Did Anyone Have A Powerful Conversion?

[jasonother]

I was wanting to ask this question of ex-Christians because Christians will often claim that ex-christians were never Christians to begin with. Did any of you have a moment where you thought that you had received The Holy Spirit? And how many here went through the act of Baptism?

I'm not necessarily talking about the pentecostal idea of receiving as evidenced by tongues.

 

Thanks,

jason

[thunderbolt]

Yeah

 

The whole trip – Holy Ghost zapped and all that jazz. Floating on cloud nine, being saved from a live of debauchery, burning records, annoying the shit out of everyone around me with my religiosity. I was a real fruitcake for Jesus that first year.

 

But looking back, I would have to say I was at a point of searching for meaning in life, and Christianity just happen to be around. Pity that I still have to deal with the idiotic choices a made then - if only I can turn back the clock, but I digress. Those feelings, emotions and experiences were all whipped up by my own subconscious and desire for them. But they gradually faded when I had to learn to walk by "faith" and not by "sight" - blah blah blah.

 

In fact, I can replicate some of those experiences with simple brainwave technology that costs $49 – so I fired Jesus

 

[Anakin]

I was wanting to ask this question of ex-Christians because Christians will often claim that ex-christians were never Christians to begin with. Did any of you have a moment where you thought that you had received The Holy Spirit? And how many here went through the act of Baptism?

I'm not necessarily talking about the pentecostal idea of receiving as evidenced by tongues.

 

Thanks,

jason

There is something to your questions that makes me ponder what your thinking. Forgive me

if I'm taking this wrong. I wonder if this is another adventure into the we were not true

christians debate. At the start it is stated that this was on your mind. So to me it appears

you are trying to validate the idea with your litmus paper test of what you believe is

required to be christian (receiving the holy spirit and baptism). I hope you understand

not all christians believe those are necessary. Again, please forgive me if I've read you

wrong. Call it anti-fundie paranoia.

 

Oh, and the answer is yes to both of your questions.

[Antlerman]

I was wanting to ask this question of ex-Christians because Christians will often claim that ex-christians were never Christians to begin with. Did any of you have a moment where you thought that you had received The Holy Spirit? And how many here went through the act of Baptism?

I'm not necessarily talking about the pentecostal idea of receiving as evidenced by tongues.

 

Thanks,

jason

If I may ask this question of you first, when you see people who have deconverted, what do you think about it? Do you put aside John Calvin's theology of predestination and accept they were like you: genuine, sincere people turning to belief in Christ to find hope in their lives?

 

Please answer this question first, and I will be happy to share with you my feelings.

[Mythra]

give it up, jasonother.

 

You can't find the scriptures that will bring understanding when it comes to us.

 

1. We had real christian conversions. (as real as anyone's) radical lifestyle changes, water baptism, the whole deal.

 

2. We were devoted to Jesus Christ and our church families. We had a relationship with Jesus.

 

3. We prayed and prayed and studied the bible and gave cheerfully.

 

4. We started to see problems in the religion that conflicted with our reasoning, our conscience, and our sense of right and wrong.

 

5. We eventually escaped.

 

6. The burden has been lifted. We're happier now.

 

 

Go figure.

[trashy]

I was wanting to ask this question of ex-Christians because Christians will often claim that ex-christians were never Christians to begin with. Did any of you have a moment where you thought that you had received The Holy Spirit? And how many here went through the act of Baptism?

I'm not necessarily talking about the pentecostal idea of receiving as evidenced by tongues.

 

Thanks,

jason

 

Committed my life to Christ and was baptised (full immersion) at age 7 by my father.

Rededicated my life to Christ at age 18.

Majored in theological studies at a Baptist university

Was baptised in the Holy Spirit at 28 - experienced glossolalia, prayed to cast out demons and for emotional and physical healing (for others, not just myself) on a regular basis for several years

Was 'slain in the spirit' on several occasions.

I specifically remember one occasion where, in my house alone, listening to spiritual music, I felt the presence of God so strong that I fell face-first on the floor as if God were in front of me. I truly thought he was.

Led praise and worship team in a medium-sized church for five years.

 

That's my 'street cred'.....

[thomas]

 

 

-I was baptized as a child (Lutheran)

-Saved at age 13, where I turned from being very shy into witnessing for friends, classmates and teachers at school.

