Your experiences dating religious people

[Casca]

What are your experiences in dating a religious person? Has it been limited to just one religion? What was the conversation like when you told him or her that you're Atheist, or did you not say anything?


About twelve years ago, I dated a Catholic woman. When I mentioned my Atheism, she was completely dumbstruck. I said "Uh, it's right there on my myspace page..." (remember, this was 12 years ago). She told me she thought I was joking.

We moved on from that, and after two months, talks of moving in together started. "There's going to be a cross in every room." I hit the brakes right there.


After her, I dated a wiccan. A month into the relationship, she told me how she believed in "the rule of threes" and the power of crystals. She asked me if I was comfortable with that; my response was "It's no more ridiculous than any other religion." She smiled, and was happy to hear that for about ten seconds before she said, "Hey! You think they're all ridiculous!"

I dated a Muslim girl when I was a teenager for about a week. She was very intelligent, and always thought of others. She hated dating an Atheist (despite the huge crush she had on me for a year, according to her), and said that it would be better if I was any religion, other than no religion. When we talked about her religion, my mind was completely blown when she told me she truly believed that men were superior to women. We stayed friends, but ended the relationship quickly.

About six years ago, I dated a girl from Thailand, the closest I got to dating an Atheist before I met my wife. Her only religious oddity was she explained that every year people gave donations to monks. I said, "why?". "So they can bless you." She didn't appreciate my new plan of doing nothing and accepting money for it (which was offensive to say in hindsight).

Those four are probably the most unique cases in my experience. Most of the time though, it wasn't a big deal. How about you?

[Jesster]

I've dated three religious people and I was married to one of them. I've also dated two atheists. Overall, I can't say there was a whole lot of difference in success (outside of the current one who is working out out just fine). My first relationship was with an atheist while I was Christian (at the time) and I was judged horribly for my beliefs (to be fair, they were really stupid beliefs). Then I dated (and married) a Christian who treated me like garbage for not believing exactly in the same insanely dogmatic Christian ideas. That's actually what got me to stop going to church services, even though I was still a Christian back then.

Outside of passing comments, the other people I've dated since then have never made religion (or the lack thereof) a problem. Then the guy I'm dating right now, who is a Christian, can actually have really great conversations with me about religion and atheism without either of us getting slightly offended or shocked. Actually, I enjoy and even look forward to that with him. We can both understand and support each other without us ultimately sharing the same beliefs. It also helps that he despises the same sort of Christians that I do.

[Napoléon]

I don't know if this counts but I briefly went out with a girl who believed in astrology like it was gospel. To the point where she based her entire opinions on people she met on what star sign they were.

Didn't seem like a big deal at first but when someone's entire view of the world is influenced by horse shit, it makes it hard to have any kind of understanding with them.

[rado84]

Most of the time though, it wasn't a big deal. How about you?

I don't date religious people, I'm alergic to all kinds of religions. There's only one religious person, though, who I would date - if she weren't married already and she's a member of this forum.

[Longhorn]

I don't date people period. They have germs. ಠ_ಠ

[rado84]

I don't date people period. They have germs.

Just out of curiousity - what do you date? Animals? Cars? Trees? Worms?

[Longhorn]

I don't date people period. They have germs.

Just out of curiousity - what do you date? Animals? Cars? Trees? Worms?

Worms are animals, and so are people... I don't date anything. For my and everybody else's sake.

[abaris]

Got no experiences. Never happened. Far as I know. Might also be that you have to look for religion to find it where I live. And I never moved in religious circles. By that I mean of the more radical and outspoken sort.

So, might be that some of the girls I dated were religious. But we never talked about iit.

[robvalue]

Only once, I dated a liberal-moderate Christian. She knew I was an atheist and I just never made it an issue. She didn't either, for a while. Eventually she couldn't help herself and started preaching. It wasn't the only factor, we were a bad match, but things were sour after that. It dragged on unhappily for a bit, then we split up. I decided to avoid dating religious people in the future.

[BrianSoddingBoru4]

Well, there was that time the sexton's daughter took me into the sacristy and showed me the Holy Ghost.

Boru