In Reply to: well posted by lydia on September 21, 2003 at 06:11:31:
Please preface everything I say with "Respectfully, " and I am answering assuming you did not actually explore the religions as a non-Christian, before or after TF.
"I've been able to look back without fear and know"
Means you are reflecting retrospectively with the bias of your current state, not actually approaching it from a fresh open mind and actively exploring like Juni described.
"what those people I met were going through desperate searches in the their lives."
It's a sweeping statement. That is what I mean by your bias.
"They did not have the answers,"
Can you speak for every person you ever met? That is precisely the kind of thing that turns off non-Christians, deciding for them their life isn't okay when for them it is.
"even though it is popular in the western culture to assume because they smile a lot that they must be very peaceful and content people."
That is not so much western culture as it is a typical assumption ignorant tourists make, not deeper well educated people who know about cultures.
"I was there and know that it isn't true. Their religion did not bring them peace."
Can you speak for everyone you ever met, that their religion did not bring them peace? This is precisely what turns off non-Christians. I did it in TF, walked up to someone I never met before and told them they had no real peace. It was pure arrogance.
"So it more or less confirms what I had thought
of of their religions before I had ever met the family."
Did you explore it as a non-Christian?