M
MrZetterlund
Guest
How did you end up desiring to convert? How do you convert an atheist?
- Status
R
RebeccaJ
Guest
A interest in different belief systems. I eventually decided to look at Christianity. Went to Mass to check it out. Read more, went to Mass nearly every week. The Trinity was a stumper, so I ran across an online announcement where a deacon was holding a 3 week class (one day a week) on the Trinity. Turned out, this deacon was able to show me how faith and reason are not at odds.
Prayer.
D
dostoyevskyfan
Guest
I was baptized RC, but fell away. At one point I really did not believe. I found going to mass really monotonous when I was young and some of the restrictions in the catechism absurd. Wasn’t till college that started to read the Bible critically in order to understand Milton, Dante, and shakespeare. Let’s just say scripture really “resonated” with me and I became curious. I now go to a TLM and lean toward traditional catholicism.
The best way to convert an atheist, is prayer, like the previous poster indicated, but also reason and knowledge. You can’t convert anyone if you don’t know what you believe and why you believe it. I’d first become proficient on church history…read Eusebius, Origen, St.Augustine, and Justin Martyr’s apology. I’d also read “the lives of the saints”. There are many other books out there, I won’t list them all. It is also important to be in full communion with the church, reciting the rosary, and receiving the sacraments. With all due respect, since you are southern Baptist, you may want to challenge yourself and study what other denominations of Christianity believe, specifically cough the RCC, the oldest one.
If you decide that Baptist is the true denomination founded by Christ over a millenium after his death, then you should at least be able to explain why the other thousands of denominations are wrong.
Best wishes. Pax.
The best way to convert an atheist, is prayer, like the previous poster indicated, but also reason and knowledge. You can’t convert anyone if you don’t know what you believe and why you believe it. I’d first become proficient on church history…read Eusebius, Origen, St.Augustine, and Justin Martyr’s apology. I’d also read “the lives of the saints”. There are many other books out there, I won’t list them all. It is also important to be in full communion with the church, reciting the rosary, and receiving the sacraments. With all due respect, since you are southern Baptist, you may want to challenge yourself and study what other denominations of Christianity believe, specifically cough the RCC, the oldest one.
If you decide that Baptist is the true denomination founded by Christ over a millenium after his death, then you should at least be able to explain why the other thousands of denominations are wrong.Best wishes. Pax.
M
MrZetterlund
Guest
LOL. Gunning for it, are we?I was baptized RC, but fell away. At one point I really did not believe. I found going to mass really monotonous when I was young and some of the restrictions in the catechism absurd. Wasn’t till college that started to read the Bible critically in order to understand Milton, Dante, and shakespeare. Let’s just say scripture really “resonated” with me and I became curious. I now go to a TLM and lean toward traditional catholicism.
The best way to convert an atheist, is prayer, like the previous poster indicated, but also reason and knowledge. You can’t convert anyone if you don’t know what you believe and why you believe it. I’d first become proficient on church history…read Eusebius, Origen, St.Augustine, and Justin Martyr’s apology. I’d also read “the lives of the saints”. There are many other books out there, I won’t list them all. It is also important to be in full communion with the church, reciting the rosary, and receiving the sacraments. With all due respect, since you are southern Baptist, you may want to challenge yourself and study what other denominations of Christianity believe, specifically cough the RCC, the oldest one.
Best wishes. Pax.
I do have leanings towards Catholosism, but as they say, home is where the heart is. 
It doesn’t matter how old your Church is, just who you worsdhip in it.
T
Trishie
Guest
You don’t. God does.
One lives according to the gospel of love to the best of one’s ability, and if there are any questions, one answers them, and one continues to pray for others.
One lives according to the gospel of love to the best of one’s ability, and if there are any questions, one answers them, and one continues to pray for others.
R
RebeccaJ
Guest
Debate with an atheist is usually pointless. I know, I was one and continue to live with one. 
(My husband.)
People who believe in God are viewed as either really unintelligent, or having a psychological need that is fulfilled by a make believe system of faith. The latter being viewed as the more charitable approach.
You can’t debate past this. You can present what you believe in a reasonable and rational manner, and leave it at that.
(My husband.)People who believe in God are viewed as either really unintelligent, or having a psychological need that is fulfilled by a make believe system of faith. The latter being viewed as the more charitable approach.
You can’t debate past this. You can present what you believe in a reasonable and rational manner, and leave it at that.
D
dostoyevskyfan
Guest
Muslims worship Jesus, their church is 400 years older than mine, yet they deny the crucifixion and his divinity. This is irreconcilable. Be careful what you say.LOL. Gunning for it, are we?
I’m in fact required to gun for it or face the consequences of omission. Please don’t take it personally. I hold the 2,000 year old consistent position of no salvation outside the church. I also hold the unconventional position of very little salvation inside the church, which is doctrinally sound. Please see trueletterofoursavior.com/stleonard.htm it could be the best thing you’ve ever read in your life.
