November 21, 2023 - 12:00am
Earlier this month, former New Atheist Ayaan Hirsi Ali joined UnHerd‘s Freddie Sayers to discuss why she now considers herself to be Christian.
You can watch an extended clip from the interview above.
Ayaan Hirsi Ali: from New Atheist to Christian convert
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SubscribeI have had many Jewish friends tell me they are not “religious Jews”, but are “cultural Jews”. I wonder if lapsed-Christian atheists, such as myself, should start identifying as cultural Christians?
You’re welcome back, you know
What is a cultural Christian? Someone who says “Merry Christmas” instead of “Happy Holidays”? Someone who believes in Christ’s do unto others message but rejects vicarious atonement, the crucifixion, death and bodily resurrection of the Messiah? Who believes really that the Gospels are interesting “Just-so” stories with no basis in fact?
I do not see how a cultural Christian would be a martyr, or believe in much above or outside herself.
I seriously doubt that if such a phenomenon exists, it would last long. Or be very deep rooted. Kind of like the sower’s seed that fell among the thorns. When persecution comes they fall away.
Ayaan’s pro-Christian arguments are mainly related to how useful Christianity is as a unifying force for Western civilisations, and why we should defend it on those terms. She also invites us to the interesting thought experiment of – if you could design your own God, what would he look like – and asserts, reasonably, that the Christian God would be a good first draft. But none of this crosses the final bridge – what makes her actually believe the scriptures and accept Jesus as who he said he was? So I’m missing this final step.
Stay tuned. I think she is on a spiritual journey that, for all of us, must eventually recognize the problem of personal sin and the recognition that Jesus Christ is the answer to that problem. As I hear what she is saying, she loves the cultural fruits of Christianity, but she has not described the biblical account of how that fruit is germinated and grown in the life of an individual and then into society at large. Perhaps she is already there, as Christ describes in John 3, but has just not yet publicly expressed it in those terms. That’s why i say, “Stay tuned,” her journey may or may not have already reached that point. We will see.
Isn’t the over emphasis on sinfulness exactly what weakens Christianity in any face off with an overly aggressive religion like Islam .It’s the thing that makes identity politics and de -colonialism so attractive to Justin Welby . Our Muslim fellow citizens are planning Jihad against the infidel while Welby is planning a world tour of bad behaviour sites of the British Empire where he can hurl himself into the dust crying ‘beat me beat me’ as the self -appointed representative of the white male oppressor .
Primed to feel sinful he has no defence against chancers urging that he represents an especially sinful and oppressive historical culture .
Christianity emphasizes the love of God and your neighbor.
Christianity has potential as a unifying force but isn’t it also the origin of woke with it’s need to find things to feel guilty about . Taking an inventory of your own faults may be a good idea but Welby seems to want to take an inventory of all the supposed faults of the British with regard to everyone else , and that is deeply corrupting .He wants to luxuriate in his own holiness in pointing out the wickedness of the rest of us , as heirs to colonisers and slavers .
I’d love to hear Ali and Dawkins sit down together to discuss Ayaan’s conversion.
But Dawkins, would again be empty of actual content in any discussion with a true reasonable Christian.
Dada