Why I am now a Christian

[SoldierOfTheKing]

I don't have much in common with Ayaan Hirsi Ali, and there's much of her political analysis that I disagree with, but I think she hits the nail on the head in with her contrast with the Christian and secularist viewpoints. It certainly resonates with my experience.

Why I am now a Christian​

 

[Tinker Grey]

I saw this earlier today. Conversion for political expediency is not admirable.

 

[Bradskii]

I saw this earlier today. Conversion for political expediency is not admirable.

Hitch is turning in his grave.

This seems worth quoting from the article:

'I had lived for too long in terror of all the gruesome punishments that awaited me. While I had abandoned all the rational reasons for believing in God, that irrational fear of hellfire still lingered.'

I've spent a little time trying to find out what denomination she has chosen, with no luck. But hey, Ayaan - it's the same God and same hell fire.

 

[Tinker Grey]

Hitch is turning in his grave.

Indeed.

 

[Occams Barber]

I don't have much in common with Ayaan Hirsi Ali, and there's much of her political analysis that I disagree with, but I think she hits the nail on the head in with her contrast with the Christian and secularist viewpoints. It certainly resonates with my experience.

Why I am now a Christian​

As arguments go this one is seriously lacking in rationality.

As @Tinker Grey pointed, out conversion for political expediency is hardly admirable even if you believe Christianity has some magic property capable of saving the world.

Putting that aside, the author appears to be unaware that you can't make yourself believe in something. You either believe or you don't or you sit on the fence, but you can't consciously manufacture belief.

Finally the question - "Atheism failed to answer a simple question: what is the meaning and purpose of life?"

The author appears to be unaware that the problem here doesn't lie in the answer - it's in the question. Asking for the 'meaning of life' automatically infers that there is a meaning to life which in turn assumes a giver of meaning. The question is not a question - it's a statement of belief.

OB

 

[Bradskii]

As arguments go this one is seriously lacking in rationality.

As @Tinker Grey pointed, out conversion for political expediency is hardly admirable even if you believe Christianity has some magic property capable of saving the world.

Putting that aside, the author appears to be unaware that you can't make yourself believe in something. You either believe or you don't or you sit on the fence, but you can't consciously manufacture belief.

Finally the question - "Atheism failed to answer a simple question: what is the meaning and purpose of life?"

The author appears to be unaware that the problem here doesn't lie in the answer - it's in the question. Asking for the 'meaning of life' automatically infers that there is a meaning to life which in turn assumes a giver of meaning. The question is not a question - it's a statement of belief.

OB

Couldn't agree more. When she rejected Islam then she wasn't just rejecting the religion. She said she was also rejecting the concept of God. Now I don't know if that was lip service to gain her entry into the 'new atheist' conversations that were happening at the time so she could rub shoulders with Dawkins and Hitch at al or whether she did have honest doubts.

But this is interesting (from wiki):

'She also explained in an interview that she began a serious reassessment of her religious beliefs after the 9/11 attacks and when she was drinking wine in an Italian restaurant, stating "I asked myself: Why should I burn in hell just because I'm drinking this? But what prompted me even more was the fact that the killers of 9/11 all believed in the same God I believed in." '

From that I would suggest that it was just Islam she was initially rejecting and not God. But she felt the two were so intertwined that God became part of the package deal she threw out. I guess the same would happen if someone rejected Christianity. If you start with the belief that Christ is God and then reject Christianity then God dissapears.

But in her case I don't think He did. Was she fooling us or herself? I'd suggest the latter.

 

[SoldierOfTheKing]

I saw this earlier today. Conversion for political expediency is not admirable.

Hmm. What is an admirable reason for conversion then?

 

[Nithavela]

I don't think you can call yourself a christian if you are only using christianity as a rallying flag to gather around against political opponents.

Hmm. What is an admirable reason for conversion then?

Actually believing in the thing you are converting into would be a start.

 

[dlamberth]

I hope I'm not sending this thread sideways by asking this question, that's not my intent. As we read the article, she mentions "woke theology" as one of the threats to "western civilization" which she says is "eating into the moral fibre of the next generation". If you can explain what she is meaning here, it would be helpful to me. Please know that even though I hear that term thrown around, I still have no idea what "woke theology is". And moral wise, I have no idea why it's so concerning to some.

 

[Nithavela]

I hope I'm not sending this thread sideways by asking this question, that's not my intent. As we read the article, she mentions "woke theology" as one of the threats to "western civilization" which she says is "eating into the moral fibre of the next generation". If you can explain what she is meaning here, it would be helpful to me. Please know that even though I hear that term thrown around, I still have no idea what "woke theology is". And moral wise, I have no idea why it's so concerning to some.

This article might answer the question of your last sentence.

How US 'wokeness' became a right-wing cudgel around the world

With Covid-19 beginning to fade into the rear view mirror, the largest annual conservative gathering in the United States sounded the alarm this weekend over what they deem to be another fast-spreading…

www.france24.com

 

[comana]

Your thread has been overrun by atheist trolls. You posted within their ever-shrinking pasture.

It's an interesting article. The irony of Russell's position is certainly worth recognizing. It's good to see folks like Ali rejecting the irrationality of atheism and Islam alike.

I’m not sure why you call the atheist posters here trolls. I see counter arguments to the premise of the article But nothing trollish.

