Mixing the races..?

[dorave]

Alma was really saying don't marry outside the Church.

I was not referriing to anything Alma said.

[rusalka]

I was at a fireside with Elder Holland in Orlando, FL last year, and afterwards someone asked him that same question at the Q/A session. His reply was that it is fine, and that the Church does not have an official stance on interracial marriage. He counseled that the only concern that there could be is possible cultural (not racial) differences, but that referred more to people coming from very different backgrounds; these differences might affect the marriage in various ways, and it is in the interest of the Church for members to have successful marriages.

I have seen a few interracial LDS couples at the Temple and at General Conference. My marriage is intercultural, since I am from Russia, and my husband is from Idaho. No clashes though, everything is going very well.

So everything is fine. Best of luck to you!

[prisonchaplain]

My marriage is intercultural, since I am from Russia, and my husband is from Idaho. No clashes though, everything is going very well.

So everything is fine. Best of luck to you!

But of course...Moscow, Russia, Moscow, ID...what could be more homogenous???

IMHO, the most difficult intercultural marriages are between those raised well, and those who are not.

[rusalka]

But of course...Moscow, Russia, Moscow, ID...what could be more homogenous???

IMHO, the most difficult intercultural marriages are between those raised well, and those who are not.

hahahahahaha! So true! Neither of us is from the Moscows though, but it works out. I thought it was really funny when I found out that there was Moscow in ID and St. Petersburg in FL.

Agree on the second point. We were raised in very different families though, he was raised in a truly Gospel-oriented home, and I was raised by a single mother and my grandparents 50/50 and then my mom got married when I was 14. That's when I started to drift away somewhat. I think I was raised well considering the circumstances, just different environment from my husband.

[prisonchaplain]

I grew up in a lower-middle class working family--"unchurched" as we say. Yet, I started going when I was 10, and never stopped. My wife, from Korea, started going to church as a teen, but grew up in an upper middle class home, much more close-knit. So, I'd say she was the one raised right--me the "raw" one.

To make matters more interesting, her Christian training was in a well-organized Presbyterian church--very disciplined and solid. I grew up in a pentecostal church--much looser and more free-flowing.

And yet, despite it all, we connected very well. 15-years later, she's still trying to boil out my "rawness." I'm still looking at her wondering how I got her in the first place. All I can figure is that God is good! :-)

[Guest]

Sidenote:

1.) I was Catholic, my husband is LDS. We agreed to disagree on religion when we got married but that we will have to decide what religion to raise the kids in. I converted to LDS before I got pregnant so it worked out okay. According to my mother, my "marrying outside of the Church" led to my "grave sin" of abandoning the "true Catholic church".

2.) Somebody in our ward is LDS married to a Catholic. The Catholic wife banned him from attending LDS services, having missionaries over, home teachers, anything and everything to do with the LDS church. To preserve the marriage and their 2 children, he decided to turn inactive and attend Catholic services with his family. Now, the wife is not a bad person or anything like that. She's actually a very normal, nice, kind, devout person. She just competely believed that the Catholic Church is the true church and she assumed he will become Catholic since they got married in the Catholic church.

So yeah, I see how different religious background can be very challenging. My experience was positive. Even my mother realizes I'm not going to "burn in the fires of hell" and there's no contention between me and my husband even before I converted.

But, as illustrated by the 2nd case above, it's not always going to end up that positive. What it boils down to is KNOWING who you are going to marry. I don't think my friend knew he was going to have to give up his church when he married. If he did, then if he still decided to marry his Catholic wife, he wouldn't contend with his wife when she insists on him turning Catholic.

Make sense?

P.S.

I'm going to convert you all to spam-eaters.

Take a can of SPAM - has to be SPAM (Hormel), not any of the other luncheon meat... slice up the SPAM into 1/4" thin slices. Put it on a pan or griddle and brown. If you like, you can make it really brown so it's crispy (I like it that way). In the meantime, cook Jasmine long grain white rice - no spices, no salt, nothing.

A good add-on is fried eggs. Another good add-on is corn. Really cool stuff!

Edited April 8, 2010 by anatess

[prisonchaplain]

We've had several strings on this topic...and I find that I am the most hardlined when it comes to interfaith marriages. God is merciful, and there are many examples where the couple end up agreeing on religion. But my understanding of scripture is that Christians should not even date non-Christians, based on Paul's counsel against being unequally yoked. So. how does this counsel affect Christians of different denominations?

1. My wife was Presbyterian and I Assemblies of God. She was open to joining my church from the get-go, and it turns out that the Korean Presbyterians are probably closer in teaching to my church than to the American Presbyterians. Additionally, we generally recognize one another's sacraments, baptisms, and certainly conversions. So, there was really no conflict. Even in these cases though, I would counsel that the couple decide together on which church they will commit to. It is far too confusing to children to see parents attending different churches. The message is that mommy and daddy don't like each other's churches--even if that's not fully true.

