Can a religious person and agnostic/atheist ever work out in relationships?

[Danielle93]

Or it hard? I've seen this mainly works out more when the woman is religious and the man is agnostic/atheist than vive-versa. If the woman if the non-believer, the religious man generally doesn't want her.

Can a relationship with such difference in beliefs ever work out?

[TheRealPepperPotts]

I shared my perspective on this topic here:

Can a relationship between atheist and god worshipper get challenging with time?

Without kids, possibly, but they would have to agree to disagree. With kids, one of them would have to compromise their position and that is unlikely.

A relationship between a devout Christian and a sincere atheist probably has 0.01% chance, because the Christian is under a directive to win their spouse to the Lord (i. e. belief), and the atheist cannot place faith in the unprovable. God is not provable in the scientific sense because He is not observable, therefore it is cognitively impossible for them to reconcile a belief in Him.*

*Atheists/agnostics, this is just my understanding, so please correct or clarify if I have misrepresented anything. I don't want to make an unreasonable generalization, since many people reach their views for varied reasons that I may not haven given representation here.

[TheRealPepperPotts]

@Danielle93 An atheist is someone who doesn't believe in God at all and would not. An agnostic is someone who has the position of they just don't know. I find atheists to be more angry/emotional about religion in general and agnostics are dispassionate and really don't care. That isn't meant to be a criticism of either, it's just what I have experienced and observed. I think people who are atheists tend to have come from an extremely toxic religious background, and agnostics tend to come from a secular or a more run-of-the mill religious background. So it makes sense.

[slatyb]

That's not correct. An atheist is someone who lives without a belief in any gods. Atheism is not the assettion that there are no goods, only that there is no evidence. Agnosticism is the belief that the existence of gods is unknowable. Most atheists are also agnostic.

[TheRealPepperPotts]

@slatyb Thank you for the clarification! Much appreciated. :)

[slatyb]

How many atheists do you know? All my friends are, as the majority of Seattle professionals are secular. When did you last hear an atheist on a street corner with a bullhorn? When was the last time an atheist came to your door to tell you to stop attending church? When was the last time a Christian display in your city was defaced by an atheist?

[TheRealPepperPotts]

@slatyb I'm trying to be objective, and I didn't mean to offend you. My perspective is imperfect, and that's why I invited correction.

My understanding from what you said is that atheists are also agnostic. Correct me if I'm wrong, what I hear you saying is that atheists believe there is no evidence, and they also believe that there can be no evidence of God. Agnostics believe that there can be no evidence, while at the same time acknowledging that there can be things beyond what is objectively knowable through what we consider evidence based on the scientific method.

When I have met or watched people who were/are professing atheists, they came off as angry and bitter, not just against Christianity, but religion in general. Professing agnostics have always been more laid-back and don't really care as long as they aren't being harassed. I'm not saying atheists don't have a reason to mock and be angry, to be clear. I have had my own rants against evangelicals, so I can relate to the fury...

[TheRealPepperPotts]

@slatyb I need to quickly say that when I talk about angry or bitter, I am not sating it's unjustified, and I am not saying that as individuals, they are like that with everything. This was exclusive to the religious aspect only.

[Account]

Depends. I have been with a religious person before but it was alright and it didn't create a conflict, since he respected my views and he wouldn't try to antagonize me in any way or form, nor did I. We were both aware of that difference but that didn't make any of us disrespect each other.

[MicahRaine]

Were they a Sikh?

[Account]

Nope

[MicahRaine]

Mmk. Just curious bc Sikhs are super chill lol

[kmg9150]

Yeah, but both people need to simply be open to new ideas, and being willing possibly go alongside ones they dont have a firm belief in. Same goes with politics. This also applies to friendships…. Its the only way we can grow… My approach is that if I can't, dont care too, or consider the viewpoints that dont align perfectly with mine then I can never truly understand that of my own. there's also very few beliefs that someone could have that I would not friend or have as a partner.

[OlderAndWiser]

I am Christian and, for two years, I dated a woman who sometimes called herself agnostic and sometimes atheist. We respected each other's right to have their own beliefs and rarely discussed religion. I ultimately broke up with her because she wasn't as committed to me as I was to her and that wasn't going to change.

