FACTOID # 46: Japan has 53 working nuclear reactors and is planning to build another 12.
 
 Home   Encyclopedia   Statistics   Countries A-Z   Flags   Maps   Education   Forum   FAQ   About 
 
WHAT'S NEW
RECENT ARTICLES
More Recent Articles »
 

SEARCH ALL

FACTS & STATISTICS    Advanced view

Search encyclopedia, statistics and forums:

 

 

(* = Graphable)

 

 


Encyclopedia > Interreligious marriage

Interreligious marriage, traditionally (especially in the Catholic Church) called mixed marriage, is marriage (either religious or civil) between partners professing different religions. Some religions prohibit interreligious marriage, while other religions allow it, while most restrict it. In the Roman Catholic Church, a mixed marriage is a marriage between a Catholic and a non-Catholic. ... Marriage is an interpersonal relationship with governmental, social, or religious recognition, usually intimate and sexual, and often created as a contract, or through civil process. ... In virtually all religions, marriage is a long-term union between two people and is established with ceremonies and rituals. ... Marriage is a relationship that plays a key role in the definition of many people who (usually) are in a sexual relationship. ...

Contents

Reasons for prohibition

Prohibitions against interreligious marriage without the conversion of the spouse can have a number of reasons:

  • Some religions view their rules on marriage as commandments from God.
  • A few religions view themselves as a priestly people, with a specific mission to carry out.
  • Some people believe that introducing two contradictory belief systems into a marriage is grounds for marital strife, and increases the rate of divorce.
  • Some believe that having parents of two opposing religions causes psychological stress on the children in such a marriage, as they often are effectively forced to "choose" one parent's faith over another.
  • Religious intolerance. A person professing a different faith is considered incompatible and not worth marrying.
  • The possibility of temptation to "wrong" practices by the "outsider" spouse, as well as the possibility of the children growing up in the "other" faith, or torn between two faiths.
  • Some religions, such as the Druze religion, are closed communities and do not accept new members, whether through marriage or through conversion.

When a man and a woman professing different religions want to marry, and the religious laws of the faith upheld by one of them forbid this, they might: This article discusses the term God in the context of monotheism and henotheism. ... For the record label, see Divorce Records. ... Religious intolerance is either intolerance motivated by ones own religious beliefs or intolerance against anothers religious beliefs or practices. ... Religions Druzism Scriptures Rasail al-hikmah (Epistles of Wisdom) Languages Arabic, Hebrew The Druze (Arabic: درزي, derzī or durzī, plural دروز, durūz; ‎, Druzim; also transliterated Druz or Druse) are a Middle Eastern religious community whose traditional religion is said to have begun as an offshoot of the Ismaili sect of...

In many non-secular countries, religious rules are effective law. Nearly all states in North Africa, Middle East and South Asia have non-secular constitutions, with minor effect e.g. in Maroc, Israel and Malaysia and strong effect e.g. in Saudi Arabia and Iran. In these countries, marriage law contradicts the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (Article 16). Religious conversion is the adoption of a new religious identity, or a change from one religious identity to another. ... This article is about a living arrangement. ... Marriage is a relationship that plays a key role in the definition of many people who (usually) are in a sexual relationship. ... The Kingdom of Morocco is a country in northwest Africa. ... Eleanor Roosevelt with the Spanish version of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. ...


