Folks,

From today's paper:

"THE Italian Roman Catholic hierarchy ordered parish priests yesterday to discourage marriages between Catholics and Muslims where possible and to concentrate instead on "converting Muslim immigrants to Christianity".

"In an unusually blunt statement, Monsignor Ennio Antonelli, a spokesman for the Italian Bishops' Conference (CEI), said the Italian Church believed that Muslim-Catholic marriages were "less than ideal" and applications for a special dispensation by mixed couples should be examined "more rigorously". He said that most mixed marriages involved Italian Catholic women marrying Muslim men from North Africa and Asia. ""

"There are an estimated 600,000 immigrants from Islamic countries in Italy, some of whom are legally registered, but some of whom entered Italy illegally and are known as clandestini."

Of course, if Christians and Mohammadens worship the same God, are spiritual brothers, and follow a common "Abrahamic religion," one wonders why such marriages would be a bad thing.

-- Steve Jackson (SteveJ100@hotmail.com), February 04, 2000

Answers

Steve writes, "Of course, if Christians and Mohammedans worship the same God, are spiritual brothers, and follow a common 'Abrahamic religion,' one wonders why such marriages would be a bad thing."

It would not be a "bad" thing. If the Moslem husband is actually practicing his religion, it would be a "tragic" thing.

According to what I have read -- and I am open to being corrected -- a Moslem woman, according to Islamic law, may not marry a Christian man, even if he will allow her to practice her faith. Conversely, a Moslem man MAY marry a Christian woman, but she may not then practice her religion publicly. Instead, she will be proselytized intensely, with the hope that she will become a Moslem. Moreover, the couple's children must become Moslems.

It is a tremendous injustice for the wife to be deprived of the right to attend Mass and receive Holy Communion. It is a great sadness and injustice for the children not to be baptized, to learn about their savior, Jesus, etc..

Finally there is the subject of the treatment of the Christian wife -- again, subject to correction, because I have not observed this with my own eyes. I have read that, under Islamic law (which the husband will try to enforce), a woman is not considered equal in dignity and rights to a man -- contrary to Christian belief. She may be subject to emotional, perhaps even physical, abuse that ought not be tolerated by anyone, Christian or otherwise. [I apologize in advance to Moslem visitors, if what I have been told and read is not accurate. If there is a Catholic convert from Islam here, I would appreciate his/her contribution to this thread. Such a convert may know exactly why the Italian Bishops' Conference acted as it did.]

God bless you.
JFG

-- J. F. Gecik (jgecik@desc.dla.mil), February 04, 2000.

Whenever there is an interfaith marriage there is difficulty, it comes down to a matter of respecting one another's faith. I found your comment about the difference of how Islamic woman and how catholic woman are treated - for the most part I am of the opinion they were treated the same. The Catholic church has come a long way in the uplifting of how men treat their mates, don't forget it wasn't that long ago when woman were treated as possessions and the more children you had the better, and God forbid you couldn't have any children, you were considered worthless. Is there that much difference, hmmmm, maybe not!

-- Mary Olson (PoodleLove2@netscape.net), February 04, 2000.

Mary writes, "The Catholic church has come a long way in the uplifting of how men treat their mates, don't forget it wasn't that long ago when woman were treated as possessions and the more children you had the better, and God forbid you couldn't have any children, you were considered worthless. Is there that much difference, hmmmm, maybe not! "

I hope that, in a calmer moment, you would admit that you don't really believe this, Mary, because it is terribly distorted and exaggerated. There are hints, in your words, that you yourself (or your mother?) were hurt at some point, and you are lashing out as though seeking revenge. Either that or you may have been brain-washed by lies read in anti-Catholic, radical-feminist literature.

