About religion: If someone converts do you view them the same as someone born into a religion?

My husband converted to Catholism as did his mom. I view my husband as more informed than the average Catholic. He also volunteers at Church and is more active than many “born into it”.

My MIL is a different story, though. She did it because her husband converted years before. She holds on to her “old” beliefs while conforming her practices to Catholic. I don’t think I’ll ever think of her as truly Catholic. She also volunteers occasionally, but it’s more to get out of the house :(

We have quite a few converts at the Church we attend. As far as I can tell, they feel welcome. I find it exciting when someone chooses to converts as an adult. Usually they’ve done their homework and know “this” is the fit for them.

If they say they are. Then they are. At that point it is between them and God..

I hate how the point of Christianity became making converts somewhere down the line for so many.

I consider each case individually – a convert could act completely crazy in terms of their beliefs and someone raised in a religion could have studied it thoroughly to make sure it’s right for them…so there is no good generalization (is there ever?)...

I often question (to myself) why someone would convert but I don’t regard them any differently.

@patg7590 what do you mean? Can you expand on your answer?

Typically, I find that those who convert generally know a lot more about the particular religion than those who were born into it. There are exceptions, of course, but in order to decide to convert you generally have to study the religion you wish to join. However, it makes no difference to me what church you go to now or what church you used to attend, if any. How you present yourself to me is what matters.

Some religions don’t teach this, stressing instead that being born into a religion is “better” than joining it once you find out about it. I don’t feel that way at all, but then my family is all over the map religiously. We include Unitarians, Southern Baptists, Catholics, Buddhists, Jews, Quakers, miscellaneous Protestants, Greek Orthodox, Hare Krishnas, atheists and a few Jehovah’s Witnesses.

So no, I really don’t view converts any differently than folks born into a religion or even those who have lapsed from a religion.

@JLeslie PM coming as soon as I can muster it lol

@patg7590 I was wondering, too

@SpatzieLover @JLeslie maybe ill just put it on here; I’m at work now and have a huge school project tonight. So if will have to be crafted after that. The conversation is intended for one on one coffee table discussion, not so much a gigantic public forum. Either way, i’ll do it soon.

Being born in doesn’t count if you don’t believe in it and excluding converts who are often more true to the religion than people born into it is completely asinine.

This assumption that people born into religion are somehow better than converts bothers me.

I think it depends on the earnestness of the convert. Many people convert just for marriage, but I think a proper conversion requires a true love and belief for the religion you’re entering.

I have two relatives-in-law who are converts to Judaism. The first is my great-uncle’s wife, who played the part while my great-uncle’s father was still alive. After he died, she eased up on keeping the religious observances and after emigrating to the US, she started attending a Russian Orthodox church and observing Christian holidays. Her children barely consider themselves Jews. If anything, I think they consider themselves half-Jews (an interesting classification, because Judaism does not allow for it; your soul is either Jewish or not, it can’t be half-and-half). None of my relatives consider them Jews because their mother never honestly embraced Judaism.

The other convert in my family is my cousin’s wife. Much like the other convert, I believe she switched to Judaism just to be able to marry my cousin without the family getting upset. Five years into their marriage, she’s already started breaking some ritual observances, and interestingly enough, so has her born-a-Jew husband. Still, their daughter is attending a Jewish Day School; if she continues there, I’m sure it will have a major effect on her Jewish identity.

Examples like the above make me realize the wisdom in the Jewish conversion process, where Rabbis actively discourage people from converting. Jews have many, many ritual observances that would drive most people crazy. It really is not for everyone. You have to work really hard and you have to really want it to make it through the process.

The only “true” convert I know is my friend’s mother. She was a Southern Baptist and converted to Judaism before marrying my friend’s father. They eventually divorced, but instead of dropping her adopted religion like many converts do when a marriage dissolves, she continued with the practice and ritual observance. She’s been divorced for nearly twenty years but she is still an observant Jew.

