s/o proselytizing. Has anyone ever converted

[Garga]

to your religion because of you? If so, how did it happen?

 

I'm Christian. I've never hammered away at someone to become a Christian. I've never had a pressuring conversation with anyone. Honestly, I've never had much of any conversation about religion to anyone. It's too sticky of a conversation!! However, I have known a few people who've become Christian due to some influence from me.

 

I invited a friend from work to a bible study at my house. "I have a bible study at my house on Wednesdays. Would you like to come?" I didn't talk to her about Jesus, I didn't pressure her, I didn't do anything except invite her to the bible study. She came. The third week she converted. She found a church to go to (not mine) and has gone ever since (10 or so years.)

 

At a different job, I invited a coworker to visit my church. Again, no discussions or anything. Just, "Ken, would you like to visit my church on Sunday?" and that was it. He came and loved it. He kept coming back, and became a Christian.

 

My husband was raised Catholic (who I do believe are Christians), but was Buddhist when I met him. He was curious about my Christianity and after long discussions with my mother and a friend of his (dh initiated all the conversations), I invited him to a church service with a guest speaker that I knew would be interesting to him. He converted.

 

Anyone ever converted because of you? To anything?

[OrganicAnn]

No a person but maybe the house....

 

My father convert to Catholicism after being married to my mom for 30 years. She was totally surprised. She was totally fine with him not being Catholic (she is a totally traditional Catholic). A couple years after he converted, my mom reminded us that the people they bought their house from the husband had a conversion event in the family room. They had build the house and sold it to go build a church. So the only two families that have lived there, both husbands had converted.

 

As far as we know it is not build over an Indian burial ground or holy water spring.

Edited July 4, 2010 by OrganicAnn

[jewellsmommy]

Yes. I have had the blessing of having a hand in the salvation of others. Putting an exact number to it is difficult because some were people who came to our church first and I don't think that is what you were referring to.

 

And, for the record, I have never converted someone against their will :D. I have never used a hammer or any other tool with which to beat.

[Parrothead]

I kind of claim dh's conversion to the Catholic church after being married to me 10 years. It was because of example instead of proselytizing. I never said a word.

[Audrey]

Anyone ever converted because of you? To anything?

 

 

Yes. Part of what I do is to help others become non-deist witches and form their paths. I don't seek them out, though. They have to ask first, and then I have to know that they're sincere and dedicated.

 

P.S. This post was not an ad. I do not guide people online, so please don't ask. :)

[Jean in Newcastle]

One of my friends became a Christian after listening to hours of me hashing out some of my own faith issues. I didn't even know what she believed and certainly was not trying to influence her. I just needed a sounding board.

 

A guy in college used to call me at midnight to ask questions about the Bible. I would get out of bed and go meet him at a coffee shop where we would talk for an hour or so. In the end he told me he believed intellectually that what the Bible said was right but it came at too high a cost for him in his country.

 

Another friend believed after we had a very long walk/talk in which we basically talked through the storyline of the Bible (following her questions).

 

I've had numerous people sit down at my desk at work (when I worked formerly), or call me on the phone to ask me what I believed and why. (For those at work, we made arrangements to talk over the lunch hour). To the best of my knowledge none of them made a final decision regarding what they believed, but I answered their questions to the best of my ability. But then they may have asked others similar questions and at some point perhaps they did believe, I don't know.

 

My nephew told me a couple of years ago that he had believed in gospel message after we spent time talking when he was a child. I don't even remember what I said, though I do remember talking to him about the Bible.

 

I've had some "out of the blue" requests for information on my faith. One woman wanted to hear the gospel message in return for her telling me my fortune. Another neighbor called me up (I didn't know her before then) because she had heard from the neighborhood grapevine that I was a Christian.

[lllll]

..

[ThatCyndiGirl]

Garga, I don't consider what you did proslytizing. I think that those examples are a lovely example of how to talk to someone. It sounds like you didn't go in with this big plan, you just lived.....and invited them along.

 

Not that it matters or anyone cares, but I totally agree with that kind of friendship/action.

 

FTR, I have learned more (positive) about christianity in the past year, from my fellow Band of Misfit Homeschoolers than I ever have before. They just live their lives. Sometimes they talk about something going on with church/bible study that is on their minds, but it's not "this is what we can talk about to bring Cyndi around" and I welcome it.

 

It has been very interesting to observe a much more loving approach to "Jesus-Following". :001_smile:

[LibraryLover]

I have known many searching people who felt marginalized and hated by the faiths of their pasts, and who left them.

 

I've also known folks who were scared into religion, who are active in evangelical churches and who say. "I don't believe most of the stuff, but I have nothing to lose in case they are right".

 

I am also stunned by the number of substance abusers I've heard preach in chruches, even when they are not clean. That's interesting.

[ThatCyndiGirl]

I have known many searching people who felt marginalized and hated by the faiths of their pasts, and who left them.

 

I've also known folks who were scared into religion, who are active in evangelical churches and who say. "I don't believe most of the stuff, but I have nothing to lose in case they are right".

 

I am also stunned by the number of substance abusers I've heard preach in chruches, even when they are not clean. That's interesting.

 

I've had christians say to me, "why not just be one of us,anyway, just in case we are right?" I guess they don't realize that that is lying and geeze, disingenuous just doesn't seem like a strong enough word. IT WOULD BE OUT AND OUT LYING AND MAKING A MOCKERY OF SOMEONE ELSE'S FAITH!

 

I cannot; in good consciense, do that.

 

I can't spell tonight,....so just spell check in your head. :lol:

[babysparkler]

Yes. I have had the blessing of having a hand in the salvation of others.

 

Me too. Some have come to Jesus through seeing my life and knowing me. Other times, I have had the privilege of being used by the Lord in a "street evangelism" type setting. God has used me in different ways and I consider it the greatest blessing to have had a hand in a number of salvation stories throughout my lifetime.

[Crissy]

No.

At this point in my life I don't feel led to share my faith. I feel as if I have far enough to go in my own walk that I don't have any business trying to convince anyone else.

My faith is a very personal thing.

Edited July 4, 2010 by Crissy

[PiCO]

Anyone ever converted because of you? To anything?

 

Yes. A number of formerly religious people have stopped believing after many philosophical conversations with me. They were always told that atheists are immoral and/or evil, and meeting me made them wonder what else they had been told that wasn't entirely true.

 

I would never seek out people to lead them away from their faith, though.

 

I've had christians say to me, "why not just be one of us,anyway, just in case we are right?"

 

I hear this all the time also. I think if there is a God, he can probably tell who really believes and who's faking it. I tried to be a Christian in college and shortly after, because I really wanted to be like pretty much everyone else. I wasn't able to believe, so I returned to my atheism.

[Joanne]

"Converted"? No.

 

I have been honored and blessed to be a part of people's spiritual journey. Often, that has eventually taken them to a deeper (or new, or renewed) relationship with a power of their understanding.

 

Due to demographics, that has meant many of these people have returned to a faith similar to their upbringing which was, percentage wise, mostly Christian.

 

In other cases, it has meant a development of an alternative-to-the-Christian-overculture path.

 

My own faith has been blessed and enriched by each of them.

[KnitWit]

Wow, what a question! I guess I'd like to think that people converted *in spite of* me. I'm so human...

 

Nope, I'm pretty sure the ONLY reason would have been God.

[Gooblink]

Well, I was converted! I mentioned in another thread that I was an avowed atheist bent on "disproving" the Bible. My conversion took many years, but began in the form of a co-worker who appealed to my reason, rather than fear or feelings. :)

 

I've not helped anyone convert, to my knowledge, but I will share a story to which I don't know the ending:

 

For me, finally "getting" what it meant to follow Christ was almost like just having finished the greatest book in the world, or seen the best movie and I couldn't wait to tell my friends and family about it. One day, a Muslim friend from another city that I'd lost touch with about 15 years ago kept coming to the top of my mind. I finally prayed that I could see her again, and that I would have the opportunity to share my "good news" and how grateful I was to have had her in my life. Back when I knew her, I had been dating a Muslim and I was trying to learn all I could about his faith and she helped greatly.

 

Anyway...about 3 weeks after that I was in Costco, of all places, and heard a lady speaking Arabic behind me. I turned and...viola! It was my friend! Hundreds of miles and 15 years later we meet in the most unlikely of places. Her husband had changed jobs and they had just moved to Austin a few months previously.

 

It was like we hadn't been separated. We got together, discussed motherhood, politics, religion and the nuances between her faith and my relatively new found one. I did share the gospel message with her and she shared with me. We parted that afternoon with promises to get together again. But, before we could make the time again her husband received another transfer and they were moving to the Pacific Northwest.

 

She was gone and we've lost touch, once again. I was so deeply touched that God would care enough about me to arrange that meeting. She didn't "convert" and that really wasn't my aim...I just wanted to share my joy with her.

 

Some people receive faith readily while others, like me, have to be broken beyond human repair and drowning to finally reach for the life preserver. I don't know if I'll ever see my friend again this side of Heaven, but I'm certain I will see her there.

[elizabeth]

Since you asked...I have become an agnostic. Cognitive dissonance is no way to live.

[alpidarkomama]

Jews don't seek out converts, and don't believe that Judaism is the only way to heaven. But one of the greatest things a Jew can do is inspire a fellow Jew to return to the torah. This I have been blessed to be a part of on numerous occasions.

[alpidarkomama]

And just to clarify, Jews do accept converts, but just don't seek them out. And it's quite a commitment to go through the process!

[asta]

I've also known folks who were scared into religion, who are active in evangelical churches and who say. "I don't believe most of the stuff, but I have nothing to lose in case they are right".

 

I've had christians say to me, "why not just be one of us,anyway, just in case we are right?" I guess they don't realize that that is lying and geeze, disingenuous just doesn't seem like a strong enough word. IT WOULD BE OUT AND OUT LYING AND MAKING A MOCKERY OF SOMEONE ELSE'S FAITH!

 

I cannot; in good consciense, do that.

 

I can't spell tonight,....so just spell check in your head. :lol:

 

Ya'll are discussing Christianity, right?

 

The religion founded upon the concept that the only judge anyone faces is a God in heaven? The one whose holy book clearly states that if one does not believe in said God, one judges oneself - and thus takes oneself "out of the running" for said heaven. There is no "mockery of someone else's faith" involved. It has nothing to do with anyone else. To believe such things assumes a role not granted to mortals in Christianity.

 

I am also stunned by the number of substance abusers I've heard preach in chruches, even when they are not clean. That's interesting.

 

Again - this is in conflict with the Christian ethos. For in Timothy it clearly states that the Christian God "desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth."

 

One would think that would include drug addicts, prostitutes, and pretty much anyone else.

 

----------------

 

Personally, I've always liked the approach of the LDS: they "nice" you to death.

 

 

asta

 

 

ps: I wouldn't say I've "converted" anyone, but I would like to think I've helped people figure out where they're going. Kind of like Audrey, minus the specifics.

Edited July 4, 2010 by asta

[Donna]

I have never spoken to strangers about my religion and rarely discuss religion with anyone besides immediate family members but while in highschool, my best friend, whose parents were atheist (or possibly agnostic...I don't really remember the specifics just that they didn't believe in God or any religion...it was a long time ago), began asking questions about God which I answered according to my beliefs at the time. I never "preached" to her and we only discussed religion when she asked. She told me she wanted to learn about God because she appreciated the choices I made in life. She was going through some rough times...feeling a lot of pressure to perform in school and fighting bulimia...which her parents didn't know about. For graduation, I bought her a Bible and told her she could read about God and make her own choices. She told me it was the greatest gift she could have received.

 

I don't know what happened to her in the long run. We went in different directions for college and kept in contact through a couple years then drifted apart. We did become "friends" on facebook recently so I do know she married and has a daughter.

Edited July 4, 2010 by Donna
added something

[babysparkler]

 

She was gone and we've lost touch, once again. I was so deeply touched that God would care enough about me to arrange that meeting. She didn't "convert" and that really wasn't my aim...I just wanted to share my joy with her.

 

 

 

:hurray:Praise the Lord for an answered prayer and a chance to sow a seed!

[Heather in Neverland]

Has anyone ever converted because of ME? Heavens no. It is my job only to plant the seed. It is the conviction by the Holy Spirit that draws them to Christ. But has there ever been anyone with whom I have shared my faith that came to faith after that? Yes. Many.