Last updated on November 2, 2020
Question:
I have a question about my relationship. I have a very close friend and he is Buddhist. People assumed that we are a couple. Honestly, I like him, but I afraid that this will not please the Lord. What should I do?
My second question is: Is it wrong if a couple holding hands or linking arms? Is it a sin? If a couple hugs each other, is it wrong?
Thank you.
Answer:
While it would not be wrong to marry an unbeliever (I Corinthians 7:12-15), at the same time it would be very unwise. When you are dating or first married, it may be easy to ignore your religious difference. You can go to your church, he can go to his temple. But this usually falls apart when children come. In whose religion will the children be raised? When they want to know why daddy doesn’t come to church with them or when mom gives a different answer to moral questions than dad does, it creates confusion. More often than not, children who grow up in mixed religious homes end up being atheists. I’ve even seen this happen when spouses are both “Christians” but attend different denominations, or where one is devoted and the other is lukewarm at best. It is a recipe for future heartache that is best to be avoided.
There is nothing wrong with holding hands or linking arms. Nor would brief hugs be wrong. Hugs could become wrong if they are prolonged and causes sexual passion to rise in you or him.