Have any of you converted to another religion, and if so, what were your reasons

1. 86

   Shil1978posted 13 years ago

   Have any of you converted to another religion, and if so, what were your reasons?

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2. 0

   Chasukposted 13 years ago

   I've converted to another religion twice (some would argue only 1.5 times).
   
   I was a Christian who had become disenchanted with my faith. I fell in love with a Jewish girl who opened my eyes to a new world. She wasn't devout in her faith, whereas I had been in mine. I decided to convert to Reform Judaism. I announced this to her.
   
   She explained to me that there were three types of Jews: religious Jews, cultural Jews, and social Jews. A religious Jew believed everything they learned from the rabbi. Her parents were religious Jews. A cultural Jew was someone who had been born into the faith, which they often no longer believed. She was a cultural Jew. A social Jew was someone who had developed an affinity for Judaism. They felt Jewish.
   
   She would be happy marrying someone who was a social Jew, she said.
   
   Yes, I count that as a conversion. I felt Jewish.
   
   Then we broke up and I spent several years desolate, before I met the woman who became my wife.
   
   My wife was a Mormon when I met her. My atheism/agnosticism was deeply ingrained, but there were aspects of Mormon theology that I found appealing (honestly, not the polygamy in Heaven part), and I loved my new bride, so I converted.
   
   We both abandoned Mormonism a decade later, after we began to have qualms about its misogyny and homophobia.
   
   Does that answer your question?

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3. 60

   Techtreeposted 13 years ago

   I am Indian(Hindu) and i never changed my religion.
   Well, in india, people changing their religions for some money.

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4. 86

   Shil1978posted 13 years ago

   Yes - more than answering the question - I was curious to know about reasons why people would change their religion. I do know the common reason, i.e. being disenchanted with their existing religion, but was wondering if other factors too determine this decision.
   
   Marriage as the sole reason for example, and whether they really feel the need to make this decision on their own or do pressures from others play a part as well. I asked this question here to get to know about all of this from real people, as opposed to hearsay.
   
   Thanks for sharing your experience, very fascinating!!

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5. 60

   telltaleposted 13 years ago

   I know of certain people who changed their religion because of a 'calling' at a certain point in life, while others change it because the religion did something good to better the person's life.  Marriage is certainly one reason, as you mentioned, but I did not change to the religion of my wife when I married her.  It is more because that I will be a hypocrite to change if I am not 100% into it.

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