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The Definition Of Interfaith Marriage As A System Of Religious Beliefs Essay

Decent Essays

According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary (2004), the prefix “inter” means “between, among, together” or “involving two or more.” It also says that the word “faith” means “strong belief or trust in someone or something”, “belief in the existence of God”, or “a system of religious beliefs.” In the instance of the term “interfaith”, we can put the two definitions together and say that interfaith is involving two or more systems of religious beliefs, or an existence of God. The dictionary defines “marriage” as “the relationship that exists between a husband and wife.” So, putting the words “interfaith” and “marriage” together would ultimately mean that the man and wife have two different religious belief systems. Turner and West’s (2006) book, Perspectives on Family Communication, defines interfaith marriage as “unions that include at least two different religious identities.” That is the definition of interfaith marriage in its simplest form, but an interfaith marriage is far more complex than just its meaning. To me, and also many others across the globe, interfaith marriage is a relationship that needs special commitment and attention, and now, I will attempt to show you why. Religion has always been known for impacting marriage quality and satisfaction (see, for example, Hood et. al.,1996), who also explain that “a major reason for shifting from one religious body to another occurs when people of different faiths marry.” Knowing that marriage is often the reason that

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