From: mjb10@po.cwru.edu (Michael J. Bumbulis)
Newsgroups: soc.religion.christian
Subject: Re: Atheism -> Christianity
Date: 14 Dec 92 05:10:59 GMT
Reply-To: mjb10@po.cwru.edu (Michael J. Bumbulis)
Organization: Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH (USA)

In a previous article, bill@cac.washington.edu (Bill Whitson) says:

>Hi.  This is for any of you out there that were once atheists but are now
>Christians.  I have a friend who up until about three weeks ago was an
>atheist.  One weekend he suddenly started going to a local church.  I am
>an atheist (please don't comment directly on this. I'm not trying to change
>anyone. I tend to be very tolerant and I'm not going to change.) and I have
>questioned him on his change of mind.  He seems to avoid the questions and
>generally be hostile about the subject.  He also seems to try to avoid me
>now when we were good friends before.

I was once an atheist.  At one point in my life, like so many other
people, I began to ask existential questions and began a search for
"truth".  During this period, I encountered the teachings of Jesus
for the first time in my life.  They most definitely had the "ring of
truth" and I had a religious experience and thus became a Christian.

I too had atheist friends that I began to grow distant from.  The reason
was simple. I had this profound experience and sense of fulfillment, and
when I tried to share it with them, they scoffed and criticized.  As a
result, a huge chasm began to develop as things that were important to me
were not important to them, and things that were important to them were
no longer important to me.  Over time, the friendships regrettably
fell apart.  

If you desire to maintain your friendship, I would suggest the following:

1.  Your friend has experienced something profound.  You will not be able
to "argue him out of it".  Any such attempts will only serve to erect
a barrier between you.  

2. Your friend might try to "convert" you.  Keep in mind that he/she
would do this only because they would want to share something precious
with you.  

If you desire to maintain your friendship, I would suggest that you
two come to an agreement to "politely disagree" and find areas where
you still share common ground.  It will take work (IMO), but if you
value your friendship, that should not be a major obstacle.  But there
is a potential for a "loss" between you two, as if he/she is a Christian
now, and you are an atheist, you two will see the world in different lights.

I hope this helped a little.  

>So the question is, if you have had a similar change of mind, what prompted
>it.  I'm just curious about this sudden unexplained change.  Post or feel
>free to e-mail me.  Just please don't send me any pro-christian propaganda;
>this has already been done to me several times.
>
>Thanks a lot.
>

What prompted my "change of mind"?  As I alluded to, I began an 'existential
quest" (and atheism seemed quite shallow to me).  And when I heard the
teachings of Christ for the first time, I "knew" they were "it".
Interestingly enough, I once knew a Chinese philosophy student who
also had the same experience.  When she came to the States to study,
she encountered Christ's teachings for the first time.  She immediately
recognized them as the words of Truth and became a Christian.

You know, it's just possible that your friend may have experienced
God.

   
-- 
Michael   

**GO VIKINGS**           .....don't ask, it's a patriarchal thing.