Interfaith marriage, sometimes calledinterreligious marriage ormixed marriage,[1] ismarriage between spouses professing and being legally part ofdifferent religions.[1] Although interfaith marriages are often established ascivil marriages, in some instances they may be established as areligious marriage. This depends on thereligious doctrine of each of the two parties' religions; some prohibit interfaith marriage, and among others there are varying degrees of permissibility.[1]
Several major religions are silent on the issue, and still others allow it with requirements for ceremony and custom. Forethno-religious groups, resistance to interfaith marriage may be a form ofself-segregation in order to preserve thecultural identity andreligious beliefs among members of the same group,[1] while interfaith marriage at times has been at times seen as a form of resisting boundaries established by religious and social norms. In an interfaith marriage, each partner typically adheres to their own religion. One issue which can arise in such unions is the choice of faith in which to raise the children.
According to Article 16 of theUniversal Declaration of Human Rights, men and women who have attained theage of majority have the right to marry "without any limitation due to race, nationality or religion".[2] Although most of Article 16 is incorporated verbatim in Article 23 of theInternational Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the references to religious and racial limitations is omitted.[3] Article 17, clause two, of theAmerican Convention on Human Rights says that all men and women have the right to marry, subject to the conditions of domestic law "insofar as such conditions do not affect the principle of nondiscrimination established in this Convention."[4]
According to a study conducted by thePew Research Center (2015), interfaith marriage has become increasingly common in theUnited States during the past decades. While of marriages performed before 1960, 81% of marriages were between spouses from the same religious denomination, 11% were between spouses of differentChristian denominations, 5% were between aChristian and areligiously unaffiliated spouse, and 3% were other mixed forms of interfaith marriages, the corresponding figures for marriages performed in the period of 2010–2014 were 61%, 15%, 18% and 6%.[5] Interfaith marriages are least common amongHindus,Mormons, andMuslims, and most common amongreligiously unaffiliated people,mainline Protestants, andJews.[6]
Joan Boocock Lee, anEpiscopalianBritish-American actress who was married to theagnosticJewish-American comic book creatorStan Lee until her death, stated that the couple faced difficultyadopting a child in the mid-20th century United States.[7] Since the1960s, American composers have writtenwedding music for use during interfaith marriage ceremonies, most notablyJohn Serry Sr.[8] With this in mind, Serry devoted the remaining thirty-five years of his professional career to the performance of wedding music and liturgical music of theJewish andRoman Catholic faiths as a freelance organist at the Interfaith Chapel ofLong Island University C W Post Campus in Brookville, New York (1968–2002).[9][10][11][12][13] As morerabbis sought to unite couples of different faiths without first requiring conversions in the 1960s and 1970s,[14] he collaborated with several clergymen of both the Jewish and Roman Catholic religious traditions, including Rabbi Nathaniel Schwartz[13] and the Rev. John Heinlein.[15][16][17]
Interfaith marriage is controversial in some areas, especially disapproval of relationships between Hindus and Muslims. Advertisements and films depicting Hindu-Muslim relationships have attracted condemnation and legal action.[18] Hindu-Muslim couples have experienced harassment, including posting personal details on social media.[19] In 2020 and 2021, several Indian states withBJP governments passed laws prohibiting forced conversions, and requiring notification of intent to marry and a waiting period, and allowing anyone to object to the union. Interfaith marriages have been taken as an inherent indication of a forced conversion, despite some individuals stating they will not be converting in order to marry.[20] Fearing vigilante violence and after facing long delays and uncooperative lawyers and government officials, some couples have fled to other states to get married, often losing their jobs.[21][22] In August 2021, theGujarat High Court limited the scope of that state's law on the grounds of freedom of religion.[20]
According to scholar Tamalapakula (2019), within the context of interfaith marriage, the social dimension of thecaste system in India should be heavily considered.[23] In various instances in her study of interfaith and inter-caste marriages, arguably the dynamics of class and gender play a pivotal role in the development of social relationships between families of interfaith and inter-caste marriages. In one of the used examples, in the marriages betweenBrahmin women and theDalit men, the men are often viewed poorly by Brahmin relatives and isolate from their Dalit relatives to avoid association, to attain a similar status to the Brahmin women which is socially seen as ¨pure¨ compared to the Dalit man[24]
Still, marriage is often seen as a means for the improvement of social status by Dalit men and even as a means of transcending the boundaries of caste-based discrimination and constraints for both men and women. Yet, for Dalit women, Tamalapakula argues that given that the higher castes would never accept them to be as the legal wife of a Brahmin man and as they are seen as sexually exploited from their Dalit relatives,[25] it is another example how interfaith and inter-caste marriages are essentially tied through structural inequalities surrounding gender and class. Thus, while interfaith marriage is seen as partly controversial and legally acceptable, it is part of a larger power dynamic that crosses between class and gender within Dalit and Brahmin castes.
