God gave all of us free will to choose. We are not to force conversion: Christian or non -believer

<p>God gave all of us free will to choose. We are not to force conversion: Christian or non -believer</p> <p>Forced conversion uses pressure, force, or threat to make someone abandon their beliefs for those of another religion—forced conversion results in adopting a different religion (or the abandonment of all faiths) under duress. Forced conversion is prominent in some religions, cults, and totalitarian governments, but it’s easy to address from a Christian point of view.</p> <p> </p> <p>Simply put, forced conversion is wrong. Growing the ranks of a religion should not involve any coercion. Often, forced conversion doesn’t even work: those who are forced into a different faith may act as a convert outwardly but secretly remain loyal to their former religion.</p> <p> </p> <p>It is impossible to become a Christian as a result of force or coercion. It may be possible to force someone to engage in a religious ceremony or mouth words to a prayer, but a Christian is not about a ceremony or perfunctory prayers. It’s about being born again by the Spirit of God, and no amount of human pressure can force the Spirit’s hand. God knows the heart. Regeneration cannot be externally imposed.</p> <p> </p> <p>Some religious leaders in history have taken up the sword to compel people to join their ranks, but not Jesus. He laid down His life and invited us to follow Him. His kingdom functions differently from what the world is used to. Jesus told Pilate, “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders. But now my kingdom is from another place” (John 18:36).</p> <p> </p> <p>Forced conversion also contradicts the free will that God has given each of us. We extend the invitation to all to be saved, but we do not constrain them. We recognize that people must repent and believe on their own, as the Holy Spirit works in their hearts (see John 16:8). Jesus alluded to the sinner’s free will as He spoke to a rebellious Jerusalem: “How often I have longed to