From: pharvey@mipos3.intel.com (Paul Harvey)
Subject: Re: Polytheism
Organization: Intel Corporation, Santa Clara, CA USA
	<l8l8ebINNcjn@appserv.Eng.Sun.COM> <65902@hydra.gatech.EDU>
Date: Thu, 13 Aug 1992 23:12:43 GMT

In article <65902@hydra.gatech.EDU> 
rpitts@emperor.gatech.edu (Richard Pitts) writes:
>Where did the idea of 'conversion is evil' come from - could someone elaborate?

What, you've never heard of it before? You think conversion is good? What do
you think about this nasty work of conversion? If something is so good, why
does it require salesmen? Why is a free gift give-away gimick called on?

>How about having direct revelation from the Creator that tells us how to
>judge actions?

Ah, did you ever stop and think that maybe, just maybe you were being misled
by someone? What kind of God would tell you how to judge others? Who is the
only one who can judge? I warn you that the Christian Devil is very tricky,
He particulary enjoys tormenting those who claim to be Christians in Christ's
name.

>Jesus claims to be THE way, not A way.

Well, He made quite a few claims, at least that is what it says in the
New Testament. The NT also says that Jesus said in order to be a follower, one
must HATE mother and father, one must HATE all, in fact even oneself. Don't
be so trusting and dogmatic about an English translation of a text written
in Alexandria, Egypt in Greek about a man who spoke in Aramaic. Must I warn
you about the Christian Devel again. Always use your mind and think, never
put blind faith in any words. I assure you that that is a trap from you
know who. Of course, you realize that the Christian Devil claims to be THE
one way also. You expected differently?

>I believe one can convert to Judaism - requires circumcision on the part
>of the male.  In fact, I think there are some laws governing this in the OT.
>People convert to Judaism today - even from Christianity - how I'm not sure,
>for 'leaving Christianity' forsakes the Savior (Jesus the Christ), it they
>truly believed that anyway.

Yes, but why is it that the Jews never sought to actively convert non-Jews?
Excluding a minor episode in Hellenistic Palistine when the center of Judaism
had moved to Babylon.

>Forcing is not the attitude to be desired - compelling or presenting reasons
>to believe is the approach - the Holy Spirit is the one who convicts the
>world of sin, righteousness, and judgement.  We are to go and teach.

Yes, forcing is the work of the Devil. As teacher, one must be careful that
the teacher is providing learning material and not forcing material on to
the students. Students were created by the creator, not to be programmed by
some teacher looking for converts.

>I will note that the tribal God of the Jews (founder Abram, know now as
>Abraham) was the Creator and not just one of these other gods.  If you 
>noticed these other Gods often had idols of wood and metal, which can't
>do anything - Jehovah (the Creator) was different, for he said he didn't
>want anything like this.

Like the use of a wooden cross as an idol, perhaps?

>I don't think there is any Biblical basis for increasing one's chance of
>getting into heaven based on the number of converted souls.

Good for you, unfortunately, there are such believers, still today.

>Jesus said of the leaders of the day that they searched far
>and wide to make a convert, but in so doing they condemned the one they
>found, because of their legalism, I believe.

Or perhaps searching for converts is the work of the Christian Devil?

>This assumption of 'conversion = evil' needs to be substantiated before 
>this thought has any worth.

What do you mean by substantiation? What test do you propose?

>Agreed, religion has often been used wrongly.

Yes, it is very easy to misinterpret, and it is very easy to fall into the
hands of the Christian Devil, isn't it?

>rpitts@cerl.gatech.edu       |    
>Atlanta, GA                --|-- 
>                        -|-  |  -|-
>                         |   |   |

Would that be some type of icon you have there?

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