I plan to go to his church if we get married. Isn’t this enough?
Question:
Hi!
My boyfriend and I have been dating for several months now. The problem we are having is that according to his beliefs, he doesn't practice ritual ceremonies and doesn't believe in ancestor worship. On my side, I believe in these things, but that is not an issue for me because I know if it happens that we get married I will have to go to his church. According to his church, he is supposed to marry within the church.
The main problem here is that his parents might not accept me because of my beliefs. They choose the girl that they think is best for their son within their church. I love my boyfriend, but sometimes I wonder if I not wasting my time with him.
Basically, we love each other but there is a problem with his parents and their church rules. I am prepared to spend my life with him. I don't know what to do. Should I end things with him before the rejection of his parents, or should I be there for him and not know how his parents will react?
Answer:
I would be disappointed if his parents accepted a young woman who plans to pretend to follow their religion just to marry their son. Beliefs are not simply something you put on or take off like a garment. They are the core of who a person is and guides the decisions a person makes.
You believe in things that Christians know to be false. "We know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is no other God but one. For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as there are many gods and many lords), yet for us there is one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we for Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and through whom we live" (I Corinthians 8:4-6). To pretend that you follow Christ while continuing to believe in ancestor worship is really a form of lying, which is a sin.
What I would recommend is that you learn about Christianity for yourself and decide whether it is teaching the truth or not. If because of your personal belief, you decide Christianity is the truth, regardless of whether you marry this boy or not, then become a Christian and this won't be an issue with his parents. But if you hang on to your beliefs, then you are going to have troubles in your marriage because of those differing beliefs. If I was talking to your boyfriend, I would tell him that he needs to find a companion and not an obstacle to his religion.
