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Summary
- Paul told Christians not to be “unequally yoked with unbelievers” (2 Corinthians 6:14) and said a widow may remarry “only in the Lord” (1 Corinthians 7:39); the Bible does not mention dating.
- Paul also told believers already married to unbelievers not to divorce them if the spouse consents to stay (1 Corinthians 7:12–13).
- In Catholic canon law a marriage between a Catholic and an unbaptized person is invalid without a dispensation, which requires the Catholic party’s promise to have the children baptized and raised Catholic (canons 1086, 1125).
- The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America cannot bless the marriage of an Orthodox Christian to a non-Christian, and an Orthodox Christian whose wedding is not blessed may not receive Holy Communion.
- Protestant churches differ: the Westminster Confession says Christians should marry “only in the Lord,” while the Church of England marries couples regardless of their beliefs.
- Pew Research Center found that 18 percent of Americans married since 2010 are in marriages between a Christian and a religiously unaffiliated spouse.
Bibliography (Click to show)
- Scripture quotations from the English Standard Version (Deuteronomy 7:3–4; 1 Kings 11:4; 2 Corinthians 6:14; 1 Corinthians 7:12–16, 39; 1 Peter 3:1–2; Acts 16:1). References: Nehemiah 13:23–27; 2 Timothy 1:5. https://www.biblegateway.com/
- Code of Canon Law (1983), canons 1071, 1086, 1124 and 1125. https://www.vatican.va/archive/cod-iuris-canonici/eng/documents/cic_lib4-cann998-1165_en.html
- Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraphs 1633, 1634 and 1637. https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/_INDEX.HTM
- Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, “Instructions for Weddings, Divorces, Baptisms, Funerals, and Memorials.” https://www.goarch.org/-/instructions-for-weddings-divorces-baptisms-funerals-and-memorials
- The Westminster Confession of Faith, chapter 24, as published by the Orthodox Presbyterian Church. https://opc.org/wcf.html
- Church of England, “Can I marry in church?” https://www.churchofengland.org/life-events/your-church-wedding/just-engaged/can-i-marry-church
- The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, General Handbook, chapter 38, sections 38.3.1 and 38.4.1.1. https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/general-handbook/38-church-policies-and-guidelines
- Caryle Murphy, “Interfaith marriage is common in U.S., particularly among the recently wed,” Pew Research Center, June 2, 2015. https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2015/06/02/interfaith-marriage/