Views of religions on interreligious marriage

Judaism

Intermarriage in Judaism is informed by three basic principles, be they of biblical or rabbinical origin. First, the child of a Jewish female is considered to be Jewish, regardless of the status of the father, while the child of a male Jew and a female non-Jew is not considered Jewish. This emphasis on matrilineal descent as the determining factor of a person's Jewishness is of biblical origin. In Deuteronomy (7:4), it is written "He [the non-Jewish father of the child] will wean your son away from God." In this passage the expression "your son" refers to the child of a Jewish mother, and it was thus concluded that in all cases children were considered Jewish if they were the offspring of a Jewish woman. However, the Torah is not consistent on this issue, as patrilineal descent has also been justified by pointing to verses in Numbers, notably 1:2 and 18:1. Second, intermarriage is discouraged in the Torah because it was viewed as potentially erosive to the monotheistic character and overall perceived cultural uniqueness of the Jewish people. In Exodus 34:16 we find a passage in support of this view: "Lest you take wives from among their [heathen] daughters for your sons, their daughters will lust after their gods and cause your sons to lust after their gods." Finally, a Jewish marriage is, by definition, a contract between two Jews (see Ketubah). Intermarriage under Jewish law is therefore not only forbidden, but technically (legally) impossible. Questions of civil intermarriage come up when rabbis are asked to officiate at civil marriage ceremonies. Matrilineality is a system in which one belongs to ones mothers lineage; it may also involve the inheritance of property or titles through the female line. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... The Torah () is the most important document in Judaism, revered as the inspired word of God, traditionally said to have been revealed to Moses. ... Patrilineality is a system in which one belongs to ones fathers lineage; it generally involves the inheritance of property, names or titles through the male line as well. ... Look up number in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... The Torah () is the most important document in Judaism, revered as the inspired word of God, traditionally said to have been revealed to Moses. ... Monotheism (in Greek monon = single and Theos = God) is the belief in a single, universal, all-encompassing deity. ... Exodus is the second book of the Torah, the Tanakh, and the Old Testament. ... An illustrated ketubah A ketubah is a Jewish marriage contract. ...


Intermarriage within individual branches of Judaism

Orthodox Judaism strictly forbids interreligious marriage as well as any sexual intercourse with a member of a different faith. Secular intermarriage is seen as a deliberate rejection of Judaism, and an intermarried person is effectively cut off from most of the Orthodox community. However, some Chabad-Lubavitch and Modern Orthodox Jews do reach out to intermarried Jews[citation needed]. Orthodox Judaism is the formulation of Judaism that adheres to a relatively strict interpretation and application of the laws and ethics first canonised in the Talmudic texts (Oral Torah) and as subsequently developed and applied by the later authorities known as the Gaonim, Rishonim, and Acharonim. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Modern Orthodox Judaism (or Modern Orthodox, also known as Modern Orthodoxy and sometimes abbreviated as MO) is a movement within Orthodox Judaism that attempts to synthesize traditional observance and values with the secular modern world. ...


Conservative Judaism rejects intermarriages as being a violation of halakha, and as causing severe demographic harm to the Jewish people. Conservative rabbis are not allowed to perform intermarriages. However, the Leadership Council of Conservative Judaism has a more nuanced understanding of this issue than does Orthodoxy. The Conservative movement has stated: This article is about Conservative (Masorti) Judaism in the United States. ... Halakha (Hebrew: הלכה; also transliterated as Halakhah, Halacha, Halakhot and Halachah with pronunciation emphasis on the third syllable, kha), is the collective corpus of Jewish religious law, including biblical law (the 613 mitzvot) and later talmudic and rabbinic law as well as customs and traditions. ...

In the past, intermarriage...was viewed as an act of rebellion, a rejection of Judaism. Jews who intermarried were essentially excommunicated. But now, intermarriage is often the result of living in an open society....If our children end up marrying non-Jews, we should not reject them. We should continue to give our love and by that retain a measure of influence in their lives, Jewishly and otherwise. Life consists of constant growth and our adult children may yet reach a stage when Judaism has new meaning for them. However, the marriage between a Jew and non-Jew is not a celebration for the Jewish community. We therefore reach out to the couple with the hope that the non-Jewish partner will move closer to Judaism and ultimately choose to convert. Since we know that over 70 percent of children of intermarried couples are not being raised as Jews...we want to encourage the Jewish partner to maintain his/her Jewish identity, and raise their children as Jews.
Leadership Council of Conservative Judaism, Statement on Intermarriage. Adopted on March 7, 1995

