As a Catholic, should I avoid dating any non-Christians

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I didn’t say it was a bar to dating. I said don’t be in a rush to date.
 
This depends on so many other variables. But, you would have to be okay with the fact that the importance you place on certain things and the reasons you do so will not be shared by the other person. Having different views on certain moral issues can also be a problem.

I have dated two guys who were not Catholic. I will never do that again. One was a very devout Protestant; a nice man, but we were going in different directions, expected different things, and I would not compromise on Catholic morality. The other guy was (and still is) a close friend who was not religious but very accepting. However, we had very different views on what was valuable, what the purpose of dating was (I found out at the end of our relationship that he had no desire to marry me at all and was okay with just being “in love” and in a committed relationship just for the experience and didn’t see how that was not something I was okay with), and what we expected from each other (again, there were things I would not compromise on because doing so would be immoral).

That said, maybe you would find someone who is not Catholic and with whom these issues would not arise. Many people have. Based on my own experiences, though, I would not recommend it.
 
My fiancé is catholic, she had been non practicing and so I didn’t know until we got engaged. At first I wasn’t happy with converting and it didn’t make sense, and it seemed outright unfair. But I planned on marrying her anyways, and I figured if I was unwilling to give this a try then I should t be getting married. I came from an atheist family, although I believed in God since I was a child, I had no idea what was in store for me. I’m proud to say I was baptized on Dec 8th! And I look forward to confirmation and working tirelessly to convert the rest of my family. I’d say dating outside the church depends entirely upon who you pick.
 
Zlog said:
My fiancé is catholic, she had been non practicing and so I didn’t know until we got engaged. At first I wasn’t happy with converting and it didn’t make sense, and it seemed outright unfair. But I planned on marrying her anyways, and I figured if I was unwilling to give this a try then I should t be getting married. I came from an atheist family, although I believed in God since I was a child, I had no idea what was in store for me. I’m proud to say I was baptized on Dec 8th! And I look forward to confirmation and working tirelessly to convert the rest of my family. I’d say dating outside the church depends entirely upon who you pick.
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If I may ask, than why did you convert let alone start the conversion process at all?
 
Absolutely! Simply because she told me that being married without having me be Catholic would make the marriage less. Which I was livid with at first, but it makes sense now and I completely understand. I started the process because I wanted to marry her, I finished it because I found truth.
 
Zlog said:
Absolutely! Simply because she told me that being married without having me be Catholic would make the marriage less. Which I was livid with at first, but it makes sense now and I completely understand. I started the process because I wanted to marry her, I finished it because I found truth.
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Interesting, can you elaborate more? I find it a bit confusing that people feel the marriage between a Catholic and non-Catholic is somehow “less”.

My wife and I are in a mixed denomination marriage (married over 14 years). I don’t see how our marriage is somehow “less”… ¯_(ツ)_/¯
 
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Hmmm… there ought to be an emote for pulling your foot from your mouth. I honestly meant no offense, but I must say a marriage between two different denominations of Christianity and a marriage between a catholic and an atheist would be a completely different environment. There are certain beliefs by Catholics that I had not shared before I began this journey. Raising children with these different beliefs would have proved difficult.
 
One question, where you married within the Catholic Church with a Nuptial Mass or within the Sacristy, or were you married in a Protestant Church?
 
We were married in the Catholic Church outside of Mass, so it was still a sacrament. She didn’t want to have communion when my 1/2 of the church couldn’t participate.
 
Zlog said:
Hmmm… there ought to be an emote for pulling your foot from your mouth. I honestly meant no offense, but I must say a marriage between two different denominations of Christianity and a marriage between a catholic and an atheist would be a completely different environment. There are certain beliefs by Catholics that I had not shared before I began this journey. Raising children with these different beliefs would have proved difficult.
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True, and I think that’s maybe what your wife may have been getting at. IDK if you were baptized or not (sounds like no), so the marriage would have been valid but not a sacrament. I’ll give the benefit of the doubt that’s what she meant by “less”, although saying a marriage between a Catholic and non-Catholic is “less” doesn’t sound the best.
 
Probably all depends on whether there are young people in the Catholic community, if in your church there are only older people, it is possible that in some Protestant community there are many young people with a warm heart devoted to Christ, where you can choose some one.
Yes, but if you follow Catholic inter-regional youth festivals, conferences , seminars, and communication, it’s much more likely to find a bride with whom you later can be in Christ’s service together.
The more you live in spirit the more you hear the voice of wisdom. The more you live in spirit the more even you can’t stand the idea that you can connect your life with the unspiritual, godless person.
 
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Zlog said:
Simply because she told me that being married without having me be Catholic would make the marriage less.
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Those are some pretty bold words coming from a non practicing Catholic.

I hope you know that the Church does not teach this.

I am glad that you found the faith in the process.
 
1ke said:
Those are some pretty bold words coming from a non practicing Catholic.

I hope you know that the Church does not teach this.
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As a non-Catholic husband I too halfway understand the slight disappointment (for lack of a better phrase) in her tone when your spouse notes it won’t be a sacramental marriage.
 
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Why is it non-sacramental, are you not baptized?
 
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Not baptized. I started to fall away before one would typically choose baptism.
 
Ok, then yes I can hear where you are coming from, but to note, the statement in question is that a “marriage between a non-Catholic and Catholic less”, which is not true.

If the statement were a marriage between a Catholic and someone who is not baptized is non-sacramental…then yes, that would be true.
 
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