Rather than try to rebut the various points you tried to make, I will simply ask you to cease doing what so many people (especially ill-educated non-Catholics and fallen-away Catholics) do -- namely, ascribing to the Catholic Church herself the errors and sins of certain members. Look to the official teaching of the Church throughout her history (especially as contained in the Catechisms and other Vatican documents) and look to the writings of many saints concerning women. You will not find promoted the ill treatment that you so properly despise. No, it has been sinful individual Catholics who have been injurious to women through the centuries -- but no more so than individuals of other religions.

There is not, and never has been, any religion that has so much cared about the welfare of women and that has so admired (even venerated) great women as has the Catholic Church. A person who has been hurt by personal injury can accidentally overlook this.

Childless women considered worthless? Absolutely not. The Church has always admired consecrated virginity (women religious in community), has approved of working women living in the world while remaining unmarried all their lives (e.g., nurses, teachers, etc.), and has had compassion toward married women who could not bear children. If some stupid individual men considered these women (especially the last group) worthless, that does not give any of us the right to call the Catholic Church "anti-woman" or to consider it on a par with Islam.

God bless you.
JFG


-- J. F. Gecik (jgecik@desc.dla.mil), February 05, 2000.

Is the treatment given to women in Islam the same as the one given in Christianity? Legally and from a religious point of view absolutely NO. Just read in the Kuram, sura IV,28: men are superior to women; women can be beaten by their husbands!!!!

That there are some Christians who think and act as if they were following the Kuram, there is no doubt about it, but this is not what Christ wants and expects from His followers.

Enrique

-- Enrique Ortiz (eaortiz@yahoo.com), February 05, 2000.

In this matter the Lord is quite clear.

2 COR 6:14-15 "Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? What does a believer have in coomon with an unbeliever? What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God."

Christians should never marry anyone other than a Christian . . . period. There should be no exceptions in this matter.

Interfaith marriages are simply a demonstration that our carnal natures (fleshly desires) are more powerful than our spiritual natures (our desire to please and obey God). In other words, it is a sign of our sinfulness. The Church of Jesus Christ, regardless of the denominational label, should never endorse such actions.

Dave

-- David Bowerman (dbowerman@blazenet.net), February 06, 2000.

You make a good points, Dave, ith respect to why inter-faith marriages take place (final paragraph).

But I think that you may have gone a bit too far in stating, "Christians should never marry anyone other than a Christian ... period. There should be no exceptions in this matter."

It is up to the Holy See to decide whether or not there should be exceptions. To my knowledge, the Vatican has always permitted such exceptions in the case of marriage between Christians and Jews and between Christians and Moslems (while discouraging at least the latter).

I think that the Magisterium has interpreted the passage you quoted (from St. Paul) as referring to atheists, believers in false Roman/Greek gods, and their counterparts today -- but not as referring to Jews and Moslems, who worship the one and only God.

God bless you.
JFG

-- J. F. Gecik (jgecik@desc.dla.mil), February 06, 2000.

JFG,

You probably aren't aware, but I am not a Catholic. So I am one who is more concerned with what the Holy Scriptures teach than what the Holy See teaches. The scripture I quoted does not leave room for believers to marry unbelievers. That the Catholic Church has chosen to compromise on what the scriptures have so clearly defined is, in my opinion, unwise at the very least.

As far as Jews and Moslems worshipping the one true God, I disagree. Jesus said "No one comes to the Father except through me". So the eternal fate of Jews and Moslems is the exact same as that of an atheist -- eternal damnation. They are unbelievers plain and simple and should be treated as such.

Dave

-- David Bowerman (dbowerman@blazenet.net), February 06, 2000.

JFG,

Sometimes when I come back to see if anyone responded and read what I wrote, I can't believe how direct and unfriendly I can sound at times. I apologize for the tone of my response to you.

I could have let my comments end with the explanation that I am not Catholic. That would have sufficed to explain why my primary authority will always be Holy Scripture as opposed to the leadership of the Catholic Church. I think you will find we agree on many topics and that I try to avoid the ones where we obviously will disagree.

