By Eleska Aubespin
Florida Today

If HBO is in any way a measure of societal trends, religious conversion remains strong.

This season, Sex and the City's Charlotte York abandoned her Christian roots to convert to Judaism so she could marry Harry Goldblatt.

Statistics on how many people convert for love are scarce, but it's not just fodder for television story lines.

"I haven't seen any recent studies on that topic," says Philip Goff, director of the Center for the Study of Religion and American Culture at Indiana University. "But it certainly is happening. The whole thing about how you have to marry within your faith is a very old tradition in many ways, and in some cases goes back to the Bible and when it makes references to the fact you should not be married to unbelieving people."

The reasons for converting vary. Some switch faiths for the love of a man or woman and because of children. Some say it's a bond that makes a marriage stronger as couples can share the same values, religious beliefs and morals. Others say they've done a lot of soul searching and found their "new religion" satisfying, because it was something they've studied and were exposed to through spouses or partners.

"I see a lot of this in my practice," said Dr. Sharon Jones, mental health counselor for an Episcopal counseling center. "I do believe that questions of faith need to be seriously considered before a marriage."

But Jones cautions individuals who are considering conversion. She recommends people think about why they want to make the switch and make sure they are educated about the particular religion.

"True conversion comes from inside and not as a result of wanting to marry someone to please them, family, church elders or for the sake of unborn children," Jones says. "If one converts on the outside, as they grow, they could find that it is not a decision that was good for them."

While sharing the same faith can bring families together, it also should not be the cause for marital problems, says the Rev. Douglas Bailey, campus minister at Florida Tech and an instructor of world religions and ethics.