Hindu man that I love

[arunma]

Yes, very true, thats what i did, i married a pentecostal Christian and now she is a Hare Krishna devotee. A Beef-Eater turn Vegetarian. A Soul saved by me

No offense to you Sefroth, but this is why we aren't supposed to marry Hindus.

 

[LittleLambofJesus]

Originally Posted by AnarKiss
I don't think it is beliefs that are causing problems here - it is something deeper. Perhaps some fears or insecurities that have been fanned by recognising differences in belief?!?

Originally Posted by sefroth77
Yes, very true, thats what i did, i married a pentecostal Christian and now she is a Hare Krishna devotee. A Beef-Eater turn Vegetarian. A Soul saved by me

No offense to you Sefroth, but this is why we aren't supposed to marry Hindus.

Do the Hindus read Genesis in the Bible [which is a lot older than other's religious writings I believe]? Where did it say you couldn't eat meat? That is not to say we shouldn't offer thanks to the LORD for what we eat but according to Genesis 9, the LORD said ALL food was good to eat. [This before the Law given to the Hebrew Israelites through Moses] Peace.

http://www.scripture4all.org/

(Young) Genesis 9:1 And 'elohiym blesseth Noah, and his sons, and saith to them, `Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the earth; 2 and your fear and your dread is on every beast of the earth, and on every fowl of the heavens, on all that creepeth on the ground, and on all fishes of the sea--into your hand they have been given. 3 Every creeping thing that is alive, to you it is for food; as the green herb I have given to you the whole;

Edit to add: I highly recommend Preston Eby's writings to help strenghthen your Faith, not only in the LORD, but also the Bible what I consider to be the Book of the Life of the "Lamb". Peace

http://www.kingdombiblestudies.org/tablecontents.htm

John the Revelator in spirit beheld "the dead, small and great standing before God; and the BOOKS were opened: and ANOTHER BOOK was opened, which is the BOOK OF LIFE: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books" (Rev. 20:12). From our infancy we have all been accustomed to hear about the Lamb's book of Life, but how many of us know where the idea came from, and exactly what it stands for? Is it not possible that some of us have an inadequate and even a perverted notion as to the proper interpretation of the metaphor? I feel that there is some danger of missing the true and full import of a grand and inspiring reality by ignorance of the original conditions out of which it sprung. It is my purpose in this writing to set forth as clearly as I can, under the Holy Spirit's guidance, what those conditions were. Then let us see whether our use of this scriptural language is worthy of the theme. After that let us reapply its message to our own lives.

 

[Ramona]

'Ello again,

Well, I certainly appreciate the advice of all who cared to share it. I think that I am starting to see what should happen, but I think I still need some time to come to terms with what I should do before I plunge into anything...I guess in the end, it will all be made clear to me.

He and I did not end up talking about anything of the sort today.

God bless.
Mumbai

 

[Druweid]

Greetings!

And major kudos to all for having approached this with so much understanding and compassion! It is both wonderful and encouraging.

I can't believe everyone here chooses religious affiliation over love! What true religion forbids love!....

Ah, my dear Srev, if only it were that simple. It is a notion that is as sweet and endearing as it is naive. Isn't it reasonable to believe that most marraiges occur out of love? And if so, how is it that half of all these marraiges will likely end in divorce? Don't get me wrong, by and large I'm with you, I want desperately to believe that love conquers all. I also realize, though, that love not properly tempered with reason is like blind faith. Sure, it works at times, but it also fails at times, and those failures can be heart-wrenching.

And really, it's not about religious affiliation, per se', it's about the potential for religious conflict. When two belief systems come together in such a way, it is inevitable that, at some point, a choice, an idea, or a decision will be made that will have to favor one over the other. If not, then there is always that bit of wall that exists in between. Is this the type of relationship one wants to build? To believe you can share 85% of yourself with your partner, but 15% has to be held back out of compromise or respect? I give no answer, but I feel it's a good question for one to consider.

