Marriage between Catholics and Protestants

[ralphinal]

Yes.

For example, if one spouse has an addiction of some kind and is using the children’s inheritance money from a deceased grandparent to pay for drugs, gambling, etc., or else if he or she is selling off family antiques that are supposed to one day be handed down to the children, divorce would be permitted so that the addicted spouse would no longer have access to the children’s trust fund.

The care of children may also come under issues such as who will provide insurance and child support.

 

[Alix1912]

First,

SOOOOO glad I’m not Reformed’s wife, or maybe he’s glad I’m not his wife, because the women in my family are not known for their quiet subserviant behavior. I would totally kick my husband’s *** if he ordered me to convert. Seriously what idiot thinks that is a good way to conduct a marriage. Do what I want because I’m the man, or else…sounds like slavery not a marriage. Christ and John Paul II both indicated that marriage was a partnership. While my husband is the head of our house, he does not hold total dominion over me and my actions, we are a team and we each bring different skills and things to that team to make it work as a whole.

No. This is always a spiritually perilous idea. It is permitted but discouraged by the Catholic Church. Personally, I don’t think it should be permitted at all.

In Heaven, all will see things as they really are. Christ has only one Church. Everyone who is in Heaven is, by default, a Catholic.

1ke, I know that last post quoted was meant to be funny, but again SERIOUSLY over 30% of Catholics are married to non Catholics and the number grows each year. The more you continue to bag on protestants and mixed marriages the more you drive us away. I have less problems with Catholic Theology than I do with Catholic Attitude. I resent being treated like a little hobgoblin that crept up from hell to lure good catholic boys away. It drives me away from the Catholic Church far more than the doctines on Mary and Papal Infalilbility ever could.

I am Catholic and I am married to a Protestant. I find no harm in this.

Personally I am a little hurt that so many people think that is “wrong” to marry outside of the Catholic Church.

So my answer to you, reformed, is that yes there is nothing wrong with mixed marriages provided they are done responsibly.

I agree with Katie. It can be done, and is done by hundreds every day across the world. I wish that those of us in mixed marriage could find better support from all denominations involved.

 

[Reformed]

First,

SOOOOO glad I’m not Reformed’s wife, or maybe he’s glad I’m not his wife, because the women in my family are not known for their quiet subserviant behavior. I would totally kick my husband’s *** if he ordered me to convert. Seriously what idiot thinks that is a good way to conduct a marriage. Do what I want because I’m the man, or else…sounds like slavery not a marriage. Christ and John Paul II both indicated that marriage was a partnership. While my husband is the head of our house, he does not hold total dominion over me and my actions, we are a team and we each bring different skills and things to that team to make it work as a whole.

1ke, I know that last post quoted was meant to be funny, but again SERIOUSLY over 30% of Catholics are married to non Catholics and the number grows each year. The more you continue to bag on protestants and mixed marriages the more you drive us away. I have less problems with Catholic Theology than I do with Catholic Attitude. I resent being treated like a little hobgoblin that crept up from hell to lure good catholic boys away. It drives me away from the Catholic Church far more than the doctines on Mary and Papal Infalilbility ever could.

I agree with Katie. It can be done, and is done by hundreds every day across the world. I wish that those of us in mixed marriage could find better support from all denominations involved.

LOL…here’s a question for all Christians regardless of being Protestants or Catholics.

Who is the spiritual leader in your household, the man or woman? Has the man in your home abdicated this God given role to our wives? If so, is that a sin? Should we confess and repent and obey as Christian men?

 

[cfrancis]

LOL…here’s a question for all Christians regardless of being Protestants or Catholics.

Who is the spiritual leader in your household, the man or woman? Has the man in your home abdicated this God given role to our wives? If so, is that a sin? Should we confess and repent and obey as Christian men?

There is a huge difference b/n being the spiritual leader in the house and being the dictator of spiritual things in the house.
In no way does spiritual leadership entail the demand to one’s wife to convert.

 

[jmcrae]

There is a huge difference b/n being the spiritual leader in the house and being the dictator of spiritual things in the house.
In no way does spiritual leadership entail the demand to one’s wife to convert.

True - and if your spouse’s religion is an obstacle to your marriage, perhaps you should have thought of that before walking up the aisle. I think more people need to be told that the person standing beside you at the marriage ceremony is the person you are marrying.

They aren’t going to magically change into a prince/princess Catholic/Protestant, good with money/good housekeeper when you kiss them at the end.

 

[Reformed]

There is a huge difference b/n being the spiritual leader in the house and being the dictator of spiritual things in the house.
In no way does spiritual leadership entail the demand to one’s wife to convert.

Are you married, and is she Roman Catholic, Protestant, etc?

 

[cfrancis]

Are you married, and is she Roman Catholic, Protestant, etc?

Yes. Catholic.

 

[Reformed]

True - and if your spouse’s religion is an obstacle to your marriage, perhaps you should have thought of that before walking up the aisle. I think more people need to be told that the person standing beside you at the marriage ceremony is the person you are marrying.

They aren’t going to magically change into a prince/princess Catholic/Protestant, good with money/good housekeeper when you kiss them at the end.