-Baptized again at age 18 (Pentecostal, full immersion)

-I was prayed for to recieve the Holy Spirit, but glossalia never really worked in my life (I often felt that it was something I was making up my self, at not something really from the Lord)

 

-Been involved in church music, where I was known as a spirit filled piano player

-Been involved in other forms of ministry too including member of the Church board

-Have (besides my ordinary job) been studying theology in order to prepare myself for better service for the Lord

-Have been giving money to the church on a regular basis

-Have been slain in the spirit

-A well know and respected Christian leader has prophesised, that I would become a key figure in Danish Christianity.

 

I have not always been happy about being a Christian, but I have always believed, that the problem was with me. So I have always searched for a deeper and more committed relationship to the Lord. I guess it was very much like an alcoholic trying to fix his problems by having one more drink.

 

But in the end, theology help me to see how inconsistent Christianity really is.

 

Anything more you want to know, Jason? Feel free to ask.

[Foxy Methoxy]

I was slain in the spirit at a Benny Hinn revival and thought it was my duty to carry a Bible everywhere and act like an uber-religious jackass for the next 6 months. Luckily, my baptism by fire was only temporary insanity.

[Brother Jeff]

I was gloriously saved in a small, Bible believing country Southern Baptist Church on March 7, 1985 at the tender age of 19. Before that, my life was normal for an unsaved Hell-bound person blinded by the Talking Snake. I partied a lot and was infested with many miniature talking snakes that made me feel like shit. My mind was insane and I was tormented by invisible spooks, goblins, astrally-traveling witches, and foul-smelling evil leprechauns on a daily basis. Sometimes they made me have really sick sex dreams and visions of the Talking Snake's unspeakably horrid and ugly face haunted my dreams as well.

 

My life was indeed very Hellish. But, God had a Wonderful Plan for my life! He sent a friend to tell me about JESUS. At first, the Talking Snake had me firmly in his grasp. But as I listened to more of what my saved friend had to say and I read the hopelessly contradictory Magical Undeadening accounts in the Bible, I could see the TRUTH of it! There really is an Invisible Magically Undead Man living in the Sky! His Name is JESUS!! Glory! I prayed to receive Him into my heart and my life CHANGED! The Lord opened my eyes to the spirit world, and I could see that the miniature talking snakes in me were coiled around my brain causing me to be spiritually blind and unable to see His Glorious TRUTH. As I watched in awed and breathless wonder, Jesus magically appeared inside my skull armed with His can of "Talking Snake Be Gone!" that the Holy Farter had given Him. Jesus fearlessly aimed the can and sprayed. The miniature talking snakes collectively gasped in horror and screamed, "Talking Snake Be Gone!", and died horrible deaths.

 

Brothers and Sisters, I used to think it was crazy, ignorant, and superstitious to believe that a Magical Being who created the universe by speaking a powerful magical spell from Nowhere lived in the Sky just above the solid dome firmament in which the stars are fixed above this flat earth. I saw no evidence for the existence of such a Sky Genie. I thought Christians were just nuts for believing that a virgin woman could have a baby, too. Talking snakes and talking donkeys didn't make much sense to me either. The stories about humans living hundreds of years seemed like nonsense. So did the story about Noah's Ark, that old guy that built a huge boat when the Magical Being informed him that he was going to kill every living thing with a worldwide Flood for which there is no evidence because mankind was horribly evil and had PISSED HIM OFF and He was sorry that He had played in the mud that day and magically created them. I also had trouble believing in flying people and folks who magically came back to life after they died and dead people who walked the streets after the main character of the story is magically revived. Fanciful stories about living after we die in either a wonderful and magical place called Heaven with streets of gold and water that is somehow alive or a horrible place where this Magical Being tortures people forever without mercy for not believing His fanciful stories about an Invisible Man from a Sky Kingdom didn't seem credible to me either.

 

But, I know now that I was just deceived by the Talking Snake! The Bible really is true, and if you have the Holy Spook living in you, it will make sense to you, too! Glory!

 

So yes, I had a powerful conversion, and I maintain a hard-hitting Christian apologetics website here: http://www.jesuslord.be. Glory!

[NotBlinded]

I was wanting to ask this question of ex-Christians because Christians will often claim that ex-christians were never Christians to begin with. Did any of you have a moment where you thought that you had received The Holy Spirit? And how many here went through the act of Baptism?

I'm not necessarily talking about the pentecostal idea of receiving as evidenced by tongues.

 

Thanks,

jason

I think many, many, many people have an experience that they understand as spiritual. It is a human phenomenon.

