[net.religion] Indisputability of converts testimony?

yiri@ucf-cs.UUCP (Yirmiyahu BenDavid) (10/08/84)

Since the testimony of the converted individual is apparently
accepted as indisputable proof that their religion is correct,
how do Christians explain former Christians who have found
truth, meaning, love, freedom from hypocrisy, freedom from
ignorance, and especially the Creator by converting OUT of
Christianity into Judaism and other religions?

There are converts to the Moonies and H-ri Kr---na, etc who
are equally insistent that their conversion is of God, that
they have met God, and so on. The same is to be said for the
snake handling Christians, etc. So which is right?

Perhaps one might consider the rare cases of an individual
who was observant and knowledgeable in his/her religion
beyond any reproach from his/her peers and STUDIED his/her
way UP out of the religion into another by becoming more
knowledgeable than his/her peers in that religion and
THEREBY FINDING a better and more true religion based on
a scholarly approach? I know of countless individuals who
were backslidden and ignorant in their own religions and
converted. Such have merely turned in one form of ignorance
for another and still remain uninformed. I, for one, do not
accept such testimony as having any credance. It might be
of some interest to note that much of the information I
have passed along came from a former Christian who 
converted to Judaism when that person learned too much 
about Christianity.

mangoe@umcp-cs.UUCP (Charley Wingate) (10/11/84)

> Since the testimony of the converted individual is apparently
> accepted as indisputable proof that their religion is correct,
> how do Christians explain former Christians who have found
> truth, meaning, love, freedom from hypocrisy, freedom from
> ignorance, and especially the Creator by converting OUT of
> Christianity into Judaism and other religions?

Same way as we explain those that convert into Christianity, if you want
to take the "unbiased" viewpoint.

To take any "biased" viewpoint, people can fall into error and be recovered.
People leave and return to the fold, or see the light, or are lost...

N.B.:

     "Biased": adherents of one of the religions in question
     "Unbiased": adherents of some other religion

Charley Wingate