. Leave a few easy-to-read thoughtful books laying around: maybe she'll start reading all on her own. To answer question: always "a chance" but remember the adage that hope is the last thing to die in a person !!! Good luck!

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As in all relationships, one of you will have to suck it up and keep quiet. Usually the atheist because the christian has more societal support.

This is true. I was married to a Catholic for 20 years. We had arguments about raising our children as Catholics which I left completely up to him. He took care of that until he died when they were teenagers.
Some of the arguments were entertaining as hell, but I would never marry another Catholic.

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of course they can ... just requires respect for eaxh others opinions

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I am sure it is possible. We constantly make choices in life. Sometimes our choices may be a bit challenging; and we can either choose to be right, or choose to be be happy.

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Sure. It is not as rare as you might think.

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Define morals and values .
Define " working out "
I see no morality in Christianity . The opposite .
If " morality " is important to u , I see troubles .

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I was married to a christian for 14 yrs.... I was explicit that I had no interest in joining although I would talk about my views on the subject anytime.... we had a great life
until her death.....

blzjz Level 7 Nov 18, 2019

Same here, 20 years before I got stuck with the widowhood.

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That depends on what identifying as a Christian means to her, and based on that answer, how much you're willing to tolerate.

Everyone can "agree" at the beginning of a relationship and turn a blind eye when attraction is involved.

When you believe something, it informs other decisions which can also determine actions.

And, if you believe something that is not true, the process you used to determine you believe it, still exists, and will continue to affect a relationship.

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Depends on what kind of Christian and what kind of aetheist. If either are evangelical forget it. Otherwise enjoy!

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They can and they do. My paternal Grandparents fit that mold. She went to church every Sunday becoming a Christian when my grandfather and my father, her only child, both came back from WWII in one piece. My grandfather became a non-believer as a result of serving in WWI and WWII. WWI probably did the trick.

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A Christian can be an atheist.

skado Level 9 Nov 18, 2019

not hardly.... being christian means belief in a god...basic tenent .... atheisism is the polar opposite... maybe a christian can BECOME an atheist ....

Lots of quite famous Christians have not held a belief in a literal god. God as metaphor has a well established history.

@skado then they were mistaken in calling themselves christian..... christian= belief that Jesus died on the cross to absolve us of our sins....Tenet. Credo and Dogma...

@blzjz
To you. And to all literalists; both believer and non. But not to many famous Christian leaders and theologians. There's a great history of Christian thought that is entirely metaphorical. The cross is a symbol of dying to our egoic or animal instincts, etc. How are you going to convince the world that Paul Tillich was not a Christian?

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Can a man and a woman have a successful relationship?

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