I'm a former Christian who is now Muslim, how should I tell my parents?

[James Magnifico]

I'm asking on this forum because this is a Christian forum, and my parents are Christian so maybe you'll be able to give better insight into how I should best tell them.


I officially reverted to Islam 6 months ago after about a year of study. I'm a college student and became involved with a circle of other Muslim students who profoundly inspired my interest in Islam which led me to convert after I figured out that it was the religion I believed in (I can explain that if you'd like but I don't know if it's relevant).


I don't like to use the term moderate, because that implies that the people who moderate Muslims are being compared too are properly Muslim but the mosque I go to is definitely not an extremist place and we believe in love and respect for all humanity and especially for Christians and Jews who follow the same God we do, the God of Abraham.


My parents are Roman Catholics and quite religious, and I was raised in a strongly Catholic environment. My dad always posts anti-Islam stuff on Facebook and I'm very afraid to tell them, but I can't live a lie. I'm going home for the holiday weekend, and I need to tell them before Easter Sunday mass because (for obvious reasons) I cannot attend with them.


Christian parents, give me advice on how to break the news and may God bless you!

Explain to me how you embraced a warrior-based religion, (Mohammed) from a sacrificing-based one (Jesus)?

 

[PloverWing]

Your news will be hard for your parents to hear. From their point of view, your conversion is apostasy, and is endangering your salvation. They will probably be very worried for you.

At the same time, I applaud your desire to live your life with integrity, to tell the truth and not pretend to follow a religion that is not your own.

chaela has some good advice in her posts. Cearbhall's cautionary advice is also good, though I realize it's in a different direction. If there's any way to postpone telling your parents until after Easter, and still preserve your integrity, that would be good; but don't lie about your faith.

The one thing that comes to mind to add is this: When you tell your parents about your conversion, tell them what makes Islam wonderful for you. How does it bring you closer to God? How do you experience God in your prayers? How does its wisdom help you live your life better? and so on. If one of my children told me they were converting to another faith, it would be hard to hear, but it help me if I knew that they still loved God and wanted to follow God, and that this was a path that was drawing them to God.

 

[Saint Nod]

Do you realize that this doesn't matter to a non-Christian?

Except that a non-Christian doesn't believe that this "blood contract" ever existed in the first place.

I'm not sure why so many people in this thread expect non-Christians to judge everything according to Christian beliefs. They aren't facts.

Hey Cearball,
Matter or not, the Gospel is the Gospel, and the Bible clearly says, "“Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many." Matthew 7:13.
This IS a Christian forum, and it is important to tell people the consequences of their decisions.

 

[Saint Nod]

The responses that you received are even worse than I was expecting. I feel for you. I recommend posting in the Christianity and World Religion board if you have any more questions or concerns. You'll get a better mix of people there, and a more sympathetic crowd that will actually be interested in helping you.

Not sure if I agree with you Cearbhall, when you say, "more sympathetic"... shouldn't we be more sympathetic with the parents who have lost their child who is now heading to an eternity without Christ... to condemnation?
Eternity without Christ is something to be sympathetic about.

 

[miknik5]

Do you realize that this doesn't matter to a non-Christian?

Except that a non-Christian doesn't believe that this "blood contract" ever existed in the first place.

I'm not sure why so many people in this thread expect non-Christians to judge everything according to Christian beliefs. They aren't facts.

Could it be that it's because it's a CHRISTIAN forum?

 

[Saint Nod]

And this, folks, is one of the reasons why people leave Christianity.

Congrats to those on here who drove him off with the bleeding-heart self-righteous guilt-tripping; that reverse-evangelization technique has probably inspired him to cling to Islam even more now than he might otherwise have done.

-

Sorry I completely disagree.
An eternity without Christ is a serious matter.
You may be able to live with your conscience by not telling him the truth, but my understanding of the Scriptures is that we have an obligation to be honest.... and I don't see any of the posts being rude.

 

[Cearbhall]

Hey Cearball,
Matter or not, the Gospel is the Gospel, and the Bible clearly says, "“Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many." Matthew 7:13.
This IS a Christian forum, and it is important to tell people the consequences of their decisions.

Right, but you're giving advice to a non-Christian. Know your audience, and all that. He didn't ask anyone to preach at him.

Could it be that it's because it's a CHRISTIAN forum?

If that is the reason why, that doesn't explain or excuse it. I would hope that Christians don't ever expect everyone in the world to judge things according to Christian beliefs, even when speaking among themselves. Non-Christians exist.

 

[miknik5]

Right, but you're giving advice to a non-Christian. Know your audience, and all that. He didn't ask anyone to preach at him.

If that is the reason why, that doesn't explain or excuse it. I would hope that Christians don't ever expect everyone in the world to judge things according to Christian beliefs, even when speaking among themselves. Non-Christians exist.

what exactly do you think you are doing?

You're helping this young man?

No

You're not

All you are doing is becoming an obstacle to THE TRUTH

And on a CHRISTIAN forum nonetheless

If he wanted advice from anyone but CHRISTIANS because that is what he grew up and grew out of

He got "advice" from his nonchristan "friends" whixh is why he is in the situation he is in now

But here we are on a CHRISTIAN forum and you, a non Christian are offering ignorant words to "help" him remain in the situation he is in

Because you also do not know as you should know

 

[Cearbhall]

what exactly do you think you are doing?

You're helping this young man?

No

You're not

Allntou are going is becoming an obstacle to THE TRUTH

Right back at you.

You can get as frustrated as you want. I'm not going to feel bad about having different beliefs than you do, any more than you feel bad about having different beliefs than I do.

Take a moment to note that OP doesn't have the same beliefs as me, either. We are members of different religions, and our beliefs are contradictory, yet I was willing to help him.

