Conversion and emotional/psychological weakness

I heard a minister talking about how he knew one man who converted to Christianity that wept for hours after he gave Himself over to the Lord. The minister said this with much satisfaction, as though the only reason the sobbing man behaved in such a way was because of the power of his conversion. Is it not possible that the sobbing man behaved as he did because he had a lot of pent up issues that he had no other way of expressing except for through what he believed to be a religious experience? Perhaps his conversion experience was merely an opportunity for the man to get out his feelings because he was incapable of doing so in a more rational or healthy manner.

It is a known tactic of neo-Nazis and other extremist groups to try and recruit those who appear vulnerable to conversion. Why would a religious “recruiter” not target vulnerable people as well? I’m sure the conversion of an emotionally vulnerable person at an emotionally charged skinhead rally experiences a very similar type of conversion to someone at an emotioally charged religious service. The psychology behind a conversion is likely to be the same for many people.

True, some people choose less agreeable paths, like a neo-Nazi, but what drives people to conversion is very similar.

Frankly, if you’re an skeptic, only other skeptics will care what you think about conversion experiences.
That sounds crass, let me explain. The reason why people are moved by conversion experiences is because they have a deeply meaningful direct experience with their Creator (at least some of the time). If you don’t believe in God, then that explanation is off-limits to you. Any explanation you come up with is going to be secular, and since religion is a falsehood, it’s also going to be negative (involve psychological problems and so on). So all the atheists will clap, all the theists will ignore you, and nothing will change.
So yeah, I think you’re wrong, but if I was an atheist, I might not. In fact, I would agree with you that what you’re describing probably does happen all the time. But the notion that ‘this is what a conversion experience is’ is going to be totally limited by your philosophical presumptions on theism, right?

There are religious groups who use coersion and psychological techniques to gain new members. Some of the techniques include:

They find a need and fill it. One of the ways they do this is called
“Love Bombing” - Constant positive affection in word and deed.
Sometimes there is a lot of physical contact like hugging, pats on the back, and touching.
Cult group members will lend emotional support to someone in need.
Help them in various ways…whatever is needed.
The person then becomes indebted to the cult.
Compliment them, reassure them, and make them the center of attention.
Many Cults use the influence of the Bible and/or mention Jesus as being one of their own; thereby adding validity to their system.
Scripture twisting
Those that use the Bible take verses out of context
Then mix their misinterpreted verses with their aberrant philosophy.
Gradualism
Slow altering of thinking processes and belief system through repeated teaching
People usually accept cult doctrines one point at a time.
New beliefs are reinforced by other cult members.
carm.org/cults/cultic.htm

Avoid groups that do this kind of stuff. Their are other groups where they would never stoop to covert methods in order to gain members.

Your argument does go both ways. Your belief limits your perspective as well. The difference is, however, that there are observable and identifiable behaviors that many people who have a conversion experience exhibit. Vulnerability is common to all people, and there are numerous ways that a vulnerable person can behave. One way is to join something or beilieve something bigger than one’s self. This is a very common psychological response. Vulnerable people often want to belong. Now, you can say that vulnerable people who seek the Lord are different than vulnerable people who become white supremacists or Wiccans, but they all share something in common: vulnerability. There is no way for you to prove that vulnerable people seeking God are experiencing anything greater than something that lets them escape their vulnerability. A neo-Nazi gets to believe that he’s an Aryan warrior and a Christian gets to be loved by a benign creator. Vulnerability gets replaced with purpose.

I truly doubt that you will find ANY religious group that doesn’t practice some of these behaviors to a degree. In fact, I’ve seen more than a few of these behaviors at numerous churches. Maybe not to a cult-like extent, but the behaviors are certainly there. Sometimes, if a person is vulnerable enough, it only takes a few of these behaviors to win them over.

03.31.07.2099

Such would be the case for Ravi Zacharias.

Regardless of all the stories you will read or hear about people who convert out of emotional duress, there are still a great deal of people who convert to a belief system based on personal events and making “logical” conclusions to support the belief they end up with. While I am skeptical enough to agree with your assessment that cults and religious belief structures employ certain “comforting” methods to emotionally in-debt the future converted to their belief, others still will sign on under their own volition (with the guidance of a book… like Mere Christianity).

Personally (and this may sound ironic), I left religion BECAUSE of emotional duress. After a brief nihilism, I overcame my previous self and since then I’ve never been in a better place mentally or emotionally. Nietzsche saves.

You won’t find any human group of any kind that doesn’t employ the usual sometimes subtle group control methods. You won’t find any social mammalian group that doesn’t practice social control methods from primates through wolves on down the line etc. The point is that some groups use unethical means to gain members. The problem certainly isn’t limited to religious groups. If you don’t like their methods,why not find another group?

Is it possiable that the power of God delt with these issues you speak of? That you have to fall before you can get up? That the Holy SPirit (which Jesus brought to religion) Heals the soul toward something simular of the innocents and purity of a new soul? Why don’t you believe that the Holy Spirit is an actual entity that comes with things only associated with God???

I feel that conversion from one religion to another should be made available to only those who are willing with all their heart & sound belief in what they are doing. But today conversion is done to helpless people who are in dire need of monetary help. "You convert I help you’ is the mantra. And dont forget about the middlemen who take a commission to get people for conversion. They lure ignorant slumdwellers & other poor people to convert themselves to their religion on the promise of money & other benefits. It has become a rat race to see which religion has more followers. God is relgated to the background. More the money more the followers, however unfaithful they may be. I hope this stops. People need to help others selflessly & not with a motive of converting & improving their numbers.