Bina says: July 26, 2016 at 5:42 am
About 44 years back, we (Bride: Hindu and Groom: Jain) were engaged in India / via a suggestion but ultimately, love marriage. We came to the West and had a non-denominational court wedding.
As a couple, we visit both, Jain and Hindu temples and participate in religious customs of both. No special ceremony was performed to declare our children Jain or Hindu. Over the years, we have celebrated both holidays; Paryushan, Janmashtami, and Diwali. And life has been wonderful!
I attribute to our successful marriage to the minimal cultural differences between Jains and Hindus, our parents’ consent, and respect for both religious beliefs. –Bina
Admin says,
Hello Bina,
Thank you for sharing your wonderful life story. This is what we call–interfaith marriage with equality.
We hear in news every day of bombing and killing due to religious intolerance. On our web site, many youths in interfaith love come crying because of religious conflicts. You and your two faiths have done something that all should know. This is very commendable. You are a role model for all interfaith lovers.
Jainism and Hinduism are two distinct religions with different scriptures. It is impressive that Hindus and Jains have lived side by side for some 1500 years but, to the best of our knowledge, there has not been a single case of killing in the name of God. Compared to that, people carrying exclusivist and supremacist belief have killed millions.
How wonderful is to visit both faith temples, children having freedom to follow both faiths and enjoy both sets of holidays equally. Probably yours is a dream come true type interfaith marriage for most today’s interfaith dating youths. Unfortunately, a religious fanatic would counter by saying: 1) you are going against your God/faith, 2) your children will get confused between two faiths and 3) you will get Hell Fire in the after-life because you mixed two faiths. Silly, is it not?
You said your successful marriage is attributed to “the minimal cultural differences.” We believe there is more to it. There is also minimal cultural difference between Shia and Sunni Muslims but today the Middle East is burning. Even they may have the same culture, a Mormon Christian has to re-baptize to marry a Catholic and has to agree to raise children only in one of two faiths. We believe Seema, Salman, Shah Rukh Khan, Kareena Kapoor, Shamim, and yours marriage worked because of pluralistic and tolerant teachings. Peace will come on this earth when exclusivists will learn to be pluralists.
We thank you for sharing your life story. -Admin
Also read: Video: Jain-Hindu marriages, InterfaithMarriageWithEquality (I’m WE); Bible on Hindus?, Follow Jesus not the church, Hindus, Abrahamics and Intolerants, Can Allah be the Father God?, A Jealous and Angry God, One God, Allah?, Idol Worshippers: Who is and Who is Not, Saif and Kareena: Religion and Marriage, Religious Conversion for Marriage, Ten Points of Interfaith Dating , FAQ on Interfaith Marriage, 38% of Hindus marry Abrahamics, Hindu-Muslim marriages, Hindu-Christian Marriage, Hindu-Jew marriages,
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Hello Bina,
We have a few questions:
1) To minimize interfaith conflicts, generally we recommend people to marry by the Civil marriage. Did you have civil marriage in order to avoid conflict between husband and wife selecting which one of two (or both) weddings to undergo? Alternatively, was Civil wedding choice simply due to convenience in the new country?
2) Many Abrahamics believe interfaith children will get confused if they follow two faiths. Do you feel that is the case in your Jain-Hindu children? Is there any time your children got “confused” for which one of two faith traditions to follow or not follow?
3) Do you have adult children? Are any of them married interfaith?
To respond to your questions:
1. Civil wedding choice simply due to convenience in the new country.
2. Due to minimal cultural differences between the two religions, they are not confused.
3. Two daughters are happily married to Hindus.
Thank you for sharing this wonderful life story. Please come to this web site often to guide other youths in love, especially when they are Jain-Hindu.