I'm not sure what denomination are you but some denominations are strict. Most Protestant circles will oppose if they find out that you are dating a non-Christian and dating to convert is frown upon.

Catholics allow mix marriages and but it will not be sacramental. I presume you are not the super religious type which is why you don't really mind.

Most Christian girls want a 'Godly' man so even nominal Christian men don't even stand a chance. They rather not marry than marry non-Christians.

It depends on the family and denomination. If the parents are devout Christians who serve in churches 3 times a week then they would expect their children to marry devout Christians. Some denominations are more controlling than others. In these denominations, Harry Potter (a fiction book) is regarded witchcraft and they see non-Christians as the 'devil' who is trying to lead them astray.

Perhaps most Christian males in LYN are probably the 'follow parents to church' type of Christian, so they don't really care what religion their partners believe in. Heck some do not even know there is a command that forbids Christians to marry non-Christians. But when asked, they generally prefer a Christian partner too because they tend to be more faithful, less materialistic etc.

There is something called date to convert but this is usually frowned upon because the conversion is not honest. Males are more likely to control more economic resource and hence they have more power in a relationship. If a Christian male were to ask a Buddhist girl to convert, she is more likely to say yes. But if a Christian girl were to ask a Buddhist male to convert, the answer is likely no especially if his parents are hardcore Buddhists.

If I were to think from a female's perspective, girls have saved themselves for marriage. So they probably expect a Christian male who are generally less likely to cheat (sleeping with other girls or is a porn addict). They will look for a more spiritual husband to lead them closer to God. They also would want their children to be raised in church to cultivate good values.

But the majority of Christian circles have more females than males, so some of these girls are still single at the age of 30. Most Christian girls are expected to get married at a very young age. Although Christians claim that the gift of singleness is great, they are also natural hypocrites. Christians who are not married by a certain age are looked down upon by the other members. Then comes the point of desperation whereby these girls lower their standards and are more open to interfaith marriage. However, not everything will work well. Members are likely to disapprove of the marriage and some of these marriages end in divorce.

Which one? I'm interested to know too

Just because Abrahamic religions (Judaism, Christianity and Islam) and some cultures (such as China) follow patriarchy does not mean that males are always the head of the family.

I do not understand what do you mean by ego. Males leading spirituality that is acceptable but how to you measure if one is more spiritual than the other? Serve more in church? Tithe more? This is one of the problem in Christian circles. The need for males to 'act' more spiritual. I've even encountered Christian males trying to woo Christian girls by saying "God spoke to me and told me to ask you out". The irony is that they say this to non-Christian girls too.

To be married in church usually you either one of them has to be Christian. Christians generally oppose mix marriages but Catholic Christians have been more open to it. They have been allowing a marriage between a Catholic and non-Catholic (athiest, Buddhist, Muslim etc) but it has to be consented by the local bishop. The condition is that the non-Catholic partner has to agree to try his/her best to allow and raise the children in church and must not oppose the religion. But the mass is also non-sacramental and a full mass will not be held on the wedding day. It is only a wedding ceremony.

If you are not baptised, you are not considered Christian. Usually the pastor will not allow mix marriages but this differs according to the church and denomination.

When a person is baptised, they receive a baptismal certificate which is proof that one is Christian. I heard that the Vatican has a complete list of the names of all Catholics around the world.

This post has been edited by Yggdrasil: Mar 5 2018, 09:07 PM

There is no such thing as de-baptise/un-baptise. Baptism is the first step in a Christian's life and a confession to the congregation of his/her faith. But baptism does not guarantee heaven or salvation (again this depends on the denomination).

My advice is not to convert solely because you want to marry a Christian. Your partner might be unhappy if you are unwilling to accompany them to church or support them in their faith. They might be expecting you to set an example to your children, attend Bible studies, lead the family in prayer, say grace before meals etc. Converting just because you want to marry might seem like you cheated them. Even worse if this is seen as an act of apostasy.

If you are really open about the Christian afterlife and truly love your partner, then what is stopping you from converting? I mean if Christians are right, you get to meet your spouse in the Christian heaven. If Christians are wrong, there is either no afterlife or you both suffer in whatever 'hell' that turns out to be true. But if you are converting, do note on what denomination your partner is in. Some are extremely strict and controlling. They might even require you to tithe 10% of your income. Some denominations do not practice artificial contraception. So, you should discuss this with your partner if you do intend to convert and marry.

Cheers!

This post has been edited by Yggdrasil: Mar 6 2018, 12:23 AM

This book seems to be promoting Buddhism. All religion/philosophy/moral teachings/holy scriptures have flaws. The book you linked is just one of the many books trying to poke fun at Christianity or disprove a religion (see the Brick Bible and the Rational wiki).

One example from the New Testament that most Bible scholars are aware of is the last chapter in gMark. Shorter and longer endings of Mark 16:9-20 were believed to be written to create a more satisfactory ending because it was not evident in manuscripts before the fourth century and are borrowed from other gospels/contain unusual apocryphal elements. Most bible scholars (not the regular pastors you meet in churches but the ones who are familiar with biblical criticism) are aware of the existence of a Q source, JEPD theory, and questionable authenticity of some of the supposed letters written by Paul (a person who played a major role in Christianity).

There exist atheist bible scholars/ex-Christians around the world. I am sure there are ex-Buddhist, ex-Hindu and ex-atheist too. Do keep in mind that most Christian scholars are required to provide a statement of faith before beginning their studies. Some after discovering all the flaws in the New Testament, they become atheists/agnostics. There is a threat of losing their jobs or getting kicked out of school if they suddenly become openly atheists. Examples of atheist/agnostic bible scholars are Hector Avalos (ex-Pentecostal preacher) and Bart D. Erhman (a prominent Christian scholar now agnostic) who arrive at different conclusions about the resurrection of Jesus.

However, there also exist honest faithful believers who still believe. To name a few: John P. Meier (a Roman Catholic priest who wrote the Marginal Jew series, an 'unbiased' research about the ressurection), Dale Martin (a lecturer teaching Introduction to New Testament at Yale university. He does not let his faith undermine his objectivity), John Shelby Spong (Episcopalian bishop who is liberal at the interpretation of the Bible. He was criticised by other Christians for his liberal interpretation), and Marcus Borg (progressive Christianity advocate). Catholic schools in the US are not afraid to teach evolution and the existence of other religions. But there also exist Christian schools (usually Protestant) who teach pseudoscience such as Young Earth Creationism (YEC) or Old Earth Creationism (OEC).

In my opinion, these honest believers are the ones who discovered what 'true' faith is. They are not afraid to have their faith challenged by evidence. These are not the blind ignorant believers who lie to themselves to reinforce their faith. This is perhaps the faith that the Christian God wants. After all, faith is indeed belief without evidence.

This post has been edited by Yggdrasil: Mar 6 2018, 12:20 AM