# Watershed issues in conversions



## Leslie (May 8, 2014)

It seems that in many, maybe every cultural context there are watershed issues, the symptom(s) by which one can tell that a conversion is genuine. I've been reading about M theology and eschatology; it seems for the M's who convert it is the cross that is the offense and the cross that new, genuine believers embrace. The resurrection is a lesser issue, since M's already believe that Jesus was taken up to heaven by God, that He's presently alive. His real, physical death is the sticking point. For theological liberals saturated with antisupernaturalism, the resurrection is more of an issue than the cross, as well as the historicity of the miracles. In animistic cultures it is forsaking the appeasement of supernatural forces in favor of contentment with Providence. Perhaps there are personal watershed issues also. For me it was giving up autonomy.

I think that missionaries should allow each culture, and perhaps each individual, to define what the watershed issue(s) should be, rather than defining it themselves. Some previous generations of missionaries in this area defined the watershed as monogamy. So monogamous church leaders can embezzle, slander, and shrug their shoulders at occult practice, but they still consider themselves "in". The scriptures forbid divorce, the church demands it. 

Can anyone give examples, enlightenment, or argument on this issue?


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## Jack K (May 8, 2014)

In the animistic culture I grew up in (as a missionary kid), the defining hurdle for a convert was usually to give up all interest in appeasing or seeking balance/beauty from other spirits. Acknowledging and serving only one personal, loving and exclusively-to-be-worshiped God was much more difficult for the typical convert than was accepting miracles, atonement or resurrection.

So that fits what you have noticed about animistic cultures, even though the one I grew up in was in North America and you, persumably, have more experience with African cultures.


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