Christina

So, I've been many religions in my life, mostly because I've been exploring. I like exploring, it's brought me great respect for the belief systems of my fellow humans. For the past few years, I've considered myself a Celtic Christian (Christian mixing some ancient beliefs and such from the Isles) and I've been very comfortable there. My wife (yes we're lesbians. That's totally not the issue here, so please no lectures.) has not been religious in several years. She's been researching, and keeps going back to Judaism. Finally, she convinced me to look into it. I was very gung ho trying to please her. We went to Shabbat services recently, and she connected very heavily to it. I on the other hand didn't. It was beautiful, and I respected it greatly, but I didn't feel the power behind it that she did. We met with the Rabbi to discuss conversion, and he was very sweet and welcoming. In fact, all of the attendants at the Shabbat service were wonderful. But the Rabbi made it clear that the only way he would sponsor us for conversion is if we BOTH converted. He said the process is too difficult to go through without your spouse going through it with you. I've been worried about my wife for some time now, because she's been struggling with her spirituality. She hasn't felt connected to God in any way, and in fact she felt rejected by Christianity and the Christian God (I don't know exactly why she feels that way, but she does, no matter how many times I've tried to convince her otherwise) The worst part is that she really wants to be religious. She believes in God. So now, I'm a little stuck. My wife is dead set on converting. I'm not sure. I don't really want to because I enjoy being an Episcopalian (No bashing please! I'm a thinking Christian!!) And all I can do is think about all the things I'd be giving up if I converted. But... I worry about my wife, and her happiness and health. She's told me that this is the only way she can connect to God, which she desperately wants. So I'm stuck between making my wife miserable, or giving up my own faith. What would you do? Any thoughts or advice?

Sorry about the long read. And PS: Please, seriously no rude answers. No "you're going to burn in hell"... I don't really believe in it, thanks. And whilst I have the utmost respect for atheists, it isn't for me, thank you.

...for purposes of having children, then why do we allow infertile couples to marry? Or elderly couples, where the woman has gone through menopause? Has anyone heard a decent answer to these questions?

PS. Don't be rude! I'm a lesbian who's all for marriage equality. I'm just trying to find more ways to debunk these scary fundamentalists. Love and light to you all!

I hope you all haven't answered this question about a million times already, but do you know if it is? I've been feeling SO uncreative lately, and have been having lots of miscommunications. Ugh! Hopefully if it's in retrograde still, it'll end soon!

...why do you add the letters "SWT" after? What does it mean?

Peace be with you!

Hello! I'm beginning the process of converting to Judaism from Christianity. One of the things that really brings me comfort is prayers before bedtime, and I've been missing doing them. Is there a prayer that you can recommend for me? Some form of nighttime prayer that I can say before going to sleep? Thank you in advance!!

Please no snarky comments. I'm a seeker, asking a genuine question. Please only serious answers. I've already chosen my path and I'm very happy there. Thank you!

PLEASE don't think I'm being rude. I'm just a curious seeker. But I know as a Theist, in times of crisis or difficulty, I turn to my chosen Deity for strength and comfort. In times of crisis, what do you turn to? What helps give you strength and comfort? What sees you through the tough times?

And please, no rude answers. I'm just trying to understand, as I've never known an Atheist that I could ask. Thanks for your answers in advance, love and light to you!

My partner and I have decided to convert to Judaism. We have found a Conservative shul that we will be visiting this week to discuss conversation with the Rabbi. I have to admit I'm quite nervous about this! We've been discussing conversion for several years now, and have finally decided to do it. I understand that according to tradition, the Rabbi may turn us away up to three times, and I'm prepared for that.

However, once he stops turning us away, is there anything he will ask of us? Any studying we should do (aside from the research we've already done about the different sects of Judaism, and research enough to understand that we want to convert) Is there anything we should walk in there knowing? Anything we should expect from the Rabbi? Any insights you can give me would be fantastic, thank you so much!

Edit: Please no rude comments. No, I don't want to be saved, I firmly believe God exists, I don't want to change my mind. This is my chosen path, please respect it as I respect you. Love and light to all of you.

And I've been told by many people, and seen from example that immersion is the best way. So I'm curious, does anyone know of some good French language rock bands, videos, etc that you'd recommend? Thanks in advance!

What would be some good resources for me to find more real, solid information? Unfortunately I've lost touch with all my Muslim friends, and I want to know more. Thank you in advance, and bright blessings!

Hello all! My partner and I are considering converting from Christianity to Judaism. I'm really curious about the process, and if any of you have gone through it. I'm currently in the process of trying to find a shul in my area. What about conversion if you're converting to Reform? What about Conservative? I'd really appreciate anyone who could give me some insight. Thanks in advance!

So, with all the debate about gay marriage, I have been doing some research. In the US, we have a constitutional separation of church and state, we have freedom of religion and freedom FROM religion. My question is, has anyone here ever heard a valid NON-RELIGIOUS argument against gay marriage? Or are all the arguments religious? Please no cruel answers, I'm genuinely curious. I am a lesbian, so I'd really like gay marriage to come through.

I've been wanting to get involved more in my community by doing some volunteer work. I'm actually wanting to work with GLBT youth. There are so many with issues, and having a hard time, and I think I have a lot to offer them, having had a lot of experience in this arena. I would like to help these kids out. Does anyone know of any organisations that I might be able to get involved with? I'm in the Dallas area in Texas. However, I do have a bit of a hard time getting out of the house, so an online support would be preferable. I really want to help! Please no rude answers.

Right now I'm a US citizen. My partner and I are thinking about immigrating to Canada in the near future, and I was wondering about health care. I am currently under treatment for a mental illness. I need continuous treatment in the form of medications and such. If I were to immigrate to Canada, how backed up is the health care system as far as mental health is concerned? Can I expect to wait months for treatment once I enter Canada, or will I be able to be seen in a relatively short time? Can anyone share any stories with me about this? Thanks in advance!

Right now I'm a US citizen. My partner and I are thinking about immigrating to Canada in the near future, and I was wondering about health care. I am currently under treatment for a mental illness. I need continuous treatment in the form of medications and such. If I were to immigrate to Canada, how backed up is the health care system as far as mental health is concerned? Can I expect to wait months for treatment once I enter Canada, or will I be able to be seen in a relatively short time? Can anyone share any stories with me about this? Thanks in advance!

My partner and I are considering immigrating to the UK from the US, and we're just in the research stage right now. I have a diagnosed mental illness (several of them, actually) I've been reading some of the answers about how difficult it is for those in the UK to find treatment for mental illness. Can anyone enlighten me a bit? Has anyone had an experience immigrating and seeking treatment? I'm actually very concerned about this, as I can't go without treatment and medications for long. Is it really that difficult to get treatment there?