Should I Change My Religion?

THE pilot had just taken off from Okinawa’s Naha Airport with 101 passengers on board. Suddenly he noticed three weather reconnaissance planes headed toward him on a collision course. Acting quickly, the pilot veered sharply to the left, thereby avoiding a midair collision, saving his own life and the lives of his passengers. That account of a near-miss, as reported in a northern Japan newspaper, well illustrates that to save lives a drastic change in course is sometimes necessary.

However, many people feel that changing one’s religion is a different matter. Strong fears come into play. There is the fear of starting down an unfamiliar path. Mrs. Tachi, who studied the Bible with Jehovah’s Witnesses, expressed herself this way: “A lot of the people I know have doubts about religion and its emphasis on money. But all we have known and seen from youth on are the religious festivals and customs. We don’t think much about the spiritual meaning of the hoji [the periodical Buddhist memorial service on behalf of a deceased person]. We think more of the hoji as a happy time to be with relatives and neighbors. The thought of giving all of that up, or worse yet, being ousted by the family frightened me.” This feeling about religion is probably shared by people in your locality.

There are other fears too. In many places, people fear some form of divine reprisal if they change their religion. One woman who began to study the Bible in Japan was told by her relatives that she was experiencing health and family problems because she had “neglected her ancestors” and incurred their wrath by studying a “foreign religion.”

Another fear that holds people back from changing their religion is the fear of displeasing a mate or parents. In many Eastern countries, where loyalty to parents and family is viewed as especially important, a new wife is commonly expected to support the religious view of the family into which she is marrying. Even if the couple are not particularly religious, maintaining a good relationship with the family and keeping the religious status quo are considered extremely important. One young couple discontinued their Bible study after being put under intense pressure at a “family conference.” “Basically, we had a fear of man,” explains the husband, who later resumed the study. “We felt that we should obey our parents’ wishes, and we did not want to hurt them by changing our religion.”

This brings to mind another reason why many are afraid to change their religion: the universal dislike of being viewed as different. In the family mentioned above, one of the reasons given by the parents for the young couple to stop their Bible study was that they did not want their children to be viewed as peculiar or to be ostracized from community activities.

Strong fears, therefore, are involved in the question, Should I change my religion? As a result, many take a philosophical view: It does not really matter what religion one has, does it? Are not all religions simply different paths leading to the top of the same mountain? When it comes to religion, they, like the three proverbial monkeys, see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil.

But some have changed their religion. Why? For a number of these, it was merely a matter of joining another religion that promised immediate health or financial benefits, while at the same time maintaining their traditional religious ideas and practices. But for others, there has been a real and complete change. You may be wondering, though, ‘Are there really sufficient reasons for me to change my religion? Why have some been willing to change? Could a change have a real effect on my life?’ We invite you to examine the following article for the answers.

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What motivates people to cling to their traditional religious customs?

Why Some Have Changed Their Religion

FOR a person to take such a drastic step as changing his religion, he certainly must have good reasons. The benefits would have to outweigh any disadvantages.

Would you consider getting to know your Creator and developing a relationship with him a good reason? It has been for many. To develop a relationship with someone, we must get to know the person well. For example, a small child may be afraid to take hold of a stranger’s hand until he gets to know him. So with us, we must come to know God before we start to trust him. True, most religions have a central figure they worship as God. But is it not also true that for most persons God is vague and distant with no clearly defined personality? So how do we get to know him?

When we look at the things around us, we are awed by what we see. We detect beauty, intelligence, and power. The origin of all of this perplexes many, but there is a book that explains it clearly. It is the Bible. Through its pages, we learn that these wonders originated with a Creator who has a name and a personality. As we carefully study the Bible, God’s personality becomes very clear to us. We see him as a God of love and care. “God is love,” says the Bible. (1 John 4:8) We are drawn to this magnificent personality, perfectly balanced in love, wisdom, justice, and power. A close relationship follows.

Misae went through just such an experience of being drawn to Jehovah. She explained: ‘As a child, I was taught that many gods existed. There was a god for the water, a god for the trees, and one for the house. Although I doubted their existence, I did believe that there must be one true God. My strict Buddhist-Shinto upbringing caused me to think of God as being fearsome, someone who meted out punishment for misdeeds. Although I had a desire to go to a church and learn about the Christian God, my Buddhist background held me back. Then a lady came to my house and offered to study the Bible with me. Through that study, I learned that God has a name, Jehovah. I was thrilled to know that he is not a fearsome God but a loving one, always watching over us, not to punish, but to help. I wanted to serve that God, and so I changed my religion.’ She has been enjoying a satisfying relationship with God for some 29 years.

Relationship That Gives Freedom and Hope

There is a side benefit that many have received through developing a relationship with God. As other relationships begin to take on lesser importance in their lives, many have gained freedom from the enslaving fear of man and oppressive customs devoid of real meaning and value. Hence, they have been freed from the burdensome costs of maintaining appearances and traditions, which keep many families in constant debt. “Trembling at men is what lays a snare,” warns the Bible, adding the assurance, “He that is trusting in Jehovah will be protected.”​—Proverbs 29:25.

