“It is hard to think of conversion as a blinding light on the road to Damascus, or as a highly spiritual or intellectual process, when the light comes from a flickering television; the voice of the deity is Bishop Sheen and you have drilled your father on his catechism answers...I was troubled at a young age by the idea that pouring water over someone's head could change both his relationship to God.” ThinkingIdeasHardLightAgeSpiritualYoungReligionFatherProcessWomenVoiceWaterAnswersTelevisionIntellectualConversionYoung AgeDeitiesBishopsPouringCatechismBlinding Light Author:Susan Jacoby
“I wanted to know how much of conversion was forced - that is, forced in the sense that the Inquisition forced people to choose - forced Jews, let's say, and Muslims to choose conversion to Christianity or death. I wanted to see how much of conversion historically was forced in that way and how much of it was really a kind of persuasion.” PeopleKnowsWayKindWantedChristianityKnow HowJewConversionPersuasionInquisition Author:Susan Jacoby
“I think very few people realize how much the separation of church and state has to do with the fact that Americans are not only more religious than a lot of other people in the world but that conversions are much more common here.” PeopleThinkingWorldStatesFactsRealizingChurchReligiousCommonSeparationConversionChurch And StateSeparation Of Church And State Author:Susan Jacoby
“More than half of Americans have changed religions at least once in their adult lifetime. This is - the rate of religious conversion here is much, much higher than it is anywhere in Europe, for example.” ReligiousHalfExampleChangedHigherAdultsEuropeLifetimeRateConversion Author:Susan Jacoby
“People think that, that conversion to Judaism is just a modern phenomenon. But there was an era in the late Roman Empire Judaism was not a proselytizing religion. It didn't go out looking for converts, but it accepted converts.” PeopleThinkingModernLateAcceptedConversionErasEmpiresPhenomenonJudaismRoman EmpireProselytizing Author:Susan Jacoby
