Love & Sex

When we think about a guy's long-term potential, we often overlook one very important factor. Just as important as his single status (not separated, not ready to file divorce docs, but actually truly single) and his heath stats (no STDs) are his religious views. 

It's usually not the first thing that pops in your mind when you meet a dream guy at a bar or even during the first date, but it can be the ultimate deal breaker. Just ask Katie Holmes. So it has been interesting to watch Emily Maynard's various romances blossom on this season's Bachelorette. It turned out that two of her top three picks have strict religious backgrounds. If she ends up with one of them without fully considering his beliefs, it could spell disaster.

Granted, it's not exactly the sexiest subject for a dating show. A lot of viewers probably don't want those boozy, romantic dates sobered up by God talk. But what happens if she can't deal with his convictions? Sean Lowe took his religious beliefs VERY seriously. He bought his Bible with him to the show and openly tweets his beliefs. In fact, when asked how he was doing since Emily kicked him to the curb, he told Wetpaint.com:

I think the main thing that's helped me get through this is just my faith in Christ and knowing when all this happened, as shocked as I was, and as heartbroken as I was, I knew God has a plan for me and this isn't it.

Of course there is another deeply Christian contender still in the game -- Jef Holm, who many blogs have already declared the winner. The South Carolina native grew up Mormon. Though he claims not to be practicing right now, that doesn't mean he won't want to get back into the church later. People often rediscover their faith when they have kids or just as they grow older. What then?

"Faith is a huge part of my life, and there's no way I could fall in love and potentially get engaged without having that conversation," she told the L.A. Times. "He was very open and honest about everything." But can Emily buy into all the teachings of the religion's prophet Joseph Smith? If not, her fairytale romance will soon turn to a nightmare.

Bottom line, it's important to have these conversations early on. You need to know where this stands long before marriage is even a consideration.

Do you think different religious beliefs should matter in a relationship?

Image via ABC