When you are a sinner....

[Savanna Mae Leckemby]

You are saved.
"The immediate prospect of battle brought fear of death and the punishment of an angry God to the hearts of many gamblers. The result was a temporary renunciation of the instruments of sin. The road to the battlefield was commonly littered with playing cards and dice. For a brief season during and after the battle the battle cards would be as conspicuously missing as Bibles were everywhere to be seen. But there was one gambler who went into a conflict without throwing away a deck of cards that he was carrying loose in his pocket. During the battle a bullet struck this pocket, was deflected by the cards, and so the soldier's life was saved. By strange coincidence a comrade next in line, who was carrying a Bible, had his pocket struck also. The Bible failed to turn the bullet and this man was killed instantly."
From the Life of Johnny Reb by Bell Irvin Wiley

 

[TinCan]

There you have it....playing cards ain't so bad

 

[jgoodguy]

Then there is the story from the Petersburg siege, where a rebel officer was staggering back from having a drink and a man called from the entrance of a dugout where a prayer meeting was being held inviting him in. No thinks, I've already had a drink was the reply.

 

[DHPatrick]

It takes very brave men to stand up in a line formation and shoot at almost point blank distance at one another. ...and do it over and over again. Or charging at guns firing canister directly at them. Minor wounds of today, required surgical removal of a body part in their time. I imagine many of them became devout Christians because of these times. No disrespect intended.

 

[jgoodguy]

It takes very brave men to stand up in a line formation and shoot at almost point blank distance at one another. ...and do it over and over again. Or charging at guns firing canister directly at them. Minor wounds of today, required surgical removal of a body part in their time. I imagine many of them became devout Christians because of these times. No disrespect intended.

Lots of revivals especially among the Confederates as they often equated defeat with divine displeasure.

 

[Mike Serpa]

A friend of mine posted this photo a few months ago.

http://civilwartalk.com/threads/holey-new-testament-with-bullets.81125/

 

[jay gale]

If I remember my history reading right, there was a big revivalist movement in both armies during the latter years of the conflict. It reflected the turn to Christianity in the nation as a whole but like DHPatrick said, facing lead balls coming at you from a very short distance will have a certain "I see the light" effect on you to be sure.

 

[TinCan]

Amen