I didn't have a strict religious upbringing. On Sunday, anyone who felt like going to church went to church. Usually, it was one of my brothers and my sister who went. Then after our noontime meal, the whole family would go for a drive. I went to church with my brother once and didn't understand what it was all about, so I didn't continue going.
At nine years old I almost died from an asthma attack. I remember thinking that I was going to die. At that time it didn't occur to me to start thinking about anything except trying to get my next breath of air.
Years later I almost drowned while trying to swim in fresh water. I went under water 2 or 3 times. I struggled one last time to get to the surface and a very young boy threw me an inner tube (from an overhead bridge). He saved my life. Again: there was no time to think about anything other than trying to survive.
Twice I had loaded guns pointed at me, but I mostly thought about trying to convince them not to shoot me. And, luckily, I'm still here.
The bottom line: I don't think the threat of death will suddenly change a person. Most of the time there's no time to think about it. And even if there is time, the seeds of belief have to be planted very early in life.
|