If you are dating right now, there are probably many factors that drew you together with the other person. Some are physical. Their personality will play a large roll.

It’s very common for us men or women to fall in love with one another without thinking and discussing some very important things that may not define us or matter in the moment, but will in the context of a lifetime together.

Religion is one of these issues.

If it is ignored, it can cause real issues in the future. It certainly needs to be a serious discussion before you tie the knot!

My wife and I are both Christians, but she is Catholic and I am Lutheran. Now this isn’t totally abnormal for me because my parents were also split like this and my sisters went to the Catholic Church and I went with my Father to a Lutheran Church.

Sometimes for various reasons in my family we’d go to the others church for various events, holidays and other reasons, but it would have been easier if we all belonged to the same church without a doubt.

There are conflicts. And it does make things more complicated especially if you haven’t thought about it until the day comes when it is important to one or both of you.

If you are also like me, you might want to serve your Church in some capacity that requires your wife to belong to the same denomination as you. This was not easy. You need to literally choose between the Church or your wife in this instance.

Then you need to decide when you have children where they will go to Church. Which Church will they get baptized in and be brought up in.

Now, at this stage of your life it might not matter to you. In fact, there was a time many years ago where I would have been found saying, “Whatever she wants is fine with me. It’s more important to her.”

Today that is not the case. Religion is more important to me and less important to her. But she insists when we do have kids someday that they go to a Catholic Church. Guess what? They probably will. Unfortunately I feel for me the Wife will rule in this department.

But are you prepared for that? Have you considered how your different religious backgrounds will affect not only yourself, but your future children?

It’s important. And cannot be ignored.

Sit down with your Paster or Priest. Talk it over with the one you are dating. Find others in your same situation and see how they work things out.

We can get really caught up in the moment. And what’s important in the beginning becomes less important down the road and vice versa. It’s possible you or your significant others can change in a number of ways down the road; that might not be avoidable or you may not be able to prepare for everything…

Talking it over now will save a lot more headaches later that could occur.