A couple of thoughts:
Quote:
Originally Posted by Zach  I am particularly fond of the phrase, "do onto others as you would have them do unto you." I think the world would be a much better place if everybody followed that guideline. |
There is a bit of a trap in that particular phrase; what you would have others do unto you is not necessarily the same as what
they would have you do unto them. At its most extreme, following the Golden Rule can lead to logic like "I would rather someone kill me than not have God in my life, therefore I should kill others who do not have God in their life"!!
Often others have their own way that works well for them, that you would
never choose to have done unto you. That doesn't mean that you should try to change them.
I'll take your word that the people you converted were genuinely unhappy with their old beliefs. However, please be aware that this will not always be the case, and the right answer for you is not necessarilly the right answer for all.
P.S. I am not a Christian, though I have been and I think there is some merit to the words of Jesus.
An excerpt from "The Power of Now" by Eckhart Tolle, that I feel is relevant:
"Although all spiritual teachings originate from the same source, once they become verbalised and written down they are obviously no more than collections of words - and a word is nothing but a signpost."
I believe the Bible is the words of men, trying to put into words their experience of divinity; often second or third hand. It is, in my strong opinion, not Truth, but a signpost. Jesus did not write a word of the Bible, and the first book of the New Testament was written decades after his death. (I recommend "Rescuing the Bible from Fundamentalism: A Bishop Rethinks the Meaning of Scripture" by Bishop Shelby Spong for more on the origin of different books of the Bible).
To finish with another Tolle quote:
"There is, and always has been, only one master, who manifests in many different forms. I am that master, and so are you, once you are able to access the Source within".