Miranda was worried about her relationship with her boyfriend, which she believed was in danger of breaking up because of different religious beliefs. She shared her story with us:
“I was nervous as I walked into the Catholic church. I had been dating a Catholic guy for 2 months, and tonight was our first date at church. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I was hoping to learn more about his faith.
As we took our seats in the back of the church, I couldn’t help but feel impressed by the beauty of the building. The stained glass windows cast a beautiful light on everything around us, and the choir was singing softly in the background.
My date turned to me and smiled. “This is my favorite place,” he said. “I come here every week.”
I nodded, understanding how important his faith was to him. I was happy to be learning more about it, and even though I wasn’t sure where our relationship would go, I knew that this was an important part of his life. But I had always thought that Catholics and Christians were pretty similar in their beliefs. Wasn’t Christianity just one big umbrella term?
“So, what’s the difference between being Catholic and Christian?” I asked curiously.
“Well, Christianity is a faith based on the teachings of Jesus Christ,” he explained. “But Catholicism is the largest denomination of Christianity, and it has its own specific beliefs and practices.”
I nodded, trying to take it all in. It was definitely something that I needed to learn more about if I was going to continue dating him. But I appreciated that he was open and willing to teach me about his faith.
“Thank you for explaining that to me,” I said. “I’m really interested in learning more about your religion.”
“Of course,” he replied with a smile. “I’m happy to share my faith with you.”
As we continued talking, I realized that there was a lot more to his religion than I had originally thought. And even though I wasn’t sure if I would ever convert myself, I knew that it was something that was important to him. So, I was happy to learn more about it and to try and understand it from his perspective.
What to do if you are a Christian and are dating a Catholic guy?
If you’re dating a Catholic guy, there’s no need to be overly concerned about your different religious beliefs. Catholics are Christians, just like you, and so praying to the saints to intercede on your behalf is no different than asking a friend to pray for you. The most important thing is to keep an open mind about his beliefs – you might be surprised someday that they might make some sense to you. Who knows, you might even end up converting! Either way, as long as you have a good relationship built on mutual respect, there’s no reason why you can’t have a happy and lasting marriage.