The news today is that a prominent and thoughtful Somalian-Dutch-American who left her Muslim faith in favor of atheism some years ago, has now left her atheist faith in favor of Christianity.
Welcome to my church, Ayaan Hirsi Ali. You can sit anywhere you’d like.
Ayaan published an essay explaining the reasons for her conversion. Her essay describes no epiphany, no encounter on a road to Damascus or anywhere else. Strikingly, neither “Christ” nor “Jesus” appear anywhere in her essay.
Instead, she explained that Christianity (and by implication the larger Judeo-Christian culture) is the only framework capable of building civilization as we know it, and protecting it against human depravity. It is our last – and really only – tool.
It’s our only defense against power-driven totalitarianism that inevitable degrades into violence, the kind we saw in the mass murder of 9/11 and again in the sadistic atrocities of 10/7.
Christianity is on the side of good. Ayaan wants to stand shoulder to shoulder with us, for good.
Ayaan’s journey is a different one from mine of 20-some years ago. My journey was not analytical. Friends know I have a weakness for melodrama, and my journey was melodramatic in full measure.
I don’t judge Christians on the basis of their particular journey, however. The door to the church is always open regardless of how you get there. It doesn’t matter who you are or what your history is. You can be born there or find it daydreaming or on an operating table or in a prison cell. There are no “good” Christians or “bad” Christians.
If you believe, you’re a Christian. Period.
You may still be a sorry excuse for a human being, but that’s a different issue.
So, I don’t fault Ayaan for her particular journey. In fact, I think her journey from Islam to atheism to Christianity shows impressive introspection and courage. But even if it didn’t, she’d be no less of a Christian this morning. She says she believes, and that’s good enough for me.
I’ll be interested in seeing the deeds she now accomplishes with her beliefs. I’m confident of great things. This is a great woman.
the Aspen beat 
Atheism is the absence of faith.
I disagree. I thnk atheism is a blind faith that there’s no God. Atheists tend to believe in that particular faith far more fervently — and with a greater need to proselytize — than the average churchgoer.
IF YOU CANNOT PROVE OTHERWISE, THEN THE UNIVERSE HAS ALWAYS EXISTED
This is the taproot upon which all religions depend for their sustenance. And if they can offer no proof — and they never have, in all of recorded time — then their bullshit religions collapse into nothing more than irrational mysticism wholly unworthy of respect.
Keep in mind that the universe is “all” things which exist — so references to multiverses and metaverses and parallel universes — are just crap.
Those who argue that the universe [all things which exist] was created by a supreme being [a “First Cause,” a “Prime Mover,” a “Top Dog,” etc, etc] — who “has always existed” — must explain on what grounds they deny that the universe itself “has always existed.”
Even Einstein was wrong anywhere his premises were wrong. You can’t get something out of nothing, and, therefore, whether the phenomena cited are matter, energy, or some undefined mixture or combination of them, they first had to “exist” — which suggests to the rational that nothingness could not have created somethingness — “big bang” — or not.
If True Believers are going to fool around trying to put science on their side — and claim ownership of reason, logic, facts, and evidence — are they now going to denounce “faith” and “belief?”
Science is not on their side on the issue of whether there was a time when existence did not exist — a fallacious planted axiom — so they’d best hang onto the thin reeds of faith and belief — else they’ll have nothing at all to which they can anchor their floating concepts — the unattached-to-reality concepts of fictional characters — gods, saints, witches, witch doctors, and devils, and fantasy destinations — heavens, purgatories, and hells.
And finally, it will not do to argue that morality requires the existence of an Invulnerable Enforcer — or that morality means nothing, absent such a critter.
Well, I think that there was a nice, Jewish lad named Jesus — just a man, by the way — who developed a following — and pissed-off the local Roman authorities — who assassinated him on the cross — and then the Romans blamed the Jews [uh, what’s new about that?].
Oh. And who awarded any religion with a monopoly on ethics and morality, anyway?
Answer — those who have owned and operated all religions and wielded them as weapons against the human race — for all of recorded time.
She is indeed! A good woman of incredible courage. I had heard many interviews with her in the past where she spoke of her rejection of Islam. Genital mutilation and threats against your life might be a reason.
But her recent conversion is so very welcome. I agree, Judeo Christian values seem to be the way to a peaceful and just society.
I am a Christian and agnostic at the same time. I believe in the teachings and rules of Christianity but not in all the children’s fables.
I have been this way since I was 6 years old and attended church and listened to all the pomp and fables. I went to my dad to get a good understanding of what it was all about. He explained all of the major religions and what their basic platforms were. I asked him do some people doubt all the stories and he said yes, those are agnostics. Right then I became an agnostic but still believed in the ideals and rules of Judeo/Christianity. While Jews believe in the 1st testament as Christians, they have never accepted the 2nd testament. The second testament is the kind and gentle part of our bible. I think I tend to lean more to the Jewish way of looking at he world as it seems to actually be more objective.
Perhaps you should actually study the Bible. I was raised Roman Catholic, so Bible study was not on offer; only religion. It gave me a superficial view of the Bible and thus, although I believed I knew everything Biblical, I actually knew nothing and what I did “know” was terribly wrong. I only began to study the Bible in my later years, and believe me, there is more to be learned than one might absorb in a dozen lifetimes.
If I may make a recommendation, as a person who thinks he knows something about the meaning of the Bible, but not so much about the words, I’d say start with Matthew. Even if a person never gets past that, it could be life-changing.
Amen and Amen!
Start listening to Jorden Peterson, you will learn the fables are far beyond children’s fables. Most have a far deeper meaning true or not.
When men choose not to believe in God, they do not thereafter believe in nothing, they then become capable of believing in anything. ~G.K. Chesterton
Glenn, with you, Ayaan Hirsi Ali’s pursuit of truth and departure from Islam encourages me. Many begin this pursuit without full knowledge which comes with time and study. The Bible contains 1,100 pages of declaration of what mankind needs to know. Just 2 pages (Chapter 1&2) in The Apostle Pauls 6 page letter to the believers at Ephesus are a great summary on which to begin the pursuit.
Agreed, Robert.
Along with the letters, I would highly recommend for early reading the gospel of Matthew. It changed my life.
After reading her essay, I have to wonder what she thinks a “Christian” is? Does she believe no man comes to Father except by the Son? That Jesus’ paid for our sins as a free gift? Or is she one who wraps herself in the clock of being a “christian” because of other reasons…like civilization building?