God bless you.

Dave

-- David Bowerman (dbowerman@blazenet.net), February 06, 2000.

Thanks for the clarification, Dave. I was unaware that you are a non-Catholic Christian.

Yes, clearly we disagree on some things, and I too will try to avoid conflicts. I will just comment on the most fundamentally incorrect thing that you wrote: "That the Catholic Church has chosen to compromise on what the scriptures have so clearly defined is, in my opinion, unwise at the very least."

As I hope any Catholic would tell you, it is impossible for the Catholic Church, in her official teachings, to "compromise on" the scriptures, because she ...
(1) pre-existed the New Testament scriptures,
(2) for decades, she taught what they contain, before they were written down,
(3) she was used by God to write them down,
(4) she preserved them against heavy odds [i.e., without her you wouldn't have them to quote],
(5) she continues to pass down the authentic meaning of them, so that people need not interpret them over 20,000 different ways.

May Jesus bless you.
JFG

-- J. F. Gecik (jgecik@desc.dla.mil), February 07, 2000.

JFG,

OK OK, I'll let that post stand without without retort from me. I suppose that was a fair enough response based on my comment :-)

Take care brother and by the way, I really enjoy your posts.

Dave

-- David Bowerman (dbowerman@blazenet.net), February 07, 2000.

"Take care brother and by the way, I really enjoy your posts."
Thanks, brother, and I enjoy most of yours -- which is probably why I mistook you for a Catholic. {8^D)
JFG
PS: If you should feel called to it, today or down the line, Marcus Grodi is standing by to hear from you:
http://www.catholicity.com/cathedral/chnetwork/ [click here]

-- J. F. Gecik (jgecik@desc.dla.mil), February 08, 2000.

JFG,

Thanks for the invitation. Our friends David Palm and Chris Butler are probably still holding out hope that I'll "come home" as well -- and that's OK. I am interested in their and others perspectives and have come to respect them as my brothers.

Without boring you with historical details, I was raised a faithful Catholic (altar boy for 6 years) and chose to leave the Catholic Church once I was filled with the Holy Spirit at the age of 22. While that choice was more a matter of following the Spirit's leading at the time and seeking a greater depth of worship and God's Word (which I found in the Assemblies of God), I gradually educated myself on the differences between Catholics and Pentecostal/Charismatics and decided that I disagreed with far more Catholic doctrines than "Protestant" doctrines (which I place in quotes due to the vast differences between the denominations). And while I continue to evolve my understanding of God and His Word, I am very sure of my place outside of the Catholic Church. I continue to post here on occasion out of a bond I have with some of the posters and a sense that there are those here who are asking genuine questions that deserve honest and true answers. I post in the hope that I can add some "food for thought".

See ya around.

God bless.

Dave

-- David Bowerman (dbowerman@blazenet.net), February 08, 2000.

This is a test.

-- Mr. Tester (chester@bestertester.com), February 09, 2000.

There must obviously be exceptions to a rule. We know that St. Augustine's mother, St. Monica was married to a pagan-- and secured her husband's salvation as well as the son's --through her own faith and heroic prayer. Still, if a Christian girl of less than saintly qualities enters into marriage with a Moslem, she'll meet incredible challenges to her faith. Not only from the man she marries; conceivably she might convert him someday, by God's grace. But even from his immediate family and clansmen. And forget about her children, they'll be strictly raised in Islam. If by some misfortune, she fails to produce children, she'll also have to accept another wife in their home-- even if it's an underling. This one's role will be as child-bearer; worse yet, a rival who belittles her in everyone's eyes and will never allow her to forget her barrenness. More than most women can bear. Still; there might be exceptions /

-- Eugene Chavez (rechavez@popmail.ucsd.edu), April 03, 2000.

