I am Catholic and he is Hindu...what to do?

[aemcpa]

However I don’t know if the marriage is recognized by the Church, probably not, but I don’t think either partner feels spiritually deprived.

Whether one FEELS spiritually deprived is hardly useful in determining whether one IS spiritually deprived.

 

[Burt_Macklin]

One more off-topic comment - the number of rapes per capita is higher in the US than in India,

That isn’t surprising in the least considering that you have to be well connected and place bribes appropriately to even get a criminal complaint registered.

In India - and in the US to a lesser extent - reported rapes are just the tip of the iceberg.

 

[openmind77]

Whether one FEELS spiritually deprived is hardly useful in determining whether one IS spiritually deprived.

‘Hardly useful’? Isn’t that going a bit too far? Are we all such idiots that our feelings are diametrically opposite to our actual condition?

Again getting back to the topic at hand, I don’t think this union where the two hardly know each other and they are culturally so far apart, is at all advisable. But that does not mean all such unions are doomed to failure.

 

[aemcpa]

‘Hardly useful’? Isn’t that going a bit too far? Are we all such idiots that our feelings are diametrically opposite to our actual condition?

I ANSWER THAT, the Apostle says:
Romans 7:15-20:

15 I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. 16 And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. 17 As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. 18 For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature.[a] For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19 For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. 20 Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.

 

[FabiusMaximus]

I am an Indian and I take offense at many of the things which you have stated here.I am a catholic too
While agreeing to stink,human waste and many other things which u stated I disagree on many things which you have said out of your ignorance
You have to understand that some brutal people from so called civilzed Christian countries in Europe(Britian,France,Portugal,Dutch-among which British had only the major impact came to India and we were under bloody colonization until 1947. Don’t you think it had hampered our economic progress until then?Do you know that we were forced to fight for the British during the second world war as an ally of US even when we had nothing to do with WW2
And For Your Info many of the capitalist American companies survive because of people from India.(Meaning many of them have more employees of Indian origin than any other nation and some them have have transferred too much of work to India,it being a low cost location for labor and business).Some Indian cities will have more American MNC’s than many US cities…
As an Indian catholic I find US as the most advanced nation in world but at the same time a nation with no moral values(where people change their spouse the way they change dress,where children have sex when they are in High School,where the government is so ready to give unborn children for slaughter through abortion,where bestiality is legal,(at least in some of the states)where gay marriage is also legal,where school children will come to classroom and shoot every and kill 30 of his classmates.LOL.)

I understand if you have negative opinion about India but writing something out of your little knowledge may evoke some serious responses in a public forum

Actually, on an historical level, it’s quite the opposite. The British Empire actually modernized India at an extraordinary speed, and banned some of the more brutal Indian customs, such as the ritual burning of widows. The reason why India has even grown at the speed in which it has over the past few decades is probably because of the British influence, instead of despite it. India ended up costing Britain a lot more than Britain “gained” by 1947. Nehru in fact followed the British example. Had, Gandhi had his way, India probably would be exactly the third world society the other poster described.

With regards to the OP, I think some here have underestimated the importance of religious unity in a relationship. Even among “non-practicing” people, religion can drive a major wedge, especially in times of crisis, when people end up generally turning to it.

A friend of mine was pregnant with twins with her boyfriend, who is of Lao background. She is of no defined religious background of her own. Tragically, there was a major problem with one of her sons, and it was all but certain that he wouldn’t survive. During this exceptionally difficult time, the boyfriend wanted to invite Buddhist clergymen to shant over her. She rejected it, preferring to pray on her own. This caused a major divide among them. Sadly, the boy eventually died, and the other twin barely survived. But the relationship between the two parents became so strained that they eventually broke up. All over religion. Two “non-religious” people.

 

[abinjoy]

Actually, on an historical level, it’s quite the opposite. The British Empire actually modernized India at an extraordinary speed, and banned some of the more brutal Indian customs, such as the ritual burning of widows. The reason why India has even grown at the speed in which it has over the past few decades is probably because of the British influence, instead of despite it. India ended up costing Britain a lot more than Britain “gained” by 1947. Nehru in fact followed the British example. Had, Gandhi had his way, India probably would be exactly the third world society the other poster described.
.

My apologies to the person who posted the original query and writing non-relevant post.I promise I won’t post any more non -relevant post related to the query.

Actually, on an historical level, it’s quite the opposite. The British Empire actually modernized India at an extraordinary speed,.