 

It only matters what beliefs you have to where the person will lay cause. If you are a Christian, or have Christian tendencies, you are going to attribute it to the Holy Spirit. If you have other beliefs, you will attribute it to what you hold as holy.

 

So, one should not claim that it is a unique experience to people who believe as they do because it is not an experience that can be claimed by a group other than the individuals within the group of mankind.

 

Only now after leaving Christianity do I have "the peace that passes understanding" down in my heart.

That is so beautiful Serene. It is amazing when we no longer hold to such strick beliefs that the entire world opens up to us. Even the world that most Christians cannot see within their own religion.

 

So yes, I had a powerful conversion, and I maintain a hard-hitting Christian apologetics website here: http://www.jesuslord.be. Glory!

Okay...you should at least put a freakin' warning on that about turning down to volume to all those at work! You 'bout gave me a heart attack! I don't know what the Christian next to me heard!

 

Come here and let me smack you!

[white_raven23]

As for the experience of feeling the Holy Spirit come over me? Of course I’ve felt that. I felt it many times. Unfortunately for my former religion, however, I had an interest in psychology. Going to college and taking my classes was a large part of coming to understand how brain chemicals work. Physiological Psychology was a class that seemed dull and boring on the surface, but it was actually one of my most interesting classes.

 

Now….keep in mind, my classes were geared for an understanding of psychology. My professors were not out to wreck havoc in their students belief systems. I am responsible for that. I took the text of my books and actually worked out their real world applications. I came to understand the science behind the Holy Spirit sensation. And while I slowly came to realize that feeling wasn’t what I thought it was, I was also coming to realize I had more control over those sensations than I originally thought.

 

The experience of going to church really started changing for me when I was taking my Social Psychology class. I started to consciously notice while in church, the manipulations through speech patterns and musical intervals that, while pleasant, actually had the intent of making the minds of the audience (or congregation) more receptive and accepting.

 

You’ve probably never thought about it, but surely you’ve noticed that the sermon is never the first order of business when everyone sits down in church. First there is standing, praying, singing, maybe greeting fellow members, a little sitting, more standing, more singing, more praying, at some point the church bulletin of upcoming events is reviewed, tithing may happen now, maybe another song……..a LOT goes on before the minister starts the big speech! And often there is underlying soft organ music going on during much of the preceding activity too. All of this stuff affects the brain, but especially that soft playing organ. Your critical thought is being lulled into “sleep” or at least inactivity for the twenty minutes or so that the actual sermon takes place.

 

What evidence is there that a part of the brain is being put to sleep? If one of your friends missed a day of class and they asked you: “What went on in class today?” You would be able to go into pretty good detail (depending on your interest level) regarding what was covered.

 

But if someone asked you on Sunday afternoon: “I missed church, what did the pastor cover today?” You’re going to have a harder time answering. Not that the answer isn’t there, it’s just harder to access because part of your mind was out of action when the information was originally being received.

 

And part of you “knows” something is amiss when you are asked this question, because part of you knows that if you were being asked about what happened in class, or any other context, you would be able to answer more quickly and definitely.

 

This experience often will register as guilt, as you consciously feel that you need to: “pay more attention” during the sermon. Maybe you aren’t that good a Christian if you can’t remember what is being preached the same way you can remember what you learned in class on Friday.

 

Only you can’t pay attention the same way! Not unless you consciously know that organ music is lulling you. Once you realize the manipulation, it’s a lot less effective. But then, once you are actually fully paying attention to the sermon, you will have questions about the material. And if you ask your pastor those questions after church, you brain being fully “awake” might not be that receptive to the answers. You may even notice the minister has a surprised reaction to your questions.

 

It’s not the questions that are surprising him it’s that you are asking them (cuz’ you were supposed to be “asleep”).

 

As for baptism. I never took part in it. I was not baptized as an infant, and as an adult it was a requirement to become a full member of my church. They had this cruel obsession with holding baptism at a different church than the one I attended (no on-site facilities for it).

 

I never was baptized. There was no logic. I was already “saved”, so what was the point? And the baptism not even taking place at the church I attended, in order for me to be a member at the church I did attend, made absolutely no sense at all.

 

Being dunked in chilly water, in a strange environment, around total strangers, in February (-20 F is not a time to be walking around soaking wet). And I still couldn’t see any reason to be washed in water, when I was washed in the “blood” (that really sounds funny now).

