[MD] Sharing My Testimony

[John Carl]

In Christian circles, there is this thing that is done called, "sharing your
testimony".  How  it usually translates  is as story that starts "when Jesus
came into my life" and usually is a tale whereby the teller explains how
they were caught up in bad habits of drugs, alcohol or/and sexual
promiscuity and then they get this revelation in conversation with a
believer that they don't have to do that anymore.   They are saved.
Now growing up in a churchy atmosphere I'd hear these stories, but wonder
then if I was saved.  Since my whole life I'd  never been addicted or bad I
didn't really have anything to repent from and be saved.    I was raised by
parents in the Seventh Day Adventist equivalents of a "Jack" Mormon - they
socialize and know the rules and have family within the  religious group,
and don't really have any argument with the basic teachings except they'd
just rather party and have fun while in this world and not  be bound by any
religious strictures.  But they still send their kids to the schools and the
church so they can make up their own mind and be part of this social group.

So I didn't really get to hear about Jesus, I just grew up in this
atmosphere where it was all there in the air.

During my senior year in high school,  I raised my eyes to God and said,
"God, I'm here in this religion because I was born into it.  I have no idea
if you even exist.  I can't worry about it, it's a bigger problem than I can
solve.  I'm going to do what I think is right - pursue truth.  If you wanna
change my mind, go ahead and try."

And on that day I walked away from the religion into which I had been born.
 On that day,  I was saved.

Praise Good!


Over the years I learned to appreciate  my early training which led to my
conversion.  Since the SDA church was highly critical of every single
religion under the sun, so was I.   At the same time, the SDA church was so
blatantly screwed up itself, I  was in no real danger of being trapped by
it, and the practice  trap-avoidance stood me in good stead.  It was like
I'd just been through a boot camp program of social conditioning which
taught one how to break free from social conditioning.

Sorta like Japanese society as served by Zen.  A bunch of rules and a path
of escape.

An escape from a scary prison.  Whew!  That was a close one.