The other day, I was asked by a friend if I would ever consider dating a man whose political opinions differ greatly from mine. I had always joked about this saying I would never date someone on the other side of the aisle, however, I had never truly given this idea the proper thought needed.

With the extreme political polarization in this country currently, it would be upsetting for me to admit that I would be making decisions that would technically worsen the problem. However, taking a closer look at this question, I think that political ideology is actually a very important factor in a relationship. To say that a Republican and a Democrat can never have a successful relationship would be an exaggeration, however, there are some fundamental moral beliefs that are associated with each party.

With political ideology comes moral stances that differentiating ideologies do differ on. Having a significant other who has a different opinion on tax reform or social security would not be an issue I consider morally compromising. It is healthy to have intelligent conversations with your partner about issues that seem far away from your personal lives.

Some couples who are in a healthy and committed relationship will eventually become intimate with one and other. This is when I feel the stances on abortion are imperative to agree on. When two partners are engaging in acts that could result in a child, they need to be on the same page of what exactly they feel a child is. Do they believe in life at conception? Do they feel that it is the women's choice alone, or do they have a pro choice stance in general? Many moral issues can affect a relationship. Will one of the significant others want a gun in the home? Does the husband believe in women having children and working? These are the issues that I cannot overlook in terms of finding partnerships with someone

Part of being in an adult relationship is being able to face the facts that there are some issues that will come in the middle of an otherwise healthy relationship. There are a magnitude of morally binding issues that are tied into a person's ideology, and they should be discussed in mature relationships.