I guess our differences should not be considered lightly.

 

[Reformed]

Yes. Catholic.

Okay, so we both don’t have practicial insight in a mixed marriage, do we? My wife and I were both nonminal non-denominational Christians when we met. I got to mold her into anyway that I wanted (just kidding). Actually, my wife was the spiritual leader of our family for the first 7 years or so of our marriage. I’ve been married for almost 22 years.

 

[jmcrae]

I guess our differences should not be considered lightly.

Certainly not. There is only one difference that is needed - she should be a woman, and he should be a man. The closer in agreement they are on everything else, the happier and more successful the marriage is likely to be.

 

[Reformed]

Certainly not. There is only one difference that is needed - she should be a woman, and he should be a man. The closer in agreement they are on everything else, the happier and more successful the marriage is likely to be.

Here’s the only bibilical requirement which should apply between a man and a woman regarding marriage:

2 Corinthians 6:14

Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness?

An unbeliever does not mean Protestant, nor Catholic.

 

[4Squarebaby]

Here’s the only bibilical requirement which should apply between a man and a woman regarding marriage:

2 Corinthians 6:14

Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness?

An unbeliever does not mean Protestant, nor Catholic.

In my opinion all those denominations which hold to their traditions and doctrinal difference so strongly that they reject the shared beliefs and values because of a difference here and there, well they do do see the Christians of other denominations as nonbelievers. And even if the parent Church doesn’t teach a hardline its members will range from liberal to ultraconservative in application of what is taught.

It could be because you are not Catholic, because you don’t honor the sabbath, you were not baptised by immersion in water or in the Holy Spirit as evidenced by your speaking in tongues. Whatever, a certain percentage will only marry within their tribe while others probably the majority, atleast in the Protestant world where a Baptist is just as good as a Methodist for example, will marry outside and yet others will go outside of Christianity entirely.

In the specific Catholic Church case they seem to take a middle ground position of doing all possible to discourage mixed marriages but having a functional system to accept them. Individual Catholics on this site have just stated their position that the Church should not leave an out and the Bishops should not allow as many mixed marriages… From my Pentacostal perspective the teacher can teach but he is just a man. I will go to the Holy Bible myself and when I do Protestants and Catholics may marry. Only the “Christian” groups who do not believe in the Trinity are out of bounds for me.

 

[myfavoritmartin]

The Bible came out of the Catholic Church; the Church did not come out of the Bible. She is four centuries older than the Bible. Katholikos

Right Kath…
Do believe half of what you write?
Aren’t you the same person “terry o’brien” who was banned around here?

 

[Alix1912]

LOL…here’s a question for all Christians regardless of being Protestants or Catholics.

Who is the spiritual leader in your household, the man or woman? Has the man in your home abdicated this God given role to our wives? If so, is that a sin? Should we confess and repent and obey as Christian men?

My husband and I both spritually lead our household. And being a leader has nothing to do with domination and everything to do with working as a team for the best of all in the family.

True - and if your spouse’s religion is an obstacle to your marriage, perhaps you should have thought of that before walking up the aisle. I think more people need to be told that the person standing beside you at the marriage ceremony is the person you are marrying.

They aren’t going to magically change into a prince/princess Catholic/Protestant, good with money/good housekeeper when you kiss them at the end.

Great advice…however…

If you read many of the posts here, often these religious changes happen after marriage. No amount of counseling or prep would have revealed that my husband was planning rediscovering his catholic roots a year after we got married. He has even admitted this himself. I am all for counseling and such in advance and being very realistic about marriage, and thinking long and hard about who you are marrying, but changes and things do occur afterward that have a profound effect on your marriage that could not have been examined in advance.

In the specific Catholic Church case they seem to take a middle ground position of doing all possible to discourage mixed marriages but having a functional system to accept them. Individual Catholics on this site have just stated their position that the Church should not leave an out and the Bishops should not allow as many mixed marriages.

I would argue that while the Catholic Church hesitantly accepts mixed marriages they DO NOT have a functional way of dealing with them. Unless you call shove the non catholic spouse asside until they go away from faith completely or convert functional. I think the Catholic Church needs to examine how they deal with mixed marriages and develop a better system.

 

[grampben]

The Bible came out of the Catholic Church; the Church did not come out of the Bible. She is four centuries older than the Bible. Marriage regulation was the exclusive province of the Church, not the state, until Martin Luther’s revolt in the 16th century (who, BTW, approved bigamy and polygamy).

The Church makes laws regarding marriage that must be obeyed by Catholics. The Church reluctantly permits Catholics to marry Protestants under certain circumstances, but it is always a bad idea for any Catholic to put his religion at risk through marriage with any non-Catholic – that is true for Roman Catholics, Byzantine Catholics, Maronite Catholics, and all other members of the 23 rites of the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church.

Katholikos

Good thing protestants look to scripture and not their denomination’s founders for guidance

 

[Alix1912]

Good thing protestants look to scripture and not their denomination’s founders for guidance

Good thing that Catholics look to tradition and scripture and not to some of their past leaders for their guidance as well.

Peter himself denied Christ, and lets not even get into what some of the Renissance Popes did. People are people and we are sinful.