Well if I have to follow the book byte by byte as it is script I would say christians must not marry except christians but I will also say that a husband and a wife once married nothing and no power can separet them.But now adays u all know there r lot of christian divorces and anulation of marriages so there r things that is made by the churchs authorities and called church laws.These laws or openions vary from one rite to another example from catholic to orthoxocx... In my deep heart I beleive by the bible and book and as i said before only one marriage only one wife only one hysband till death do part and between christians only. But if i have to take a jury place and judge for people and make laws as a man of power in a christian chair. I would do the same flexabilities the priests and bishops r making like divorse and annulation and.... For a beleif is not a byte by byte thing it is a way of life.I bet no one can give a firm answer whether it is right or wrong to have a catholic wife and a moslem husband as same as a divorced couple or annulation of marriage even after having kids.I hope someone can find me a more conviencing data and email me.I am very open to discussion.

-- Y.L.M. (candle@hotmail.com), December 28, 2001.

Hello all , The truth is that the Catholic Church is afraid that it is losing many of its adherents , this time not to comunism , but to Islam. The only true Abrahimic religion , as Abraham/peace be upon , as well as all the prophets of Allah/the exalted one ...preached the same message of "There is no God save Allah " to the people to whom they were sent .(Prophets and Messangers) Mohammedans/ is a term used by non-muslims....but they are called Muslims ( those who submitted to the true one God ) , as such are all the prophets of Allah , including Jesus/as . There are numerous accounts in the New Testament which also deny Jesus’ divinity.

For example, in Matthew 19:17, Jesus responded to one who addressed him as “O good master”, saying: “Why callest thou me good? There is none good but one, that is God.” If he rejected being called “good”,[2] and stated that only God is truly good, he clearly implies that he is not God. For example, in Matthew 19:17, Jesus responded to one who addressed him as “O good master”, saying: “Why callest thou me good? There is none good but one, that is God.” If he rejected being called “good”, [2] and stated that only God is truly good, he clearly implies that he is not God. In John 14:28, Jesus was saying: “The Father is greater than I.” By stating that the “Father” is greater than himself, Jesus distinguishes himself from God. Also in John 20:17, Jesus told Mary Magdalene to tell his followers: “I ascend unto my Father and your Father; and to my God and your God.” Jesus’ reference to God as “my Father and your Father” further emphasizes the distinction between himself and God. Furthermore, by referring to God as “his God”, he left no room for anyone to intelligently claim that he was God. Even in some of the writings of Paul, which the Church has taken to be sacred, Jesus is referred to as a “man”, distinct and different from God. In 1st Timothy, 2:5, Paul writes: “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.”

There are also verses in the Qur‘aan which confirm Prophet Muhammad’s humanity, in order to prevent his followers from elevating him to a divine or semi-divine status, as was done to Prophet Jesus. For example, in Chapter al-Kahf (18):110, Allaah instructs the Prophet Muhammad (e) to inform all who hear his message: “Say: ‘Indeed, I am only a man like you to whom it has been revealed that your God is only one God.’ ” All praise is due to God, who is guiding many Christians to realise that God is truly One, the All-Mighty, free of all imperfections, and that everlasting salvation lies in turning to Him and Him only in all acts of worship, that Jesus(P) is the messenger of God, and that Muhammad(P) is the last of the messengers of God. You are invited to read the testimonies of many former Christians who have embraced Islam, but bear in mind that this is only a drop in the ocean, as daily there are hundreds of conversions from Christianity to Islam all around the world. Amongst the most powerful and thought-provoking testimonies are those of former Christian priests and missionaries who have discovered the one true religion. http://thetruereligion.org/priests.htm And thou wilt find the nearest of them in affection to those who believe (to be) those who say: Lo! We are Christians. That is because there are among them priests and monks, and because they are not proud. When they listen to that which hath been revealed unto the messenger, thou seest their eyes overflow with tears because of their recognition of the Truth. They say: Our Lord, we believe. Inscribe us as among the witnesses [5:82-83] If you are a Christian, then we invite you to embrace Islam, the one true religion of Abraham(P), Moses(P), Jesus(P), and Muhammad(P), by bearing witness that there is none worthy of worship but God and that Muhammad(P) is the final messenger of God. In doing so, you will have taken the path of true guidance and submission to God. All human beings are born pure, and by embracing Islam, you will return to the original and sinless state in which God created you. You will experience true freedom - the pure, direct, and exclusive worship of the One True God, free of any intermediaries between you and Him. You will find that you have entered a religion pure and clear, free of confusion and contradiction, with a preserved Book and a beautiful way of life. And in the hereafter, you will abide forever in peace, in gardens beneath which rivers flow, and you will look upon the Face of the Lord. Say: O People of the Scripture! Come to an agreement between us and you: that we shall worship none but Allah, and that we shall ascribe no partner unto Him, and that none of us shall take others for lords beside Allah. And if they turn away, then say: Bear witness that we are they who have surrendered (unto Him) [3:64]