Sometimes I have more respect for people who convert to a religion because, rather than just accepting what they have been raised to believe without questioning it, they have gone against the grain an chosen what they want to believe. That can’t be easy in many cases.

I feel like it is liking starting to smoke at age 26.

Nevertheless, the people I met that have converted seem to do that either because they have really put a lot of thought into their religion, or they want to fit in with a new group, for instance because their spouse has a(nother) religion, or they move to another place / company.

In general, I see more conscious religion, overall, with people that have converted.

People who convert actually have thought about the issue.
People who just take up Mom ‘n Dad’s religion have usually done no thinking about it whatsoever. They may have rebelled against it at one point, but then they come back into the fold for their own comfort. Not much thought-process going on there.

In our Zen Buddhist temple, no one was raised as a Buddhist, which is not unusual for temples in the US. People who come to Buddhism from a Christian or Jewish background (which is mostly what we see here) often carry some theological baggage in with them. They typically attempt to interpret aspects of Buddhism as analogous to aspects of their cultural religion, though that’s hardly ever the case. It takes some time to let go of all that.

Part of the training we do at our temple involves going over hundreds of koans, most of which are little accounts of meetings between Zen masters and students that occurred in China back before 1000 AD. It would be hard to imagine a more Buddhist culture than that one. Yet it’s clear from those accounts that Zen didn’t come any more effortlessly to those guys who were steeped from birth in its culture than it does to us today in America. We’ve all got a whole trunkload of delusion to shed, and it doesn’t much matter where we acquired it.

believing in something is believing in something. the only difference is that if you were born into it, your parents probably were religious too, and fed you on a strict diet of jesus (or whatever deity).

It doesn’t matter to me when someone becomes a Christian. Not even a little bit. When someone becomes a Christian it is a huge life change and there is a bond between even strangers that is stronger than most friendships. I’ve seen people from all walks of life, all races, creeds, and even other religions become Christians and I welcome them just as I would a very old friend.

I do not draw distinctions based on the time of conversion, only the form of their beliefs. All religious people are deluded, but the beginning of the delusion seems to be irrelevant in determining the strength of the delusion.

I look at it like this: When born into a religion, there was no choice in the matter. Many people continue practicing that religion because that’s all they’ve ever known. People that convert have obviously done their research and realized the religion they have been born into isn’t for them. I respect them more for having the courage to convert. I’m sure it’s a difficult decision.

Of course there are differences. You can’t erase years from people’s lives.

If we are just talking about “Christianity”, yes. We (those who would be called ‘fundamental’ and ‘evangelical’) believe that salvation is an individual choice that is made at a specific time (depends on the individual) in one’s life. My wife and I have seven children that we are raising in church, but not all of them are “Christians”. We still have some children that have not trusted Christ as their Saviour.

Now, as far as my children are concerned, we treat them all equally. We don’t cram religion down their throats, nor do we nag them to be ‘saved’. We allow God to work in their hearts and they will make their own decision.

@JLeslie I just noticed your question in full – sorry :( May I add to my response?

I attend a Baptist church (there are many, many flavors of Baptists too). When someone becomes a Christian and joins our church, we treat them with a lot of grace. We give folks time to grow in their faith; all of us (pastors included) are still growing and maturing. It is a life-long walk of learning, failing, getting up, and growing.

I did not become a Christian until I was fifteen; I didn’t start going to any church until I was 21. Now, I have a leadership postition in our church. I am ministering to people who have been in church longer than I have been alive.

I have a preacher friend in Chicago who pastors a Baptist church. He has former Buddhists, many former Muslims, Hindu, Catholics, and Pentecostals. He has 27 countries represented in his church (people who have immigrated and first generation). There are some folks that attend who do not speak English (their children translate). And yet, they all get along great. It is a sight to see.

Imperative upon all religions is the idea of avoiding judgement. It would be immoral do judge you, from any vantage point, regardless of the religion you seek peace with.

