Can love conquer all if couples are of different religions? Nicole Madigan talks to three women in multi-faith relationships that work. As Australia continues to diversify as a nation, multi-faith relationships are becoming increasingly common.
According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, about 1 in 10 couples in Australia are now multi-faith. Buddhists are most likely to partner with someone of another faith, followed by Hindus and Jews. Christians and Muslims tend to couple up within their own religion.
There is also a growing number of people who class themselves as “spiritual” or “non-denominational”, or hold personal belief systems that align loosely to a particular religion without strict adherence or practice. A quarter of Australian couples involve at least one person with no religion.
Yet many couples underestimate the difficulties that can arise with conflicting faiths, particularly in the early stages of a relationship. “There can be a tendency to minimise areas of potential problems with the view that love can conquer all,” says relationship counsellor Susan De Campo.
She advises fledgling couples to tackle the sensitive subjects of personal values and beliefs early on, and to avoid making assumptions about specific religions as not everyone practises their faith in the same manner.
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