Converting to islam.. no not me, just in general....

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As a Catholic, i would never convert to islam, because i know quite a bit about the religion and what it involves.
But what are some of the features of islam that may want to entice you to convert to it?
Personally, i cant think of anything, cause my faith holds everything i want and need, but some others might find some things about islam that they like that their religion doesnt have…
 
im asking because ive had a few friends convert that were once Catholics, what is the big pull to islam, i tried talking to them, but they obviously dont understand the proper teachings of Catholicism, and dont want to know about it once they made the decision to convert…
 
Islam very much allows one to be of the world, while Christianity says you shouldn’t be. It is one of the major secular criticisms of Christianity, especially since it is often so hard to do. Better to go for a religion that doesn’t require you to turn the other cheek.
 
Me? Nothing. Others…well…I don’t think you’ll find one answer that satisfies all any more than you would find for people converting from another religion to Christianity. But depending on the apostate’s background, I could see the pull of Islam being from any one or several different directions. In Islam, there seems to be:
  • Reverence in worship. For the purposes of argument, nevermind that this worship is not of the true God, Muslims certainly do not allow the kinds of irreverence seen in many Christian churches to creep into their ritual in the mosque.
  • Commitment to their specific ideas about God. They call it “tawhid” (unity/oneness), which is their idea of monotheism. In contrast to the Christian world where for some reason you have Anglican bishops denying Christ’s virgin birth (I can’t recall what it was posted under, but there was a thread on this recently), henotheist heretics like Mormons claiming to be “Christians”, and all kinds of other nonsense that is unorthodox posing as Christianity, it might seem to the outsider (with no knowledge of the various splinter sects claiming descent from the two primary branches of Islam, such as the Druze and the Ahmadiyya) that the Muslims are remarkably united in their doctrine in a way that Christians sadly are not.
  • “Mystical” draw (mostly for Westerners who fetishize such things). Traveling the Coptic Orthodox circles that I have been as of late, I have become quite used to conversations with Muslims who are astonished that Coptic chants and worship service (with prostrations and melisma) “are just like our Sheikhs/just like Islam!”, with the implication that this implies the same source for both religions, or that Christians are aping Islamic practices rather than the other way around (as is in fact the case). So if you are a Westerner, a Latin Catholic or Protestant or whatever, and you come across the Islamic services and are entranced by them, it might make you think that there is a depth to the religion they are a part of that you do not have in your religion.
  • “Completeness” in law. I have had Muslims tell me that Christianity is stupid or illogical because it does not have a complete law code for establishing temporal rule over the world like the shari’a. Umm…no comment! 🤷
  • “Justice”, of a certain kind. Related to 9-2’s comment, Islam does not suffer that its adherents ever be without their right to rule and exact revenge as they see fit. This must be very compelling for people who feel oppressed or powerless in their lives and hence are not so receptive to a message that says you should repay oppression with love.
Those are the main reasons I can think of. They’re not enough for me (and would never be), but they could be for some.
 
I actually believed that Islam was a much older religion than it is. It’s young compared to Judaism or Catholicism.

Muhammad’s scribes wrote the Quran between the years 610 to 632 A.D.
 
Barbkw said:
I actually believed that Islam was a much older religion than it is. It’s young compared to Judaism or Catholicism.

Muhammad’s scribes wrote the Quran between the years 610 to 632 A.D.
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The actual koran book wasn’t written until after mohamads death.
 
"Muslims believe that the Qur’an was revealed from God to Muhammad through the angel Gabriel from 610 to 632 CE, the year of his death.[5][9][10]

Muhammad recited the Qur’an to his followers, numbering tens of thousands, who recited after him, until they had memorized it.

He also dictated it to his scribes (Muhammad was illiterate) who wrote down its verses during his life.

Shortly after Muhammad’s death the Qur’an was established textually into a single book form by the order of the first Caliph Abu Bakr.[11]"

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qur’an
 
I believe it is more accurate to say that the Qur’an was not canonized until after Muhammad’s death. This is an indisputable historical fact. See for instance, a too-brief mention of Uthman’s role here. It’s sort of funny, then, that Muslims harangue us about the alleged “corruption” of our text by virtue of its having undergone a similar recension in the establishment of a standard canon, with much less destruction of texts in the process. Oh, Islam! Thou doth protest too much! 😛
 
I do think there are fractures in Islam like there are in Christanity, but there doesn’t seem to be that many. I’m talking about how there are extremist views held by the “terrorists” and more liberal views. But generally, the “liberal” forms of Islam haven’t been as heavily pollutted by secular influences like some branches of Christianity.

Anyway, I’ know a few people who’ve gone from Christanity to Islam, and one of the girls who did so told me it was because seh felt Islam respected women and their bodies and encouraged modesty to protect women from lewd men. I thought that was one of the sillier things I’d heard, given Catholicism encourages modesty and chastidy without risk of stonning or a face full of acid [in some uneducated places].

The other example I’ve heard is that “Islam is the completeness of Judaism and Christanity”. But the Bible clearly tells us that anything that tries to add to or take away from Christ’s teaching, or that Christ is the son of God, isn’t kosha.
 
well, I believe its because Muslims do seem to be commited to their faith. We have many cafeteria or cultural christians and catholics. Islam do not seem to have these.

Of course, these are merely the words of a fool.
 
Not_Sure said:
well, I believe its because Muslims do seem to be commited to their faith. We have many cafeteria or cultural christians and catholics. Islam do not seem to have these.

Of course, these are merely the words of a fool.
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'course, living under sharia law would force Muslims to be committed… Literally.
 
