How important are a person's religious beliefs when you're considering whether or not to date them?

I'm hardly perfect - far from it. But I love the Lord with my whole heart. I fully believe that Jesus walked among men, died for my sins, rose again, and sits at the right hand of God. I believe that through Him, I have the promise of eternal life. Church is important to me, worship is important to me, prayer is important to me. I don't judge, nor am I over critical of other peoples' beliefs or lack therof. I am not evangelical or what you would consider a Bible thumper. Actually, I probably should be more proactive in trying to bring people to Christ, but that's another blog. The point is that while I don't shove my beliefs down peoples' throats, I certainly don't hide them.

At 29, I am no longer interested in casual dating. I do not see the point of investing time and energy in a man I couldn't see myself with long-term. I know the qualities I want in my husband, as you may remember "Fit for my King". Here are a few that are at the TOP of my: he has to love Christ more than he loves me; some may say, wait you would want him to Love Christ more, umm yep, why, 2 reasons (1) b/c I know that if he loves Christ more then he will not have a problem loving me unselfishly and unconditionally, even when my behavior doesn't warrant it, (2) b/c Christ is who sustains him not me I might just fail him. He should also be someone I can pray with when times are rough and when things are Peachy Keen. He should be a man who submits to God so that I don't mind submitting to him. And more importantly, we should be praying to the same God.

Yes, there are times when I wonder if I'm being too stringent. I know plenty of genuinely GOOD people who don't share my beliefs and what being on the outside looking in looks as if they have a BLISSFUL marriage. Most of them believe in God but are jaded when it comes to organized religion - which is some what understandable, given the number of churches who prefer to place their own agenda as paramount to God's word, but shouldn’t be an excuse b/c the Bible clearly warns us on several occassions to "be not DECEIVED", organized religion will not get you into heaven but a whole-heartedly Relationship with Christ will . I feel that once you establish a relationship with Christ all the other stuff is trivial and can be dealt with accordingly.

I swear I was just thinking about this yesterday, when reading in 1 Kings which speak about Solomon and how his demise was taking wives who did not serve his God. He became distracted and allowed their differing beliefs to distance him from the God he believed in. And what struck me most was how the Bible said that at the end of the day, Solomon was left with "emptiness." And that's why I stand firm in my convictions - because I don't think I could ever have a "full" and/or fulfilling relationship with someone who does not know and love God the way I do.

Moreover, I am one of those hopelessly idealistic girls who, despite experience in love thus far, truly believe that there is one man out there that God made just for me. That the same way I pray for God to reveal him to me, he is also whispering a prayer for the kind of woman the Lord is molding me to be. Mostly, I pray for patience to wait for him, discernment to know when he comes (and to know who AIN'T him), and for God to continue making me into the kind of woman that would make a good wife to the kind of man I desire.

So at the end of the day, I just can't wrap my brain around the notion that God would set someone aside for me if they didn't love Him the way I do. However the enemy would have me to think different, but I will continue to stand on “He that findeth a wife findeth a GOOD thang”.

Question for my few but important readers, has anybody else ever felt this way? Would you too prefer someone who shares your beliefs? If you are in a mixed-faith or mixed-belief relationship, are there issues? Just thinking aloud, I guess.