Dating is an interesting process. You are basically opening your life to someone you don’t really know to begin a relationship with. Once you start developing a relationship with them, you open yourself to them, in a way that their opinions and values have an impact on the decisions and directions your life take.
This is a good thing when the person you date and then develop a relationship with, helps you make decisions in life that make you a better person in your own eyes. It is a bad thing though when the person you are forming a relationship with, tries to make you a better person in their eyes, with little or no regard to what you want out of life.
Culture and religion can be very influential here. Both culture and religion are a framework, or a set of rules, within which its members live their lives. There is often very little room for compromise with these rules. If you do not abide by them, you are not a practising member of that faith/culture. So if you date someone who lives within these structures, the influence and opinion they bring to your life will invariably be tempered by the rules of their faith.
Removing the space for compromise is always counter-productive in the development of a relationship. Compromise and understanding will always be two of the top requirements in the development of any successful relationship.
But having said that, I am not saying religious or cultural beliefs in you or a potential partner are bad, or good. In fact I am not even saying they will inhibit or help the development of your relationship. Rather, I am saying, depending on the people involved, they can do either.
You may be Asian and eastern culture may be very important to you. Dating someone else who places similar importance on such traditions can promote harmony in your relationship and assist with your personal growth. This is due to your synchronised life views.
However, if you are not particularly interested in Asian people or culture, it could be difficult to develop such a relationship without understanding or compromise.
Similarly with religion, a devout person of Christian or Jewish faith could be a much better person having a partner of similar faith, helping and supporting them through the matters of conscience particular to those religions. Similar beliefs in matters of sexuality also help in setting boundaries in the early stages of relationships in these cases. This is why religious dating sites also exist.
Contrarily, forming a relationship with religious people without having any understanding of their faith is always going to bring unique challenges not experienced in other relationships.
This article is an idea. It has been written to promote thought, understanding and compromise. These three things are pillars of any successful relationship. Many inter-culture and inter-religion relationship exist today and are very successful. So don’t shy away from them, just love and understand the needs of your partner.
If you realise that online dating and Christian dating sites serve an important purpose in bringing people together in harmony and love.