Can a hindu marry a Christian without having to convert?

[Sharz]

Hey can a Hindu Girl Marry a Christian Guy without having to convert into Christianity in any church in Banglore/Kerala. We both respect our religion but we want to satisfy our parents, consider and respect their beliefs too so we are having two styles of wedding.
He doesn’t have to convert to Hindu, just few rituals.
I read here about these kind of marriages and I need help too…

 

[Sharz]

We both personally believe in god and not in any religion, it’s for his parents we want to marry In church. We would want our kids to grow into whichever religion that they believe in…

 

[Polak]

We both personally believe in god and not in any religion

So he isn’t a ‘Christian guy’ as you wrote.

Neither of you therefore need to convert to anything for the other, because there isn’t anything to convert to.

 

[TK421]

@Sharz

Neither of you are practicing your religion so you can get married. If you were a practicing Hindu and he was a practicing Christian, you could still get married, but that would also bring into question your beliefs and values and how you want to raise any children. For a Catholic Christian, the person would be obliged to have their children baptized and raised in the faith.

Peace.

 

[1ke]

it’s for his parents we want to marry In church.

If you cannot both tell your parents that you do not practice the faith of your childhood and don’t plan to marry in a religious ceremony, then you are not ready to marry at all.

The Catholic Church will require promises from him that he does not sound ready to make. When a Catholic approaches the Church for marriage he must be a practicing Catholic, meaning that he attends mass and follows the faith.

 

[do_justly_love_mercy]

Is he a Catholic or does he belong to another Christian church? You mentioned Kerala and Bangalore. The main Christian churches in Kerala include the Assyrian Church of the East, Oriental Orthodox Churches, Catholic Churches (Latin Rite, Syro-Malabar, and Syro-Malankara), and Anglican, as well as lots of smaller denominations.

In short, there is no reason why a Christian and a Hindu may not marry in most Christian churches. You would likely only run into difficulties in some of the more fundamentalist conservative evangelical churches, which sometimes prohibit marriage between Christians of different denominations, let alone between Christians and non-Christians.

 

[Sharz]

See I understand we don’t follow any religion coz we believe that we are all earthlings, but we definitely cannot make anyone think in our way and we just want to respect and consider our parents wishes and it’s a celebration of tradition more than ritual. It’s all about suggestions and not judgement. We are ready enough to marry and that’s why we know that’s it is celebration of traditions.

 

[Wesrock]

See I understand we don’t follow any religion coz we believe that we are all earthlings, but we definitely cannot make anyone think in our way and we just want to respect and consider our parents wishes and it’s a celebration of tradition more than ritual. It’s all about suggestions and not judgement. We are ready enough to marry and that’s why we know that’s it is celebration of traditions.

A Catholic can marry a non-Christian if he or she obtains a dispensation from the Bishop. He may want to start with asking his family’s priest.

However, you are not going to convince anyone on this forum with “celebration of tradition” statements, because religion and what we profess and vow in marriage is far more than just tradition or ritual, and you’re starting off in a sense with lies to others.

Your boyfriend/fiance should speak to his priest.

 

[1ke]

it’s a celebration of tradition more than ritual.

That is not how the Catholic Church views marriage.

 

[Sursumcorda1]

Please consider the possibility that the birth of your children may cause either one of you to later become more religious and desire to deepen the faith. This spiritual awakening may cause friction if the other spouse isn’t cooperating.

 

[Usige]

we just want to respect and consider our parents wishes and it’s a celebration of tradition more than ritual.

Strictly speaking it is not respecting one’s parents to just go through the motions of religious rites. For Catholics, and many other Christians, a wedding is making sincere promises in the presence of God. If someone doesn’t believe what they are promising, then they are publically professing lies. It is never a good foundation to start communal life with lies in front of witnesses.

If the guy is specifically Catholic, then you would not have to convert, but he would have to make a promise that he would do everything he could to raise any children in the Catholic faith. Most parents wouldn’t allow their kids to choose if the smoked, did drugs, or go to school and religion is the same; when there is infinite choices the choice is generally “I choose none”. You, as the non-Catholic, would have to acknowledge that you understand his obligation. He would also have to do everything he could to not defect from the faith (e.g. not take on Hindu religious practices). In Catholicism it is also forbidden to have two wedding ceremonies or to mix various religious rites together. He could be married outside of Catholic Rites if he received a dispensation, but from what I know of Hindu marriages Rites, most bishops would not provide dispensation as those rites often invoke hindu gods which are antithetical to Christian teaching.