[Redliner]

Photon hit the nail on the head. The religion question, at least, is not a matter of superiority or inferiority - it's a matter of compatibility. I dated many girls with religious views ranging from Atheist all the way to devout Buddhist. Even though I didn't always agree with their beliefs, I respected them enough as people to respect their beliefs. Truth is, their beliefs and values shaped their lives and molded them into interesting and diverse people, and without that foundation, who is to say they wouldn't have turned out completely different and I wouldn't have been interested in them at all? Religion can be a prickly subject, but if the relationship is built on mutual respect, those differences can provide hours of very interesting, constructive, and thought-provoking conversation.

That said, when it came time to settle down and get married, I'll admit I looked for someone with a belief system similar to my own. Although it seems to fly in the face of the majority around here, I am deeply religious and wanted someone who would both understand and support my beliefs, and allow me to do the same for her. It also made sense as far as children are concerned. My kids are free to choose for themselves what they will believe, but I will share my beliefs with them and raise them in the manner that my wife and I agree on - including the religious aspects. (I can just feel some of you out there warming those flamethrowers up. Go ahead, flame away) The long and short is that religion, if it is to be a part of any relationship, should be something to bind two people together, not tear them apart; and this is much more easily accomplished if the two people share a common system of belief.

Race or skin colour has never mattered to me, nor do I believe it should. Period.

Hockey teams? THAT is some serious business. I was lucky enough to end up with a Flames fan, (in fact, our first serious date was to a Flames game - they lost to the Avs 4-1) so I guess it was a match made in heaven right from the start.

My parents have managed to keep a Flames/Oilers marriage together for nearly 40 years though. My mother lived in Edmonton as a child and claims to be an Oilers fan, even though she doesn't even watch hockey and couldn't name a single Oilers player if she tried. My dad is all Flames, but he tolerates her greasy mullet-loving tendencies up to a point. She brought an Oilers bath towel home once and the next day it was out in the garage being used as a shop rag while my dad did an oil change on his truck. Damn truck never did run properly again.