Finding Conviction in an Ex-Con

In "Mrs. Ramsey's Life," a small book bound in red leather published in 1852, the author tells of her wayward past. She flirts with men, swills spirits like a sailor, and back-talks her parents until, finally, she finds Christ. "Mrs. Ramsey's Life" was one of thousands of such spiritual autobiographies published in the 19th century. The books had a twofold purpose: to scandalize, and therefore sell; but also to lure readers away from their own sinful ways and set them firmly on the path of righteousness.

The conversion story has been popular since Paul fell off his horse on the way to Damascus. In our day, the stories are often as predictable as Mrs. Ramsey's: Lonely childhood or neglectful parent leads to a turn to vice in the teen years. Alcohol is followed by sex, followed by a visit to Planned Parenthood. The debauchery is eventually followed by a tearful conversion at a Billy Graham revival or neighborhood church. After the conversion comes the ministry, a life of glory lived for God; the convert nurses the addicted, feeds the hungry, tends to the sick, and, above all, spreads the gospel to the unconverted.

Lori Graham Bakker's story, "The Story of a Woman, Broken and Defeated Who Found That Dreams Really Do Come True," is one of these carbon-copy conversion tales. The beautiful blonde beaming at readers from the cover looks like she has always had her act together, but inside we find she was once a druggie, an unfaithful wife, and, in her view, a murderer: She had not one but five abortions before she found the Lord and repented of her sins.

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