Criminal justice sophomore Amy Stein attempts to block criminal justice sophomore Mike Tapling from shooting a basketball Tuesday afternoon on a court behind Butterfield Hall. Tapling, who is Christian, has been dating Stein, who is Jewish, for about two months, although they have known each other since October. The two spent Easter together at Tapling’s grandparents’ and said their religious differences aren’t a problem.
For many students, religion has joined “bad breath” and “no sense of style” on a mental list of relationship deal breakers.
Marisa Saltzman, a social work graduate student, polled 100 Jewish students this semester to sample how interfaith dating is viewed by the MSU community.
Of the students polled, 56.6 percent said they are open to dating someone outside the Jewish faith. However, 59 percent of students said they associate a negative stigma with dating someone of a different faith.
Amy Stein and Mike Tapling, both criminal justice sophomores, are two students who have chosen not to view religion as a relationship red flag. They have been dating for about two months.
Despite her parent’s divorce because of religious differences, Stein, who was raised Jewish, said she has no problem dating people of different faiths.
“I’m more open to different religions than my mom is,” she said.
“She would praise and worship every morning and she never celebrated Jewish holidays with us.”
While Stein said she is open to exploring other religions, raising her children Jewish is something that is important to both her and her father’s side of the family.
“Having my dad force my brother and I into the Jewish faith and my mom forcing her views on us made it hard,” she said.
“I would rather do everything as a family and let the kids decide on their own.”
Tapling was raised Catholic but now he considers himself nondemoninational.
“My parents really accepted my decision to become Christian and I appreciated that,” he said.
“I would like to give my kids a taste of both worlds, and at the age they can understand what each one means, let them make their own decision.”
Saltzman said family life will often shape people’s stance on interfaith dating.
“People are products of their environment,” Saltzman said. “Families can sometimes instill values in you that make you think you have to date someone who is similar to you or it won’t work.”
Chris Karanikas said her parents have influenced her to date people who share her beliefs and values.
In the beginning of a relationship, having different religious views is OK, said Karanikas, a psychology junior. However, when relationships get more serious and closer to the point of marriage and children, having different religious views could cause problems, she added.
“I am Greek Orthodox, and although I am not necessarily practicing my religion, I do want my children to be raised Greek Orthodox,” Karanikas said.
“People should date within their realm of religious views, political views and etcetera.”
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