Opinions expressed in editorials on The Central Trend are the view of the individual writer and are not the opinion of the entire staff of The Central Trend or the Forest Hills Central staff or administration.

I come from one religion, and marrying somebody who’s not from the same one as me is something that I’ve frequently taken into consideration lately. Thankfully, I don’t come from a family of different faiths, but at the same time, I wouldn’t even care so much about that either.

A year ago, I went to a church in a city that is approximately 51 miles from where I live. I was attending a youth class, and there was this pastor who addressed a lot of cons about marrying somebody from a different faith.

That also leads me back to a distant friend who was also at the youth class. His parents were from different faiths. Specifically, his mother is a Seventh Day Adventist Christian while his father follows Theravada Buddhism. I can seriously imagine all that he may have been going through and how that affected him as he was growing up.

This is known as interfaith marriage, and the popularity of it is progressing more in America. When there are marriage ceremonies taking place, many of them include components of both religions. Regularly, children with parents from different faiths are raised learning and practicing the two religions or beliefs.

Of couples who have married since 2010, nearly 40% had wedded someone outside of their faith, and 19% of Americans who married before 1960 took part in interfaith merging. Buddhists are the majority of the members of the group to claim that they’re in a mixed-faith relationship. 

61% of Buddhists state that their spouse is an acolyte other than Buddhism. These statistics show how much interfaith marriage has been rising over the years. The divorce rate of this mixed marriage can escalate to 50%. 

Marriage across varying faiths can add a heavy weight in dealing with arguments and disagreements in relationships. This type of marriage can disengage people from their religions and result in them becoming less of a follower.

According to a survey by the Pew Research Center, people of ages 18 and older considering themselves as Christians reduced by almost 8% in seven years—starting at 78.4% in 2007 and dropping to 70.6% in 2014. These drops are notable enough to show how realistic it is for someone to be separated from their faith in an interfaith marriage. 

It’s not a frivolous issue to underestimate. That’s a common and massive mistake that people take on. Several new couples see marriage as some kind of institution where affection plays an important role while traditional goals, faith, and social functions do not.

If people who emerge from different faiths take the time to discuss the primary issues with religion and contemplate the importance of these matters that they cannot compromise on, they can have a successful marriage.

However, it depends on the individuals. There are some who don’t feel strongly committed to their own faith which results in a less stressful union with their spouse. Again, though, if both of the people are secured in their dedication to their original religion, there’s a good chance of anguish pertaining to the marriage.

Maintaining interfaith relations involves complex efforts such as compromise, forgiveness, and steering clear of stereotypes and discrimination. Overall, having a successful marriage is about being with someone you truly love and know you can count on. But being aware of the fact that religious background plays an important role is also the key to a happy marriage.