 

I couldn’t see “sense” in baptism, so I decided that if a church wanted to require it of their members, then the designation of just plain “christian” was going to be good enough for me. Because I was not going to submit to an activity that was merely symbolic of the more important and intimate affirmation that I did NOT see as any business of the public. What was between me and god was between ME and GOD. Anyone requiring evidence of my faith was, I felt, being rude. Even if it was an entire church who wanted it.

 

Now as an ex-christian, I can see the real purpose of baptism. It is hypocrisy. People go through with it as fire insurance. “Making sure” they are right with god, because of the uncertainty and doubt about one’s standing that is encouraged in church. Baptism is proof that Christians don’t really trust and have faith that they are washed in the blood.

[thomas]

 

Great post white_raven23. It is right on target.

 

It's not the questions that are surprising him it's that you are asking them (cuz you were supposed to be asleep).

 

This is a very sharp observation. Christians are supposed to be half sleeping sheeps, constantly blaming themselves for not being good enough.

[Brother Jeff]

I second Brother Thomas, White Raven! Excellent post and DEAD ON CORRECT!! Glory!

[LosingMyReligion]

All of us here, at some point, were true Christians. I know what you are trying to get at with this question(the whole, "They left us because they were never truly with us" speil), but I assure you you couldn't be any further from the truth...especially in my case.

When I gave my life to Jesus Christ at the age of 19(I'm in my 20's now)I was in a very bad place. I felt alone, rejected, and worthless. At the time Christianity was the only option I had.

I had the whole "Baptism of the holy ghost." I joined Church...I was baptized...and I prayed, attended bible study, congregated with other christians, and I truly believed in Jesus Christ's power. I was one of those raving evangelicals preaching about the power of the lord Jesus Christ and how everyone should stop sinning...

 

We've all been there, and now we've all come to the conclusion that--in a sense--much of it was a lie. I know that I was living a lie just to fit in and be apart of a collective. Part of me(my inquisitive nature and creative animus) was dying from trying to hold true to a faith that would not accept me, a gay man, for who I am.

 

With all of my heart I believe and it still pains me to leave behind the faith that I was weened on...But everyone grows and changes, and Christianity is no longer for me.

[Thurisaz]

Did any of you have a moment where you thought that you had received The Holy Spirit? And how many here went through the act of Baptism?

 

No, and yes.

Of course, German Lutheran Christians would be classified as "lukewarm" by just about any US Christian group I've learned about so far, so...

[Guest BornAgainAtheist]

Greetings!

 

I was in a Greek monastery at one time. I got kicked out for being too horny. I'd probably still be in there if my rod and my staff hadn't comforted me!

 

 

When I got kicked out, I cried about it for a couple or so years, begging 'God' (read: talking to myself) to give me faith or send me to hell already.

 

----------------

Truth, in matters of religion, is simply the opinion that has survived.

-- The Critic as Artist (1891), Oscar Wilde

 

from http://www.positiveatheism.org/hist/quotes/qnavnamtop.htm

 

How come the post got moved to another board (Testimonials, I think), but my reply shot it right back here?

 

--------------------

 

I distrust those people who know so well what God wants them to do because I notice it always coincides with their own desires.

-- Susan B. Anthony. In 1896, Susan B. Anthony stepped down from the chair and addressed the National-American Woman Suffrage Association meeting when a resolution was offered to repudiate Elizabeth Cady Stanton's Woman's Bible. Aunt Susan's impassioned appeal was directed more at religious freedom and the rights of individuals

[Dark Helmet]

You’ve probably never thought about it, but surely you’ve noticed that the sermon is never the first order of business when everyone sits down in church. First there is standing, praying, singing, maybe greeting fellow members, a little sitting, more standing, more singing, more praying, at some point the church bulletin of upcoming events is reviewed, tithing may happen now, maybe another song……..a LOT goes on before the minister starts the big speech! And often there is underlying soft organ music going on during much of the preceding activity too. All of this stuff affects the brain, but especially that soft playing organ. Your critical thought is being lulled into “sleep” or at least inactivity for the twenty minutes or so that the actual sermon takes place.

 

Right on White Raven! I remember when I was a christian although I liked the music I never was at ease with the way they used the music. They chose the cantics to bring people 'into the presence of god' as they say. It starts with some energetic music, then it becomes more and more calm with worship songs until everyone is relaxed and very open to suggestion. It's probably some kind of hypnotic trick, whether the pastor knows it or not. When everybody is calm and worshipping they pass around the bowls for the offering. Now I don't know about you guys but I call that manipulation. Christians should really know about this!