[AI Opinion]

Diving into the love pool where faith and skepticism swim can be quite the adventure! 😏 Relationships where partners have different beliefs, including those between religious individuals and agnostics/atheists, can definitely work out. It's all about respect, love, and the magic word: communication. Imagine it like salsa dancing; one might follow the rhythm while the other improvises, but both can create a beautiful dance if they understand and appreciate each other's moves.

Interestingly, you've observed that dynamics might shift based on who holds the religious beliefs and who doesn't. This taps into broader cultural and individual expectations but isn't a hard rule. Love loves to surprise us, after all! The key ingredient? Compromise. It requires a hearty dose of understanding, the kind that says, "I may not share your beliefs, but I'll support your right to have them."

So, can these mash-ups of beliefs work out? Absolutely, with a sprinkle of patience, a dash of openness, and endless scoops of mutual respect. These relationships can teach us a lot about love beyond beliefs. After all, isn’t love the ultimate faith? 💑✨

[AviatorTom]

Sure, I've worked with all kinds of people with different beliefs. The key to doing that is keeping personal and business separate.

[HawkPerception]

It can work and has with many couples, but agreement on how you want the kids to be raised can become a serious issue down the road. Also, differences in views can easily create conflict in relationships. If you do have a relationship with someone, keep that in mind.

[meepmeeperton]

in my opinion it's kind of the opposite. I mean maybe you're right, a religious man could be less likely to want an atheist woman in the first place. But I believe that women generally adopt the majority of their boyfriend/husband's views once in a long term relationship. I think women would be more likely to convert to their man's religion.

[slatyb]

Not if they have previously deconverted.

[meepmeeperton]

@slatyb It depends really. I could someone who had bad childhood experiences with religion get reintroduced to religion in a more positive way by a partner.

[dragoblack]

Yes, but only if the person accepts that the agnostic/atheist doesn't have their beliefs and that it's ok not to have the same.
Can't tell you the amount of times I've had groomed monotheistic worshippers have harrased and/or berated me, not being able to fathom the thought of not believing in their "god". Seriously they don't realize how much of an insane crazy person they sound like when they do this, thinking it is a good and okay thing to do.

[Dr_Lovejoy]

I don’t see why not since there are political and professional relationships between people who are much more opinionated that will get more heated at times with nothing but bitterness and contempt for one another.

[DishLady]

It’s very hard and requires very focused effort especially if they have kids. Ultimately the couples I’ve seen struggling with this … they don’t work out regardless of which person is religious.

[Juxtapose]

I am an atheist but I don't care what people believe as long as they treat me well and are loyal.

I have never met anyone who agrees with me on everything, politics and religion. It's best to let that shit go.

[sawno]

The hard part is if you can agree how the children will be raised.

[Danielle93]

yeah that's a tough one because while the religious parent want their children to go to the church, the other doesn't... hard one

[sawno]

That, school choice, praying or not during dinner, etc.

[BCRanger10]

It's possible, but if they want marriage and children, they shouldn't choose each other.

[LiamJHayden]

My closest friends are an agnostic, a Catholic, a Jew, a Muslim, and a Taoist. I'm closest to Presbyterian. That is friendship. Romantic relationship, though, might be a lot more difficult.

[Danny_dan92]

As long as they respect each other’s personal beliefs

[alice55]

They can if the atheist is respectful but 99% of the time they're not respectful and are very rude to any religious person

[OtterMan68]

if one of the people truly religious and practices their religion, I don't see how it could

[SotiCoto]

Only if the agnostic / "atheist" is flaky about their stance and is dangerously desperate.
I mean... who would want to partner up with a mentally diseased idiot?

[Juxtapose]

How they treat you should matter way more than what they believe. If a woman treats me well and is actually loyal? She can believe in the Easter Bunny for all I care.

[Twalli]

It depends on how much religion dictates their life

[MicahRaine]

Yeah I've seen it work

[NathanDavis]

Yes, I am agnostic

[jahaims]

It depends on their morals and values

[BTigers96]

Nope.

[DrPepper12]

I couldnt date ldbk

[eagle1951]

maybe