In college campuses across the country, a shift occurs as students navigate the unknowns of inter-religious relationships.
These relationships, built on open communication, respect and love, are breaking barriers and redefining the correlation between religion and relationships.
Maria Collins, 38, said they are all about working together with your partner to foster a healthy and long-lasting relationship.
“I’ve been married to my husband for over a decade now,” Collins said. “I was born and raised Catholic, while my husband Anthony was raised Jewish. We have always been upfront with each other about our religious views, which are both very important to each of us.”
Collins stressed the importance of both parties in the relationship actively communicating with one another.
“Communication is critical to any relationship, but especially one where both people have different beliefs or views on something as serious as religion,” she said. “Anthony and I not only communicate about our different religious views, but we have developed a strong ability to be transparent about everything, and that has really allowed our relationship to maintain its strength for all these years.”
Junior business student at John Carroll University, E’Niyah Jackson, and her boyfriend have faced challenges when it comes to their inter-religious relationship.
“I am Hindu, and my boyfriend is Catholic,” Jackson said. “We met in high school, started as friends, and eventually started dating and have been together ever since. We have our disagreements, but always talk with each other to sort things out. Communication is the biggest thing we needed to master for our relationship to work out.”
Jackson explained how dealing with big topics, like the idea of marriage and children, is daunting, but one that she and her boyfriend are working on dealing with.
“Questions like ‘do I want to get married?’ and ‘if we have kids, how would we raise them?’ are two questions we discuss a lot. They’re a big deal, and everyone in a relationship thinks about what their special day will look like, or if they’re going to start a family, and I am no different,” Jackson said. “In a dream scenario, I would love to do two weddings, one for each religion and each family, but I know that could get pricey, so I am working on alternatives.”
“For anybody who is thinking about starting a relationship with somebody who may not share the same belief system or views as them, do it,” Collins said. “Don’t let different beliefs deter you away from the possibility of a long-lasting relationship. With a little extra effort, these relationships can be just as fulfilling as any traditional relationship you see.”
Jackson said as people deal with the highs and lows that come with any relationship, it is important to block any outside noise and only care about what the people in the relationship think and feel.
As H.H. Fowler once wrote, “Love knows no reason, no boundaries, no distance. It has a sole intention of bringing people together to a time called forever.”
Luke Gehm is a reporter. Contact him at [email protected].