-- Said Jama (imanbillahi@yahoo.com), December 26, 2003.

Hello all , The truth is that the Catholic Church is afraid that it is losing many of its adherents , this time not to communism , but to Islam.

Actually the opposite is true. Where Christianity is allowed to be taught, it has grown. In Islamic countries Christians are killed or imprisoned for teaching about Christ. That does not happen to Moslems in Christian countries. The largest Christian country today, by the way, is the USA where Catholicism is the largest Church and is rapidly growing. Islam has a very small presence in the USA, and is not predicted to grow that much in the next 25 years. There is not that much of a desire amongst free people to embrace Islam.

[Islam. ] The only true Abrahimic religion

Says who?

As for your gospel quotes. You need to understand the Trinity, which was part of Jesus' message. All good comes from the Father through the Son. So Christ is not the source of what is good, but God the Father is. But Christ is still God. No one is saved except through Christ. This plan is a "grace was given to us in Christ Jesus before the ages began. That clear message from Christ that you cannot deny is throughout the gospels. Jesus himself affirms that God is "the one Lord" whom you must love "with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength." [Mk 12:29-30] At the same time Jesus gives us to understand that he himself is "the Lord." [Mk 12:35-37] To confess that Jesus is Lord is distinctive of Christian faith. This is not contrary to belief in the One God. Nor does believing in the Holy Spirit as "Lord and giver of life" introduce any division into the One God.

For someone who is not well versed in the teachings of Christ, this might be confusing. A good article with a proof from scripture on the Trinity is here: http://www.newadven t.org/cathen/15047a.htm

In Christ,
Bill

-- Bill Nelson (bnelson45@hotmail.com), December 26, 2003.

Thanks, Bill;
You made clear enough why Islam is NOT the everlasting religion, but a phase in human history with a beginning and an end. Christian faith, defined by the Catholic religion on the other hand, is everlasting. This is Christ's own promise. He never promised Muhamad anything, except that, like other false Christ's, we should recognise them by the fruits they bear.

Islam very clearly bears evil fruits. Everywhere muslims go, destruction and pain result. For every enforced semblance of faith the muslim shows, error and pride curdles it and corrupts that faith. Cruelty, prejudice and hatred are the daily sins of Islam's believers. There is hardly any other religion so intent on harming one's neighbor as an act of faith. This is no secret; we see the fruits everywhere today.

Even above all plotting and murdering and fanaticism, there is the sin against every daughter, every sister, every spouse, ever the most prevalent. Female circumcisions, gross cruelty like attacks with acid in their faces, stoning in many cases; the subservience and fear imposed on women--

All point to that evil source: the ''Prophet''.

For thinking men and woment to accept any word of such a malevolent teacher is simple blindness. A people living in darkness.

We must pray with all our hearts for the liberation into LIGHT of muslims, in the Mercy of Jesus Christ the Light of the world. Surely that day will come; because no evil lasts forever. Like all man-made religions, Islam will one day be history. God willing, through Jesus Christ Our Lord, AMEN!

