Conversion

Stories of people whom had converted to their religion has always interested me. Let’s face it: most of us are the religion we are because we were born that way. We didn’t "shop around" for our religions. We accept the faith we were raised, often blindly. Converters, on the other hand, also believe in their faith, but their distinction is that they had previously rejected another religion. Given two options (in reality much more) to believe in which nothing can be proven as the ‘true’ selection, the choice seems arbitrary. Yet, it is captivating to hear the stories and reasons explaining the reason the converted chose the way they did.

A large part of the ‘credibility’ a person has for their religion is that it has been handed to them; they were raised up from childhood with that religious instruction. I don’t know enough theology to know if any religion can be logically proven to be correct, but I doubt there is or the matter would be settled and we could all flock to the correct one. There is no ‘proof’ in religion, that’s why it’s often referred to as ‘faith’. It’s just that: ‘faith’.

With all the religions in the world, I don’t think that more than one can be right. I suppose one tops, and more probably none of them. For all we know some undiscovered native tribe could possess the "real" religion, and we spend the afterlife holding up the sky with the giant Turtle-god, As-k’in-aron.

As I rationally find it so easy to be wrong, I suppose after my own religion Agnostism would come as the next best choice (Atheism is just a blind faith in itself). If my religion is true, is it 100% true? Maybe we got most of it right but are off on a few points, due to human error. I’m not sure. I believe it’s all true, but fmy aith is the spackle plaster in the holes of reason of my belief.

Where I’m going with all of this I can see how it’s easy to lose one’s faith, yet difficult to gain another (or even grow deeper in your own) as the growth of faith takes place in the absence of proof. This is what makes the story of conversion to another faith all the more fascinating to me. Why do people choose religions other than what’s been given to them? Are they more appealing? Does the new religion and associated moral code allow more "Thou shall not"s? Is it rebellion against...whatever? I’ve heard of visions that appear to individuals that are the cause of their conversion. Be it apparition or not, I imagine that all conversion stories stem from an interesting cause.