Consider this example: He asks if it bothers her to hang a picture of Ganesh on the wall of his den. She's not entirely comfortable with it, but says "Oh no, that's your room, that's perfectly fine." A simple and reasonable compromise, no? Over the course of time, however, she begins to feel less and less comfortable with it. One day she says, "I tried out of sincere love to accommodate your feelings, but I just can't bring myself to feel comfortable with that picture in our house." Now he sees no reason for her misgivings, and says, "It is such a simple expression of my faith, I would not be happy if I had to take it down now." So now what? Is there an answer that doesn't call for one to comprimise on their own faith? Again, I give no answer as the answer may be different for different couples, but I feel it's a question worthy of asking, and one worthy of an answer.

Mumbai, you love your faith, and for that you have my sincere respect. The love that one has for their faith is also the love that one has for themselves. Not a selfish or narcisstic love at all, but a healthy love that shows us our better selves despite our faults and weaknesses, and challenges us to seek and work for that better self (Maybe it's better to call it a love of self-improvement?). I feel that to compromise on our love of faith also compromises our love of self.

So, from my heart of hearts, I would say; celebrate that love! Enjoy it with all the enthusiasm of a child at their 5th birthday party! Let your heart sing of all the gladness it feels. At the same time, though, be very wary of your emotional investment into another; until the final vows are spoken, never invest more than you can afford to lose forever. And if the question of an eternal bond is ever asked, answer with both feet firmly planted, and eyes wide open. You may have a heart doing the "happy dance" inside your chest, but if there is a tiny little red light flashing in the back of your mind, please pay very careful attention to that light. As strongly as you may feel for someone, sometimes the purest, most unselfish expression of love is letting go.

I hope and pray the best for both of you, and have faith that the Source of All Love will guide you well.

Brightest blessings,
-- Druweid

 

[Cassiopeia]

Hello Cutie

Yes, here comes Casi with some more of her own way of seeing things so let's see if I can be of any help.

First I want you to consider one thing, It is UNREASONBLE to ask that your love for each other conquer all. I wish it were true that love does conquer all but it doesn't. Yet have heart in that love, real love gives US the strength to persevere when we would love to give up. It is that strength of will and conviction that CAN conquer all.

In attempting to bridge the gap between two very different religous structures one must first consider, how important it is that you agree. Should you marry and have children, what religion will they be instructed in and raised up with. In my mind, as long as you are not a fundamentalist Christian, teaching the philosophies of both Christianity and Hinduism are not precluded by one another. Also can you see yourself allowing your children to be taught both but given the right to choose for themselves what path they will follow. And in the end, remember our children choose what they will and it has little to do with us.

Also ask yourself, can you see yourself accepting him and his beliefs or does your Christian beliefs preclude you from seeing that his religious beliefs are a valid path FOR him? How much importance do you place on one religion being true over the other?

The reason I ask these questions sweetie is because I have a friend who is dating a girl who is a Mormon and he is Catholic I believe. He loves her dearly but wants to prove to her that her beliefs are wrong so they can be together. I find that fundamentally wrong when it comes to honoring and respecting her.

Can you be in this relationship with this wonderful young man and allow him to believe he is right to believe what he does or will you fall to the temptation to "convert" him to the Lord?

As you mentioned you are 18 and so is he and you have time to decide such things. I don't see a thing wrong with dating him and getting to know him better and enjoying his friendship. When and IF it starts to become serious, please consider the questions I have asked you. It all comes down to what you can accept and what you can honor without betraying what you feel to be right for you. If you can continue being a Christian and he can be a Hindu and find joy and happiness, then there is certainly NOTHING wrong with that.

All my hopes,
Casi

 

[srev2004]

Greetings!

And major kudos to all for having approached this with so much understanding and compassion! It is both wonderful and encouraging.

Ah, my dear Srev, if only it were that simple. It is a notion that is as sweet and endearing as it is naive. Isn't it reasonable to believe that most marraiges occur out of love? And if so, how is it that half of all these marraiges will likely end in divorce? Don't get me wrong, by and large I'm with you, I want desperately to believe that love conquers all. I also realize, though, that love not properly tempered with reason is like blind faith. Sure, it works at times, but it also fails at times, and those failures can be heart-wrenching.