Religion in Saudi Arabia is dominated and heavily influenced by theSalafi brand ofSunni Islam and itsWahhabi ideology,[26] a political and religious ideology named afterMuhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab, an 18th-centurySunni Muslim preacher,scholar, andtheologian from theNajd region in centralArabia,[32] founder of theIslamic revivalist andreformist movement known asWahhabism.[35] Hence,religious rights are restricted both forSaudi citizens andforeigners that reside in the country.[26][33][36] Public celebration or advocacy of any other religion is generally prohibited.[26]
InIsrael, marriages are performed by delegated religious authorities. As such, most interfaith marriages arede facto not performed without a recognized conversion.[37][38] This system is largely a continuation of theOttoman Millet system in which different communities were allowed to control their own internal affairs. In theDruze religion there is no marriage between Druze and non-Druze and in traditional Judaism there is no marriage between a Jew and a Gentile. Thus, interfaith marriages in which one of the spouses is Jewish or Druze, are not recognized by the state. MuslimQadis sometimes perform marriage ceremonies of a Muslim with a Jewish or Christian woman, and Christian priests in special cases perform marriage ceremonies of a Christian or Christian woman with a non-Christian, and in other cases they are recognized retrospectively, and in any case the state recognizes these marriages. All interfaith marriages performed in other countries are recognized.[39]Hitbolelut, meaningassimilation inHebrew, is a term used mainly to refer with prejudice toJews who marry outside of the Jewish people. The term has strong resonance in Israel and with many Jews worldwide as marrying outside historically meant leaving the Jewish community to be absorbed by the dominant culture.[40][41]
Perhaps because of these norms, interfaith marriages between a Jewish individual and a non-Jewish individual are extremely rare in Israel. OnePew Research Center study, conducted in 2014–2015, indicated that only about two percent of Jewish individuals were part of an interfaith marriage. In addition, about 97 percent of Jews in the same stated that they would be not be completely comfortable with their child marrying a Muslim while 89 percent expressed similar views when asked about a hypothetical marriage to a Christian.[42]
Depending on thesectarian affiliation of the partners, there are different legal frameworks governing interfaith marriages. As secularcivil marriage is not possible inLebanon, the religious laws of the18 recognised sects must be followed for marriage. This leads to different restrictions, such asChristians, who cannot marry non-Christians in achurch, orMuslim women, who cannot marry Christian orDruze men unless one of the partnersconverts to the religion of the other. For Lebanese couples, an option to circumvent conversion is to have acivil marriage in Cyprus. Based on a comparison made between the 2011 and the 2018 electoral registration records, a slow but steady change in mixed marriages is measured. The data shows an increase in the percentage of Lebanese marriages that were interreligious without conversion, from 0.9% in 2011, to 1.31% in 2018.[43] In general interfaith marriages represent between 2 percent and 5 percent of all marriages among Lebanese.[44]
In her bookLove Across Difference: Mixed Marriage in Lebanon, Lara Deeb explores the histories of several interfaith couples and theirlived experiences. In this work, Deeb describes how partners negotiated strategies to continue practicing their respective religions and how to handle religious differences in raising their children. Furthermore, the book describes familial reactions (bothnuclear andextended) to interfaith marriages, as well as socialreputation andclass related concerns, and religious prejudices inLebanon. The reactions depicted in the book varied widely, ranging from immediate acceptance to rejection andshunning. Deeb discusses not only interfaith marriage, but also points to similar issues arising from marriage between differentreligious sects. According to the author, interfaith marriage is becoming increasingly accepted in Lebanon. However, the disagreement between those in favor of and those against interfaith marriage is growing.[43]
According to theBaháʼí Faith, all religions are inspired by God and interfaith marriage is permitted. ABaháʼí ceremony should be performed with the non-Baháʼí rite (or ceremony). If both ceremonies are performed, the non-Baháʼí ceremony should not invalidate the Baháʼí ceremony; the Baháʼí partner remains a Baháʼí, and is not adopting the religion of the other partner in the ceremony. The Baháʼí partner should also abstain from vows (or statements) committing them to a declaration of faith in another religion or that are contrary to the principles of the Baháʼí Faith. The two ceremonies should be performed on the same day; their order is not important. The Baháʼí ceremony may be performed in the place of worship of the other religion if it is afforded respect equal to the non-Baháʼí ceremony and is clearly distinct from the non-Baháʼí ceremony.