Reform Judaism and Reconstructionist Judaism (known internationally as Progressive Judaism) discourage intermarriage, but, since they do not view halacha as binding, have no mechanism for legal prohibition of the practice in the manner of the Conservative and Orthodox movements. Progressive rabbinical associations have no blanket prohibition on their members officiating at intermarriages. As a result, some Progressive Rabbis do perform such weddings without fear of the sanction faced by their Conservative counterparts. Intermarried Progressive Jews are encouraged to raise their children in the Jewish faith, and to become part of the local Jewish community, even if the Gentile partner does not convert to Judaism. Gentile spouses of Jews are welcome in Progressive synagogues as long as they do not proselytise. See also: Reform views on intermarriage. Excommunication is a religious censure used to deprive or suspend membership in a religious community. ... Reform Judaism can refer to (1) the largest denomination of American Jews and its sibling movements in other countries, (2) a branch of Judaism in the United Kingdom, and (3) the historical predecessor of the American movement that originated in 19th-century Germany. ... Reconstructionist Judaism is a modern American-based Jewish movement, based on the ideas of the late Mordecai Kaplan, that views Judaism as a progressively evolving civilization. ... Progressive Judaism is an umbrella term for all strands of Judaism which do not view halakha as having normative status. ... Halakha (Hebrew: הלכה; also transliterated as Halakhah, Halacha, Halakhot and Halachah with pronunciation emphasis on the third syllable, kha), is the collective corpus of Jewish religious law, including biblical law (the 613 mitzvot) and later talmudic and rabbinic law as well as customs and traditions. ... The word gentile is an anglicised version of the Latin word gentilis, meaning of or belonging to a clan or tribe. ... The English language word proselytism is derived ultimately from the Greek language prefix pros (towards) and the verb erchomai (to come). ... Reform Judaism can refer to (1) the largest denomination of American Jews and its sibling movements in other countries, (2) a branch of Judaism in the United Kingdom, and (3) the historical predecessor of the American movement that originated in 19th-century Germany. ...


The demographic crisis

In addition to being prohibited by Jewish law and custom, intermarriage is often criticised by rabbis and other community leaders as demographically harming the Jewish people, since relatively few children of mixed marriages are raised as Jews. (See also: Silent Holocaust) In the U.S. the Jewish community has decreased dramatically due to high rates of intermarriage, low rates of Jewish education and the late ages of marriage. This last trend leads to later ages of childbirth and fewer children being born. For every 20 adult Jews, there are now only 17 Jewish children. On this topic Elliot N. Dorff writes: For the town in Italy, see Rabbi, Italy. ... Silent Holocaust or silent holocaust is a phrase that is used to refer to several unrelated events. ... Motto: (traditional) In God We Trust (official, 1956–present) Anthem: The Star-Spangled Banner Capital Washington, D.C. Largest city New York City Official language(s) None at the federal level; English de facto Government Federal Republic  - President George W. Bush (R)  - Vice President Dick Cheney (R) Independence - Declared - Recognized... Elliot N. Dorff (born 24 June 1943) is a Conservative rabbi, a professor of Jewish theology at the University of Judaism in California (where he is also Rector), author, and a bio-ethicist. ...

[There is now] a major demographic crisis for the Jewish community. Nothing less than the future of the Jewish community and of Judaism depends upon fertile Jews having three or four children per couple. We as a people are in deep demographic trouble. We lost one-third of our numbers during the Holocaust....The current Jewish reproductive rate among American Jews between 1.6 and 1.7. That statistic means we are killing ourselves off as a people....This social imperative has made propagation arguably the most important mitzvah of our time....To refuse to try to have them, or to plan to have only one or two is to refuse to accept one of God's great gifts. It is also to renege on the duty we all have to create the next generation. . . "
This is My Friend, This is My Beloved

Jewish law prohibits conversion to Judaism merely for the purpose of marriage, but, outside of Orthodoxy, people who express a sincere interest in Judaism that was sparked by a desire to marry Jews are generally welcomed. For other uses, see Holocaust (disambiguation) and Shoah (disambiguation). ... This article is about commandments in Judaism. ... Halakha (Hebrew: הלכה; also transliterated as Halakhah, Halacha, Halakhot and Halachah with pronunciation emphasis on the third syllable, kha), is the collective corpus of Jewish religious law, including biblical law (the 613 mitzvot) and later talmudic and rabbinic law as well as customs and traditions. ...


