Should you Marry a Non Catholic

About this sermon

Because every relationship will have points of disagreement and it’s part of the purpose, I believe, to overcome those differences and work to understand each other, but in the case of what we’re considering in this video, I’m talking about significant differences of belief. In his story the Symposium, Plato lays out a case for what we should aim for in a relationship. He tells us that we should look for someone who has qualities that we admire and want to possess ourselves. He goes on to say that, “A couple should not love each other exactly as they are right now.” He argues that we should be committed to helping each other become better versions of ourselves. The point I take from Plato’s concept is that love transforms us into something we currently are not. This means we will be changed by the relationships we participate in from who we are into a version of ourselves that is more like the person we are with, whether we want to be like them or not. And anyone with any common sense could tell you that. You see it, even, in basic friendships. People tend to act like the people they spend the most time with and the longer you act a certain way, the more you will become that way. So in the case of romantic relationships, Plato’s advice would be to choose someone that you admire, not just someone you’re attracted to. Choose someone who’s qualities inspire you to the degree that the possibility of becoming more like them doesn’t bother you. Plato says that, “True love is admiration.” So, if you can’t say you admire the person you’re infatuated with, it’s probably not a good idea to move beyond that. Infatuation fades and eventually you have to find something in that person that carries the relationship beyond that. If you’re a person who really knows what your about and holds to certain principles and morals that guide your life, then that really should be the measure of any question of admiration for other people. Do they reflect the moral conclusions that are important to you? And this is an important question, because anyone worth their integrity will hold to morals that exceed their own ability satisfy. What I mean is, it’s not admirable to base your values on what you happen to be good at. Your morals should be of such a standard that you have to aim high to achieve them. They should propel you to growth in moral maturity and if they do, then we have to admit that aiming to live according to your morals isn’t going to be easy because it requires you to change for the better. But if you choose to marry someone who doesn’t try to uphold those same morals, then you’ll find yourself being pulled in a different direction. And not just pulled. Like I said in the beginning, you can’t help but be changed by the people you live your life with and if they fall short of the morals and beliefs that are important to you, then they’ll act like a dead weight that will persistently keep you from growing in the direction that you’ve identified as your path to maturity. Now, where this really gets amplified is when kids get introduced to the equation. Nothing can prepare you for how much you will love your kids. I’ve seen people who were self centered, egotistical, and mean-spirited, but once they had kids, their whole attitude and demeanor changed. Once you have them, your kids will be more important to you then anything else and if your moral priorities aren’t enough for you to pursue them with all your effort, your kids will, at least, make you want what is good and true for them. But this will also be true for your spouse and if they believe things that are fundamentally different from you, then you’re going to find yourself in a struggle for your children’s lives that can get really ugly and nobody wins in that situation, least of all your children. I’ve resolved to never get a tattoo for one simple reason. I don’t trust that my future self will gratefully accept the decisions I make today and the evidence for that is that I can look back on things that were important to me 10 years ago, and frankly, I’m a bit embarrassed by then. I don’t want a past version of myself imposing life long decisions based on things I happened to like back then. So, instead, if I’m going to make serious decisions, I make them based on my moral convictions because they are what I aim to become, not merely what I am. What you know to be good and true should be what informs a decision like marriage. If the person you’re with contradicts those things, it’s going to be a constant struggle and marriage is hard enough as it is. You don’t need to disadvantage yourself further by choosing someone who is going to diminish your resolve to live a good life. Twitter: https://twitter.com/briankeepsworth Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brianholdsworthmedia Business: https://www.holdsworthdesign.com

Topics

• Marriage