InChristianity, an interfaith marriage is a marriage between aChristian and a non-Christian (e.g. a wedding between a Christian man and a Jewish woman, or between a Christian woman and a Muslim man); it is to be distinguished between aninterdenominational marriage in which two baptized Christians belonging to two differentChristian denominations marry (e.g. a wedding between a Lutheran Christian and a Catholic Christian). Almost all Christian denominations permit interdenominational marriages, though with respect to interfaith marriage, many Christian denominations caution against it, citing verses of theChristian Bible such as2 Corinthians 6:14–15, while certain Christian denominations have made allowances for interfaith marriage, which is referenced in1 Corinthians 7:14–15, verses whereSaint Paul addresses originally non-Christian couples in which one of the spouses became a Christian after the marriage had taken place.[45][46][47][48] The consensus of theearly Church Fathers was that "interreligious marriage undermined the ecclesiological integrity of the Christian community" though asChristianity rapidly spreadin the Roman Empire, cases would arise among non-Christian couples in which one personconverted to Christianity;Apostolic Tradition, an early Christian Church Order, references such an interfaith couple in its instructions onChristian prayer at theseven fixed prayer times and theablutions preceding them, stating:[49][50]
Around midnight rise and wash your hands with water and pray. If you are married, pray together. But if your spouse is not yet baptized, go into another room to pray, and then return to bed. Do not hesitate to pray, for one who has been joined in marital relations is not impure.[50]
The early ChristianCouncil of Elvira prohibited interreligious marriage "no matter how few eligible men there are, for such marriages lead to the adultery of the soul."[51] TheChurch of the East, in theCouncil of Seleucia-Ctesiphon in AD 410, ruled that "Christian women should not marry across religious boundaries" though it allowed for Christian men to marry "women of all nations" (neshē men kul 'ammin) in order that Christian men would "instruct them in the ways of Christianity."[49] The cultural context at the time was that a couple's children would follow the religion of the father.[52] The Synod of Elvira forbade Christian parents who permitted their daughters to marry nonbelievers to receiveHoly Communion, "even at the time of death".[51]
In thePresbyterian Church (USA), the local church congregation is tasked with supporting and including the interfaith couple in the life of the Church, "help[ing] parents make and live by commitments about the spiritual nurture of their children", and being inclusive of the children of the interfaith couple.[53] The pastor is to be available to help and counsel the interfaith couple in their life journey.[53]
TheCatholic Church recognizes as sacramental, (1) the marriages between two baptized Protestants or between two baptized Orthodox Christians, as well as (2) marriages between baptized non-Catholic Christians and Catholic Christians,[54] although in the latter case, consent from the diocesan bishop must be obtained, with this termed "permission to enter into a mixed marriage".[55] To illustrate (1), for example, "if two Lutherans marry in the Lutheran Church in the presence of a Lutheran minister, the Catholic Church recognizes this as a valid sacrament of marriage."[54] On the other hand, although the Catholic Church recognizes marriages between two non-Christians or those between a Catholic Christian and a non-Christian, these are not considered to be sacramental, and in the latter case, the Catholic Christian must seek permission from their bishop for the marriage to occur; this permission is known as "dispensation fromdisparity of cult".[56]