I consider them equal. It seems to me that some that convert such as myself have to do more studying and research before developing faith, as I was not raised in a religious household.
Matthew 20:1–16 [...and said, ‘These last put in one hour’s work; still you made them equal to us who bore the burden of the day and the burning heat!’ 13 But in reply to one of them he said, ‘Fellow, I do you no wrong. You agreed with me for a de‧nar′i‧us, did you not? 14 Take what is yours and go. I want to give to this last one the same as to you. 15 Is it not lawful for me to do what I want with my own things? Or is your eye wicked because I am good?’ 16 In this way the last ones will be first, and the first ones last.”]
2Thess 3:2 ”...for faith is not a possession of all people”
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Some online Bibles and other resources that I have found are:
http://bible.cc/psalms/83-18.htm /. Several translation, only one verse at a time.
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1John5:7-8;&version=31;77;50;51;49; /. 5 versions with up to 5 groups of verses
http://wesley.nnu.edu/biblical_studies/tyndale/ /. William Tyndales Bible
http://www.watchtower.org/e/bh/article_00.htm Many articles with links to scriptures.
http://scripture4all.org/OnlineInterlinear/NTpdf/joh1.pdf Online interlinear.
http://www.thebiblereference.com/ /. King James and American Standard with Strongs references
http://www2.mf.no/bibelprog/vines /. Vines concordance
http://www.blueletterbible.org/Bible.cfm Many versions, concordance’s, manuscripts (including the “Textus Receptus” and the “Alexandrian”.
http://www.eliyah.com/lxx.html Fragments of the Greek Septuagint
http://www.codexsinaiticus.org/en/manuscript.aspx Query&book=36&chapter= 1&lid=en&side=r&ve rse=18&zoomSlider=0#36–1-1 8–5 Sinaitic manuscript, I believe that it is the oldest complete manuscript.
Here are some differences that I have noticed. http://www.answerbag.com/a_view/7025764

The following have something to do with the Vatican MS 1209 from the 4th century, but as of right now, I don’t see an English parallel. [http://www.csntm.org/Manuscript/View/GA_03
http://www.biblefacts.org/church/pdf/Codex%20Vaticanus.pdf
Further information:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Codex_Vaticanus
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/04086a.htm /./ http://betterbibles.com/2008/07/24/in-the-news-worlds-oldest-bible-goes-online/]

A man goes to his Rabbi and says, “Rabbi, my son went away to college and when he came back for Spring Break he had converted to Christianity. What should I do?”

The Rabbi, surprised, said, “Oy, you’re not going to believe this, but my son went away and came back a Christian as well. His mother is beside herself in grief. Let us pray to God for guidance on this matter.”

So the two of them had just begun to pray when God said, “You know, it’s funny you guys should mention this. My son… ”

@Espiritus_Corvus But the Nazi’s would not have given a crap. If those sons said, “but Mr. Hitler I am no longer a Jew,” he would not have cared. This is what Jews never get to forget, the antisemitic hate you for just being born a Jew. But that is off the topic a little. I think you were trying to say that if someone converted to Christianity you would accept them fully as Christians :).

@JLeslie No, I was just telling a joke. As a secular Jew, I find this joke quite endearing and wished to share it as it seemed on topic. I leave it to others to find a deeper meaning.

@Espiritus_Corvus Ah. I see.

My personal belief is that there are many paths to God and I find it nonsensical and even distasteful that some religions claim a monopoly on one path or another. It is a personal choice between that person and God. All religions attribute the charactaristics of omnipotence, benevolence and magnanimity to their Gods, among other things. A God such as this is accessible in as many different ways as there are people, even if that path leads to a disbelief in God. Namaste.

@Espiritus_Corvus – Well, I liked your joke, even though I’ve heard it before.

I also agree with your belief that there are many paths to God, but I must add one thing to it: ...if He exists.

I usually say there are many paths to goodness. I figure if there is a God he would care about a persons behavior and intention.