-- eugene c. chavez (loschavez@pacbell.net), December 26, 2003.

Dear Folks , This is about the prophecy of prophet Mohammad/peace and blessing of Allah be upon him , which said that Rome will be an islamic city.

From Abu Qabeel who said: We were with 'Abdullaah ibn 'Amr ibn al 'Aas and he was asked which city will be conquered first Constantinople or Rome? So 'Abdullaah called for a sealed trunk and he said: Take out a book from it. Then 'Abdullaah said: Whilst we were with the Messenger of Allaah sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam writing, The Messenger of Allaah sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam was asked: Which city will be conquered first, Constantinople or Rome? So Allaah's Messenger sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam said: "The city of Heracilius will be conquered first " meaning Constantinople.[6]

The first conquest mentioned, occurred at the hands of Muhammad al Fattaah al-Uthmaanee as is well known and it occurred more than eight hundred years after the Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam foretold of the conquest. So the second conquest will take place, by the permission of Allaah the Most High and it is certain and you will hear of it after a time. There is also no doubt that the fulfillment of the second conquest necessitates the return of the rightly guided Khilaafah to the Muslim Ummah, which is what he sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam foretold with his saying in the hadeeth:

"Indeed, no one despairs of Allaah's Mercy, except those who disbelieve." [Soorah Yoosuf 12:87]. I ask that Allaah makes us all true Believers in Him.

ISLÂM IS YOUR BIRTHRIGHT

Islâm states clearly that everyone is born a Muslim and is therefore monotheistic by nature. We read in the Qur'an that humanity has been created with the natural disposition towards the unity of God. This is to be expected, for Allah, who has breathed His spirit into each of us, is Himself the example of perfect unity. In the words of the Prophet Muhammad: "Every person is born with the innate religious faith (to submit to God Almighty)." Thus when an individual accepts Islâm, he is not turning his back on any prior revelation but rather is returning to the original and true revelation of Allah and to his own nature as a creation of Allah. This being the case, Islâm is your birthright-other religious or ideological systems are either corruptions or outright denials of Islâm.

May Allah /the exalted one...guide us to the straight path (Islam).

-- Said Jama (imanbillahi@yahoo.com), December 26, 2003.

Said Jama,

Yes, there have been a lot of egotistical men in world history who had the 'truth'. The list is almost endless. But there is only one God and only one Truth and that is that He sent His Son to earth to die for our sins. Sorry to disappoint you, but Christianity is growing, not shrinking and so is the Catholic Church. And Christianity continues to grow where free men have the opportunity to learn about the Good News of Jesus Christ.

Muhammad invented Islam because he was jealous that non-Arabs had a covenant with God that he didn't see in the Arab world and the Arabs were in-fighting. Instead of embracing Christianity, which he knew very little about, he invented a purely Arab religion. It is good that he cared so much about his kinsfolk that he wanted them to stop fighting each other, but the religion came 600 years after Christ preached the Good News and he missed the message. There are a lot of errors in Islam, and we can tell from the fruit it is bearing in our time just how wrong it is. So it is really fruitless for you to try to convince us to abandon truth for the fiction of Islam. We are not in the same place the pagan Arabs were. We know what the Truth is.

If you all really had faith in Islam you would allow direct competition. Until then, you can quote Muhammad until the cows come home and it will not matter any [if you can avoid his contradicting himself ;) ]

In Christ, Bill

-- Bill Nelson (bnelson45@Hotmail.com), December 26, 2003.

Said:
It's apparent that you aren't even reading the words here addressed to you; but only copying from someplace the standard muslim propaganda. We can see this because there isn't any answer to a Catholic's objection. You are disarmed. You follow a false prophet. God have mercy on you and all muslims.

-- eugene c. chavez (loschavez@pacbell.net), December 26, 2003.