InMethodist Christianity, the 2014Book of Discipline of theAllegheny Wesleyan Methodist Connection discourages interfaith marriages, stating "Many Christians have married unconverted persons. This has produced bad effects; they have either been hindered for life, or have turned back to perdition."[57] Though theUnited Methodist Church authorizes its clergy to preside at interfaith marriages, it notes that2 Corinthians 6:14 has been interpreted "as at least an ideal if not an absolute ban on such [interfaith] marriages as an issue of scriptural faithfulness, if not as an issue of Christian survival."[58] At the same time, for those already in an interfaith marriage (including cases in which there is a non-Christian couple and one partyconverts to Christianity after marriage), the Church notes thatSaint Paul "addresses persons married to unbelievers and encourages them to stay married (see1 Corinthians 7:12–16)."[58] TheWesleyan Holiness Association of Churches teaches that "For a Christian to marry an unbeliever is unscriptural. If one does marry an unconverted party and trouble follows, he/she cannot blame God for his/her wrongdoing but must expect to pay the penalty, for the marriage covenant is morally binding so long as both live and, therefore, may not be dissolved at will (1 Corinthians 7:39)."[59]
While the legality of interfaith marriage varies in contemporaryMuslim-majority countries, in traditionalIslamic culture and traditional Islamic lawMuslim women are forbidden from marrying Non-Muslim men, whereas Muslim men are permitted to marry Christian or Jewish women.[61][62][63] It is lawful for Muslim men to marry Jewish or Christian women but not a polytheist woman (Quran 5:5).[61][64] In the case of a Muslim-Christian marriage, which is to be contracted only after permission from the Christian party, the Christian spouse is not to be prevented fromattending church for prayer and worship, according to theAshtiname of Muhammad, a treaty between Muslims and Christians recorded betweenMuhammad andSaint Catherine's Monastery.[60][65]
On the other hand, according to the traditional understanding of interfaith marriage in Islam, Muslim women are forbidden from intermarrying with Non-Muslim men based on the interpretations of differentMuslim scholars regarding theIslamic law.[61][66][67][68][69] The Quran states:
Do not marry polytheist woman until she believes; a slave believing woman is better than polytheist women though she allures you; Do not marry (your girls) to polytheist man until he believes: A man slave who believes is better than a polytheist man, even though he allures you. They do (but) beckon you to the Fire. But God beckons by His Grace to the Garden (of bliss) and forgiveness, and makes His Signs clear to mankind: so that they may understand.
O ye who believe! When there come to you believing women refugees, examine (and test) them: God knows best as to their Faith: if ye ascertain that they are Believers, then send them not back to the Unbelievers. They are not lawful wives for the Unbelievers, nor are the Unbelievers lawful husbands for them.
In some societies outside the traditionaldar al-islam, interfaith marriages between Muslims and Non-Muslims are not uncommon, including marriages that contradict the historic Sunni understanding ofijmāʿ (the consensus offuqāha) as to the bounds of legitimacy.[62][72][73] The tradition ofreformist and progressive Islam, however, permits marriage between Muslim women and non-Muslim men;[73] Islamic scholars opining this view includeMuslim feminist Shehnaz Haqqani,Khaleel Mohammed,Daayiee Abdullah, andHassan Al-Turabi, among others.[61][74]ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb (634–644) denied interfaith marriage to Muslim men during his command of theUmmah.[75]
ManyMuslim-majority countries allow interfaith marriages to Christian or Jewish women but not to Christian or Jewish men.[76] InLebanon for example, there is no civil personal status law. Conventionally, marriages are performed according to the sect the spouses belong to.Turkey allows marriages between Muslim women and Non-Muslim men through secular laws.[77] InTunisia since 16 September 2017, Muslim women can lawfully marry any man of any faith, or ofnone. InMalaysia, a Non-Muslim must convert to Islam in order to marry a Muslim, and the offspring of such unions are automatically Muslims.[78]
Canadian Muslim scholarAhmad Kutty has expressed disapproval of all interfaith marriages, citing the example ofʿUmar.[75] According to Canadian Islamic teacherBilal Philips, the verse permitting Muslim men to marry Non-Muslim women is no longer valid for several reasons (including its misinterpretation).[79] Canadian Islamic scholarShabir Ally has also said that it ismakruh for a Muslim man to marry outside his religion.[80] The movement ofprogressive Islam permits marriage between Muslim women and Non-Muslim men; Members opining this view include Islamic scholars such asMuslim feminist Shehnaz Haqqani,Khaleel Mohammed,Daayiee Abdullah, andHassan Al-Turabi, among others.[61][74]
