Do you know anyone who converted from unusual religions ?

[Julsey]

On 11/13/2023 at 10:29 PM, Esined said:

 

Don't make any assumptions, just be patient and keep praying about it! It sounds like you've already been able to find a lot of common ground. My mom currently has a progressive Bible study with a Jewish woman in her 80s. 😊 

When my Jewish grandma was still alive, out of the blue she asked to come to a meeting with me. I was going to the Spanish congregation at the time so I took her to visit an English congregation's public talk. The talk was about forgiveness and the whole time she kept nodding in agreement and elbowing me and whispering things like, "I wish your brother was here to hear this!" My grandma was a heavy smoker and had a deep, raspy voice. The speaker and his wife happened to be sitting in the row in front of us, and when the speaker sat down after giving his talk, my grandma tapped him on the shoulder and whispered loudly, "I'm Jewish and I'm not changing. But I agree with everything you said up there!"

 

His eyes got big and he just said, "Okay," like he didn't know what to make of that. But that was an extremely positive comment coming from my grandma.

 

There were a lot of things she admired about our beliefs. So you really never know. I still have hope to see her again!

What a great Bible study for your Mom, Denise!
 

Your grandmother sounds like a hoot. I am quite sure that you will see her again. ❤️

 

And you are right: I need to think more positively. She has been very scared about the anti-semitism she has seen so close to home. Basically feels like the world is on fire. Here’s hoping. 🙏🏻 

 

[Pabo]

I was baptised as a Catholic whilst as an infant. While attending the primary school (I was in what they called year 3 or 3rd class), as it was a predominately the Anglican attended school, thus when it was scripture time, those who were of the Catholic persuasion were put into a separate scripture class in the spare classroom that was in the same end of the building with the three other year 3 classrooms, but all sharing the same hallway.

 

It was early in the year I was forcably kicked out of scripture class by the nuns (there were usually 3 or 4 nuns) who conducted the class, because I pointed out some obvious inconsistencies with Jesus being God at the same time, Jesus being born in December and how can Mary be the mother of God when it was God that made her pregnant. As they were dragging me out of the class, they were screaming at me calling me the "son of the Satan" and being the "Devil's progeny" and all sorts of other things. They caused that much of a ruckus, that the other scripture teachers popped their heads out of their respective rooms into the hallway to see what the din was. The nuns said they called have me in their class, which they all refused by them closing their doors and I was left on my own in the hallway. Eventually one the teachers heard the commotion from their mini-staff room, and came to sort it out with the nuns, along with the principal and assistant principal. The nuns refused to let me bck in, as did as the other Anglican scripture teachers. Thus I was told I was to go the library doing scripture and do whatever I wanted to do but I had to be quiet. So I generally just did some reading, or did my homework or assignments whilst at that school.

 

BTW, I wasn't in the truth, neither had my mother started was studying at that time, although she started studying about a year and a half later.

 

So, being branded as the offspring of Satan by the nuns, does that make me a Satan worshipper, thus making me unusual?

[Mike047]

At an assembly some years ago, one of the interviews included someone who was a rosicrucianist. Many of you in the US will be more familiar with this group than we are here in the UK, especially those of you who live near Rosicrucian Park in California. However, the interviewer asked the recently baptized brother a number of questions about the key differences between his beliefs and ours he said something along the lines of: 'each individual is 'prepared' by the association or fellowship, through continuous development of their mental processes and through changes of heart attitude. The goal being to give of oneself to serving their fellow man' it sounded quite altruistic, and the personal development aspect could be respected. However on the most important differences with the Truth it was clear that  they fell far short.

 

The interviewer asked our brother, what the clincher was in changing and learning about the truth. He listed a range of important teachings, as you would expect, and then he added 'I have trouble in my speech and trying to say the word 'Rosicrucianism' was just the last straw!' 

[Pabo]

On 11/23/2023 at 11:13 PM, Mike047 said:

He listed a range of important teachings, as you would expect, and then he added 'I have trouble in my speech and trying to say the word 'Rosicrucianism' was just the last straw!' 

 

Here I was thinking of having to try and spell it out.

[Mike047]

In my early days, learning about the truth, I was also temporarily out of work and looking for a job.  A friend of mine, who lived in a village called Ashurstwood, invited me for some lunch and also advised me of a vacancy in a company nearby, based in East Grinstead, not far from where she lived. She didn't know which company but showed me an advert in the local rag.  I lived in Brighton, on the south coast only about 25 miles away so thought it worth checking out. I went up to this place, called Saint Hill Manor, and was shown into a room with  a number of office workers. I had a discussion with a well dressed man, but decided that it wasn't the place for me. It left me with a strange feeling, though, as the whole atmosphere seemed somehow 'staged'. I discovered that Saint Hill Manor is, or was, the UK headquarters for the scientology movement over here.  When I told my friend about the place I was told "Oh yes, I've seen them walking around East Grinstead with placards on them which read "Do not speak to me as I am being processed"! 

 

I was thankful that I was also being 'processed' but in a very different way, by making my own mind over, to Jehovah God's way and not to Ron Hubbard's variation. I have often wondered whether any of the scientologists have shaken off the 'LRons' and come into the truth. Anyone know?

[DancesWithWife]

Our former circuit overseer's wife was a Buddhist. 

[Your Sister]

When I came to be able to read , I read the Bible. In second grade I found that the catholic school and religion I was in were faulty. 

 

But I see now I got to know about a heavenly Father. And I git to know about Jesus. 

 

Then I came to avangelical thinking. 

I studied the foreign religions, meaning non American.  

 

Taoist,  Confuscism, Shinto, Hindu, Islam, 

Ofcourse Catholicism , and then Mormon.  

 

When I got my hands on that book Mankind's Search for God.

 

WOW! 

 

Jehovah gives simple instructions easy to understand. 

 

Jehovah always knows best for us all.

 

His words are powerful for any confused reasoners out there. 

 

Sometimes people will think, "that's to simple."

I think of Naaman.

 

 

I get it! I was like, " there is no way it's this clearly simple." 🙃

 

 

But why not?! He is God to everyone. He speaks to each of us individually in a way we understand. I'm so in love with hoe Jehovah cares for us.

 

 

[Mike047]

April, it sounds like you have made a thorough investigation of many religious ideas. What a basis for comparison when coming to a knowledge of the truth!

 

We often have Mormons over from the U S to carry out their ministry for a set period of time. On one occasions we had chance to raise two issues with them>

 

1. Since baptism is based on knowing God and Christ (John 17:3) how can one be baptised for dead ones (in Mormon belief, every soul spends time after death in a place where they are given the chance to hear and accept the gospel.) This is in contradiction of the bible, at scriptures like Eccl 9:5, 10; Ezek 18:4

 

2. The creation account shows that the mandate from God was to multiply and bring forth offspring (Gen 1:28), so why does the book of Mormon, say different (see 2 nephi chapter 2 - I think, but don't have a copy to hand).

 

Although we understand that we do not need to know all that is wrong in order to understand all that is right!