There are countless stories you must have heard where inter religion marriages simply did not work out. But there are other stories as well where even same religion could not help save a marriage. While love knows no boundaries, it is crucial to realize that there is no set formula to ensure a marriage will work out. However, some issues are bound to arise when it comes to inter religion marriages and especially when you are living in India because in this part of the world, marriage is not only the union of two souls but also the union of two families. So, go ahead and do not let the difference of faith affect your choice of life partner. Here are some tips to help you make inter faith marriage work better:
Do not Force:
Surely, convincing your parents is going to be toughest part! But that does not mean you force your partner to change his religion so that he is accepted in your family easily. Most of the time, this attitude could lead to divorce later on. Faith is something very personal and no one can make you change your beliefs, not even your partner. So, it is crucial to realize that you must never force someone to change his religion just for the sake of marrying and it should be the same with you.
Open up more:
Interfaith marriages need you to communicate even more and talk about your difference and find common grounds. This will help both of you understanding each other’s faith. Talking about your religious beliefs also gives you a sense of acceptance and in the future it becomes easy for you to practice your religious beliefs harmoniously. If you feel nervous about certain sensitive issues, just let your partner know and together you can comfortably talk about it.
Do not impose your religion on children:
The biggest issue that arises is when your children start growing up and you want them to follow your religion. Have this discussion with your partner about the faith you want your kids to adopt before getting married and live up to the promises you made. Make sure that you do exactly what you already decided. When values such as love, respect and empathy remain the same in both religious teachings, you will find a little difference in other practices. Make sure you teach your children all about both the religions and let them adopt the faith they decide to take.
Make sure you are ready for many sacrifices:
You might be able to understand each other but it is also crucial to make sure your families do not interfere in your life. You need to learn how to respectfully say no when they try to make your partner feel uncomfortable by forcing him to follow your religious practices. Learn to take a stand for your partner whenever need arises. Do not be disrespectful towards faith of your partner and remember that you both will have to celebrate religious festivals together and there will be times when you would not want to participate in your partner’s religious rituals but at the end of the day marriage is a name of compromises and sacrifices.