Interfaith marriage inJudaism was historically viewed with disfavor amongrabbinical Jewish leaders, and it remains a controversial topic to this day. TheTalmud andposkim prohibit non-Jews to marry Jews, and discuss when the prohibition is from theTorah and when it israbbinical.[81] In 1236,Moses of Coucy encouraged Jewish men who had married Christian orMuslim women to divorce them.[82] In 1844, the reformedRabbinical Conference of Brunswick permitted Jews to marry "any adherent of amonotheistic religion" if children of the marriage were raised Jewish.[83] This conference was controversial; one of its resolutions called on members to abolish theKol Nidre prayer, which opens theYom Kippur service.[84] One member of the conference later changed his opinion, becoming an opponent of intermarriage.[85]
Traditional Judaism does not consider marriage between aJew by birth and a convert to Judaism as intermarriage;[86][87][88] Biblical passages which apparently support intermarriage, such as that ofJoseph toAsenath andRuth toBoaz, were regarded by classical rabbis as having occurred after the non-Jewish spouse had converted.[89] Some still consideredCanaanites forbidden to marry even after their conversion to Judaism, although this did not necessarily apply to their children.[90]
Orthodox Judaism refuses to accept intermarriage and tries to avoid facilitating them.Conservative Judaism does not sanction intermarriage but encourages acceptance of the non-Jewish spouse by the family in the hope that such acceptance will lead to the spouse'sconversion to Judaism.[91] In December 2014, theUnited Synagogue of Conservative Judaism'sUnited Synagogue Youth controversially modified a binding rule that its leaders would notdatenon-Jews, replacing it with a "recogni[tion of] the importance of dating within the Jewish community."[92]
Reform andReconstructionist denominations of Judaism do not generally regard the authority of classical rabbis; manyrabbis from these denominations are willing to officiate at interfaith marriages,[93][94] although some try to persuade intermarried couples to raise their children as Jews. In 1870, some Reform Jews published the opinion that intermarriage is prohibited.[95]
In 2015 theReconstructionist Rabbinical College voted to accept rabbinical students in interfaith relationships, makingReconstructionist Judaism the first major movement within Judaism to allow rabbis to have relationships with non-Jewish partners.[96]Humanistic Judaism is a nontheistic alternative in contemporary Jewish life, defining Judaism as the cultural and historical experience of the Jewish people. TheSociety for Humanistic Judaism answers the question, "Is intermarriage contributing to the demise of Judaism?" on its website: "Intermarriage is the positive consequence of a free and open society. If the Jewish community is open, welcoming, embracing, and pluralistic, we will encourage more people to identify with the Jewish people rather than fewer. Intermarriage could contribute to the continuity of the Jewish people."[97]
During the early 19th century, intermarriage was relatively rare; less than 0.1% of the Jews of Algeria, for example, practicedexogamy.[98] Since the early 20th century, rates of Jewish intermarriage have increased. In theUnited States from 1996 to 2001, nearly half (47 percent) of marriages involving Jews were intermarriages with non-Jewish partners[99] (a similar proportion—44 percent—as in the early 20th century inNew South Wales).[100]
InIsrael, the religious authorities, which are the only entities authorized to perform weddings in Israel, can only perform marriages within the confines of whatever religion they are a religious figure for. Therefore, interfaith couples can usually be legally married in Israel only if one of the partners converts to the religion of the other.[39] For this reason, interfaith couples from Israel andLebanon often travel toCyprus to be legally wed.[101]
Buddhists are allowed to marry people of different religions. There is no Buddhistdoctrine that prohibits interfaith marriage. In fact, interfaith marriages are quite common in various Buddhist cultures. While some individuals or communities may have personal preferences or cultural norms, there is no formal Buddhist rule against marrying someone of another faith.