M
MrZetterlund
Guest
Actually, Muslims don’t worship Jesus. They see it as blaspheme. Jesus is just a prophet according to them. I don’t really believe salvation depends on the church. I know protestant ministers who’ve gone to heaven for a visit in their pesonal NDEs.
G
gurneyhalleck1
Guest
Is the thread title supposed to say “Ex-atheists?” The way it’s written now sounds like either the X Files or X Men Bad spelling and grammar are back in CAF!
Bad spelling and grammar are back in CAF!
R
Roman_Catholic_1
Guest
They left at one time?Is the thread title supposed to say “Ex-atheists?” The way it’s written now sounds like either the X Files or X Men
God bless
4
4Squarebaby
Guest
I became a Christian after my victim became a Christian and forgave me. In those early days of church hopping and watching Christian TV it was John Hagee’s style which won me over for good, beyond just the emotional high. Although truth is even if I lived in San Antonio I probably wouldn’t have gone to Cornerstone Church.
G
gurneyhalleck1
Guest
M
Musician
Guest
I would also like to hear from more ex-atheists. What helped you find God?
I have two sons who claim to be atheist. We rebut their arguments upon occasion (DH is a master apologist, even on these forums but I won’t say who he is ). They are often backed into theological and/or logical corners but they take it very well and we all end up laughing and hugging each other. This is why I feel there is definitely hope for the conversion of my sons.
I have two sons who claim to be atheist. We rebut their arguments upon occasion (DH is a master apologist, even on these forums but I won’t say who he is
). They are often backed into theological and/or logical corners but they take it very well and we all end up laughing and hugging each other. This is why I feel there is definitely hope for the conversion of my sons.
L
Lycorth
Guest
I mostly explored paganism when I was an apostate, but atheism was high on my list, and I held to it (secretly, so as not to offend my wife, who was soundly pagan at the time) when I got fed up with trying to find meaning in paganism but was too hard of heart to return to the Church.
Like Rebecca said, prayer as well as a rational explanation of the faith is helpful for conversion. For me, what also figured into it was being unable to look at Western civilization and fail to see and acknowledge the boon the Church was to it, especially in comparison to today’s cultural malaise. History, also, helped to re-convert me.
Like Rebecca said, prayer as well as a rational explanation of the faith is helpful for conversion. For me, what also figured into it was being unable to look at Western civilization and fail to see and acknowledge the boon the Church was to it, especially in comparison to today’s cultural malaise. History, also, helped to re-convert me.
R
RebeccaJ
Guest
What does a Altreides weapons teacher know about X Files or X Men?Is the thread title supposed to say “Ex-atheists?” The way it’s written now sounds like either the X Files or X Men
M
MrZetterlund
Guest
Om… they’re called the “X-Men” because they’re no longer normal men. They’re mutants, thank you.Is the thread title supposed to say “Ex-atheists?” The way it’s written now sounds like either the X Files or X Men
S
starlight101
Guest
I’m an ex-atheist. I don’t know what brought me to Christianity (at one point I made Richard Dawkins look like an evangelical preacher) but I guess I’d call it dissatisfaction. I was fed up of being so intolerant, I thought my reasons for becoming an atheist in the first place were not valid and I felt something was missing in my life. I carried on like this for 18 months. then on holiday I met a person who was happy, calm and Catholic. They never tried to convert me, never said anything against atheism but I started to think “If this person is so nice, so calm and so happy AND religious, it can’t be all bad” I went to a church, then had an epiphany in October 2009 and here I am. I think the best thing to do is to lead by example- if you are happy, contented and nice, then people will want to find out why.
M
MrZetterlund
Guest
What made you feel as though your original intentions for becoming an atheist were invalid?
Why did you get tired of being so intollorant?
How did religion fulfill that thing missing in your life?
S
starlight101
Guest
I went to a Christian primary school, I was badly taught and my questions were met with pretty angry responses (these were the usual childish questions) so I thought maybe I reacted against religion because I had not experienced anything positive about it.
When I said “Oh all you Christians are so intolerant you don’t listen to anyboy else’s point of veiw” I htought “mmm… neither do I” which I felt was hypocritical.
Now I’m religous, I feel supported, I feel happy, loved, like there’s a purpose to life I suppose. There’s a community, I don’t feel alone.
M
MrZetterlund
Guest
Might I ask what sort of questions you asked? I do notice many atheist have an unpleasent experience, usually do reflect to experences in a Christian school.
So basically you realized why you desired to reject religion?
Usually while trolling around on YouTube I expose this in anti-theists and they retract or cuss me out. What made you realize it?
Why was this absent in your non-religious life? Do you think if Christians had set bad examples you’d retract again? How did you discover this hope in religion despite formally thinking religion was retarded?
- Status