becoming Muslim, through a good seminary education

I've always been amazed at our new brothers and sisters in Islam, especially the westerners.

Yes, especially the western converts perhaps for these reasons:

1) It's easier to find the stories related to their conversions, compared to people of other ethnicity.
2) They're able to express themselves, and about their conversions, in a clear and moving way.
3) Most of them are well-educated, well-informed individuals, both in the worldly education, in their own former religion, and in Islam.
4) The reasons behind their conversion, so far that I've read, have always been, because of what they see in exemplary Muslims, followed by what they find in the Quran, or directly from what they learn or found in the Quran.
5) They seem to be more sincere, more devout and better Muslims, than a LOT of born-Muslims, and I become inspired by what they experience and see in Islam.

The above does not take into account those who convert just to marry a Muslim and/or Malay woman, but don't know much about the religion they are converting to.

Most of all, I am impressed by conversions of high priests, preachers, pastors, ministers from the Christian religion. I'd like to understand WHY and WHAT made them choose Islam instead.

Quite a long time ago, before I knew or had access to stories of such conversions, I have wondered before.. how a high priest/preacher/pastor/minister/nuns etc.. who have learned about what early Christianity is about - can accept what is happening to the faith and acts of Christians in the modern world. Most bewildering, would be the fact that they LOVE Jesus Christ (A.S) - and yet, not follow his teachings - but they obey the teachings of people who have not even met him before. Don't they question the differences and who the authorities are?

A Christian friend have told me before, and she is a normal worshipper - that ACTUALLY, Christians are not allowed to drink alcohol too, or eat the flesh of swine. The Bible also says, not to worship idols - they are not allowed to have statues etc.. THEN.. why are there statues of Jesus Christ (Isa A.S.) and/or Mary (Maryam A.S.) in ALL some churches? What happened to all these things that Christians are forbidden to do, why are they ignored? I just remember her smiling, unable to answer these questions that are probably in the back of her mind too. Another one answered that it's permitted later on.. later on as in few hundred years after Christ - who permitted them? What powers do they have to change God's laws?

Those are some of the questions that sometimes play in my mind, when I think of our fellow 'People of the Book'

Most of my questions and wondering were answered that time, when I learnt of Dr Jerald, an ex minister in a Methodist Church, with a Master and PhD in Theology studies (studies of Christianity), who converted to Islam. I missed his talk on 'Finding the Light' - about his conversion to Islam. But luckily, that story is in his book, so I read that - and it is interesting by itself. The story is also here on this website. (My eyes welled at the part when he explained his position, about his beliefs to the American Muslim lady, wife of the restaurant owner.)

What I attended was a talk on 'Early Christianity'.

In his talk, he touched on the differences in opinion between the Early Christians and the Contemporary Christians, on the 4 issues, of which I remember 3 - Divinity of Jesus and Trinity, if Jesus was crucified, atonement of the blood (I'm not sure what the last one is about). Notice that it's NOT differences with the Muslims but with Early Christianity.

I can't go into details, because I can't quote back all the Biblical versions and sources, and the different early Christian sects he mentioned in his lectures - I lost track of them - there are so many. But some people at the talk, including some non Muslims, were busy taking down notes or recording the lecture.

Basically what he was trying to explain and show, was what he learnt and found during his seminary education. And basically, what he found was that, Contemporary Christians beliefs and methods, does not agree with what the Early Christians believes, in all the 4 issues he brought up.

And he tried very much, to sound as neutral as possible about what he has studied, without being biased to what the Quran has to say, although he did quote verses from the Quran which agrees with the Early Christians beliefs.

What is also interesting to me, is the person he is, how he chooses what to answer or what not to answer and how he answers them. Two questions asked by the audience that I remember most is :

1) What do you have to say about the phrase in the Bible that says, Jesus said, 'I and the Father are one' (John 10:30)
Dr Jerald paused, with a little exasperated look, then he asked nicely. 'One.. one in what? One in body? One in mission? One in vision? one in.. what?' He stopped at that.

2) How did you become a Muslim?
He said, :When people ask me that, I always ask them if they want the long answer or the short one? But since we've run out of time, I'll give you the short one... 'How did I become a Muslim?' - by having a good seminary education'

:)