On Changing Your Religion: There will be those who want the “old you” back
By george wesley dannells on May 7, 2008 in Baha'i Views
“Want You Back, 
graffiti on London’s South Bank,” uploaded on November 6, 2007 by garryknight on flickr, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic
A friend of mine recently converted to the Baha’i faith. …
But I noticed this: when my friend converted, her manners of speaking and writing changed. They seemed more mature; she used wonderful, beautiful flourishes when describing her thoughts on the world, humanity and the future. But as I read more of her writing I found these same phrases - like ‘identity of all humanity’ - used over and over. What had seemed special to me was actually lifted from Baha’i scriptures.
It made me uneasy in a gut reaction. I wanted to know why I reacted this way. It wasn’t because I resented her conversion or disliked her religion or its teachings. It was because she constantly used these phrases and did not invent new ways of thinking.
Zeno, “The Baha’i faith, an anecdote” So Soon No More:
This blogger has a positive impression of the Baha’i Faith which a friend recently joined, but he doesn’t like the new words and phrases that are now a part of her vocabulary, not finding them genuine. When you change, not every friend will appreciate the changes. There will be those who want the “old you” back.
About the “identity of humanity.” That’s not a catchphrase I’ve come across in the Baha’i Writings. -gw
On May 8, 2008, Victor Kulkosky said:
Joining the Baha’i Faith or any other religion is not the same thing as joining a club or switching jobs. Christianity puts this rather succinctly with the phrase “born again.” Although an adult can’t wipe the slate clean, accepting Baha’u'llah as the Manifestation of God does mean giving up some things and gaining others. Depending on where you were before, it might require a change in dress, in manners, in how you spend your time, even in the people with whom you associate, if they try to lead you astray, or as Baha’u'llah says, “eschew all fellowship with the ungodly.” Certainly, your encounter with the Creative Word will change you. After they pass from this earthly plain, the manifestations reach you primarily through their words. It would be more surprising if somebody claimed to have converted to a new religion and yet continued to talk and write in exactly the same way. If religion doesn’t fundamentally change you, then what’s the point? The blogger’s friend didn’t invent a new way of thinking, she adopted one. I hope Zeno will stay with her friend and allow that new vocabulary to enter his own heart and mind.
On May 8, 2008, george wesley dannells said:
Wonderful response, Victor.