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Summary of Question:	Marrying Someone In Different Religion
Category:	Love & Marriage
Date Posted:	Thursday, 9/20/2001 5:42 AM MDT

SAt Sri Akal,

I know there are many questions asked about this but i was reading through the replies that you have given and a point occurred to me that has not been made.

Say if you marry someone who is from a different religion, the marriege can still work. The two partners could follow their own religions and learn from one anothers religion. Could this not work?
But, will this still be able to happen if you marry a muslim? In Islam, is it forbidden for a muslim to marry a non-muslim? If it is, then marrying a muslim would not be a good idea because your partner would not be following his/her religion. But if in other religions, it is ok too marry ourside your own religion, then i can see no reason why it wont work.

As for the subject of children, they can be educated in both religions, taught in both religions (thereby increasing their knowledge at the same time) and then maybe they can choose which religion to follow, or maybe they can follow both, if that is possible? At the end if the day, there is only one God and all religions pray to that God, e.g. Allah, Lord, Waheguru. Its just different names for the same God.

By marrying someone from a different faith, this way the message of Khalsa can also be spread. For example, the non-sikh that you marry is taught about sikhi and then he/she may tell her family and so on. This is one way of achieving "Raj Karega Khalsa".

I hope you understand what i am trying to say. Thank you for your time.

Baljit

[email protected]

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REPLY
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Sat Siri Akaal. If you want to marry someone from another religion, it is NOT forbidden but you may get a lot of grief for it by others in your community. That said, if both partners are respectful of each other's faith and willing to learn about them as part of being married, it should work.

You are right that the children COULD be taught both religions. Some inter-faith couples make a choice early on to teach their children ONE religion. If both faiths are to be taught to the children it is VERY important that they be taught distinctly, so that children don't end up thinking something is, say, a Sikh practice, when it is really a Muslim practice.

I cannot comment on the requirements of the Muslim faith re: interfaith marriages. Ask a Muslim.

There are a lot of Sikhs who think it is unfaithful for a Sikh to marry outside his or her faith. My own view is that (1) we cannot judge Guru, who brings us together or takes us apart from someone; (2) we cannot judge one's relationship to Guru solely by a person's actions or words. Such a relationship is really one of the heart, between the heart of the Sikh and of Guru, so who are WE to judge? (3) Guru Teg Bahadur died for freedom of ALL to worship as they choose. We are not faithful to our Guru's teachings when we judge another's faith or perceived lack thereof.

Guru ang sang,
DKK