For your Folks / to ponder There is no doubt that Allah/the exalted one has given you the freedom either to accept or denie the truth , as He has the power to reward those who accept the true message of Jesus and Mohammad/may allah's peace and blessing be upon him / with Paradise ,and He promised that for those who reject it , Hellfire.

I have quoted from the bible and you ignored ? How you can call yourself Christian/ or followers of Christ then ?!!!

Regarding the fact that Islam is the fastest growing religion in America (U.S) there is no doubt as the above article shows :

Islam Attracts Converts by the Thousands, Drawn Before and After Attacks

By Jodi Wilgoren, The New York Times, October 22 2001 CE

ALLWIN, Mo., Oct. 20 — Since she became a Muslim six months ago, Angela Davis has given up many things. She stopped listening to music, started sleeping on the floor, put away her 100 Disney videos and traded her porcelain doll collection for velvet posters with verses from the Koran.

Now, in the aftermath of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, Ms. Davis may have to give up her children.

After her photograph, in full veil, appeared in the local newspaper on Sept. 30, Ms. Davis's soon-to-be-ex-husband refused to return their children, 5 and 2, from a weekend visit. She has not seen them since.

"It's a test that is given to me from Allah to see if my faith is strong enough," said Ms. Davis, 27, who discovered Islam in an Internet chat room this spring and now teaches pre-kindergarten at the Al-Salam Day School in this St. Louis suburb. "I'm asked to give up my religion for my kids, but I won't do it. On Judgment Day, as much as I love my kids, they won't be there with me."

Though her situation is extreme, Ms. Davis is one of thousands of new Muslim converts struggling with their identities amid anti-Muslim fervor and declarations of an Islamic holy war being broadcast on television. Already estranged from relatives and friends, some of whom accuse them of joining a cult, these new Muslims face catcalls and fresh challenges to their faith.

Many say the events of Sept. 11 only confirmed their commitment. Shannon Staloch is not sure why, but upon hearing of the hijackings, she immediately grabbed a book from her backpack and recited the Arabic declaration of belief; she made the conversion official 12 days later.

"You know how the world changed when that happened and everyone was shaky?" Ms. Staloch said. "I wanted something steady."

With some 6 million adherents in the United States, Islam is said to be the nation's fastest-growing religion, fueled by immigration, high birth rates and widespread conversion. One expert estimates that 25,000 people a year become Muslims in this country; some clerics say they have seen conversion rates quadruple since Sept. 11.

Experts say Islam is attractive because of its universal message — the faithful believe that everyone is born Muslim and thus call the transformation reversion, not conversion — and because its teachings incorporate other traditions, honoring Jesus Christ, the Jewish patriarch Abraham and other Biblical figures as prophets. Though missionary work is rare in Islam, spreading the message is demanded by the Koran. Conversion is as simple as reciting one sentence — "I bear witness that there is no deity except Allah and that Muhammad is his messenger" — in front of witnesses, a ceremony known as Shahadah.

"There's no class," said Khalid Yahya Blankinship, chairman of the religion department at Temple University. "There isn't really a formalized requirement, you don't have to be tested." Mr. Blankinship, who converted to Islam in 1973 and has since witnessed 100 Shahadahs, added: "It's very important that Islam should spread. The idea is that one should want other souls to be saved."

The vast majority of converts are African-Americans, who make up about a third of Muslims in the United States. Thousands find Allah while in jail or in recovery from drug or alcohol addiction. Less familiar are the lapsed Catholics and lost Jews, often highly educated professionals, who come to the mosque.

Many convert because they want to marry a Muslim who demands it, a common reason for conversions in any religion.

"I would never have changed if it wasn't for Rania," David Nerviani, a St. Louis police officer, said of his Egyptian-born wife, a bartender he met on patrol. "It's probably not that deep for me."

Others find Islam through friendships on college campuses, research papers on world religions or trolling the Internet.

