i met ann english woman

[phleb]

today at work, who has married an iraqi man, and has converted to islam. How easy is it to convert to anothers religion? Im so confused!

[dotty.]

depends on whether you start out with a religion of your own that you feel a great faith with, that's why the Mormons love lapsed Catholics. Athiest are the hardest I would say, they're evolutionists rather than creationists and so can't get it.

[plautus]

Islam is a proselytising religion so it is very easy to convert. Judaism, however, is not. It takes a great deal of effort to become a Jew.

[karenmac60]

Was her name Ann?

[phleb]

sorry i meant to say an

[askyourgran]

Catholicism is the same plautus.

[Baldric]

Does that include surgery as well?

[erin-x]

I'm sure my Aunties sister married an Iraqi man. I don't think she converted....

[askyourgran]

For the Jewish I think so baldric, a little snip for the men from the doc, and also a little surgery from the ladies to relieve them of their wallets. They are not known for their generosity

[boxtops]

It's not difficult - I know several women married to Muslim men, who converted either before or after they married. I know someone who became a Jewess when she married a Jewish man.

I'm not sure why you are confused about it.

[boxtops]

^ and she'd agree with plautus, it was a complex process. Converting to Islam is a much less difficult arrangement.

[phleb]

I am confused, because i feel how can one convert without knowledge of the religion.

[Flyhalf]

Ask you're ran
"They're not known for their generosity"? I'd seriously question that - granted, they are as hard-nosed as they come when engaged in business, but they do spread the gains around, not only among their own community.
When I lived in London in the 60's, not far from Upper Clapton, they would refuse to gamble on charity raffles etc, but were happy to make a donation with no strings attached.

[naomi24]

Religions that are desperate for converts do not require in depth knowledge of the religion. Therefore converting to Islam is simple and amounts to a declaration, which is why it is easy for those who marry Muslims to convert. Converting to Judaism is not easy at all because the Jews consider themselves to be one people and Judaism neither seeks nor wants converts.

Incidentally, all the Jews I have ever known personally have always been extremely generous.

[phleb]

i will read up on these two religions, any recomended books.

[NoMercy]

My late granddad was of Jewish extraction, Naomi. He was very generous. He once gave me a tenner to go to Australia.

[naomi24]

NM, perhaps he didn't want you to go. ;o)

[naomi24]

Phleb, sorry, I can't recommend any specific books. I read anything and everything relating to religion.

[boxtops]

Phleb, there are some very simple guides to comparative religions, some particularly written for the heathcare sector. This is one http://www.hpa.org.uk...gionAndHealthBeliefs/
this is a useful BBC outline http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/ (you can click on the links to find out more about each religion)

There are plenty of other basic guides - some Trusts have written their own, it would be worth looking on your Trust website. It would be useful for your own practise anyway to know more about the basics, as different faiths and cultures have differing views of some clinical interventions.

I would say personally that if I were going to convert I would want to know something about the religion first.