I’ve heard two things about Islam that some new converts consider alluring. Forgive me in advance for what might appear to be generalizing. First, American pop culture and American Christianity are generally viewed as being increasingly effeminate, and I have seen some men drawn to what they see as a “man’s” religion in Islam. Islam also has an appeal to those who feel marginalized and want to be part of something worldwide as a sort of answer to that marginalization.

We must rededicate ourselves to evangelizing such people. I’m especially talking to myself here, but sometimes Christianity’s evangelistic focus “feels like” it is slowing down a little bit. Christianity is the Truth; it’s not a “flavor” of that truth. It mustn’t be something that men avoid like the plague, nor is it just for the rich! But these are critiques that I have heard firsthand from those who played at Christianity and then became fully Muslim.
 
It’s weird to hear it put that way, but I think you’re really on to something with the manliness comment, Sentry. Then again, I only find it weird because I look at our history and say to myself: You can’t get more manly than St. George! Y’know, the whole “slaying a dragon” thing. Also, please forgive me, moderators and easily offended, should this be deemed inappropriate, but your comment also made me think immediately of this article from the humor website “Cracked” (formerly magazine): Six Saints who Could Kick your *** (Warning: Bad language throughout.)

It’s crude and somewhat irreverent (also, a comedy piece…), but it ultimately makes a good point: Christian saints are not wimps.
 
Ok that was awesome, and it just got my Viking blood all fired up 😃
 
Barbkw said:
"Muslims believe that the Qur’an was revealed from God to Muhammad through the angel Gabriel from 610 to 632 CE, the year of his death.[5][9][10]

Muhammad recited the Qur’an to his followers, numbering tens of thousands, who recited after him, until they had memorized it.

He also dictated it to his scribes (Muhammad was illiterate) who wrote down its verses during his life.

Shortly after Muhammad’s death the Qur’an was established textually into a single book form by the order of the first Caliph Abu Bakr.[11]"

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qur’an
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That what I posted -

The actual koran book wasn’t written until after mohamads death.
 
Not_Sure said:
well, I believe its because Muslims do seem to be commited to their faith. We have many cafeteria or cultural christians and catholics.** Islam do not seem to have these.**Of course, these are merely the words of a fool.
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They can’t leave their faith - if they do, they are given 3 attempts to return

If they don’t return & repent, their result is death under apostasy/treason

I’m sure there are many “cafeteria” muslims - because they don’t want to lose their head or be killed.
 
I know a few “cafeteria Muslims” personally. They’re out there, but generally won’t talk about that aspect of their lives very often or with many people, for obvious reasons.
 
The_Sentry said:
I’ve heard two things about Islam that some new converts consider alluring. Forgive me in advance for what might appear to be generalizing. First, American pop culture and American Christianity are generally viewed as being increasingly effeminate, and I have seen some men drawn to what they see as a “man’s” religion in Islam. Islam also has an appeal to those who feel marginalized and want to be part of something worldwide as a sort of answer to that marginalization.

We must rededicate ourselves to evangelizing such people. I’m especially talking to myself here, but sometimes Christianity’s evangelistic focus “feels like” it is slowing down a little bit. Christianity is the Truth; it’s not a “flavor” of that truth. It mustn’t be something that men avoid like the plague, nor is it just for the rich! But these are critiques that I have heard firsthand from those who played at Christianity and then became fully Muslim.
Click to expand...
In a way I concur with this. Christianity (especially in the West) has reached to a new low. Many families are simply not practicing Christians. One cannot blame the children if they do not find anything attractive or identifying with Christianity at all. On the top of that the Christians they see make very poor witnesses since they are not serious Christians themselves.

It is just like a fad. People seek spirituality and if they encounter Islam, that may be an answer to what they are looking for. In other cases it may be something else.

In Islam however, it is just like entering Hotel California (you know The Eagles). Once you come in you will not get out. It is easier for convert to Islam to revert but very difficult for the children and the following generations.
 
Reuben_J said:
In a way I concur with this. Christianity (especially in the West) has reached to a new low. Many families are simply not practicing Christians. One cannot blame the children if they do not find anything attractive or identifying with Christianity at all. On the top of that the Christians they see make very poor witnesses since they are not serious Christians themselves.

It is just like a fad. People seek spirituality and if they encounter Islam, that may be an answer to what they are looking for. In other cases it may be something else.

In Islam however, it is just like entering Hotel California (you know The Eagles). Once you come in you will not get out. It is easier for convert to Islam to revert but very difficult for the children and the following generations.
Click to expand...
So true, so true.
 
Muslims consider Islam to be the clearest in its simplicity in doctrine. The least of the uneducated can understand the basics of the religion which offers a promise of eternal happiness in a paradise appealing to the senses.

They criticize Christianity for the complexity of its doctrines. The idea that the blessed would see God face-to-face is blasphemous to Muslims.

When I asked some Muslims what they think about jihad, they cite one definition which means “to struggle, to strive hard” (the interior struggle against sin), but they ignore the second which means “to fight.” They disagree about the meaning “holy war.” However, some fundamentalist Islamic sects add jihad as the sixth pillar of the faith. They insist that Muslims have a duty to fight the infidels. (That’s not in the Koran or Hadith).

I have a close relative in her twenties who left the Catholic Church to become a Muslim. I think the main reason is that her boyfriend (now husband) is a Muslim and probably wanted her to convert. She doesn’t admit that but says she hated the idea of going to Confession to confess sins to a man. She wasn’t a strong Catholic in the first place, but didn’t attempt to learn more about the faith. My entreaties were not enough. 😦
 
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