I will add some context, as a person within Christianity. It is okay if you disagree with me; I am just sharing how I view God and spousal relationships, and trying to provide context to the post I am replying to. I hope this post helps some people understand my view, but I am not trying to My goal in this comment is to inform rather than preach.
I am a Christian. I also do not understand how Christians can choose to marry a person not of their faith. I would not, but it is not out of a prejudice. I will try to explain why I hold this view.
My greatest fear is marrying someone who then apostacizes. I don’t want my heart to break that way, to love someone so personally and deeply and know they will cease to be.* I hope I do not choose a man who will become an apostate. I hope not to make a hasty choice, but I have a limited pool as a gay Christian, and it is stressful.
It isn’t that I would have any qualm with a difference in tradition or culture that would come with a partner from a different faith, but that I’d love them knowing they would die. That is a great and terrible grief, and is the same grief I believe God felt for every person**; the grief that compelled him to send Christ.
I will try to explain annihilationism if anyone is interested. If not, feel free to stop reading here.
I see God like the sun***; we must be with Him to live, but we are imperfect vessels. As such, His light will ablate our souls. Only through Christ’s sacrifice are we made holy to stand in such light without being unmade by it. And in such a way, I believe those who refuse salvation**** burn in that light and cease to be.
That said, do not confuse me for the hellfire and brimstone sort. I believe the best way to show people God’s love is to love others. My faith leads me to strive toward being a good person. I wish all Christians saw it that way.
*There are multiple beliefs about Hell/Hades/Sheol/Gehenna. Mine is annihilationism, which I have briefly surmised here. A good pastor I appreciate who shares this view is the progressive pastor Paul Drees. You may find he runs counter to the Christofascism that is so much of “evangelical” American church culture today. James Talarico also has good sermons in this more Christ-like vein of Christianity, although I do not think he is an annihilationist.
**I believe that God is Love Itself (1 John 4:20)—how can he be without grief at our suffering? No one has so much sorrow as the God who witnesses the death of his beloved children by the billions. God is Love who mourns.
***He is called Heaven’s Sun and Morning Star in Scripture.
****This concept of refusal of salvation is core to Arminian Christianity.
I will add some context, as a person within Christianity. It is okay if you disagree with me; I am just sharing how I view God and spousal relationships, and trying to provide context to the post I am replying to. I hope this post helps some people understand my view, but I am not trying to My goal in this comment is to inform rather than preach.
I am a Christian. I also do not understand how Christians can choose to marry a person not of their faith. I would not, but it is not out of a prejudice. I will try to explain why I hold this view.
My greatest fear is marrying someone who then apostacizes. I don’t want my heart to break that way, to love someone so personally and deeply and know they will cease to be.* I hope I do not choose a man who will become an apostate. I hope not to make a hasty choice, but I have a limited pool as a gay Christian, and it is stressful.
It isn’t that I would have any qualm with a difference in tradition or culture that would come with a partner from a different faith, but that I’d love them knowing they would die. That is a great and terrible grief, and is the same grief I believe God felt for every person**; the grief that compelled him to send Christ.
I will try to explain annihilationism if anyone is interested. If not, feel free to stop reading here.
I see God like the sun***; we must be with Him to live, but we are imperfect vessels. As such, His light will ablate our souls. Only through Christ’s sacrifice are we made holy to stand in such light without being unmade by it. And in such a way, I believe those who refuse salvation**** burn in that light and cease to be.
That said, do not confuse me for the hellfire and brimstone sort. I believe the best way to show people God’s love is to love others. My faith leads me to strive toward being a good person. I wish all Christians saw it that way.
*There are multiple beliefs about Hell/Hades/Sheol/Gehenna. Mine is annihilationism, which I have briefly surmised here. A good pastor I appreciate who shares this view is the progressive pastor Paul Drees. You may find he runs counter to the Christofascism that is so much of “evangelical” American church culture today. James Talarico also has good sermons in this more Christ-like vein of Christianity, although I do not think he is an annihilationist.
**I believe that God is Love Itself (1 John 4:20)—how can he be without grief at our suffering? No one has so much sorrow as the God who witnesses the death of his beloved children by the billions. God is Love who mourns.
***He is called Heaven’s Sun and Morning Star in Scripture.
****This concept of refusal of salvation is core to Arminian Christianity.