Buddhism does not have a central authority or a formal set of rules that explicitly forbidsinterfaith marriage. Instead, it places emphasis on individual spiritual development and personal understanding, rather than prescribing whom one should or should not marry. While there is no universalBuddhist stance on the matter, cultural variations exist, and someBuddhist communities may have socialcustoms or expectations surroundingmarriage, though these are not rooted in religiousdoctrine. In fact, some Buddhists may view interfaith marriage as an opportunity for personal growth and a chance to learn from different perspectives. It is also important to consider that in certain countries, especially those with different dominant religions likeIslam, there may be legal requirements or restrictions regardinginterfaith marriage, but these are based on national laws or religious customs rather thanBuddhist teachings.
In some countries, laws or customs may exist regardinginterfaith marriage, but these are separate fromBuddhist religious law. For example, in someMuslim-majority countries, there may be specific legal requirements or restrictions for interfaith marriages involving aMuslim partner.
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InHinduism, sacred texts like theVedas do not have any views on interfaith marriages by differentiating between people of different religions. This is because there was no other known religion inancient India during their composition. Law books like theManusmriti,Yajnavalkya Smriti, and theParashara Smriti speak of marriage rules among variouskula andgotra, i.e. marriage outside of theHindu caste system (varṇa).[1] According to the caste system, marriage is normally between two individuals of the samevarṇa. Marriages between men of higher birth and women of lower birth (anuloma) was sanctioned, but marriages between men of lower birth and women of higher birth (pratiloma) were frowned upon.[102]Ancient Hindu literature identified four classes ofvarṇa:Brahmins,Kshatriyas,Vaishyas, andShudras. However, theHindu Marriage Act in India requires that both the bride and the bridegroom belong only toHinduism orother Dhārmic religions (Buddhism,Jainism, andSikhism) with the exclusion of non-Dhārmic religions, and if any of the two parties converts to any non-Hindu and non-Vedic religion, the marriage automatically becomes null and void.[103] However, interfaith marriages are accepted under theSpecial Marriage Act of India.
Despite somegurdwaras allowing weddingsbetween a Sikh and a non-Sikh, the vast majority oppose it.[1] As per the 1945 Sikh Rehat Maryada (Code of Conduct), an interfaith anand karaj is not allowed within the Sikh faith.[104] The 10th Sikh Guru had indicated withinThe 52 Hukams of Guru Gobind Singh that "a Sikh’s daughter must be married to a Sikh". In 2014, theSikh Council in the United Kingdom developed a consistent approach towards marriages ingurdwaras where one partner is not of Sikh origin, following a two-year consultation withGurdwara Sahib Committees, Sikh organizations, and individuals. The resulting guidelines were approved by the General Assembly of the Sikh Council in the United Kingdom on 11 October 2014, and state thatgurdwaras are encouraged to ensure that both parties to anAnand Karaj wedding ceremony are Sikhs, but that where a couple chooses to undertake acivil marriage they should be offered the opportunity to hold anArdas,Sukhmani Sahib Path,Akhand Path, or other service to celebrate their marriage in the presence of family and friends.[105]Somegurdwaras permit mixed marriages, which has led to controversy.
Zoroastriansin the Indian subcontinent disapprove of and discourage interfaith marriages. When a female adherent marries a partner from another religion, they go through the risk of not being able to enter theAgyaris andAtash Behrams. In the past, their partner and children were forbidden from entering Zoroastrian religious buildings; this is often still observed. Alternatively in a few cases such as that ofSuzanne RD Tata, the non-Zoroastrian spouse has been allowed to convert Zoroastrianism by undergoing thenavjote ritual.[106] Interfaith marriages may skew Zoroastrian demographics, since the number of adherents is low.
