Does one of the couple (different religion) need to give up his/her religion to get married? ?

Question

I wanted to marry this Christian lady that I love & knew for more than 15 yrs. My religion (Islam) says that, I as man, I can marry the People-of-the-Books (Jews, Chistians & Muslims). The wife may stick to her faith. But imams & local religious authority disallowed it, they come out with many new fatwas (luckily they don't follow cult imams of other country that issued fatwa allowing suicide bombings)

Now, why are they changing the rules? They ask her to convert. Meaning she has to change her faith. Change her belief. Change God.

Can't they see that changing God is not as easy as changing laptops? My goodness!

Mixed Marriage Examples:

Arafat (fomer Palestinian leader) is a Muslim, his wife was a Catholic & Arafat used to be invited to mass gatherings in churches.

Sukarno, (former Indonesian president) a Muslim. His wife was a Christian.

Quran 2:62 & 5:69

"Surely those who have faith (in Islam) and the Jews and the Christians and the Sabaeans - whoever believes in God and the Last Day - their reward is with their Lord and they will neither fear nor grieve"

Answer 1

The fact is that Christianity and Islam are directly opposed to each other........I believe Christianity is the only true faith and all others are false...in fact anyone who is a Christian has no choice but to believe it this way........unfortunately sir your love for her has no context of faith in God.....else would you not marry her and she would not marry you....but if you do marry each other it will be on the one compromising with the other or vise-versa.....and thats no marriage

Answer 2

i was in a situation like this with my x. you should absolutly not expect her to change you should marry her for her and everything weither you like it or not. you cant change anyone. so you guys are going to have to talk bout this. but neither of you should change . if it is suppose to work it will without changing . religion is a big part of the relationship. but i would say your guys best bet is to you go to a christain church ,with her, and have you go to your church. and talk bout wat you believe and disbelieve of each one but you cant tell her wat to believe and she cant tell you what to believe. you need to talk about this and experience this before you get married.  

Answer 3

What do you want them to do?  Do you want an Islamic wedding so you want their active participation?  Or do you want their approval of a civil marriage performed by someone like a judge?

You said that they ask her to convert.  Are they truly asking about something optional?  Or are they insisting that she convert?  

If they are merely requesting that she convert, if she refuses to do

that, can you still get what you want?

If that is the case, is there anyone in higher authority that you can appeal to?  Or can you move somewhere else where the local authorities are willing to stick with the text you quoted so that you can get married to the person you love?

Best of luck!

Answer 4

Can't you get married as two people, no matter what religion you were born into?

Do you have to follow a religion at all? In today's world it's probably more Godly to to something that will unite people rather than separate them

I see nothing more holy than two people from two religions shedding the religion and embracing love instead. I am a sikh married to a hindu, neither of us even remember that part in our daily life.