Sexual intimacy can be traced back to the dawn of humanity. Humans, much like their distant cousins, the chimpanzees, were not gifted with the sharp fangs of lions or the strong jaws of bears, and so they stuck together in tribes to better their chances of survival.
While fulfilling the roles of hunters and gatherers in the wild, the casual—and oftentimes stranger—tribemates eventually became personal acquaintances. Over time, these acquaintances turned into close friends, which, if given the right circumstances, could evolve into a tribe member’s most intimate partner.
Through that same intimacy comes the instinct of humans to build long-lasting relationships with their partners. Sociologists even argue that it could be an avenue to "settle things down" as old age creeps in from behind our hard working tribe members.
And so when we look at history, we see that that is exactly what our ancient grandparents did thousands of years ago.
As our ancestors were spreading from Africa onto mainland Celtic Europe in the west and onto Asia in the east, families were established to ensure the future preservation of their tribes and cultures.
It is so natural and straightforward that even now, not much has changed when viewing the concept of creating a family—except, maybe, for one thing.
Religion is a key concept of life that has been with humans since their early tribal days. There were pagans before Jews, Jews before Christians, Christians before Muslims, and so on. What then, if one asks, would happen should an individual fall in love with someone of a different faith?
Surprisingly, it turns out that interfaith relationships have been practiced for quite some time already. Thousands of families around the world have their parents practicing different religions, yet they are still able to function as a family.
In the United States alone, a country with a plethora of religions and native subcultures, a study has found that 39% of marriages since 2010 have been interfaith.
Article 16 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights supports this, stating that men and women who have attained the age of majority have the right to marry "without any limitation due to race, nationality, or religion."
Meanwhile, those in interfaith relationships say they make their union work under the assumption that people do not need religion to be good. According to them, goodness stems from the morals and actions of their respective partners.
A proper conversation between both parties is also needed to discuss their differences and how they could best proceed with their relationship by understanding what truly matters in their union.
Besides, there are countless factors to consider in building relationships aside from religion: age gap, cultural backgrounds, financial capability, or even political beliefs. This means that while it is interesting to see interfaith relationships in practice, it is unfair to pin it as the sole deal-breaker, should one consider it so, in relationships.
It could also be said that establishing intimate relationships with people of foreign ethnicities is harder than creating a family with a partner of a different faith.
But on the other hand, reality shows that not all societies in the world are open to interfaith marriages. Couples practicing different religions in countries, such as India and Indonesia often face discrimination in government services. Despite it being legal, interfaith couples have difficulty marrying one another because of laws that limit freedom of religious practice.
Meanwhile, interfaith marriages are banned altogether in Saudi Arabia and Israel. Atheism and blasphemy against Islam are punishable by death in Saudi Arabia; while, private celebrations of different religions are faced with occasional harassment, especially by religious extremists.
In the end, a good relationship focuses on its similarities rather than its differences. While it is true that certain cultures are too unforgiving and intolerable in interfaith unions, one cannot discount how couples have made it work despite countless discriminations.
The concept of love has now evolved from just producing children to bringing common understanding, while also helping each other develop their quality of life. Religion is just one aspect of a relationship that may face even greater hurdles in the grand scheme of things.
Loving someone—regardless of faith, sex, gender orientation, and all other qualities one can think of—never violates any law. Instead, love is the law that keeps the human race constantly caring for one another.
Love knows no religion.
Article: John Lloyd Aleta
Graphics: Jeohan Samuel Aquino
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