Are people who get religion in jail faking it?

Dec 28, 2004

Question:

I don’t mean to offend you, but I don’t believe people who tell me that have changed because they’ve given their life to Jesus.  I’m in prison, and I think anyone around here who claims they’ve gotten religion is faking it.  They’re just trying to impress the parole board so they can get out earlier.  What do you think?

Billy Graham’s answer:

Yes, perhaps some are faking their commitments to Christ…But does that mean no one has every believed in Jesus and had their life turned around?  No, certainly not.  God delights in taking even the most rebellious person and changing them through the power of Christ.  And this is God’s promise to you.  Why serve the devil any longer? … Your life can be different if you only open your heart and life to Christ.

Jen’s response:

What does it matter to you if they are faking it or not?  That is their business.  If they are faking it, then they will end up right back in jail, and any reprieve they might get will be temporary at best. 

 Rather then worrying about others, you should be concerning yourself with what kind of person you want to be.  The person you have been up to this point is in jail.  Do you want to continue down this road, or get onto a more productive path?  Do you want to become a good person (someone who is ethical, compassionate and responsible), or are you content with your life so far?  If you aren’t, then you need to make some changes.

When it comes to belief, it either helps you to be a good person, or it doesn’t.  If it does, great, if it doesn’t, then you should try something else.  I personally know a few people who were able to turn their lives around with religion, and many more who changed their life just because they decided to.

 Whether you recognize it or not, you can decide to be any sort of person you want.  You just need to decide for yourself whether you want to be a good person or not and then act accordingly.  If religion helps you do this, great, if not, then do it for yourself without the crutch.  The key is to think before you act to ensure that you are acting in an appropriate way and not doing anything stupid that would hurt you, or someone else.  Good luck.