There is a strong and standing debate about whether Christians should be allowed to date someone who isn't a Christian, and it seems that the debate is non-conclusive until today.
While many Christians will shut down the possibility at the thought, I believe that we shouldn't be so quick to dismiss the possibility of such a relationship working and honoring God.
Many Christians against the idea of dating non-Christians have used 2 Corinthians 6:14 as Biblical proof that it's not a good idea to date someone of a different faith. The scripture says, "Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?" And as legit as the context of it may seem, I believe that it's best to step back every now and then and reassess.
It's not that I prefer to stay lukewarm (before anyone brings about conversations about the Laodicean church), but because I sincerely believe that it very much depends on the situation and the conviction of the person. It would be unwise and unbiblical to shut down the possibility off the bat without first praying and assessing the situation.
I do want to leave these three questions for those who are going through the burden of deciding whether to pursue or drop a relationship with a non-Christian, which will hopefully shed some light on the issue.
Question #1 | Can Jesus still be the center of your marriage?
The Christian marriage is a never-ending journey which entails couples to endlessly point each other to Christ and Christ-likeness. Can you point the person your dating to Jesus, and in the process can he or she point you to Jesus as well? If the person does not believe in Jesus, is there a possibility to bring the person to the Lord without manipulating the person into conversion for the sake of the relationship?
Question #2 | Is the issue just being part of different Christian denominations?
Often the issue is not really whether the person you're dating is a Christian or not, but whether you both belong to the same denominational group. Baptists dating Roman Catholics and Pentecostals dating Evangelicals is not really an issue. The defining factor should be whether the person loves God and his Word and loves others around him or her as a result.
Question #3 | What does God have to say about the relationship?
When all has been said and done, the best person to ask whether you should date or marry a person or not should be God. It may sound absurd to think that God would consider using such an unorthodox relationship, but remember that God has been known to use unorthodox means in various occasions.
