They say love conquers all, but what happens when doctrines stand in the way?
For many young people today, religion and doctrine isn’t just a personal choice, it’s a deciding factor in relationships.
Is faith the ultimate deal breaker in modern romance?
Nowadays, many young people face challenges in trying to find a partner when they realize they have different beliefs and doctrines and for some, religion is one of the qualities they consider when looking for a partner.
For Pastor Joseph Nyati , couples should marry in one faith in order to encourage spiritual unity and growth.
“couples should share the same values to create a stable environment for their children because if not, they will be having disagreements on many issues,” says Pastor Nyati.
He adds that relationships might fall apart if couples do not stand by the same beliefs,like quoted in the Bible, “two cannot walk together unless they agree” Amos 3:3.
Pastor Nyati notes that a persons behavior is determined by what they believe,therefore if people have the same beliefs they will easily agree but if they do not, that is a way of inviting differences in a marriage.
Do you think couples can separate regardless of them loving each other?
As others may say, love alone is not enough in a relationship and between different beliefs of Sunday and Saturday services, some relationship slowly begins to dwindle.
Is religion or difference in doctrine contributing to divorce cases or failed relationships?
A final year law student at the University of Zambia says her relationship ended because she refused to attend her partner’s church service.
“I had not known it was going to stop him from talking to me after I refused to attend church with him so she could get used to it by the time they get married,” says Kopa.
She adds that it’s difficult to be in a relationship or marry someone with different beliefs and doctrines because it plays a big role in how one does things and treat others.
Kopa further says when a couple has realized that they do not pray the same way,share the same doctrine and attend church in the same days they are likely to part ways.
Meanwhile Kabwe marriage counselor Naomi Banda, has advised that couples should share the same faith in order to create peace in a home and avoid unnecessary conflicts.
Mrs. Banda highlights that it makes it easier for a couple to agree on certain issues and encourage each other spiritually.She says, belief is not something that is easy to change because it is part of who someone is.
She notes that it’s not every couple that ends up separating, others decide to respect their beliefs and end up in marriage but she argues that, that’s not a good way of laying a good foundation in a home where they are raising children.
Mrs. Banda adds that problems might still arise when two people agree on one thing but still have different views and different values on other things too.