Samaritanism

Samaritan men are allowed to marry women outside their community, on the condition that the wife accept the Samaritans' practices. This lies short of conversion and can qualify as interreligious marriage. The decision to allow this kind of marriage has been taken in modern times to keep the Samaritan community from dying out of genetic disease. For other uses, see Samaritan (disambiguation). ...


Christianity

Many Christians believe that anyone has the freedom to choose her or his partner for life, and that love has no boundaries. This attitude is found most often among those who may be identified as progressive or liberal Christians. It is supported by 1 Corinthians 7:12-14 with the central sentence: "For the unbelieving husband is sanctified through his wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified through her believing husband." (Redirected from 1 Corinthians) See also: Second Epistle to the Corinthians and Third Epistle to the Corinthians The First Epistle to the Corinthians is a book of the Bible in the New Testament. ...


Some Christian denominations forbid interreligious marriage, drawing from 2 Corinthians 6:14, and in some cases Deuteronomy 7:3. Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations · Other religions Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Archbishop of Canterbury · Catholic Pope Coptic Pope · Ecumenical Patriarch Christianity Portal This box:      Christianity is... (Redirected from 2 Corinthians) See also: First Epistle to the Corinthians and Third Epistle to the Corinthians The Second Epistle to the Corinthians is a book of the Bible New Testament. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...


The Catholic church requires permission for mixed marriages, which it terms all unions between Catholics and baptized non-Catholics, but such marriages are valid, though illicit, without it: the pastor of the Catholic party has authority to grant such permission. Marriages between a Catholic and an unbaptized person are not sacramental, and fall under the impediment of disparity of worship and are invalid without a dispensation, for which authority lies with the ordinary of the place of marriage. Disparity of Worship or Disparity of cult (Disparitas Cultus) is a diriment impediment in Roman Catholic canon law: a reason why a marriage can not be validly contracted without a dispensation, stemming from one person being certainly baptized, and the other certainly not baptized. ...


Bahá'í Faith

According to the Bahá'í Faith, all religions are inspired by God, therefore interreligious marriage is allowed. In that case, the Bahá'í ceremony should be performed, and the non-Bahá'í rite or ceremony can also be performed. If it is the case that both ceremonies are performed, the non-Bahá'í ceremony should not invalidate the Bahá'í ceremony and it should be made clear to all that the Bahá'í partner is a Bahá'í and is not accepting the religion of the other partner by going through with the ceremony. The Bahá'í partner should also abstain from undertaking any vows or statements that commit the Bahá'í to any declaration of faith in another religion or that are contrary to the principles of the Bahá'í Faith. The two ceremonies should happen on the same day, but the order is not important. The Bahá'í ceremony may be performed in the place of worship of the other religion provided that it is given equal respect to that of the non-Bahá'í ceremony and is clearly distinct from the non-Bahá'í ceremony. This article is about the generally-recognized global Baháí community. ... Baháí marriage is union of a man and a women. ...


Hinduism

Hinduism declares that there are always innumerable paths to God. And that one’s belief or perception of God is an individual matter and best left to the individual to decide his own path. Hinduism (known as in modern Indian languages[1]) is a religious tradition[2] that originated in the Indian subcontinent. ...


Thus, the Hindus have never hesitated to respect the freedom of other faiths to coexist and flourish and thus inter-religious marriages are accepted in Hindu society. It also does not put any obligation of faith on the non-Hindu partner. Inter-caste marriages were somewhat frowned upon but this too is becoming more acceptable with time. In metropolitan cities it is common to find couples with different faith, caste and regional background. There are numerous laws in the Indian legal system, safeguarding inter-faith marriage. Examples of such marriages occasionally appear in Kipling's stories. Rudyard Kipling, British author Joseph Rudyard Kipling (December 30, 1865 – January 18, 1936) was a British author and poet, born in India. ...