Which documentary or news channel or magazine or which historical evidence told you this?I can imagine that most US media will portray developing world as one of social injustice,wars,crimes,rapes and of all negative things etc…
Having born and brought up in India I can say this this is wrong.I don’t think you know as much about India as I do

of the more brutal Indian customs, such as the ritual burning of widows

Is n’t your progressive America in the 21st century so happy to kill babies in their mother’s womb in the name of family planning.Is that not brutal?I do admit that that burning of widows did exist in 19th century in certain parts of the India.Not among Christian’s at least.I also admit certain good things happened because of British rule.
But by your logic you will be happy to have Vladimir Putin rule America for the next 50 years (He is anti-gay and seems(or may be pretend) to have some concern for Christianity.I am expecting that Putin will make US a gay free country)

The reason why India has even grown at the speed in which it has over the past few decades is probably because of the British influence, instead of despite it. India ended up costing Britain a lot more than Britain “gained” by 1947.

Really?? that India has grown rapidly n the past 2 decades due to the economic liberalization policies that were started in early 90’s.Not because of British rule which ended in 1947.

How can one support colonialization and still say he/she is a Christian?Freedom is something which God gave to man and no person has the right to take away that freedom from some one else
Again by your logic we should convert all non Christians to Christians (by force or watever it takes)as we ultimately help that soul to reach Jesus and hence heaven.Positives outweight negatives in this case

I recommend that instead of watching BBC/CNN or reading Los Angeles Times or Washington Post to develop a knowldge about India you watch some Indian channels and try to have a balanced view about something before writing something in a public forum

Apologies again to the one who posted the original query

 

[undeserving]

He may be attempting to use you to get a foothold in US,I am saying “May”, but unfortunately its more than likely. Hindu’s are of various kinds, if he is a Hindu in name and not particularly devout you should not have a problem, he might even convert, but if he is a devout hindu you may have a problem, especially when the children come. I know of couples(Hindu/catholic) where the child does not get baptised and its decided that the child will choose when it’s older.
Frankly speaking, a young Indian male has problems getting a girlfriend in India, let alone a girl in the US, . I would advice great caution…

 

[reb108]

Hello all…I am in need of prayers and advice regarding a situation that I am currently facing.

Several months ago, I befriended a guy from India. Mind you, he lives in India, so our contact has been limited to countless hours of talking/IMing/Skyping. Initially, I do not think either of us considered anything other than a platonic relationship; however, things changed drastically. I could see it leading in this direction, and today my feelings were confirmed when he said he loves me. Thing is, I think I am feeling the same way; he is everything I could ever hope for in a guy. ONLY problem? He’s Hindu.

Although he and his family are extremely tolerant (and even have respect for) the Catholic faith, I could never imagine myself starting a relationship with someone who was not Catholic…an entire vocabulary would be missing for us…nor would I expect him to convert solely for me. He knows I am a very devout Catholic (and even asks me to pray for him on occasion), but other than that, very rarely do we discuss religion.

…If I cannot pursue a relationship with him, I will be saddened to think that I would lose such a wonderful man. But at the same time, the thought of starting something with a non-Catholic makes me extremely uneasy, as I know it should, as it is a tricky subject.

What would you do? What do I tell him? Should I completely forget about it?

OK, this is coming from a Hare Krishna (Hindu). I just read your post, questions and concerns. Personally, I just see a lot of red flags here. You know, “we don’t talk about religion, tricky subject, you feel uneasy, can never imagine myself…etc.” To me, and I am not trying to belittle you, …to me this speaks volumes about your immaturity on many different levels. And the maturity needed for a loving, balanced, and happy Hindu/Catholic marriage is not something you find at Walmart the next time you go shopping. It can take years of neutering. I also know that many men from India and Pakistan are obsessed with American woman. I have a friend in Pakistan and every time he writes all he can speak about is finding an American woman. lol…I turn around and tell him to find a nice girl in his country to marry. As I said, a lot of red flags here. I think you should just move on. Embrace your wonderful religion, meet a nice Catholic man from your church, and go down a path that you CAN handle. Your nice friend in India, you can pray for his spiritual happiness. Simply his happiness. Don’t turn this into trying to convert him. Hope this helps.

 

[abinjoy]

Frankly speaking, a young Indian male has problems getting a girlfriend in India, let alone a girl in the US, . I would advice great caution…

LOL…I don’t think there is any problem for any young Indian male getting a GF in India if he has the quaiities that attract girls. though It is a matter of fact that India generally prefer arranged marriages where parents have a BIG part in finding a spouse

 

[Randy_Carson]

Hello all. I haven’t a clue if I am in the right forum for this topic, so I apologize if this is posted in the wrong place. At any rate, I am in need of prayers and advice regarding a situation that I am currently facing.

