Raising children

Submitted by Theresa (United States), Jul 4, 2006 at 17:41

I am a Catholic woman who is engaged to a Muslim man who grew up in Egypt. We met several years ago and knew that this would not be the easiest, most accepting relationship to many. Regardless of others opinions and criticisms (which I understand where they are coming from, especially in todays day and age), we followed our hearts and are now getting married. Both of our families are very religious. This is not a comfortable choice for many of my loved ones but for me, it is the right choice. I realize that God will make a way for us. After much research in both our faiths, I do see that many Christian /Muslim couples tend to raise their children under the Muslim faith.

We both have always wanted children and I pray that one day God will bless our life with a child. Many people, such as our families, are concerned with our future when it comes to raising children. Everyone has an opinion and their individual concerns, however I firmly believe God is watching over us and will help us through. We have decided to meet with different Priests and Imams. That helped us get a better understanding of our individual faiths. They are not that different in many ways. Does it really matter that my child will see Jesus as a Prophet and not the Son of God? I feel that my child will have Jesus in his/her life and to me that is important. My child will go to Heaven so long as he/she does good in this world. I have come to realize that we are both very lucky. Both of us have beautiful faiths that are spiritually based.

Many may question why I have decided to raise my children under the Muslim faith. The fact of the matter is that the Muslim faith is very strong and my fiancée said he had no choice but to raise his children under the Muslim faith. I could have walked away from this relationship but after a long journey of contemplating this, I realized that this relationship was worth too much to me to end it. God is and always will be in our lives!

The Muslim faith is a very beautiful faith that has remained very strong. The Catholic faith is equally as beautiful but has become quite liberal over the years. I do have my own opinions when it comes to the politics within the Catholic Church. Some of the decisions of the Catholic Church I do not agree with, but I am a Catholic and will continue to be one in my heart. I will continue to go to Church on my own and celebrate my individual belief in Jesus Christ. I was taught that Jesus loves all. I don't believe Jesus would turn his back on me because I am raising my child as a Muslim rather than a Catholic. By no means was this an easy decision for me and I'm sure that we will have some bumpy roads ahead, however my love and trust in my relationship with my fiancée is very strong. I believe that we will make it work for us. God is on our side.

My fiancée is such a wonderful man who speaks of love and kindness, as I do. He will not only be an incredible husband to me but a terrific father to my children. I believe that my child will be lucky to have two parents who have a strong and very grounded belief in God.

I hope others can understand where I am coming from. I'd love to hear from others.

God Bless,

Theresa

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