As a Lutheran I’ll be the first to admit Luther had his faults, but he also had a legitimate cause to be concerned with the conduct of the Catholic Church at the time. He never sought to break from the church he merely wanted to open dialogue with Rome about the abuses he saw. When he was ignored and threatened with his life he broke with the church.

Also I would like to see the writings where he supports bigamy and polygamy, I haven’t come across that. I have seen his anti semetic stuff, but then that is, while not a good thing, very characteristic of the times.

If you are going to level those charges against Luther, you also have to level some pretty bad stuff against past popes and other catholic leaders as well. Adultery, nepotism, secularism, antisemetism, corruption, misuse of church funds, desecrating a dead body, seriously don’t throw stones in a glass house.

Poor Church leadership occurs in every religon and denomination, that is why we look to the Scriptures and to Christ for supreme guidance and not to man.

 

[grampben]

Good thing that Catholics look to tradition and scripture and not to some of their past leaders for their guidance as well.

Peter himself denied Christ, and lets not even get into what some of the Renissance Popes did. People are people and we are sinful.

As a Lutheran I’ll be the first to admit Luther had his faults, but he also had a legitimate cause to be concerned with the conduct of the Catholic Church at the time. He never sought to break from the church he merely wanted to open dialogue with Rome about the abuses he saw. When he was ignored and threatened with his life he broke with the church.

Also I would like to see the writings where he supports bigamy and polygamy, I haven’t come across that. I have seen his anti semetic stuff, but then that is, while not a good thing, very characteristic of the times.

If you are going to level those charges against Luther, you also have to level some pretty bad stuff against past popes and other catholic leaders as well. Adultery, nepotism, secularism, antisemetism, corruption, misuse of church funds, desecrating a dead body, seriously don’t throw stones in a glass house.

Poor Church leadership occurs in every religon and denomination, that is why we look to the Scriptures and to Christ for supreme guidance and not to man.

I wasn’t saying anything against catholicism, just that you implied that all protestants look to Luther as the be all and end all. They don’t.

 

[elts1956]

The Bible is God-breathed. If the Catholic Church gave us the Bible, then the Holy Book is no longer God-breathed. I’m sadden that Catholics will submit to traditions of men over the Word of God. I have no idea how the Catholic position in regards to marriage between a Protestant and Catholic can be supported in the Holy Bible. We should all try to take an extremely high view of God’s Holy Word in belief and practice. There is simply two divisions in all of humanity. We have those who are united to Christ and those who are not. Those who know Christ and united to Him must marry a person from the opposite sex who also knows Christ and united to Him.

In a sense, the Catholic Church DID give the world the Bible, in the fact that this group of religious folk were the only ones around to find and put together all the teachings of Christ in the New Testament and the Teachings of the Old Testament and offer it to all of humanity…

It was impossible for the Catholic Church to be non existant and the Bible to exist.

 

[elts1956]

The Bible is God-breathed. If the Catholic Church gave us the Bible, then the Holy Book is no longer God-breathed. I’m sadden that Catholics will submit to traditions of men over the Word of God. I have no idea how the Catholic position in regards to marriage between a Protestant and Catholic can be supported in the Holy Bible. We should all try to take an extremely high view of God’s Holy Word in belief and practice. There is simply two divisions in all of humanity. We have those who are united to Christ and those who are not. Those who know Christ and united to Him must marry a person from the opposite sex who also knows Christ and united to Him.

Good thing that Catholics look to tradition and scripture and not to some of their past leaders for their guidance as well.

Peter himself denied Christ, and lets not even get into what some of the Renissance Popes did. People are people and we are sinful.

As a Lutheran I’ll be the first to admit Luther had his faults, but he also had a legitimate cause to be concerned with the conduct of the Catholic Church at the time. He never sought to break from the church he merely wanted to open dialogue with Rome about the abuses he saw. When he was ignored and threatened with his life he broke with the church.

Also I would like to see the writings where he supports bigamy and polygamy, I haven’t come across that. I have seen his anti semetic stuff, but then that is, while not a good thing, very characteristic of the times.

If you are going to level those charges against Luther, you also have to level some pretty bad stuff against past popes and other catholic leaders as well. Adultery, nepotism, secularism, antisemetism, corruption, misuse of church funds, desecrating a dead body, seriously don’t throw stones in a glass house.

Poor Church leadership occurs in every religon and denomination, that is why we look to the Scriptures and to Christ for supreme guidance and not to man.

An that is why we Catholics look to the Holy Spirit to protect those Scriptures and the teachings of Christ through the descendents of Peter and the Apostles from the time of Peter through today and into the future.

 

[Napoli21]

I don’t think a mixed marriage will workout. To have a strong family, the family must attend Sunday service together. Any splitting or alternating services is had to workout.
I was Catholic when I married my wife, who is Methodist. We were married in a Catholic church. After awhile I felt more comfortable attending Methodist services and now only attend Methodist Sunday worship. I haven’t reaffirmed my baptism in front of the Methodist Church and officially become a member. I don’t consider myself Catholic anymore but I am still drawn to Catholic Answers.
I feel a good Catholic should not marry anyone outside their faith.