2. Catholics and Protestants might struggle a bit more, though I have relatives that were Lutheran/Catholic. In the end they went Catholic.

3. LDS and Protestants/Catholics would struggle even more, I would think. Thinking as a young man, if I respect her religion, why would I want to hold her back from her goal of an eternal spiritual mate??? I should either convert, feel out whether she was open to converting to my religion, or call it off.

As a young man I had would never get serious about dating if the lady was not spiritually compatible. I might go for coffee or a meal, but never to the point of romance. My mind was so clear on this, and I believe God blessed me for it. One result is that I did not marry until I was 31. However, it's been well worth the wait!

P.S. Spam is awesome. Koreans have a dish they call "G.I. Stew," made with spam, hamburger, and some spicy Korean ingredients. Pudae Chigae--it's one of my favorite dishes--an original fusion delight.

[GADBabaganoosh]

I beleive that scripture in Alma refers to not mixing with the lamanites, not because of their skin

(although they were cursed so the nephites wouldn't mix with them, that being the obvious thing to look for)

but because of the traditions, the false traditions they carried. We can all see that marrying anyone, of any race, with terrible traditions, and consistent bad choices can effect us, and our decisions. I don't want to marry an abusive woman by any means. Or one who drinks or smokes. It doesn't set a good precedent for a family.

Another example, King Solomon. (now I don't want to go into a discussion about plural marriage only point out a fact) Solomon was seen as wicked taking on extra wives. Why? Because he married Canaanites. Why was that bad? They worshipped false gods, and the Idol worship was a terrible thing the Lord didn't want among his servants (it had been rampant through israelite history) I beleive near the end of Solomon's life, he was sending his children through the fire, in sacrifice for the false God, Molech. Among others, because of the influence of his wives.

Someone correct me anywhere I'm wrong, i often am.

[Bini]

Interracial marriages, not necessarily a big deal. Intercultural marriages, much more so. Honestly, I haven't seen very many successful marriages where the husband and wife have vastly different cultural backgrounds. And I've seen many. Fortunately, my husband and I aren't too culturally diverse from each other, other than I'm Filipino brought up in Europe and he's Dutch brought up in America. We pretty much eat the same stuff, although, I've introduced him to certain foods and vice-versa. Oh and we also tend to tease each other because I have an accent and apparently spell words funny and he doesn't.

[mrmarklin]

Was Hagar actually Abraham's wife? She was Sarah's handmaid, and since Sarah couldn't conceive, she gave Hagar to Abraham to conceive on her behalf. When Hagar conceived, Sarah was jealous and kicked her out. I could be wrong, but I'm pretty sure that Hagar and Abraham were never actually married.

The bible says that they were married.

Remember that Hagar was Egyptian, and it's possible that she was a descendant of Cain and her son wouldn't be able to inherit the birthright.

[JohnnyRudick]

The bible says that they were married. . ..

Please give me the verse.

Thanks;)

[Moksha]

P.S. Spam is awesome.

Didn't you also enjoy Filipino Balut, which is a duckling still in the egg? Putting the two together seems like either guilt or cusine by association.

[Dravin]

Please give me the verse.

Thanks;)

3 And Sarai Abram’s wife took Hagar her maid the Egyptian, after Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan, and gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife.

34 God commanded Abraham, and Sarah gave Hagar to Abraham to wife. And why did she do it? Because this was the law; and from Hagar sprang many people. This, therefore, was fulfilling, among other things, the promises.

• • •

65 Therefore, it shall be lawful in me, if she receive not this law, for him to receive all things whatsoever I, the Lord his God, will give unto him, because she did not believe and administer unto him according to my word; and she then becomes the transgressor; and he is exempt from the law of Sarah, who administered unto Abraham according to the law when I commanded Abraham to take Hagar to wife.

It says wife, in my mind at least, that implies marriage of some sort.

[mrmarklin]

Please give me the verse.

Thanks;)

Genesis Chapter 16 Verse 3

[Guest]

Didn't you also enjoy Filipino Balut, which is a duckling still in the egg? Putting the two together seems like either guilt or cusine by association.

I love Filipino balut. My husband won't touch it - doesn't even want to see it in the house! I get my balut when he's out camping or something...

But, last night, I had to work late so my husband cooked dinner. HE COOKED SPAM! Yep, he did! He could've made anything from the wide selection of boxed dinners in the pantry - but nope... he wanted SPAM!

Now, that, my friends, is mixing the races successfully.

[JohnnyRudick]

It says wife, in my mind at least, that implies marriage of some sort.

Way too cool.

Thanks:)