Atheist Activist Who Threatened to Sue to Stop Texas Nativity Has Become a Christian

This is one of those stories that seems too good to be true. Last month, we told you about Patrick Greene, an atheist activist who threatened to sue over the presence of a nativity scene in Athens, Texas.

Despite his actions against the religious symbol, Christians came together to raise funds for him and his wife to purchase groceries after he fell ill. Now, as a result of the kind gesture, Greene has reportedly announced that he has become a Christian -- and that he wants to enter ministry.

(Related: Christians Raise Funds to Help Atheist Who Threatened to Sue Over TX Nativity Scene)

It's only been two months since the atheist was threatening to wage a legal war against the nativity scene in Henderson County. But something changed over the past 60 days. After residents found out that Greene was suffering from a serious eye condition that could lead to blindness and he was forced to retire, Christians' kindness transformed Greene's worldview.

In the end, they offered him $400 for groceries and other needs (atheists raised additional funds). This simple gift, which was given despite ideological and theological differences, apparently caused Greene to re-think his atheistic inclinations. The Christian Post recaps his transformation from non-belief to an adherence to Jesus Christ:

"There's been one lingering thought in the back of my head my entire life, and it's one thought that I've never been able to reconcile, and that is the vast difference between all the animals and us," Greene told The Christian Post on Tuesday, as he began to explain his recent transformation from atheist to Christian. The theory of evolution didn't answer his questions, he says, so he just set those questions aside and didn't think about them anymore.

But when the Christians in a town that had reason to be angry with him showed him a gesture of love, he began reconsidering his beliefs altogether. He eventually began to realize that evolution would never have the answer to his questions, he says, and it was at that time he began to believe in God.

"I kind of realized that the questions I [was] asking you just had to accept on faith without doubting every period and every comma," he said. He later began studying the Bible, both the Old Testament and the Gospels, and also discovered his belief that Jesus is the Son of God.

Greene says his wife, who remains an atheist, is surprised by his conversion. That being said, he claims the two are able to cope with their differences without putting one another down or bashing the other's beliefs.

Perhaps more surprising than Greene's conversion -- which was unexpected considering his past activism -- is his plan to consider entering ministry. The Post reports that he may become a part of a liberal congregation and that he may even start his own chapter of the Rainbow Baptists, a ministry to the LGBTQ community. Greene says that he believes the Bible's original approach to homosexuality has been altered and that he feels strongly about rectifying it.

The atheist-turned Christian is also hoping he can inspire more people to read the Bible regularly. And he is no longer opposed the nativity scene he originally railed against so vehemently. He penned a letter to the Freedom From Religion Foundation explaining why the group's views on the matter are incorrect and, as previously reported, purchased a star for the nativity scene.

It seems that turning the other cheek as the Christians did, while showing love can, indeed, have a positive impact.

(H/T: Huffington Post)