Another freedom to be gained is the freedom from fear of death. The above-quoted Misae says: “When I was 22, I contracted typhoid fever. As I lay there semi-conscious, I could hear friends and family members talk about me as if they expected me to die. But I feared death. My only thought was that I wanted to live, and fortunately I did get better. Through my later study of the Bible, I was freed from that fear of death. I learned that death is simply nonexistence.” The Bible says: “As for the dead, they are conscious of nothing at all.” (Ecclesiastes 9:5, 10) If someone dies, there is the wonderful hope of the resurrection because God keeps the dead alive in his memory.​—John 5:28, 29.

Many others who study the Bible have similarly found that the things they have learned have given their life real meaning and hope. This is one reason why the Bible was written, namely, that “we might have hope.” (Romans 15:4) Buddhism teaches nothing about a Creator or God. It is said that evil and suffering have always existed and will continue forever through endless cycles of rebirth. Most Western religions teach that the good will go to heaven, an indefinite place, but as for what they will do there, they are not too sure. In contrast with these religious philosophies that give very little hope or meaning to their lives, the Bible teaches that man was made to enjoy life forever on the earth as its caretaker. (Genesis 2:15-17; Isaiah 45:18) We may thus come to realize that life should be spent not just to gather possessions and serve self but to serve God and others in an unselfish way.​—Ecclesiastes 12:13; Matthew 22:37-39.

Gaining the Truth and True Friends

Some are compelled to change their religion for other reasons. Among them is a desire to search out religious truth. Of course, many people feel that there is no such thing as absolute truth and, as the Bible says, they ‘make no search.’​—Psalm 10:4.

But there are those who do make such a search. Sakae, who lives in central Japan, went from one Buddhist sect to another for 25 years to find the truth. She was never satisfied. As she rose to responsible positions in each organization, she always saw things that stumbled her, such as commercialism, immorality, and exploitation. She even traveled to India to search out the roots of Buddhism in the historic spots where Buddha lived and taught. She was greatly disappointed to find very little interest in Buddhism in that Hindu country. Then in her conversations with Jehovah’s Witnesses, she was told that not all religions are from God but are from his enemy, Satan the Devil.​—1 Corinthians 10:20.

This shocked Sakae, but it caused her to think and investigate. She read the book What Has Religion Done for Mankind?a and other Bible publications. She began to see that whereas Buddhism, as practiced in Japan, went through many changes over the years, the Bible has remained unchanged for thousands of years. Eventually her investigation paid off. She found the truth she had been seeking. Her joy was like the joy of the man in Jesus’ parable who found a treasure hidden in a field: “For the joy he has he goes and sells what things he has and buys that field.”​—Matthew 13:44.

Those who have found religious truth show “fellow feeling” for others who are seeking it. (1 Peter 3:8) In fact, their warmth and genuine love initially attracts many to a study of the Bible. “All will know that you are my disciples, if you have love among yourselves,” said Jesus. (John 13:35) Where can we find such a loving atmosphere today? Kazuhiko Nagoya, writing in his column for Tokyo’s Daily Yomiuri, commented on the warm way he was treated when he visited a meeting place of Jehovah’s Witnesses. “The way they smiled,” said Nagoya, “it looked as though they had recognized me from a previous meeting and were happy to see me again.” But this was not the case. “I looked hard at their faces and found that they were total strangers.” When two other people also smiled, “I felt very happy,” recalls Nagoya. “That is the way those people smile at a stranger, when they spot him at any of their meetings.”

Warmth and love do not result from people’s knowing one another well because of gathering locally on a regular basis. Rather, these result from a regular study of the Bible and the application of its principles in their lives. Many persons invited to attend the 1985-86 “Integrity Keepers” District Conventions of Jehovah’s Witnesses in foreign lands were deeply touched by the love and hospitality shown them by their hosts. One young couple from Japan who attended the convention in the Philippines commented: “When we all joined together for the final song, each singing in his own language, we were deeply moved. We felt for the first time what it means to belong to a truly international brotherhood.”

Finally, many will tell you of the great changes they have made in their lives as a result of studying the Bible and applying it. People with personalities formerly as different as sheep are from wolves are now getting along peaceably in the Christian assembly. (Isaiah 11:6) Some were moody and unfriendly, short-tempered and even fearful. Others had trouble with depression. Still others were introverted and self-centered. Many had bad habits to overcome. But by diligent effort, coupled with the desire to please God, they were able to make drastic changes.

What about you? Do any of the above reasons for making changes appeal to you? If so, we encourage you to make a serious study of the Bible. The Bible shows that all false religions are on a collision course with the God of the Bible. Like the pilot mentioned in the previous article, you may have to take drastic action to save your life and the lives of your loved ones. “Broad and spacious is the road leading off into destruction,” said Jesus, “and many are the ones going in through it; whereas narrow is the gate and cramped the road leading off into life.” (Matthew 7:13, 14) Yes, if you are walking on that “broad and spacious” road, there is good reason for you to change your religion!

[Footnotes]

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My strict Buddhist-Shinto upbringing caused me to think of God as being fearsome

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‘Cramped is the road leading off into life’