Islam

Islam only allows a man to marry a non-Muslim only if she is Christian or Jewish. The wife need not adopt any Muslim laws, and the husband is not allowed to keep her from going to church or synagogue. The early jurists of the most prominent schools of Islamic jurisprudence ruled in fiqh law that the marriage of a Muslim man to a Christian or Jewish women is mukruh (reprehensible) if they live in a non-Muslim country. The Caliph Umar (634–644) denied interfaith marriage for Muslim men during his command of the ummah. For the architectural structure, see Church (building). ... A synagogue (from ancient Greek: , transliterated synagogÄ“, assembly; ‎ beit knesset, house of assembly; Yiddish: or Template:Lanh-he beit tefila, house of prayer, shul; Ladino: , esnoga) is a Jewish house of worship. ...


Fiqh also forbids Muslim women from marrying non-Muslim men, although there is nothing in the Quran nor the Sunnah (sharia) that explicitly prohibits such unions. Some Muslim scholars (ahli kitab) go so far as to state that such a marriage is an act of apostasy, but with the growing number of such marriages, this position is being questioned. In some Muslim countries, if a non-Muslim woman is married to a non-Muslim, and she converts to Islam, the marriage is suspended until her husband converts to Islam. When he converts a new marriage is not needed.


Although fiqh forbids Muslim women's marriage with non-Muslim men, there are lots of Muslimas who have married men who follow other religions. These cases are mainly observed in Balkan peninsular and West of Turkey, West Europe, East Asia, and sometimes in Syria or Lebanon. They are also becoming more common in the West.


Interreligious marriages in the Bible

Unsurprisingly, interreligious marriages in the Bible are discouraged. The marriages of the patriarchs cannot be considered interreligious, as there were not yet any "Jewish" women to marry. It is true that even for the first Hebrews it was considered proper to marry members of the same nation and the Bible disapproves of Esau and Judah, who married Canaanites instead. Joseph is recorded as marrying an Egyptian woman, but the adoption of his sons by his father Jacob insured their place among the Hebrews. The Patriarchs, known as the Avot in Hebrew, are Abraham, his son Isaac and his grandson Jacob. ... For other uses, see Nation (disambiguation). ... Esau (Hebrew ‎, Standard Hebrew Esav, Tiberian Hebrew Ēśāw) is the oldest son of Isaac and Rebekah and the twin brother of Jacob in the biblical Book of Genesis. ... In Genesis (the first book of the Bible) Judah (יְהוּדָה Praise, Standard Hebrew YÉ™huda, Tiberian Hebrew YÉ™hûḏāh) is the fourth son of Jacob and Leah, born in Padan-aram (Genesis xxix. ... Joseph interprets the dream of the Pharaoh. ... Jacob Wrestling with the Angel – Gustave Doré, 1855 Jacob or Yaakov, (Hebrew: יַעֲקֹב, Standard  Tiberian ; Arabic: يعقوب, ; holds the heel), also known as Israel (Hebrew: יִשְׂרָאֵל, Standard  Tiberian ; Arabic: اسرائيل, ; Struggled with God), is the third Biblical patriarch. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...


Generations later, the sons of Naomi married Ruth the Moabite and her sister. As rabbinical commentaries illustrate, it is clear that Ruth converted to Judaism before marrying Boaz, as she declared to Hebrew Naomi in Ruth 1:16: "Your God will be my God." While this verse implies some type of conversion process, it is not clear exactly how such a procedure took place and the extent to which it resembled conversion rituals today. Naomi (נָעֳמִי Beautiful; agreeable, Standard Hebrew Noʿomi, Tiberian Hebrew Noʿŏmî) is Ruths mother in law in the Old Testament Book of Ruth. ... The name Ruth can refer to: The Book of Ruth, one of the books of the Hebrew Bible. ... The name Ruth can refer to: The Book of Ruth, one of the books of the Hebrew Bible. ... Boaz (Heb. ... Naomi is a female given name, a variant of the name Noam, which can also be pronounced Nomy, a pronunciation from the Viking era. ...


