The greatest sinners and opponents of the faith often make the greatest evangelists and saints. Think St. Paul, St, Augustine…the list goes on. Have you ever looked at a powerful voice of opposition to the Catholic faith and thought, “could you imagine what they could do for Christ if they converted?” Here are 10 conversions that would rock our world!
1. Cecile Richards, President of Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA)
When I think of Cecile, I think of a tall, beautiful, articulate woman who is dreadfully misguided. She is a mother. Her famous mother, Ann Richards, undoubtedly shaped some of her beliefs surrounding abortion. But what if one day Cecile came out and said that abortion was wrong? What if she publically walked away from Planned Parenthood, our country’s largest abortion provider? What if she turned around and worked to close the business that she had worked so hard to build up? Wow. What a mighty conversion that would be.
2. Dr. Warren Hern, late term abortionist
Dr. Hern is the only abortionist who will abort babies through all nine months of pregnancy. He is proud of his medical accomplishments…even naming the late term abortion instruments after himself. But what if one day he laid down those instruments? What if Dr. Hern one day publicly stated babies in the womb deserve life and protection? What if the most well know, most notorious abortionists (probably in history) called for his peers to do the same? That could potentially be the end of legalized abortion in America.
3. Richard Dawkins, Famous Atheist
Dawkins is like the Howard Stern of the atheist world…instead of a “shock jock,” he’s like a “shock atheist.” I know and am friends with many atheists. Most of them find Dawkins to be pretty over the top in his thinking. However, Dawkins is a writer and has sold millions of books about his atheistic beliefs…to millions of young, impressionable people. I know people personally who are now atheists because of Dawkins’ writings. What if he had a conversion and recanted all of the things he has said about God and religion? He is so influential in the atheist world; I have to believe that people would listen. I believe people would pay attention and they would begin to look into their own beliefs. I believe his conversion to Christ would lead thousands of others to Christ.
4. Bill Nye…the Science Guy
We all used to watch Bill Nye, the Science Guy. We all loved him. We thought he was just about the smartest guy around. And then we got older and realized that his beliefs completely went against the ones we held so dear. There’s no doubt that Nye is an incredibly intelligent man. But he has allowed that intelligence to become his God…not realizing that the science he clings to was created by THE CREATOR. We are not a culmination of stardust (or “star farts” as my husband says). We are all individually and incredibly created by the ultimate Scientist. We are fearfully and wonderfully made…all of us unique and never duplicated. That is only science that God could create.
5. Hillary Clinton
I don’t know how much I can really say about Hillary. No matter what anyone says, Hillary Clinton is one of the most, if not THE MOST, successful women of our time. She is intelligent, articulate and was the first female president (just kidding, kinda). Hillary claims to be a feminist…and honestly, some of the things she has said about women make me stand up and say, “YES!!” Unfortunately, her beliefs on feminism are not equal to mine. When she says that she is a feminist, she means that she believes that women should have a “right” to the take the lives of their own children in the womb. When I say that I am a feminist, I mean that women should not have to choose between their careers and their children. I mean that women are strong enough to handle an unintended pregnancy and that women should never be put in a position where taking a life of a child is ever an option. I believe women are incredibly strong…just look at what we do in labor…but Hillary believes that women are weak. She believes that women are not strong enough to reach their goals and be a mother. That’s not the type of feminism that I subscribe to…and honestly, that is not true feminism. What if one day Hillary realized that the most powerful thing a woman can do is be a mother? What if she took up true feminism and encouraged women to be strong leaders AND be strong mothers, instead of pitting women against their children like some sort of sick game? That would change the world. Well, I guess I did have a lot to say about that.
6. Ellen Degeneres, TV Personality
I will be the first to say that I LOVE Ellen Degeneres. I think she is so funny, so talented and just an all-around great human being. She is generous, wonderful with children and appears to be a world class philanthropist. She also lives a homosexual lifestyle. I so admire people who choose to stay within Church teaching, even when they struggle with same sex attraction. It is a huge cross to bear, and their courage is not lost on me. What if Ellen chose to live according to Church teaching? What if she, like many others, fought for traditional marriage…even though she is attracted to women? What a firestorm that would create. And it would truly be a game changer.
7. Peter Singer, Philosopher
I will admit it. I have read things written by Singer before and had really nasty and un-Christlike thoughts about him. His views are so bizarre. He believes there is nothing wrong with infanticide, so of course he had no problem with killing them in the womb. He recently said that he would save 200 pigs over the life of one child. Peter Singer is surprisingly a very influential figure in our country and others. Believe it or not, he has won numerous awards for his “humanitarianism.” But what if he had a conversion? What if he became a true humanitarian and began to see all human life as valuable? What if he renounced these awards he has been given for his misguided beliefs and truly began to embrace the beauty of life? That would not only be shocking, but it would be almost unbelievable.
8. Hugh Hefner, Owner of all things Playboy
One of Hefner’s past wives recently came out and talked about how desperate her life was inside the Playboy mansion. She talked about depression, thoughts of suicide and all out misery. And honestly, are we surprised? These women are treated as objects, property. If anyone needs a Theology of the Body lesson, it is Hugh Hefner. But what if he suddenly began to treat women as the beautiful gifts they are intended to be? What if he shut down Playboy? What if he called for an end to pornography? That would not only be a shock, but I truly believe it could be a catalyst for change in our culture.
9. Al Sharpton, Activist
Anytime there’s a white person to blame, Sharpton comes running. Wouldn’t it be amazing if Sharpton suddenly cared equally about the rights of all persons? Wouldn’t it be amazing if he suddenly realized that racial tension only increases when we pit one group of people against another? Wouldn’t it just simply incredible if Sharpton consistently called for peace and stopped agitating already violent situations? That would be a game changer.
10. You & me
What if one day, everyone woke up with true love in our hearts for everyone we encountered? What if one day we committed to see the world from another perspective? What if we sought to empathize with those around us instead of throwing out judgment at every opportunity? What if we prayed every day for one another…for struggles, for purity of heart, for humility and for conversion of souls? What if we approached all situations with love instead of anger or presumed knowledge? What a beautiful world this would be.
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