AboutLe Anne Clausen Expertise I can answer questions about interfaith relations, particularly Christian-Muslim. This includes efforts in this country and internationally, especially the Middle East. I can answer about interfaith efforts for peacemaking and social justice issues, and I can offer advice on how to begin your own interfaith dialogue or cooperation efforts. I can answer some but not all questions about Christianity's and other religion's perspectives towards engaging in interfaith relations
Experience I have an MA in Christian-Muslim relations and I was a human rights worker for four years in the Middle East, including Israel/Palestine, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan. I have also spent time in Central Asia, including Iran and Afghanistan. I am currently working to create an interfaith peace-teams based human rights organization.
Publications:
Before Abu Ghraib: Stories from a Human Rights Worker in Iraq (pending)
“Seminary Behind Bars,” Theolog, [blog of the Christian Century], June 2008
“Discovering the Hazara Shi’a of Afghanistan” The Worldly, November 2007
“A Nest For Kabul’s Street Children, and the Underside of International Aid.”
The Worldly, October 2007
“Be the Healers: Responding to Abu Ghraib.” The Lutheran, July 2004
Blog: “Journal of a Young Activist,” www.young-activist.blogspot.com (since 2000). Also www.christian-muslim.net, and www.seminaryaction.org.
Expert: Le Anne Clausen Date: 11/16/2007 Subject: I'm between a rock and a hard place
Question This should be a fun one for you :D
Ok I am 16 male and I go back a ways with this one girl(she just turned 17) I am agnostic but very open to all religions. She is............ Jehovah Witness. Yeah I guess you could say I am screwed. Now I know she likes me and if she was not in this religion we would be dating right now no doubt. Because of this religion I do not think she can date at her age. I'm not sure, all I know is she cant date. But she is SO nice and we get along great I just wish I could do something. This kills me, do I move on or stay on the crazy Jehovah Witness train and probably never be able to date her and even if I could date her I know her religion would get in the way. I guess all I need to hear are some reasons not to try and date her, because even I know their is LITTLE to no chance of having any kind of a real relationship.
Thanks.
Answer Greetings Don, and thanks for your question. Hmm...well, this is challenging but not impossible, as long as you are both mutually interested in each other. One question is of time. Given that we live in the U.S., a person's ability to make their own choices increases as they get older, particularly after age 18 but really moreso after college.
You will both need to be honest with each other about your personal convictions as well as your feelings for one another, as it would not be wise to assume that one person will 'change' for the other. However, a lot happens to a person between 18-23 years of age, as far as their beliefs and what is important to them is concerned.
But, given your age concerns and the possibility that this may not work out, what I might recommend best is to casually date other women; continue to be good friends with this girl, and keep the door open as long as you think it's wise to do so. It would be sad to pass up other opportunities at this stage of your life to develop your relationship skills with women.
Here is a website that is more negative towards dating members of the Jehovah's Witnesses, but could offer some additional perspectives. Take it with a grain of salt:
