My Train Wreck Conversion..., I despised Christians. Then I somehow became one.

Christianity Today ^ | 2/7/2013 9:26AM | Rosaria Champagne Butterfield

[daniel1212]

The word Jesus stuck in my throat like an elephant tusk; no matter how hard I choked, I couldn't hack it out. Those who professed the name commanded my pity and wrath.

I began researching the Religious Right..

Ken Smith encouraged me to explore the kind of questions I admire:

Ken and his wife, Floy, and I became friends.

I started reading the Bible. I read the way a glutton devours.

I counted the costs. And I did not like the math on the other side..

Then, one ordinary day, I came to Jesus, openhanded..

[daniel1212]

It is impossible to even give a cursory overview of all this in the 100 word limit allowed for this (which is wrong in my view), so see the rest here :

Despite her revulsion at Pat Robertson's comments, they are indeed generally accurate in the overall sense (with witchcraft being rebellion), but even abortionists and communists can value hospitality, and show some sacrifice and integrity.

Nor are all those who protest "gay" parades part of Fred Phelps' tribe, or make it wrong.

But she was also valued morality, and was a seeker, and if one obeys the light they have, more will be given, and confronted with the reality of Hell, she did not rationalize it away, but being called of God, she found Him.

Note that while God promises understanding after obedience, this is not blind faith, but a step of faith for which God has provided some warrant, and which step is confirmed.

And in being drawn of God, He used believers who geuninley cared for her as a whole person, which is what Christian love does, and a church which was not mostly ritual, but relationship.

None of which is contrary to confrontational evangelism, if done out of a heart that genuinely cares for souls, but not simply for their soul, though that must be primary and salvation and sanctification the goal.

[daniel1212]

Ping: http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2013/january-february/my-train-wreck-conversion.html?paging=off

[Gene Eric]

I continue to be alarmed by the ongoing contempt/hatred of Christianity from individuals I thought I knew. Fortunately, Christianity has a built-in firewall that helps manage one’s reaction to such revelations. Whenever provided, the reasons for the contempt are not reflective of Christ, but of flawed cultural messaging and perceptions.

[bigheadfred]

I was so shocked the day I realized the person looking back in the mirror at me was me.

[dadfly]

thanks for the post. great job pastor ken, gently making that small opening for Him.

[metmom]

What a powerful testimony.

[One Name]

Eternal Salvation comes somewhat disguised in a plain brown wrapper...

Rejected by the intellectuals and the wealthy, but grabbed on to as a life preserver by the failing, the poor, the destitute and other less fortunate souls in this incarnation.

The last shall be first and the first shall be last...

[jongaltsr]

I accepted Jesus as a matter of fact when I was a child. As I grew up to many things made me rethink his existence. To many facts are missing,, undocumented, and lacking and form of proof.

NOT one document was EVER survived or even mentioned where as enough writings of everyone else of any importance has survived. Jesus was not even mentioned by anyone with the exception of Paul and the Disciples, and THAT only occurred over two Decades after his was supposedly crucified.

Even Herod’s records of crucifixions make no mention of Christ or anyone but criminals, political enemies, captured soldiers but no religious profits.

Nor is there any mention anywhere that Jesus EVER wrote - period. It is also noted that NONE of his disciples were ever capable of writing. No scribes were ever mentioned which many illiterate (most were so).

Only Paul wrote but 1. he was not a disciple, 2. He was a Roman Citizen and well educated in Greek and other languages. His writings are prolific.

I have become closer to the fact that there is definitely a God. I see it not only in everything around me but also in the actual evolution of mankind and every creature on this planet.

Jesus may have existed. I can’t say - but his teachings (or whoever originated the concepts attributed to him), definitely were extremely important to mankind.

[stansblugrassgrl]

I was a Buddhist right up to the moment I became a Christian. I had seen Christian treat each other (and myself) incredibly poorly and decided, if that was what it meant to be a Christian, I wanted none of it.

I’m now a worship leader/music director at a church in north Phoenix and have self-produced two CD of original Christian songs. God has such a sense of humor. The fact that He’s let me live is proof!

[Lee N. Field]

Wow.

This article doesn't go into it, but this had to have cost her everything she valued at that time.

Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel, who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life.

[pbear8]

Early secular sources mentioning Jesus - http://life.liegeman.org/historymaker/extern.html

[erod]

If you google "Historic records of Christ's crucifixion" you'll find the writings of Josephus, and Tacitus. There are a couple of others also.

Peter asked to be crucified upside down as he was unequal to die the same as Christ. I think the Romans who were killing him knew of whom he spoke.

I used to be a former atheist and I think it's a very healthy thing to question one's faith. I hope you find what you're looking for, I would also pick up a copy of The Language of God it had a huge role in my conversion.

[17th Miss Regt]

Only Paul wrote but 1. he was not a disciple,

Paul met Jesus in person. Read Acts 9.

[nagelbett]

“Nor is there any mention anywhere that Jesus EVER wrote - period. It is also noted that NONE of his disciples were ever capable of writing. No scribes were ever mentioned which many illiterate (most were so).”

I’m not sure what the first point about Jesus is supposed to achieve; Christians do not believe that Jesus wrote the Bible. ‘It is noted that NONE ...’? Noted where? By who? You can’t just claim a thing and say that it’s ‘noted’. Remember that only a few were fishermen. One was a tax collector. One was a doctor. And even the ones that weren’t literate weren’t wholly incapable of dictating their accounts to someone who WAS literate. So again, these are hardly unanswerable questions.

[Syncro]

Daniel, there is not a 100 word limit on excerpts; in fact it is 300.

Some entities are not on the excerpt list...Christianity Today is one of the ones not there.

So the whole article can be posted.

You can always check on This Thread (<---click there) to see if a particular newspaper or website is on the must excerpt list.

[firebrand]

God promises understanding after obedience

This is the hardest part for some to cross. I have said "If you're not going to believe what he says, why should he talk to you?" But this hasn't always "worked"--they can't do it somehow. Sometimes I think the less said, the better.

[stars & stripes forever]

Nor is there any mention anywhere that Jesus EVER wrote - period.

Jesus wrote in the sand while every one was dispersing from stoning the adulterous woman.

[firebrand]

Robert Frost wrote something like this: “It was the nature of the test that you not understand it at the time.”

Makes sense too. If you understand it first, then you know it is for your own good, and if you know it’s for your own good, then you are not doing it for the right reason.

[ottbmare]

If you would like to be truly fair, read The Case for Christ, by Lee Strobel. Strobel was a Chicago Tribune investigative reporter, a fervent atheist, who was deeply annoyed when his wife became a Christian. Using his investigative skills, he launched a research effort to demonstrate to her that Christianity was false. He flew all over the US to consult some of the world's foremost experts, and was greatly dismayed at what he learned: the historic evidence is extremely good.

Take a look. The Case for Christ Speaking as someone trained in science and with an inherently skeptical nature, I found this fascinating and persuasive.