The Biblical character most notorious for interreligious marriages was perhaps king Solomon. Many of his 700 wives were non-Hebrew and not only continued their pagan practices, but also tempted Solomon to participate therein. Eventually, this flagrant violation of the biblical prohibition to marry non-Jews resulted in God destroying Solomon's kingdom. It would be under the rule of Solomon's son, Rehobaum, that Solomon’s empire was destroyed and divided. This article is about the Biblical figure. ...


Later on, in Babylonian captivity many members of aristocratic Hebrew families married local women. After some of these returned to their homeland, Ezra condemned these intermarriages and attempted to force such families to divorce. It is not clear whether he succeeded, however, many scholars agree that it was those husbands that wrote or edited the Book of Ruth. Babylonian captivity also refers to the permanence of the Avignon Papacy. ... Site traditionally described as the tomb of Ezra at Al Uzayr near Basra. ...


Paul of Tarsus is often interpreted as forbidding the interreligious marriage of Christians in the sixth chapter of 2 Corinthians. Paul of Tarsus (b. ... (Redirected from 2 Corinthians) See also: First Epistle to the Corinthians and Third Epistle to the Corinthians The Second Epistle to the Corinthians is a book of the Bible New Testament. ...


Famous interreligious marriages

Akbar - a Mogul emperor who invented a new religion with heretical beliefs, married Hindu princess Jodhabai. Both of them practised their own faith and had great respect for the faith of other. This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ... Mogul may mean: a bump in the snow in alpine skiing, a Mongolian the Mughal empire, or any member of its ruling dynasty by extension, any ruler or powerful person, such as a industrial mogul or media mogul a railroad steam locomotive type called the Mogul the largest size light... Jodhabai (d. ...


References

  • This is My Friend, This is My Beloved: A Pastoral Letter on Human Sexuality (Jewish) Elliot N. Dorff, The Rabbinical Assembly
  • It All Begins with a Date: Jewish Concerns about Intermarriage: Jewish Concerns about Intermarriage, Alan Silverstein, Jason Aronson, 1995, ISBN 1-56821-542-8
  • Leadership Council of Conservative Judaism, Statement on Intermarriage. Adopted on March 7, 1995
  • 'Why Marry Jewish: Surprising Reasons for Jews to Marry Jews', Doron Kornbluth, [Targum/Feldheim], 2003, ISBN 1-56871250-2
  • 'Dear Rabbi, Why Can't I Marry Her?', Eliezer Shemtov, [Targum/Feldheim], 2006, ISBN 1-56871-410-6

Jason Aronson is a publisher of books of jewish interest, including titles covering Jewish life, history, theology, genealogy, folklore, holidays, and Hasidic thought. ...

External links


  Results from FactBites:
 
Interreligious marriage - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (1797 words)
Interreligious marriage is marriage (either religious or civil) between partners professing different religions.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, sometimes referred to as the "Mormon" church, does not forbid interreligious marriage, but such marriages cannot be performed in special buildings called Temples, where the faithful believe they can be sealed, or married for not only their lifetimes but for time and all eternity.
Paul of Tarsus is often interpreted as forbidding the interreligious marriage of Christians in the sixth chapter of 2 Corinthians.
Intermarriage - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (298 words)
Intermarriage normally refers to marriage between people belonging to different religions, tribes, nationalities or ethnic backgrounds.
Mixed marriages and relationships have likely been a part of human life, to some degree, ever since there were any divisions in the human species at all.
Asian-Nation: Asian American Intermarriage/Interracial Marriage by C.N. Le, Ph.D.  This sociology-related article is a stub.
  More results at FactBites »


 

COMMENTARY     


Share your thoughts, questions and commentary here
Your name
Your comments
Please enter the 5-letter protection code

Want to know more?
Search encyclopedia, statistics and forums:

 


Lesson Plans | Student Area | Student FAQ | Reviews | Press Releases |  Feeds | Contact
The Wikipedia article included on this page is licensed under the GFDL.
Images may be subject to relevant owners' copyright.
All other elements are (c) copyright NationMaster.com 2003-5. All Rights Reserved.
Usage implies agreement with terms.