I've said everything I want to say and have directed him to a more suitable board, so I think I'll take my leave.

 

[The Times]

.

 

[Lybrah]

I'm asking on this forum because this is a Christian forum, and my parents are Christian so maybe you'll be able to give better insight into how I should best tell them.


I officially reverted to Islam 6 months ago after about a year of study. I'm a college student and became involved with a circle of other Muslim students who profoundly inspired my interest in Islam which led me to convert after I figured out that it was the religion I believed in (I can explain that if you'd like but I don't know if it's relevant).


I don't like to use the term moderate, because that implies that the people who moderate Muslims are being compared too are properly Muslim but the mosque I go to is definitely not an extremist place and we believe in love and respect for all humanity and especially for Christians and Jews who follow the same God we do, the God of Abraham.


My parents are Roman Catholics and quite religious, and I was raised in a strongly Catholic environment. My dad always posts anti-Islam stuff on Facebook and I'm very afraid to tell them, but I can't live a lie. I'm going home for the holiday weekend, and I need to tell them before Easter Sunday mass because (for obvious reasons) I cannot attend with them.


Christian parents, give me advice on how to break the news and may God bless you!

Just out of curiosity, what made you sway over to Islam? What is it about Islam that draws you and why is it better? I haven't read any of the other comments, so sorry if this was already discussed.

 

[The Times]

.

 

[The Times]

.

 

[Mrs.PGL]

I feel delight that I found a religion that I have no qualms about believing in, and feel much better spiritually than I ever have. I don't reject their entire worldview, I'm still their same son and I love them very much, we worship the same God who created Adam and spoke to the prophets from Abraham and King David all the way down to Mohammed (peace be upon them all). I don't know exactly what you're implying with your comment my friend and I don't really want to debate about Islam because that's not my intention on this forum. I wanted legitimate advice on how to tell them in a way that helps them understand and doesn't hurt them.

Easter is a bad time for this, I totally agree but it's been worked out this way because I'm going home and obviously they're going to church.

No you do not worship the same God as your parents, if they are Christian.
Christ never taught:
Quran (9:30) - "And the Jews say: Ezra is the son of Allah; and the Christians say: The Messiah is the son of Allah; these are the words of their mouths; they imitate the saying of those who disbelieved before; may Allah destroy them; how they are turned away!"

Quran (8:12) - "I will cast terror into the hearts of those who disbelieve. Therefore strike off their heads and strike off every fingertip of them"

You've left the living God for a cult.

 

[Mrs.PGL]

Your news will be hard for your parents to hear. From their point of view, your conversion is apostasy, and is endangering your salvation. They will probably be very worried for you.

At the same time, I applaud your desire to live your life with integrity, to tell the truth and not pretend to follow a religion that is not your own.

chaela has some good advice in her posts. Cearbhall's cautionary advice is also good, though I realize it's in a different direction. If there's any way to postpone telling your parents until after Easter, and still preserve your integrity, that would be good; but don't lie about your faith.

The one thing that comes to mind to add is this: When you tell your parents about your conversion, tell them what makes Islam wonderful for you. How does it bring you closer to God? How do you experience God in your prayers? How does its wisdom help you live your life better? and so on. If one of my children told me they were converting to another faith, it would be hard to hear, but it help me if I knew that they still loved God and wanted to follow God, and that this was a path that was drawing them to God.

Except, Muslim do not worship the same God, so he isn't being drawn to God - he is being drawn, at best, to a demon. It will not make his life better because serving Jesus is the only way to live, and we live to serve Him and bring others to His love.
Romans 1
God’s Wrath on Unrighteousness
18For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. 19For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 20For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world,g in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. 21For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22Claiming to be wise, they became fools, 23and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.

24Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, 25because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.

 

[DarthNeo]

You said "reverted" to a muslim, boy is THAT TRUE...

If you are now a muslim, you were NEVER a Christian...

 

[Albion]

I'm asking on this forum because this is a Christian forum, and my parents are Christian so maybe you'll be able to give better insight into how I should best tell them.


I officially reverted to Islam 6 months ago after about a year of study. I'm a college student and became involved with a circle of other Muslim students who profoundly inspired my interest in Islam which led me to convert after I figured out that it was the religion I believed in (I can explain that if you'd like but I don't know if it's relevant).


I don't like to use the term moderate, because that implies that the people who moderate Muslims are being compared too are properly Muslim but the mosque I go to is definitely not an extremist place and we believe in love and respect for all humanity and especially for Christians and Jews who follow the same God we do, the God of Abraham.


My parents are Roman Catholics and quite religious, and I was raised in a strongly Catholic environment. My dad always posts anti-Islam stuff on Facebook and I'm very afraid to tell them, but I can't live a lie. I'm going home for the holiday weekend, and I need to tell them before Easter Sunday mass because (for obvious reasons) I cannot attend with them.


Christian parents, give me advice on how to break the news and may God bless you!

I don't see any way other than the way you explained it to us--you've left the religion that they brought you up in because you found another one that made more sense to you...but also that you are still quite respectful of their own choice of religion. Whenever the subject of religion comes up, talk about the beliefs that the two have in common. I expect that they won't take the news well, but there aren't many options in this case.

 

[Lybrah]

.

??????????

 

[The Times]

??????????

I have come to realise that the thread is a big ???????

 

[PloverWing]

Except, Muslim do not worship the same God, so he isn't being drawn to God - he is being drawn, at best, to a demon.

I strongly disagree with you on this point. I also disagree with the application of Romans 1 to this situation. However, I do not wish to derail the original thread any further. If you like, we can start a new thread in the Christianity and World Religions forum, or else we can correspond privately.