 

[Bradskii]

Your thread has been overrun by atheist trolls.

The op has been responded to by people with honest opinions. Your comment is out of order and quite possibly against form rules.

If you have anything to say then it might be a good idea to respond to any comments made and cut out the derogatory remarks.

 

[Occams Barber]

Hmm. What is an admirable reason for conversion then?

Hmmm. She is an atheist so... how about...a genuine belief in God, for starters?

OB

 

[Ana the Ist]

I don't have much in common with Ayaan Hirsi Ali, and there's much of her political analysis that I disagree with, but I think she hits the nail on the head in with her contrast with the Christian and secularist viewpoints. It certainly resonates with my experience.

Why I am now a Christian​

It sounds like she's seeking refuge in Christianity rather than professing a sincere conversion.

I'm not holding that against her though, any Muslim apostate is brave in my eyes.

For anyone who hasn't read it...it's not as long as it looks. It just has a really really big comment section at the bottom.

 

[Ana the Ist]

Your thread has been overrun by atheist trolls. You posted within their ever-shrinking pasture.

We don't believe in the pasture's existence....or trolls.

 

[Ana the Ist]

This article might answer the question of your last sentence.

How US 'wokeness' became a right-wing cudgel around the world

With Covid-19 beginning to fade into the rear view mirror, the largest annual conservative gathering in the United States sounded the alarm this weekend over what they deem to be another fast-spreading…

www.france24.com

"Woke" and Gnostic share a similar claim of esoteric knowledge....but not having known anyone who claims to be Gnostic personally....I feel like that's a little harsh towards Gnostics.

I mean...maybe they do know some sort of magical things.

The woke on the other hand are literally claiming full belief in things they couldn't possibly explain if given a lifetime.

 

[comana]

This quote here is what I frequently encounter with people who do not comprehend what atheism truly is. It is is not a doctrine and as such can‘t in and of itself be divisive or unifying. Atheism is simply a disbelief in god (s).


“Yet I would not be truthful if I attributed my embrace of Christianity solely to the realisation that atheism is too weak and divisive a doctrine to fortify us against our menacing foes. I have also turned to Christianity because I ultimately found life without any spiritual solace unendurable — indeed very nearly self-destructive. Atheism failed to answer a simple question: what is the meaning and purpose of life?”

The author has a need that she believes can only be fulfilled by embracing a religious belief. Islam did not work for her in the end so she is giving Christianity a try.

 

[Bradskii]

This quote here is what I frequently encounter with people who do not comprehend what atheism truly is. It is is not a doctrine and as such can‘t in and of itself be divisive or unifying. Atheism is simply a disbelief in god (s).


“Yet I would not be truthful if I attributed my embrace of Christianity solely to the realisation that atheism is too weak and divisive a doctrine to fortify us against our menacing foes. I have also turned to Christianity because I ultimately found life without any spiritual solace unendurable — indeed very nearly self-destructive. Atheism failed to answer a simple question: what is the meaning and purpose of life?”

The author has a need that she believes can only be fulfilled by embracing a religious belief. Islam did not work for her in the end so she is giving Christianity a try.

The Muslims I have known certainly found spiritual solace in their belief in God. But I don't get how she managed to 'turn off' her belief in God, found something was missing so 'turned it back on' again. Did she think 'I've rejected Islam, therefore I have no religion. Therefore...I'm an atheist'..?

That makes zero sense to me.

 

[Ana the Ist]

This quote here is what I frequently encounter with people who do not comprehend what atheism truly is. It is is not a doctrine and as such can‘t in and of itself be divisive or unifying. Atheism is simply a disbelief in god (s).

Yeah...good catch.

I've come to realize after years that a lot of people who are transitioning from faith to faith.....whether it's Muslim to deist or Christian to Muslim or whatever have a sort of.....point they struggle to describe their worldview in.

Some people erroneously call this...atheism.

“Yet I would not be truthful if I attributed my embrace of Christianity solely to the realisation that atheism is too weak and divisive a doctrine to fortify us against our menacing foes. I have also turned to Christianity because I ultimately found life without any spiritual solace unendurable — indeed very nearly self-destructive. Atheism failed to answer a simple question: what is the meaning and purpose of life?”

She's correct that "atheism" doesn't have any answer to that question....it doesn't have an answer to any question.

It's a perspective of atheism made from the faithful. It's the idea of it being a sort of religious community....when it's not. A paradigm, if you will, that's hard to understand from a paradigm that categorizes all encompassing worldviews.

The author has a need that she believes can only be fulfilled by embracing a religious belief. Islam did not work for her in the end so she is giving Christianity a try.

Again...I can't go too hard on a Muslim apostate. She certainly received death threats. She likely still does. Leaving a community that now wants you dead is probably easier if you pretend to be a part of what you consider a different community.

 

[comana]

The Muslims I have known certainly found spiritual solace in their belief in God. But I don't get how she managed to 'turn off' her belief in God, found something was missing so 'turned it back on' again. Did she think 'I've rejected Islam, therefore I have no religion. Therefore...I'm an atheist'..?

That makes zero sense to me.

Right, my guess is that she when she rejected Islam she did not reject the possibility of god but had no religion to place god in. Without a religion she assumed that meant atheism. Now she can place god back into religion with Christianity.