Questions

Question first appeared on May 26, 2002
I know of many families who attend two different churches, and a few who are inter-faith, bringing up their children in the Orthodox Christian Church, yet celebrating Jewish holidays. It must be very confusing to the children, trying to understand whose beliefs are correct. What is our perspective on this? Can one truly be Orthodox and attend two different churches?

You have several interesting questions, and I=ll try to unravel them in a logical manner.

First of all, the Orthodox Church does not perform inter-faith marriages, Christian with non-Christian. Therefore, the couple in your question, one partner who is evidently Orthodox Christian and the other who is Jewish, must have been married outside the Orthodox Church. This does not, however, prohibit their children from being baptized Orthodox Christian and being raised in the Church, provided that they have Godparents who are dedicated to that task. But, the confusion in their religious upbringing, besides the two conflicting faiths, is compounded by the fact that the father and mother cannot participate in the Orthodox sacraments with their baptized children and the Godparents.

The Orthodox Church does perform marriages between Orthodox Christians and other Christians whose baptism is recognized as valid. Many of these couples attend each other=s church services. There is nothing wrong in this, provided that the Orthodox partner does not partake of the sacraments outside of the Orthodox Church.

Whatever compromise or accommodation these couples make between themselves when they marry may have to be modified when they begin to have children. In which church will the children be baptized? Will the children attend one or both churches? If the children are baptized in the Orthodox Church, how will the non-Orthodox parent feel when he/she can=t participate in the sacraments?

Most families facing these questions are eventually able to find a solution. I have witnessed many of these families finding unity in one church, and, more often than not, it is the Orthodox Church. But, even this brief review of the issues involved reveals how important it is seek a marriage partner who holds the same faith.