A Glimmer of Hope: A Leftist Professor's Conversion to Christianity

When you have a moment, read this article, written by a self-professed "leftist, lesbian professor" (apparently a former tenured professor of English at Syracuse University). 

"My Train Wreck Conversion," by Rosaria Champagne Butterfield

Reading her conversion story gives me hope, not only for people on the left, who generally speaking tend to tune out if not derisively dismiss the views of those they disagree with, especially those of the evangelical Christian ilk, but for people in the church, as well, who tend to mess up but good when it comes to addressing social and moral issues in general, but are particularly ham-fisted when it comes to homosexuality. A good part of Ms. Butterfield's testimony is the story of how Ken Smith, a pastor from the Syracuse Reformed Presbyterian Church, and his wife Floy, reached out to her, befriended her, prayed for her, but didn't judge her, didn't even invite her to church (gasp!). 

Of course, the author does admit to a certain level of derision towards Christians. Which is what makes her story all the more remarkable, in my view. No doubt an inner voice was frantically urging her to turn back once she'd made up her mind to take a second look at what the Bible has to say, especially about homosexualtiy. Most leftists that I know would never open a Bible, let alone allow themselves to become vulnerable to its content, especially if its content threatened the very lifestyle they not only embraced but advocated (Butterfield admits she used her university post to "advance the understandable allegiances of a leftist lesbian professor").

But she did become vulnerable. The last line of her article is powerful and revealing. She made her decision. There was a conversion. Her life has changed. But her story is unfolding: a battle within is still being waged. 

I'm reminded of a well-known saying, attributed, apparently, to Plato: "Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a great battle." I'm guessing Butterfield's internal battle will become public once leftist friends and colleagues turn on her and begin to either demean her for her betrayal (the way they treat black conservatives, for example); scrutinize her to see if the conversion to both Christianity and heterosexuality are for real (there are plenty of stories of gay people supposedly converting but thenreturning to the gay lifestyle); or dismiss her as irrelevant (as they've done to former liberal playwright David Mamet who has embraced conservative ideas). There's no intolerance like that which pervades the left.

 Here's a link to a downloadable audio file where she tells her story.

Professor Butterfield has also written a book.