Why do I have the desire to convert?

Question

I am an atheist. All of the evidence around me seems to implicate a godless universe.

However, I have the desire to be a Christian. I have no idea why. I wish every day that desire would go away. I don't want to end up converting and being a mockery of myself.

So...why do I have the desire to convert and what can I do about it?

Answer 1

Maybe the holy spirit is telling you something. maybe you need to overcome something or you need a challange. =]

Answer 2

If all the evidence around you implicates one thing, but you feel differently, it is an inner battle that must be decided. The question is not what is right to believe, but what you feel is best for you to believe. So do you desire to be a Christian because there is a sense of belonging or community you lack? Or is it something greater and less defined? If you are willing to ask the big questions about the universe, then be willing to ask the big questions about yourself. What you believe is an independent decision so don't get bogged down with the ideas of evidence and proof. The truth is, no one knows. Some one will end up being wrong but will it really matter in the end? No person on here or anywhere else truly knows if God exists, and even if they had a spiritual experience, there is nothing they can do to convince people who do not want to be convinced, the same way an atheist has trouble convincing a Christian or a Muslim or even a Hindu. So do what is right for you but it would be better to be happy and at peace with yourself than fighting something just because you don't know the answer.

Also, you can believe in God without being part of a religion if you choose. A lot of answers here say look at the religions, but just because a religion doesn't fully fit with your beliefs doesn't mean you have to discard it or choose it. Your beliefs are personal, those are what you need to determine more than what any religion teaches.

Answer 3

If you are true with this question and not just trying to get some entertainment, get a bible and read it, start with Romans, then read the book of John, or get the gospel of John, the movie, it is very true to the book of John. Pray and ask God to show you He is real, He will. I dont know in what way, but He will. Find someone who is a true Christian, not an emergent type, in other words, stay away from the purpose driven life people.

Mostly you gotta trust the Holy Spirit, pray and read what the bible says. Ask for understanding, He will give you the understanding. For starting out you can go here to read the bible, I suspect you do not have one since you claim to be an atheist. http://www.audio-bible.com/bible/bible.html

http://www.biblegateway.com/
this can help you look things up by using a key word

http://www.rr-bb.com/
This is a good place to go to find others who believe in the bible. I am blessedinhim

http://gracethrufaith.com/
you can go here and read many good articles and questions about the Christian faith and the bible. You can also send in questions and get answers back that make sense.

http://www.eliyah.com/lexicon.html
This site is a strongs concordance. It can help you understand specific words and what they were translated from.

I hope you will listen to the Holy Spirit and come to Christ. Today is the day of salvation.

Being a Christian isnt about following rules. It is about a relationship with Jesus Christ. Secular history has not debunked the stories contained in the bible.

If you want to look at rules, there are only 2 that we need to keep in mind, but it is not keeping these rules that saves us.
The first one is this: Love the Lord thy God with all they heart, mind and soul, the second one is: Love your neighbor as yourself.

Answer 4

Maybe you are realizing that you are wrong to be an athiest. Figure out why yuo are an athiest. SOME people are athiest just so they don't have to follow 'rules' that a religion sets forth.

You may be feeling what most religious people call the Spirit when you think about it. That is the sign most people have to solidify thier faith. I would recommend not fighting the feelings you have. I'm not saying convert or anything. Just learn more about the various religions out there. Just having knowledge does not make you a believer. But then you have to follow what your heart is really telling you. If it tells you to have faith in Christ and be a Christian, that is not being a mockery of yourself. It would only be a mockery if you deny your true feelings, whatever they may be.

Answer 5

God is a determined force. He keeps sending the Holy Spirit to guide you. You can resist, but He'll keep gnawing at the fact you can't prove he is not there. He'll leep gnawing at the fact that you have placed a weak, shaken faith in nothing (a-theism), that will gaurantee no return on you emotional investment.

Take a clear honest look at the Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles.(the rest of the NT is spin.)

If God wasn't working with them, then essentially 12 guys pulled off the greatest con job of all time. (literally, since 2007 is Christ's Birthdate)

If the Apostles were born in this era would be the guys down at the bar with Eagles Jerseys on working the night shift at UPS.

Get some faith, it makes you feel good.

Answer 6

listen man, I was raised catholic, force fed it. I became an atheist as well when I went to college, I mocked people that had faith in God and thought I knew everything. The truth is, there is something more to the human experience than science or anyone can explain. I think sprituality to human beings is as innate as breathing and eating. I don't want to say become a christian, or muslim, or anything. But its vital that you seek answers to your questions, to ignore them is to be ignorant, don't think you're a fool for having the feelings you have, everyone has them whether they want to admit it or not even the hardcore atheists. I would recommend reading an old book called "Zen and the art of motorcycle maintenance" trust me on that one, and check out a church service, or a temple service, or some type of religious gathering and just see what you think of it.
good luck

Answer 7

We are (according to widespread theory) biologically wired to believe in deities. This is evidenced in the fact that every culture on Earth shows some investment in spirituality.

The theory goes like this: take two primitive people. One is, for some reason, wary around snakes; the other is not. When the two go out hunting, the first avoids snakes and watches out for them; the second doesn't. The second is bitten and dies; the first spreads his genes to the next generation, which produces children predisposed to be afraid of snakes. Therefore, generations later, most of the population is inexplicably afraid of snakes.

Translate that idea of biological determinism to God: the primitive person who worries about what happens after he dies and who created the world is not as focused on the hunt as the person who has decided to answer these questions by believing in God. Therefore, the believer lives and the non-believer dies, and being predisposed to being spiritual is passed down genetically.

Therefore, believing in God is a survival mechanism. It doesn't make Him any more or less real--it just gives a possible answer to your urge.

Answer 8

Your brain accepts the logical evidence of the nonexistence of god, but you were very likely indoctrinated into Christianity as a child and are still drawn to it, responding to religion in an emotional sense. You have mentioned your attraction to Christianity in a previous question, so this is a subject which is definitely important to you. Christians would urge you to surrender to your desire to be one of them. I am agnostic, also raised in a liberal Protestant church, but feel no attraction to Christianity, even antagonism toward organized religion. I think, though, that you should listen to whichever concept attracts you more strongly. Your peace of mind is central to your decision, in my opinion.

Answer 9

Could you be more of an agnostic rather than a true atheist?
Honestly...sometimes it is frightening to accept that there is no great, perfect afterlife...could it be that you are just a bit scared by that notion? It doesn't have to force you into a religion, rather it should help you make the most of the time you have. Usually I consider myself an agnostic...but lately due to the mess religion as a whole has made of things I'm honestly leaning much more to the view that man is a mess...all by himself. Good luck with your journey, where ever it leads you.

Answer 10

I would go to Church, research about Christianity and find out more about Christianity (maybe you've already done those things). That's what I did when my husband asked me if I wanted to convert. Personally, I believe and feel that there is a supreme power out there although I am a Buddhist myself.

Do you believe that Jesus died on the cross for your sins and for your salvation? If you do, you are a Christian. I could not become a Christian because I only believe that we are saved from our sins because Jesus' death made his teaching famous and known all over and we don't sin as much as we follow His teaching.

Answer 11

Maybe you want something those Christians seem to have. I think I was attracted to it because of that tight sense of community and belonging they seemed to have. But that was just it. I think I wanted to be closer to people and belong to something. And I realized I didn't have to go with something I didn't believe in order to get this. I had to get more comfortable with people. I did this through therapy. I'm not saying you need to do this but this was the way I did it. I worked on the things that kept me away from people, from feeling close to them, from feeling like I belonged.