Garrett: "Can a relationship work out with one being religious and the other not?"
Yes. It depends of course whether each one will respect the other. Without respect, no! I repeat what FayeDunaway wisely stated: "A lot of it is your attitude. If you can respect her beliefs and not
belittle them, and if she respects that you don't think her religion has
all the answers, this could work."
In line with the above, both would have to consider whether any of you have extreme tendencies. For example, my wife is a devout Seventh Day Adventist. Thus, her Saturday observance (from sunset to sunset) is kind of sacred. But somehow, she is ready for her Sabbath even before sunset -- does not want to engage in any work long before or after the Sabbath is over. When Sunday comes she is still kind of celebrating her Sabbath. In other words, she needs part of three days to overcome her observance. That alone can affect our plans for the weekend.
Thus, as a husband who does not observe the Sabbath, you can see how an extreme attitude of the believer can affect the relationship between both parties. Also, she has at times brought out my past JW faith out of nowhere, and how it bears into my present life in a negative way. Perhaps she is right. All religious and non-religious differences become greater when the pair live together. In all, we both are making honest efforts to accommodate the needs of each other. Regardless, I love her very much.
The point is that if you are not sure, keep alert for any red flags, and don't ignore them. Just three days ago in the dentist office, I met this lady who is now married for the second time. She admitted dating online just once in between with someone else she liked very much, but did not commit to him due to him becoming very angry, almost violent, for something she considered minor. His behavior scared her. It was the red flag for her to exit the relationship.
So Garrett, stay alert to her responses as you come up with various subjects. The problem is not so much whether she agrees with you at times, but how she handles your opinions and your dislikes when they do happen. Again, it comes down to respecting each other.
