[kosta50]

Your statement presumes that you know the mind of each and every one of them, along with how they arrived at their faith

No, it's based on the real world. Humans have to learn and develop; even Jesus was said to be 'developing.'

And it happened in an instant

What happened in an instant?

the loving embrace of a Divine hand on my very real and very physical heart

That's not the gospel. I wrote "No one, out of a clear blue has the whole gospel downloaded Paul style in an instant."

Beyond that, I can only tell you, dear brother, that life has made more sense since that moment, than I ever could have imagined it making before.

People will tell you that for a variety of reasons.

Love has overcome anger. Hope has replaced despair. And Faith has amplified my knowledge beyond my wildest dreams

Why anger? Why despair?

Faith has amplified my knowledge beyond my wildest dreams

How? You are using generalities. It's like me saying "I feel much better." What does that mean? Much better than what?

In an instant.

In an instant how? What happened?

I am only one man. Are you positive you know the experience of Faith shared by the other Two Billion?

Not not at all. There are at least a billion Muslims who have had their own "experience" convincing them of a different God, and so on. There are close to a billion Hindus who believe in something different. What do these numbers supposed to prove? Nothing.

I only know that people have to "develop" and learn and that instant downloads don't work on human brains. You are more than welcome to share with your experience in detail so that we may all understand what happened 'in an instant' besides the 'hug' and how it expanded your 'knowledge' (knowledge of what?). Details, please.

I sincerely wish for you that peace I know, which passes all understanding.

If it is beyond understanding what exactly are you trying to accomplish? Take your word for it? How about this: when you believe me that there are pink unicorns on Jupiter I will believe you. No understanding needed.

[shibumi]

"That's not the gospel. I wrote "No one, out of a clear blue has the whole gospel downloaded Paul style in an instant."

Saul of Tarsus was a scholar. He knew the Scriptures, and the prophecies they contained. He also knew full well who Jesus was, who He had claimed to be, and the claims made about Him. He did not have to have any factual information about what the Gospel was, who it was about or from whence it came "downloaded" to him. That information was already there.

What came to him in an instant was the realization of the Truth of what he had heard.

Like Saul, I had lots of facts, the result of close to twenty years of religious education (some from the Roman Catholic Church and some from independent study.) I am not comparing the depth of my scriptural knowledge to his, but like him, there was already a foundation of factual information.

What happened? The reality and implications of the facts I knew (but viewed skeptically) became blindingly clear. That is the Gospel.

Why anger and despair? Because if any man (including you) is honest with himself, has clear introspection and a realistic view of the world (without Christ) he knows there is nothing but "...fear in a handful of dust..."(Eliot)

We all start out riding "high horses" just as Paul was riding a physical one. Yours appears to be a hyperbole ad absurdum of a pink unicorn.

I trust the Lord will not bruise you too badly when He knocks you off it. (And, whether you believe it or not, I mean that in the most loving way possible.)