Several months ago, I befriended a guy from India. Mind you, he lives in India, so our contact has been limited to countless hours of talking/IMing/Skyping. Initially, I do not think either of us considered anything other than a platonic relationship; however, things changed drastically. I could see it leading in this direction, and today my feelings were confirmed when he said he loves me. Thing is, I think I am feeling the same way; he is everything I could ever hope for in a guy. ONLY problem? He’s Hindu.

Although he and his family are extremely tolerant (and even have respect for) the Catholic faith, I could never imagine myself starting a relationship with someone who was not Catholic…an entire vocabulary would be missing for us…nor would I expect him to convert solely for me. He knows I am a very devout Catholic (and even asks me to pray for him on occasion), but other than that, very rarely do we discuss religion.

What should I do? I feel at such a loss. If I cannot pursue a relationship with him, I will be saddened to think that I would lose such a wonderful man. But at the same time, the thought of starting something with a non-Catholic makes me extremely uneasy, as I know it should, as it is a tricky subject.

What would you do? What do I tell him? Should I completely forget about it? I am 19, almost 20, and he is 21, if that makes any difference.

Thank you all so much for taking the time to read this.

God bless

My advice is to end the relationship immediately to avoid heartache.

First, are you ready to get married? Aren’t you a bit young for that? If you aren’t ready to marry anyone, then what is the point? Focus on your schoolwork and career for now.

But is it possible that you’ll just date for a year or two and then break it off? Sure, but again, what is the point of dating him now? For fun? For “practice”? Is he just a starter boyfriend?

But let’s assume that you fall seriously in love and decide to marry him. Unfortunately, there is the strong likelihood that: A) Marriage will strained by religious differences over child-rearing and problems with in-laws who are less understanding or B) You will eventually abandon your Catholic faith.

Is it possible that he will abandon his faith and embrace Christianity? Anything is possible, but are you willing to risk all the pain that will be caused by a mixed marriage if he doesn’t?

Yes, it is possible that the two of you will fall madly in love and he will convert to Christianity (best case) or at least let you raise your kids Catholic, but it is also possible that you or your children or both would be drawn away from Christianity as a result of his indifference or opposition to your faith.

Sorry. I just don’t see an upside here. :nope:

 

[Pleroma]

Hello all. I haven’t a clue if I am in the right forum for this topic, so I apologize if this is posted in the wrong place. At any rate, I am in need of prayers and advice regarding a situation that I am currently facing.

Several months ago, I befriended a guy from India. Mind you, he lives in India, so our contact has been limited to countless hours of talking/IMing/Skyping. Initially, I do not think either of us considered anything other than a platonic relationship; however, things changed drastically. I could see it leading in this direction, and today my feelings were confirmed when he said he loves me. Thing is, I think I am feeling the same way; he is everything I could ever hope for in a guy. ONLY problem? He’s Hindu.

Although he and his family are extremely tolerant (and even have respect for) the Catholic faith, I could never imagine myself starting a relationship with someone who was not Catholic…an entire vocabulary would be missing for us…nor would I expect him to convert solely for me. He knows I am a very devout Catholic (and even asks me to pray for him on occasion), but other than that, very rarely do we discuss religion.

What should I do? I feel at such a loss. If I cannot pursue a relationship with him, I will be saddened to think that I would lose such a wonderful man. But at the same time, the thought of starting something with a non-Catholic makes me extremely uneasy, as I know it should, as it is a tricky subject.

What would you do? What do I tell him? Should I completely forget about it? I am 19, almost 20, and he is 21, if that makes any difference.

Thank you all so much for taking the time to read this.

God bless

Go and say that you too love him and that you’re looking forward to spend the rest of your life with him.

Caution: Tell this only if you trust him 100%.

 

[Philomath]

Have you ever tried to dialogue between his faith and yours there are similarities and differences big difference is Hindu is polytheistic and Catholicism is monotheistic.

Hinduism is not polytheistic. Hinduism espouses a variety of beliefs and polytheism is one of them. Monotheism is also espouses in Hinduism.

 

[Philomath]

Majority of Hindus have no problem with educating a child to worship Jesus.

Jesus is irrelevant to Hinduism.

 

[openmind77]

Servant19:

Majority of Hindus have no problem with educating a child to worship Jesus.

Jesus is irrelevant to Hinduism.

He did not say Jesus is relevant to Hinduism or not.

He said that ‘a majority of Hindus do not have problem educating a child to worship Jesus’. I am not sure that is entirely true, but I am sure many Hindus would not mind that at all.

