How to convert?

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lost123

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I am not sure how to respond, because I am not sure how an atheist converts to any religion. Does anyone know what “choice” would need to be made? has anyone here become Christian from Atheisim? Here is the conversation so far……

Thanks!
From the Christian:

I feel the need to reiterate that I mean no harm in writing this. I don’t want any feelings to be swayed by this. I am not attacking him. I am simply saying that he made choices. But there’s good news…God’s grace is there for all that seek it. No matter what you have done. But then again, choice plays a big role in that one as well.
From the Atheist:

I agree with you, but I don’t understand what the hell the “But there’s good news…” part has to do with any of it. It’s like no matter what the crime, we’re all equally damned if we don’t choose to seek your god’s grace. Get out of here with that. It’s not necessarily a choice. Some people don’t feel that urge to seek a god’s grace, just like some of us don’t feel the urge to touch little girls.

Can’t we discuss family matters without this stuff mixing into it?
Christian:

I am intrigued by the comment that it is not a choice, do you mind expanding that if you have time? I am just not sure I understand what you mean.
Atheist:

Sure.

I could choose all day to be a Christian or Catholic or Buddhist or whatever you want. But would that mean anything if I didn’t feel whatever it is real believers feel? I wouldn’t feel the ‘love’ because I don’t believe. There’s something much deeper than just choosing to believe in God. You don’t think so?
Christian:

Sure, I understand what you are saying. “it doesn’t matter if I say I believe if I don’t believe” I have the belief that everyone at some point and some time (maybe the deathbed or after) will ponder a few basic questions; Where did I come from? Where am I going? And why am I here? Ect… I believe it is “hard coded” into us and our nature. I believe that is why we have science, to explain the world around us and to try to get some answers. There is a “correct truth”….the question is if the correct one is one you believe, the one I believe, or one we don’t even know about. I have not put my finger on what converts people. So I guess all this I have been talking about up here doesn’t really mean much……I believe there is a choice…. looks like something I will have to think harder about!

What choice would someone who never grew up being told there is a God have to make to begin changing……I’ll have to get back with you on that.
 
If your atheist is a thinker, he could make the intellectual “choice” to accept St. Thomas’s argument that God exists. This doesn’t require faith, and can be accepted by an open mind. Once the atheist agrees that God exists, the next step is choosing the particular religion.
 
If an Atheist was really smart he would realize that life is literally over before you know it … LITERALLY.

Therefore if you become a Monk and you die and there is no God it doesn’t matter whatsoever.

But if you die an Atheist and there is a God you’re in trouble.
 
diarmait said:
If your atheist is a thinker, he could make the intellectual “choice” to accept St. Thomas’s argument that God exists. This doesn’t require faith, and can be accepted by an open mind. Once the atheist agrees that God exists, the next step is choosing the particular religion.
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Right but the Atheist could also make the intellectual choice to believe in just science, as Einstein did…I was hoping for an answer of why he would ever choose to look into something that he was never raised with.
 
lost123 said:
Right but the Atheist could also make the intellectual choice to believe in just science, as Einstein did…I was hoping for an answer of why he would ever choose to look into something that he was never raised with.
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From a strictly natural pov, not being raised with something (a family that follows a particular religion or a family of mountaneers or a family that has a fascination with Italian opera) does not preclude one from discovering something about a subject with which one is totally unfamiliar.

If he claims to have no interest at all in religion, then just from an intellectual pov he would be exhibiting a studied blindness towards the intellectual life of believers - especially of those intellectuals within the Church through the ages (St. Bonaventure, St. Thomas Aquinas, Cardinal Newman, Dietrich Von Hildebrand, and our present Holy Father, e.g.) - even if he has no interest (at present) in trying to understand the source of their faith and practice.
 
so, i guess an Atheist would need to have to at some point choose to seek something that they do not believe in from some outside influence? Does anyone know of any Atheists that have converted and for what reasons? What “got the ball rolling?”
 
lost123 said:
so, i guess an Atheist would need to have to at some point choose to seek something that they do not believe in from some outside influence? Does anyone know of any Atheists that have converted and for what reasons? What “got the ball rolling?”
Click to expand...
I would recommend C.S. Lewis’ Mere Christianity and his own personal journey from Atheism Surprised by Joy.
 
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