In orthodoxSerer religion (anethno-religious faith), interfaith andinterracial marriages are forbidden. Banishment and disinheritance may be levied against aSerer who disobeys the law.[107] TheSerer-Noon (a sub-group of the Serer people) adhere strongly to this teaching.[107]
Very fewIndians say they are married to someone who currently follows a different religion than their own. Indeed, nearly all married people (99%) report that their spouse shares their religion. This includes nearly universal shares ofHindus (99%),Muslims (98%),Christians (95%),Sikhs andBuddhists (97% each). (The survey did not include enough interviews with marriedJains to report on the religion of their spouses.)
Not only are interreligious marriages rare inIndia, but in recent years, some couples marrying outside their communities have experienced severe consequences, including being ostracized and even killed by family members. The Indian public prioritizes stopping the interreligious marriage of women and men at nearly equal rates. About two-thirds of Indians (65%) say it is very important to stop men from marrying into another religion, while roughly the same share (67%) say stopping interreligious marriage of women is a high priority.
Most Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs and Jains say it is very important to stop men and women in their community from marrying outside their religion. But considerably fewer Christians and Buddhists feel this way. Among Christians, 37% say it is very important to stop the interreligious marriage of women, and 35% say the same about men. Among Buddhists, 46% say stopping the interreligious marriage of women is a high priority, and 44% say this for men.Highly religious Indians are especially likely to prioritize stopping interreligious marriage. For example, among adults who say religion is very important in their lives, a majority (70%) give high priority to stopping the interreligious marriage of men, compared with 39% of those who say religion is less important to them.
Saudi Arabia doesn't allowreligious freedom to any ofits citizens, toforeign expatriates, toMuslims, even to those who areWahhabis. The word "freedom" is what is missing. The [Saudi] government control over the religion and understanding of Islam is thecore cause of extremism in the country. The faith of Islam has been used by the government as a political tool to oppress reformers, critics, and opponents. Saudi Arabia is a glaring example ofreligious apartheid. The religious institutions extending from government clerics, judges, religious curriculums, and to all religious instructions in media are restricted to the Wahhabi understanding of Islam, adhered to by less than 40% of the population.
Founder of a revivalist and reformist religious movement centered in Najd in central Arabia and commonly referred to as the Wahhabiyya or Wahhabis, Muhammad b. 'Abd al-Wahhab belonged to a prominent family of Hanbali scholars, the Al Musharraf of Ushayqir
Although the church has attempted to work from these lines in formulating policies about so-called mixed marriages, the present verses do not deal with the majority of interfaith marriages as we know them in the late twentieth century. Paul is writing to first-century, first-generation converts, many of whom had religious backgrounds in paganism and many of whom might have spouses who were not believers.
Furthermore, from the judges' understanding of Christian teaching, interfaith marriage is similarly disallowed in the New Testament (2 Corinthians 6:14).
... most Christian churches support members who take part in intermarriage, citing 1 Corinthians 7:12-14.
The Council of Elvira also prohibited interreligious marriage: 15. Christian girls are not to marry pagans, no matter how few eligible men there are, for such marriages lead to the adultery of the soul. 17. If parents allow their daughter to marry a pagan priest, they shall not receive communion even at the time of death.
The Catholic Church considers marriages of baptized Protestants to be valid marriages. So if two Lutherans marry in the Lutheran Church in the presence of a Lutheran minister, the Catholic Church recognizes this as a valid sacrament of marriage.
We might remind ourselves here that a marriage between a Catholic and a baptized person that takes place in the Catholic Church, or in another Church with permission from the diocesan bishop, is a sacramental union. Such a marriage is a life-long union and no power on earth can dissolve it.
Supernatural marriages exist only between baptized people, so marriages between two Jews or two Muslims are only natural marriages. Assuming no impediments, marriages between Jews or Muslims would be valid natural marriages. Marriages between two Protestants or two Eastern Orthodox also would be valid, presuming no impediments, but these would be supernatural (sacramental) marriages and thus indissoluble.
TheQuran speaks favourably of thePeople of the Book. For example, Surah 3, verse 199, carries a universal message of goodwill and hope to all those who believe, the People of the Book irrespective of their religious label—Christian,Jew, orMuslim. Muslims can marry with the People of the Book [...].
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