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Dating between Atheists & Theists

Are They Doomed or Can They Work?

By Austin Cline, About.com

Of course, most marriages are preceded by dating and courtship, a time in people's relationship with each other when matters are less serious and more provisional. At this stage differences over theism and religion are less likely to cause problems, but that doesn't mean that they shouldn't be watched closely.

When it comes to dating, you must step back and decide what you are looking for in the relationship: is it just for companionship and fun, or is it a prelude to something more serious and permanent? If the former, then as long as the differences in religion and theism aren't already interfering there should be nothing wrong with ignoring them and continuing to find happiness one another's company.

Let sleeping dogs lie, as the old saying goes, and enjoy the relationship for what it is.

However, if your general goal in dating is to find someone with whom you can build a long-term and permanent relationship, then you cannot afford to ignore differences on such serious matters like religion. Obviously that isn't something you want to bring up on the first date (at least, if you are still hoping for a second date!), but at some point you may look at the relationship and realize that it could become very serious.

At this point you will need to take stock of how compatible the two of you are before matters progress much further. If you have questions or concerns, the two of you will need to sit down and talk about them. It is unlikely that you will be able to resolve any differences immediately, but if you are both otherwise committed to each other and approach your differences with love and respect, then you should feel confident in your ability to work things out like adults. If you do, and if you can manage similar resolutions to other differences, then if you get married your marriage will be much stronger for it.

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