Neighbours and Friends has helped several Iranians who have found Christ in Sydney, and paid the price of family isolation and/or potential danger as a result. One of these is Mary*, who grew up as a Muslim in Iran, but cannot return in safety due to her conversion to Christianity in Sydney. This is part of her story.
How long have you been a Christian?
About a year and three months ago now.
How did you become a Christian?
I heard about Christianity from one of my colleagues, an Iranian guy here in Sydney. He talked to me about Christianity. In Iran, we're not allowed to have a Bible, we hear about Jesus in the Qu'ran, but that's it.
Firstly, he just talked to me about Christianity and he referred us to St Paul's church, Carlingford and he explained about Amir (Mesrinejad), because he knows Amir as well. He gave me an offer to read the Bible, and when I read the Bible I found the truth about Jesus and Christianity.
When I compared Christianity to Islam, I found it to be a really strong religion and I think the God in Christianity is different to the God of Islam. In Islam, there are many wars and prophets who believed different things and they force people to believe in God. But as we know in Christianity, Jesus was a strong man to have been sent by God but he didn't do any war, which was the main point for me.
How did you move from finding out about Christianity to actually making the decision to follow Christ yourself?
I came to St Paul's Carlingford for a few months to see how we would go and how to get more information about Christianity, and whether we could access Christianity, and we then decided to be Christians. We asked Bruce Hall to baptise us and we were baptised on December 23 last year.
What has been your experience of being a Christian since?
It's just wonderful. I feel very confident and patient since I became a Christian, because in Christianity, God and Jesus invite us to have peace of mind, but in Islam, we always have to do the right thing or bad things will happen. If we do the right thing, we will go to heaven, otherwise, we will go to hell.
But in Christianity, Jesus says He is the only way we can approach God. Not matter whether you have done bad things, as long as you put your sin off and believe God, God can accept us and forgive you. So I feel amaazing.
How have you found the experience of church in Sydney?
They are wonderful people at church. They never forced us to become Christians. Thye're like a symbol " when you are looking at them, automatically you can learn about their faith, They never force you to become a Christian. They do whatever they believe is right, and then you can learn about their faith.
In Islam, everyone is forced to be a Muslim, we have no choice to choose any other religion.
What things have helped you to understand Christianity?
I read a book by a Christian author but the best book I have read is the Bible, which is so pure " it's got everything in it, about the Old Testament and the New Testament.
And you're fairly involved at St Paul's Carlingford?
Yes, I go to church on Sunday and a Bible study. I am going along also to a night to ask questions about how we can use the Bible in our family and in our life.
But your Christian faith now means you can no longer go home to Iran safely?
No I can’t. And even though I am in another country now, it still is not safe for me.
Mary is a permanent Australian resident.
* Not her real name