And really, it's not about religious affiliation, per se', it's about the potential for religious conflict. When two belief systems come together in such a way, it is inevitable that, at some point, a choice, an idea, or a decision will be made that will have to favor one over the other. If not, then there is always that bit of wall that exists in between. Is this the type of relationship one wants to build? To believe you can share 85% of yourself with your partner, but 15% has to be held back out of compromise or respect? I give no answer, but I feel it's a good question for one to consider.

Consider this example: He asks if it bothers her to hang a picture of Ganesh on the wall of his den. She's not entirely comfortable with it, but says "Oh no, that's your room, that's perfectly fine." A simple and reasonable compromise, no? Over the course of time, however, she begins to feel less and less comfortable with it. One day she says, "I tried out of sincere love to accommodate your feelings, but I just can't bring myself to feel comfortable with that picture in our house." Now he sees no reason for her misgivings, and says, "It is such a simple expression of my faith, I would not be happy if I had to take it down now." So now what? Is there an answer that doesn't call for one to comprimise on their own faith? Again, I give no answer as the answer may be different for different couples, but I feel it's a question worthy of asking, and one worthy of an answer.

Mumbai, you love your faith, and for that you have my sincere respect. The love that one has for their faith is also the love that one has for themselves. Not a selfish or narcisstic love at all, but a healthy love that shows us our better selves despite our faults and weaknesses, and challenges us to seek and work for that better self (Maybe it's better to call it a love of self-improvement?). I feel that to compromise on our love of faith also compromises our love of self.

So, from my heart of hearts, I would say; celebrate that love! Enjoy it with all the enthusiasm of a child at their 5th birthday party! Let your heart sing of all the gladness it feels. At the same time, though, be very wary of your emotional investment into another; until the final vows are spoken, never invest more than you can afford to lose forever. And if the question of an eternal bond is ever asked, answer with both feet firmly planted, and eyes wide open. You may have a heart doing the "happy dance" inside your chest, but if there is a tiny little red light flashing in the back of your mind, please pay very careful attention to that light. As strongly as you may feel for someone, sometimes the purest, most unselfish expression of love is letting go.

I hope and pray the best for both of you, and have faith that the Source of All Love will guide you well.

Brightest blessings,
-- Druweid

American culture.... In my opinion most American's don't know the difference between love and lust.

If such trivial things "bothered" them then they are not in love... Love is perserverence. Love is standing by one's side through thick and thin. Love is being there for someone when they need you the most. Love is friendship at the highest level. Love is stronger than any material concept man uses (including religion). It is pure emotion, and that love is what keeps them together. Love is a spiritual feeling you can't measure with material things (Pictures of Ganesh).

Like I said if she truly loves him, there should be no problem. If the love is not true, then they will not persevere, and it is better to end it before it begins.

Other countries the divorce rates are exponentially lower than America's.

 

[Gardenia]

If he is hard into hinduism, I would not encourage you to seek this relationship. If he is keen on you he will change, women don't realise the power they can hold over men, and they (i.e. women) tend to acquiese first for the sake of peace, or if they have low self esteem, will convert to their boyfriends religion.

In my relationships with Christians we were both serious about our faiths, but I thought we would respect eachother because they said they were okay with my not being Christian. I didn't convert to their religion even though I was suffering from low self esteem. They didn't convert to mine even though they loved me.. guess I didn't have enough power over them. Or perhaps it has something to do with my not expecting them to convert. In either case, I broke up with them because they disrespetced me by disrespecting my beliefs.

I can see where you are coming from, but it is not always the case. People of different religions can have a relationship together without one side having to convert. Neither side should pressure the other, or use their power to try to convert the other.

Mumbai, if you can respect the other's beliefs, and if he will respect yours and neither of you will force the other to convert then that is good. You'll still have to decide for yourself about what scripture says and how you feel about it. What you should do.
You've gotten a lot of good advice in this thread, but in the end you'll have to decide for yourself and be comfortable with that decision. Good luck in that.