Common Interfaith Marriage Problems

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Interfaith marriage is a marriage between people who belong to different religions. Research suggests that nearly 40% of people who married after 2010 are in an interfaith marriage.

When you enter into an interfaith marriage, you are likely aware that you may face challenges. Being aware of mistakes that interfaith couples make might help you avoid them, and keep disagreements over religious differences from derailing your partnership.

Mistakes in Your Interfaith Marriage

When committing to an interfaith marriage, or even if you have already been in one for awhile, you will need to consider the challenges that can crop up. Some common mistakes couples make when facing these situations include:

Are Interfaith Marriages More Prone to Divorce?There are few statistics available on interfaith divorce rates. According to one survey, certain faith pairings appear to have higher rates of divorce. Divorce was particularly common among marriages between evangelicals and non-evangelicals (50%) and evangelicals and non-religious individuals (61%).

Are Interfaith Marriages More Prone to Divorce?

There are few statistics available on interfaith divorce rates. According to one survey, certain faith pairings appear to have higher rates of divorce. Divorce was particularly common among marriages between evangelicals and non-evangelicals (50%) and evangelicals and non-religious individuals (61%).

Conflict Resolution Mistakes to Avoid

How to Overcome Interfaith Marriage Problems

While interfaith marriages are often faced with challenges, this does not mean that they are doomed to fail or lead to unhappiness. Research has shown thatmarital stabilityand conflict is not solely dependent on whether a married couple is of mixed faith.

Discover What You Share in Common

Research suggests that what matters more than religious affiliation is how much couples agree on important aspects of the marriage, including how to raise their children.

Communicate

One of the major mistakes both before marriage and after involves not talking about religious concerns. Having open discussions and talking about shared values is important, however.

Look at these conversations as a chance to learn more about your partner’s faith. It isn’t about trying to convince one another that your religion is “right,” but rather a way to celebrate the shared foundations and diversity of your religious background and experiences.

Form Agreements

Discuss ways you can agree on how you will observe religious practices in your household. This includes how you will celebrate religious holidays, whether you will attend religious services, and what religion your children will follow.

This may often involve having your children learn about and practice aspects of both faiths. Research suggests that children are able to integrate aspects of differing cultural and religious backgrounds.

Be Unified and Respectful

Whether or not a marriage is interfaith, it’s important for couples to make decisions together and then present them together to their families. Each partner must decide that their spouse comes first, and protect them from family strife.

Marrying outside your faith requires both partners to be especially mature, respectful and compromising. It will take a significant amount of effort to not let external influences, such asin-lawsor grandparents, cause irreparable damage between you.

Take the time before you marry to explore these concerns with each other (or a neutral outside professional). If you’re already married and are having difficulty navigating this territory, seek outprofessional helpas soon as possible.

A Word From Verywell

Some of the most common interfaith marriage problems are related to poor communication and not finding common ground. In addition to finding ways to address these problems, it is also important to consider some of the benefits of mixed-faith marriages.

In aninterview with NPR, Naomi Shaefer Riley, author of the book “‘Til Faith Do Us Part: How Interfaith Marriage Is Transforming America,” suggested that one of the key benefits of interfaith marriage is increasing tolerance and positive attitudes toward other religions.

How Nitpicking Can Ruin Your Marriage

4 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Pew Research Center.Interfaith marriage is common in U.S., particularly among the recently wed.The New York Times.Interfaith unions: A mixed blessing.Chinitz JG, Brown RA.Religious homogamy, marital conflict, and stability in same‐faith and interfaith Jewish marriages.J Sci Study Religion. 2001;40(4):723-733. doi:10.1111/0021-8294.00087Roll S.Cross-cultural considerations in custody and parenting plans.Child Adolesc Psychiatr Clin N Am. 1998;7(2):445-54.

4 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Pew Research Center.Interfaith marriage is common in U.S., particularly among the recently wed.The New York Times.Interfaith unions: A mixed blessing.Chinitz JG, Brown RA.Religious homogamy, marital conflict, and stability in same‐faith and interfaith Jewish marriages.J Sci Study Religion. 2001;40(4):723-733. doi:10.1111/0021-8294.00087Roll S.Cross-cultural considerations in custody and parenting plans.Child Adolesc Psychiatr Clin N Am. 1998;7(2):445-54.

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Pew Research Center.Interfaith marriage is common in U.S., particularly among the recently wed.The New York Times.Interfaith unions: A mixed blessing.Chinitz JG, Brown RA.Religious homogamy, marital conflict, and stability in same‐faith and interfaith Jewish marriages.J Sci Study Religion. 2001;40(4):723-733. doi:10.1111/0021-8294.00087Roll S.Cross-cultural considerations in custody and parenting plans.Child Adolesc Psychiatr Clin N Am. 1998;7(2):445-54.

Pew Research Center.Interfaith marriage is common in U.S., particularly among the recently wed.

The New York Times.Interfaith unions: A mixed blessing.

Chinitz JG, Brown RA.Religious homogamy, marital conflict, and stability in same‐faith and interfaith Jewish marriages.J Sci Study Religion. 2001;40(4):723-733. doi:10.1111/0021-8294.00087

Roll S.Cross-cultural considerations in custody and parenting plans.Child Adolesc Psychiatr Clin N Am. 1998;7(2):445-54.

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