Any thoughts on the viability of a western christian marrying a buddist in 'vietnam or 'thailand? - @marrbuff
Viability is a good choice of words.
I'd predict DOA (dead on arrival) if in fact, both people are fundamentalist believers in their respective religions.
However, as JR has pointed out, it seems that most "Buddhists" in Vietnam are practitioners of tradition and freely intermix those practices with elements of the Vietnam folk religion, Confucianism and Taoism.
From my perspective (married to a Vietnamese woman) it's a beautiful thing to observe, although sometimes a little laughable when you discover that some people are only making daily trips to the pagoda to pray that their lucky lottery numbers are successful.
Yet in fairness, that's an absolutely valid way to practice their faith, and I have zero right to cast negative aspersions on them.
Please don't get me wrong, this country has many, many deeply dedicated Buddhists who follow their faith quite scrupulously, including being absolute vegans who are unwilling to even swat a fly.
In my experience, they are the most trustworthy and peace-filled and non-judgmental people in this country.
An agnostic or atheistic man will be absolutely blessed to be married to a woman like that, as long as he is totally willing to support her in the practice of her faith.
That doesn't mean he needs to adopt those practices in his life (though he's probably only going to get vegan food cooked for him).
He can even accompany her on her daily prayer trips to the Pagoda as well as family memorials and seasonal festivals without needing to actually worship with her.
If he truly loves her, then he's probably going to want to do that.
But when you refer to a "Western Christian", it's also worth noting that The West is full of people who are Christians in name only.
By that I mean, they are theologically ignorant as to the absolute fundamental beliefs of their faith.
Or, if they are aware of the absolute fundamental beliefs of their faith, they choose not to be obligated to follow the edicts that spring from those beliefs.
So the answer to your spurious question really depends upon how deeply committed the Western Christian is to his faith and also, how strictly the Vietnamese woman follows a Buddhist lifestyle.
Also, there are myriad traditions and denominations in Western Christianity, so it's really difficult to give you an absolute answer when the Western Christian might be Anglican or Catholic or Protestant or some other offshoot of one of those faiths.
ironically, I think that a person raised as an Orthodox Christian ("Eastern" Orthodox) might stand the best chance of success since the Eastern mindset is much more harmonious with the Buddhist mindset.
Any expat who is seriously asking this question (based on a true relationship that's developing to the point of actually considering marriage) would be well advised to do their own personal faith inventory and decide what it is they truly believe, and which of their beliefs are negotiable, and which beliefs are absolutely immutable.
Then ask the prospective bride to tell you what's absolutely important to her in the living of her faith.
I believe it's possible to have a successful marriage here between a Westerner raised in a Christian environment and a Vietnamese woman raised in a Buddhist family.
it's just going to take a lot of work...