Some just feel called. Abdullah Reda of Reston, Va., said the news of Susan Smith, the South Carolina woman who drowned her two sons, brought him to Islam. A 13-year-old California girl had an epiphany during a sunset drive through the red rocks of Arizona. Katie Mathews, a graduate student at Washington University in St. Louis, who plans to make her Shahadah on her 23rd birthday in November, prayed for a sign and soon saw a license plate, "4 ALLAH."

Nine years ago, Jim Hacking was in training to be a Jesuit priest. Now, he is an admiralty lawyer in St. Louis who has spent much of the last month explaining Islam at interfaith gatherings. Mr. Hacking's search began in the 12-step program Overeaters Anonymous and intensified when he befriended an Egyptian-born woman, Amany Ragab, at the law review at St. Louis University. He made the Shahadah on June 6, 1998, and proposed marriage to her the next day. This summer, the couple traveled to Mecca.

"The thing I've always latched to is that there's one God, he doesn't have equals, he doesn't need a son to come do his work," Mr. Hacking, 31, said. "Giving up the pork and the alcohol was the easy part — I never drank much, but I did like bacon. The hard part, and the part I still struggle with every day, is being a good person, and living a good clean life."

To help with the social transition, the All Dulles Area Muslim Society in Sterling, Va., pairs converts with mentors. Other mosques offer seminars in the basics of Arabic prayer. Web sites like jews- for-allah.org and understandingislam.tripod.com provide glossaries to common Muslim expressions, step-by-step guides to ritual washing, interactive games to teach Arabic, and profiles of fellow converts, organized alphabetically, by county of origin and by former religion.

Perhaps the greatest challenge is maintaining family relationships, as parents often view conversion as a betrayal. One Web site offers a how- to guide for telling relatives. "Do not allow them to drag you into a conflict regarding religion at all," it lectures.

Ms. Stolach, who teaches middle- school literacy, said her mother had helped her shop for hijab, the traditional Muslim head covering, but Ms. Mathews says the main reason she has delayed her Shahadah is that she is living with her parents.

"My mom, she's Christian and she's very upset," Ms Mathews said. "I told her about my signs. She said, how do I know it's not the Devil?"

"The Koran says you have to obey your parents, heaven is at the foot of your mother," she added. "I have to obey God before I obey my mother."

Let me end my last message to you people denying the truth . With the surat al kafirun/ the disbelievers In the name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful.

Say: O unbelievers!

I do not serve that which you serve,

Nor do you serve Him Whom I serve:

Nor am I going to serve that which you serve,

Nor are you going to serve Him Whom I serve:

You shall have your religion and I shall have my religion

-- Said Jama (imanbillahi@yahoo.com), December 26, 2003.

Said Jama, I am starting to agree with Eugene, you aren't talking with us, you are cutting and pasting propaganda. Not exactly a dialog. When you are ready to discuss, I will respond further, until then, have a good day.

-bill

-- Bill Nelson (bnelson45@hotmail.com), December 26, 2003.

From what I have noticed, the protestant churches will marry anyone - no questions asked.

All depends on the church, Hugh.

In Christ,
Bill

-- Bill Nelson (bnelson45@hotmail.com), December 30, 2003.

Shall I go on? These are all people that I have direct knowledge of and I only wish I was exaggerating!

Hugh, You can find a protestant church to marry you no questions asked, if you are looking for one. I agree with you there. However, there are protestant churchs that require you to convert first, or to at least attend religious classes and promise to raise your children as Christians. Remember, they are pretty diverse in what they teach.

In Christ,
Bill

-- Bill Nelson (bnelson45@hotmail.com), December 31, 2003.

Hugh,
I have no reason to question your experience. However to try to extrapolate from that to the entire spere of Protestalism, is not possible. Again, I have different experiences.

Take care,
Bill

-- Bill Nelson (bnelson45@hotmail.com), December 31, 2003.