+1 for Elena's Models and how to discuss church.

[CalvinHobbes]

Signed up on Elena's Models last week. Have conversations going with a few wonderful ladies that potentially are a match. Signed up on AnastasiaDate and quickly realized it's a scam. How? I'm 46 and quickly received several unsolicited emails from ladies in their twenties. Only received 1 unsolicited email from a lady in her twenties on EM, but several in their 30's-40's. Flattery won't get you anywhere with me unless you know me.
So how is the best way to discuss church with ladies? When?

[Faux Pas]

Signed up on Elena's Models last week. Have conversations going with a few wonderful ladies that potentially are a match. Signed up on AnastasiaDate and quickly realized it's a scam. How? I'm 46 and quickly received several unsolicited emails from ladies in their twenties. Only received 1 unsolicited email from a lady in her twenties on EM, but several in their 30's-40's. Flattery won't get you anywhere with me unless you know me.
So how is the best way to discuss church with ladies? When?

How quickly do you discuss church with the local ladies? If church is an important part of your life and a defining factor in your relationships, probably the sooner the better

[acctBill]

FP is probably right.  Many FSUW that claim to be atheists or non believers in their profiles will start attending church when pregnant or after the birth of the child. She'll want the child baptised into the Eastern Orthodox faith. If you're of a different faith and it's important, start discussing religion if there's a possibility of a relationship.   

[mendeleyev]

As both of these gentlemen state, if the issue is important, discuss it quickly. My recommendation that if you are far apart in religion, look for a gal who more closely shares your views.

Rarely do Evangelical and/or Charismatic marriages to an Orthodox person last too much past the first pregnancy, in my experience as just an example. Someone outside mainstream American Evangelism hoping to convert a Russia gal would be climbing an even steeper mountain in most cases if he considers his faith to be important enough that she be expected to follow his footsteps.

I wrote an article some time back on the subject and you can find it on Ed's website. It says:

Often for the man, it is during the marriage that he discovers that she was  more religious than even she realized. There are also language barriers and  misunderstandings can come from the most simple of assumptions. Perhaps  she says that she is not a fanatic. Of course you understand the definition of a  fanatic from your point of reference, but more importantly, do you understand  what constitutes a fanatic in her mind? Depending on her definition, you could be shocked to learn that you are worlds apart in what the term constitutes.

Most of us often fail to understand the role of religion in the history and culture
of our individual countries. “Church and State” in Russia (and Ukraine and
Belarus) at one point was so intertwined that it was nigh impossible to tell the
difference.

Read the entire article here: http://www.getrussianwife.com/system

[onus]

I also agree. Talk about it sooner than latter. I figure if its something you have a passion for it will come up eventually anyway. But compatibility would be good. I know i couldn't live with a religious person being an atheist. Lucky me i found another atheist.

[CalvinHobbes]

Tks for the wisdom and recommended reading. Will proceed with wisdom. Currently I'm corresponding with women 10-15 yrs younger than me and wonder if this would help in this dept, because they are not set in their ways. I'm not targeting them because of this point, but just curious about. Fortunately the church I attend is extremely laid back.

[mendeleyev]

I'm corresponding with women 10-15 yrs younger than me and wonder if this would help in this dept, because they are not set in their ways.

That will work right up to the morning the test strip turns blue. She'll head over to the closest Orthodox Church and you'll watch what some American priests term a "test strip conversion" before your very eyes.

Fortunately the church I attend is extremely laid back.

A possible strike against you as the Orthodox Church is highly structured. Think of high church Anglicans and old Roman Catholics. Often an "informal" style of church is viewed by a RW as unorganized and as a RW once told me about her husband's church, "it reeks of casual grace."

I'm glad that you're talking with her about it now. Unfortunately that is a wide age gap (I'd not do a big age gap if she were under 30ish) and her maturity level and how she views life is still developing. However a baby trumps all other cards and if she was raised even nominally Orthodox then there is a really, really good chance that she'll want it baptized and raised Orthodox...and they want it now.

Such often seems especially important if she is out of her homeland and fearful that the baby will never experience Russian culture. You must remember that few Western men ever fully grasp the crossing undercurrents of Orthodoxy and Russian culture.

There are exceptions in marriages, and that is just what they are--exceptions. It is not unusual that if the two stay together the man converts or they agree to worship separately.

Russia is a big place and there are many more non-Orthodox churches than ever before. If your faith tradition is a "must" then perhaps it wise to look for someone else there who shares your tradition.

[JohnDearGreen]

Tks for the wisdom and recommended reading. Will proceed with wisdom. Currently I'm corresponding with women 10-15 yrs younger than me and wonder if this would help in this dept, because they are not set in their ways. I'm not targeting them because of this point, but just curious about. Fortunately the church I attend is extremely laid back.

With this post, you seem to be making an assumption hoping she might be flexible enough to change to suit you.  Another option is you being flexible enough to change to suit her.  It doesn't sound like that has been one of your considerations.  There are other options:
http://www.marriagebuilders.com/graphic/mbi5040_qa.html

[JR]

So how is the best way to discuss church with ladies? When?
 
If you attend regularly then it should be on your profile. That's how early.

[mendeleyev]

DearJohnGreen, I enjoyed reading that link. Thanks.

[Scott_WWS]

Signed up on Elena's Models last week. Have conversations going with a few wonderful ladies that potentially are a match. Signed up on AnastasiaDate and quickly realized it's a scam. How? I'm 46 and quickly received several unsolicited emails from ladies in their twenties. Only received 1 unsolicited email from a lady in her twenties on EM, but several in their 30's-40's. Flattery won't get you anywhere with me unless you know me.
So how is the best way to discuss church with ladies? When?

I'll second this:

Had a buddy who posted on Anastasia that he was in a wheel chair and had AIDS and he rec'd 20 emails the next day.

[Patagonie]

When i registered on a site for which i was having bad impression, i always typed Mr Scam. So when i begin to receive mails in my mailbox beginning by Mr Scam ...................... i know that is a .... scam 

[Anotherkiwi]

When i registered on a site for which i was having bad impression, i always typed Mr Scam. So when i begin to receive mails in my mailbox beginning by Mr Scam ...................... i know that is a .... scam 

Like it -     x 2!

[Shadow]

I'll second this:

Had a buddy who posted on Anastasia that he was in a wheel chair and had AIDS and he rec'd 20 emails the next day.

Do not see a problem with that.... provided he also wrote he was rich. 

[jone]

One of the really neat things about AnastasiaDate.com is that it is populated, for the most part, by young, very young women.  They get all of the attention.  So if you begin communication with someone that isn't a playboy model and is maybe 30+ years old, she isn't getting all of the attention.  But then you would need to adhere to all of the other scam filters as well.  Many of the women on that website are paid to be there through their agencies.  That isn't to say that if the right man came along a lady wouldn't be opportunistic and date him.

[CDW]

I'll second this:

Had a buddy who posted on Anastasia that he was in a wheel chair and had AIDS and he rec'd 20 emails the next day.

I posted on Anastasia few years ago, just using my username and password - no description, no photos, not even where I am from.... and received 110 mails in a week, waiting for me to pay $10 per letter to open!