Atheist Leah Libresco Converts to Christianity

Leah Libresco was an atheist blogger who has converted to Christianity. She describes how the decision was a difficult one, and even waited until she made her announcement. Since Libresco was raised in a home with non-believers, her exposure to Christianity did not come until later in life.

On her blog, she mentions how she started to have interactions with a group that discussed politics and philosophy in college. It was here that she met "smart Christians" and describes the revelation as a "shock". This shock is not unsurprising, as oftentimes in the media, Christians are portrayed as fundamentalist villains, who work to suppress all kinds of natural human instincts. Sadly, this stereotype lives on and does not at all represent the majority of Christians.

One story that comes to mind is the story of Peter Greene, an atheist who actually filed a lawsuit to remove a Nativity Scene from the Henderson County Commissioner's Court in Texas. After he received an outpouring of support from Christians once he was diagnosed with a medical condition, he described himself as being "flabbergasted" that the Christians would come to his aid. Greene even later brought a star for the Nativity Scene.

Leah states, "I still thought my new friends were wrong about the existence of God, but I had to recognize I'd been pretty wrong why they believed what they did. And if I hadn't really understood their arguments in the past, it was only prudent to give them a second hearing."

Libresco describes how she wished to debate her friends, but in the process, discovered her own "big gaps in the defense of my positions". She explains that during her exploration and honest discussion with atheists and Christians,

"I hadn't changed my mind about the existence of God, but here are some things that arguing with people on the internet and in real life has convinced me I was wrong about: I'm now in favor of covenant marriage, I've abandoned my former commitment to stoicism, and I think some forms of Christianity are internally consistent and even attractive."

After much deliberation and discussion, Libresco decided that she would end her Atheist blog with a last entry, entitled "This is my last post for the Patheos Atheist Portal". She says, "Starting tomorrow, this blog is moving to the Patheos Catholic channel". She states, "This post isn't the final word on my conversion. I'm sure there's a lot more explaining and arguing to do, so be a little charitable in your read of this post and try to give me a little time to expand my ideas over the next few weeks."

TheBlaze reports that while fellow Atheists may disagree, at least one is supportive. On his "Friendly Atheist" blog, Hemant Mehta stated in part,

"I won't pretend to understand whatever she's going through. But whenever you make a big announcement like that, it's like a huge weight has been lifted off your shoulders. It's even harder to do that when you talk about religion so publicly. Anyway, I wish Leah the best."

Leah Libresco and Hemant Mehta are both an inspiration, as believers and non-believers should strive to understand, or at least respect, one another. All individuals are entitled to their own spiritual journey and should not be mocked or demonized for their personal beliefs, no matter how foreign they may seem.

Follow @ReneeNal

Join the Conversation	You are following this conversation | stop following follow this conversation by email