Finding a good Christian woman is hard enough. However, we are talking about opening ourselves up to lifetime relationships, so it is wise to have guidelines.
Note: Having standards/guidelines when choosing a partner does not necessarily equate to bigotry. We're talking about someone we'll potentially be spending the rest of our lives with.
Guidelines:
1. Theological beliefs must be reasonably similar. Not only for the sake of possible children being reared later on, but I find that meeting life's struggles is easier if people share some semblance of a foundation.
2. One of the reasons people choose denominations has to do with their emotional choices and what clicks best with their personality. Knowing someone's denomination can be helpful in determining what sort of person they are outside of theological matters.
3. Socioeconomic, cultural, and political factors also have a play in what churches people choose. For this sort, church is more of a place where they associate with other people in their chosen group than it is a place of spiritual fellowship.
Where does that leave me?
Well, it would be wise for me to stay away from most charismatic and pentecostal women for reasons one and two. Similarly with Catholics though I think Catholics tend to tread the line between being a separate denomination and another religion entirely.
Mind you my great-grandmother (who witnessed to my father) was a Catholic AND a Charismatic Christian at varying times of her life. She'll have a bigger crown than me, but that doesn't mean I could or have to consider sustaining a long-term romantic relationship with one of her theological sisters.
The liberals that make mainline protestant churches their Sunday haunt wouldn't be a wise choice either. That, of course, excludes the more conservative subsets of those mainline groups. I happen to be one of those (Presbyterians represent!).
I'm open to everyone else unless they're pseudo-pelagian.
Caveat- I believe I could date a strong Christian who is a part of an aforementioned restricted denomination if they didn't insist on going to these places on deep grounds and yield most decision-making power me as far as church attendance is concerned.
Either way, to quote Clint Eastwood, a man's gotta know his limitations.
