Jew- ish?

One would hope that I add something to the world- be it good, bad, or indifferent- Me

Today I want to talk about making the choice to change religions. I've been in a quandry lately as being mean, and inconsiderate to my partners religious beliefs and traditions.

I had always thought that I was so clear. I'm not interested in a mixed religion marriage. To say that I don't mean that I'm not interested in marrying a man who isn't Jewish. Clearly that's true, since I'm marrying a Christian. I just mean that I expect to have a house and a family that is not two religions, but one. And yes, that one, is Judaism.

When I have been confronted by people from his family, I keep getting the message that they expect me to have a two religion home. To somehow 'respect' his traditions and upbringing. I think it's one thing to say that I respect Christianity. I respect his emotional connection to those rituals. I respect his desire to continue to celebrate these traditions with his family and our children when the time comes.

I think it's something different to decide that these traditions and experiences need a place in our home. yes, I say our home. We will build a home, we will build a set of traditions. As far as I can tell, we're mostly comfortable with the choices we're making. Yes, there are some 'sticky' points, but NO, we don't have to really figure them all out now.

I just want to understand how I am supposed to 'respect' his traditions, but still be able to clearly define my home as one in which these traditions are outside of the religious scope of our family...?

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