Will the ELCA church marry us if we are living together?
Most pastors will go ahead and marry you. If anything, they'll be happy that you're formalizing your commitment. Regular ELCA will be more open minded than Missouri synod, but you should be all right. It's amazing how many people choose to live togther first, people just aren't as old fashioned as they used to be. Only the most extremely conservative pastors refuse to acknowledge that reality. A lot of others may not like it, but they'll still usually do the ceremony. Acutally, you're more likely to face reluctance from a pastor just because you're not members of the church rather than that you're living together.
Could you get married in a Catholic Church 2X?
No. I suggest you start working on getting your husband's first marriage "annulled." All previous marriages, civil or religious, have to be dealt with before someone can be married in the Catholic Church. The Catholic Church believes that God does not recognize civil divorces. Jesus said, "Therefore what God has joined together, no human being must separate." (Mark 10:9) However there may be hope of a declaration of nullity. The term "annulment" is a misnomer because the Church does not undo or erase a marriage bond. Rather the Church issues a declaration of nullity when it discovers that the parties were not truly joined by God and hence a full spiritual sacramental marriage as understood by the Church was not present. Then the parties are free to marry for the first time. Approach the appropriate person your in your parish who has been trained in the process. If you encounter difficulties, you may go directly to the diocese. Be prayerful, honest and patient. It takes a while. With love in Christ.
Can my baby be baptized in a Catholic church if we weren't married in one?
Yes. However one requirement is that the parents have to promise that they will raise the child as a Catholic. If there is something in the parent's lifestyle that makes the priest think that they will not uphold this promise then he can "delay" the baptism of the child until the situation is resolved. Exceptions are made for emergency situations like danger of death. For more information, see the Code of Canon Law, section 868: http://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG1104/__... With love in Christ.
Is it possible for a Catholic man and a Muslim woman to be together?
No it is not.According to Islamic rulings, Muslim women can not marry non-Muslim men at all, whether or not they are from the People of the Book.Muslim men also are not allowed to marry non-Muslim women who are not from the People of the Book at all.Moreover, they can not marry non-Muslim girls who are from the People of the Book permanently, while they can marry them temporarily.
Will the Roman Catholic Church allow a marriage between a Christian guy and a Hindu girl without any conversion?
Well, they allowed my marriage which was a Catholic woman marrying a Hindu man without any conversion. People should convert only if they really want to, for spiritual reasons. The Catholic church is protective of its members because it fears that the Catholic partner might lose their faith in Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. If the religion of the non-Catholic partner has an anti-Christian element - not naming any religion but my meaning should be clear to those who have understanding - that might be a problem. But Hinduism, in the true sense, is a very tolerant and broad minded religion with tremendous respect for the good and the divine. Hinduism has wonderful scriptures and ethics. The main requirement for marriage of a Catholic with a non-Catholic is the issue of passing on the faith to children. So you must convince the bishop that you will definitely make an effort to teach your children the message of Jesus Christ, who laid down His life so we all could live with the Father in Heaven eternally. Once the bishop is convinced that the future children will hear the message, he will be happy enough. Also it is necessary to obtain a Dispensation from Impediment of Disparity of Cult. from your local bishop. That’s just a fancy way of saying your bishop has to give his approval. Some of these bishops are good and faithful Christians. Others have a warped idea of love and are very institutionalized. But they have power. So make a case to your Bishop that you love this person and cannot live without them and need to be able to have the sacrament of Christian marriage to bless your life together. And pray to the Father in Heaven for help.
Are couples living in sin if they are living together before marriage in a Christian church?
Are couples living in sin if they are living together before marriage in a Christian church?Thank you for your question.Historically, ‘living in sin’ has meant cohabiting without being married.There are many references in the Bible that tell us that ‘fornication’ is sinful. Fornication has for the last 2000 years been taken as indulging in sexual activity outside of marriage. That was in societies that did not tolerate pre-marital cohabitation, where sex usually resulted in children and children outside marriage was a social and financial disaster.Now we can use contraceptives and many societies tolerate pre-marital co-habitation. Churches have had to re-evaluate their stance. Many (perhaps most) have concluded, sometimes with reluctance, that pre-marital sex is not the biggest of sins.When faced with a woman who was “living in sin” Jesus refused to condemn her. Moreover, he said ‘let he who is without sin cast the first stone.” This can be taken to suggest that living together outside marriage was the least of sins and should be treated as such.