 

[Philomath]

He did not say Jesus is relevant to Hinduism or not.

He said that ‘a majority of Hindus do not have problem educating a child to worship Jesus’. I am not sure that is entirely true, but I am sure many Hindus would not mind that at all.

I know what he said. My statement still stands, Jesus is irrelevant to Hinduism and has no place in Hinduism. The vast majority of Hindus see him as being irrelevant to Hinduism. Why should we educate our children to worship Jesus when they will not do the same?

 

[openmind77]

I know what he said. My statement still stands, Jesus is irrelevant to Hinduism and has no place in Hinduism. The vast majority of Hindus see him as being irrelevant to Hinduism. Why should we educate our children to worship Jesus when they will not do the same?

OK I get it - you are advising Hindus not to educate our children to worship Jesus.

Sorry, to say but Hindus like me don’t care for your advise We, Hindus think that whom we worship is a totally personal decision. If you don’t think Jesus should be worshiped, that is your choice. As far as I am concerned, I (or any other Hindu) can worship Jesus and remain a good Hindu just fine.

 

[Philomath]

OK I get it - you are advising Hindus not to educate our children to worship Jesus.

Sorry, to say but Hindus like me don’t care for your advise We, Hindus think that whom we worship is a totally personal decision. If you don’t think Jesus should be worshiped, that is your choice. As far as I am concerned, I (or any other Hindu) can worship Jesus and remain a good Hindu just fine.

I’m not advising you or any other Hindu’s to do anything. You are free to do whatever you like, who am I to say anything? My point is Jesus is irrelevant to Hinduism as a religion. None of our texts mention him, speak of him, or have anything to do with him. That doesn’t mean you can’t worship him if you like, it just means there’s no foundation for where this worship arises from. Personally I hold Jesus in high esteem seeing him as a wise sage of sorts, but nothing divine.

 

[openmind77]

I’m not advising you or any other Hindu’s to do anything. You are free to do whatever you like, who am I to say anything? My point is Jesus is irrelevant to Hinduism as a religion. None of our texts mention him, speak of him, or have anything to do with him. That doesn’t mean you can’t worship him if you like, it just means there’s no foundation for where this worship arises from. Personally I hold Jesus in high esteem seeing him as a wise sage of sorts, but nothing divine.

How can Hindu texts talk about Jesus when they were written long before he was born?

Millions of Hindus worship Shirdi Saibaba today. If you got to my hometown in India, there is a temple for him practically every few blocks. In fact we have a temple for him in the bay area too (in California). What foundation is there for this worship? Hindus don’t need any text to recognize divinity. (BTW, last time I went to the bay area temple, there was a indian muslim there praying too - very strange!)

Now tell me Shirdi SaiBaba is irrelevant to Hinduism (he used to dress as a muslim and pray in a mosque).

My apologies to everyone for being off-topic.

 

[Philomath]

How can Hindu texts talk about Jesus when they were written long before he was born?

They cannot, which brings me back to my original point of Jesus being irrelevant to Hinduism.

Millions of Hindus worship Shirdi Saibaba today. If you got to my hometown in India, there is a temple for him practically every few blocks. In fact we have a temple for him in the bay area too (in California). What foundation is there for this worship? Hindus don’t need any text to recognize divinity. (BTW, last time I went to the bay area temple, there was a indian muslim there too - very strange!)

My apologies to everyone for being off-topic.

The worship of Shirdi Saibaba is different than the worship of Jesus. For starters Shirdi Saibaba was a Hindu. Also Shirdi Saibaba is seen as an incarnation of Lord Dattatreya who is mentioned in Hindu texts. If you would like to continue this conversation perhaps we should start a new thread? I feel as though we are derailing this thread(my apologies),

 

[openmind77]

They cannot, which brings me back to my original point of Jesus being irrelevant to Hinduism.

The worship of Shirdi Saibaba is different than the worship of Jesus. For starters Shirdi Saibaba was a Hindu. Also Shirdi Saibaba is seen as an incarnation of Lord Dattatreya who is mentioned in Hindu texts. If you would like to continue this conversation perhaps we should start a new thread? I feel as though we are derailing this thread(my apologies),

Here is a quote from Shirdi SaiBaba’s wikipedia page: “He was revered by both his Muslim and Hindu devotees, and during and well as after his life on earth it remained uncertain if he was a Muslim or Hindu himself.” So if I say Jesus is an incarnation of some Hindu God, then he becomes relevant?

I agree we should not discuss this here anymore