so, by your logic, it stands to reason that an “infidel” is an altogether despicable human being?

And you’ve obviously never seen the film The Magdalene Sisters.

I dunno, I’ve also been realizing over the years how meaningless those lists can be, but still, religion is a “big’un”. Also, you are not taking into account the possibility that the religious people themselves might mind: an orthodox Jew, for example, will not marry a woman unable to keep a kosher home and unwilling to cover her hair and whatnot.

I understand that wasn’t the point of the story, though.

Growing up, I faced a lot of misunderstanding and overzealousness from people who didn’t know better – I just tried to help them better understand where I was coming from and did the same for them. But it’s still something that sticks with me. I wont go into specifics, because I think it would be more incendiary than helpful.

Statements like this are actually why non-religious people shy away from dating those who make their religion a big part of their life. No, it does not stand to reason that a religious person has a higher more code, or a Christian a higher moral code than other religions. And, when people say “I’ll never date someone who doesn’t have a relationship with Jesus,” all it does is make those of us who aren’t religious fearful of telling people we aren’t religious or take that chance.

Christians are no more likely to be moral than atheists. Plenty of interfaith (and non faith) relationships do work out. It’s worth the risk if it is established early that you are tolerant of the other persons faith and do not expect to change them and that you don’t require them to convert for a LTR. There are spectrums of belief and many people are religious in the sense of a secular Jew.

Take a chance with someone interfaith; just seek out fairly early the issues that might come up long term before you commit.

Though I check off the boxes saying that I’m seeking a Christian, I have gone out with non-Christians. I’m more comfortable with Christians, but at the same time people’s “walk” doesn’t always coincide with their “talk.” I’m currently seeing a non-Christian who’s fine with my no-sex-until-marriage policy, while a Christian who went to church every other week wasn’t. Sometimes you never know and you have to give others a shot. Though admittedly if I give a non-Christian a shot it’s generally because they seem pretty darn amazing except for that detail, whereas I’m more lax about a Christian’s profile (note it’s only their profile, not what happens once we start dating).

Just my $0.02.

Not necessarily. A “religious person” could be like Mother Theresa or like an Inquistor … or anything in between.

To put it another way, a person who puts a paragraph about their relationship with Jesus Christ in his/her profile is “talking the talk”, regardless of how he/she behaves towards others. A person who lives out the values that Jesus espoused is “walking the walk”, even if he/she thinks Jesus is a fictional person.

That’s not a reason to avoid someone who “talks the talk”, but it’s hardly a ringing endorsement of them either. Furthermore, you stated that you “would not consider a person that does not have a relationship with Jesus Christ.” It’s fairly common that someone who “talks the talk” is looking for someone who also “talks the talk”.

You may also “walk the walk”, and you may be interested in finding someone who also “walks the walk”. But you discover that by observing how someone behaves towards others (when they’re not trying to impress you … or anyone else). You don’t learn that by asking them about their beliefs.