Pre-Wedding Couple Conflicts Spark Netizens' Heated Debate
A story about a soon-to-be bride and groom experiencing conflicts over religious issues such as 'tithing' is becoming a hot topic among netizens.
On the 17th, a post titled "How do you resolve religious issues with your fianc??" was uploaded on an online community.
The author, Ms. A, said, "I am Catholic and my fianc? is Protestant, and we both were born into our faiths," adding, "While dating, I thought there would come a day when we would clash, so knowing we were different, we avoided talking about religion as much as possible."
Ms. A continued, "Now that it’s actually happening, I feel like I’m going crazy," saying, "I told him that on Sundays I could go to the cathedral and he could go to church separately, but my future mother-in-law and fianc? want me to attend church. They even give subtle hints like, 'It would be really nice if we went together.'"
In particular, Ms. A pointed out that the church's 'tithing' was the most incomprehensible part. Her fianc? wants to pay tithes from the combined income of both himself and Ms. A.
Tithing means donating 10% of one’s income to the church as an offering.
Ms. A said, "Actually, I’m not a devout believer and have only followed my parents since I was young, so my religious faith isn’t strong," adding, "I wonder if people really pay that much tithing, and I don’t understand it well. I feel very frustrated with my fianc?."
She continued, "When I told my parents, they were furious and told me to break off the engagement immediately, but we have already completed the formal meeting between families, so I feel very helpless," and asked for advice, "How do others resolve religious issues after marriage?"
Fianc?e willing to pay 700,000 won tithing
Tithing refers to the practice of donating 10% of one's income to the church as an offering. The photo is not related to the specific content of the article. [Photo by Kim Hyun-min, Asia Economy]
Not only the previous story, but also on an online cafe where soon-to-be grooms and brides join to get information, a groom-to-be complained about conflicts over religious issues before marriage.
Mr. B, who is getting married to his girlfriend in three months, revealed, "My professional girlfriend pays 700,000 won every month as tithing. Including various other offerings and social expenses with church members, the amount is quite significant."
The girlfriend showed a firm attitude, saying she would continue to pay tithing even after marriage.
Mr. B said, "I am non-religious, so I can’t understand it," and asked, "I accept going to church and such, but is paying tithing originally a natural and common thing?" He also expressed his concerns, saying, "I think it would be much better to save that money or at least give it as allowance to our parents... Is that just my selfishness?"
Netizens’ opinions on the stories were divided. Some responded, "They should resolve it well through conversation," or "Maybe they could compromise a little."
On the other hand, some netizens said, "There have been wars over religion, so is breaking off an engagement a big deal?" "Breaking off an engagement is better than divorce," and "Encouraging religion and forcing it are different things."
Meanwhile, a marriage information company surveyed 518 unmarried men and women nationwide (259 men and 259 women) who hope to marry, asking, "In what aspect would a big difference between spouses after marriage make life difficult?" As a result, 17.4% of men and 18.9% of women chose religion.
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