Why I Am Now/Not a Christian: Ayaan Hirshi Ali on Her Conversion and Me on Mine 🤔

Here is the article referenced by Ayaan Hirsi Ali “Why I Am Now a Christian”:

Here is the video interview with Ayaan Hirsi Ali @CosmicSkeptic :

My previous video on the topic from almost a year ago:

“Conversion: A Loving Defense” video at A Poet Reads to Write:

[apoetreadstowrite]

Wow, fancy being blurbed by Spong, you celebrity! This video touches a vein that engrosses me, I love complex biography wrestling with 'belief', can't keep away from it. Enjoyed your poem too, thanks for sharing it. I love that our 'conversion' videos are now in conversation with one another. Thanks for this, David.

[Mark_Dyer]

DAVID: Here in the UK, around twenty-five years ago, I - twice - had the privilege of meeting the late bishop Jack Spong, at the Old Deanery of Wells Cathedral, in Somerset. The Chaplain of the hospital in which I worked as a Haematology specialist Nurse, knew I had studied Theology at university back in the 1970s, and that bishop Spong was one of my heroes. Consequently, he pretended I was on the chaplaincy staff, to enable be to attend these 'all-clergy' events for the Diocese of Bath & Wells. I have a letter, written to me by bishop Spong, in one of his several books in my library. Whilst I do not find Jack Spong's re-imagining of the resurrection appearances satisfactory, following the late, great, Geza Vermes, I agree with Spong about the 'virgin' birth. This arose through the use of the Septuagint, when translating Isaiah: rather than the opriginal Hebrew text. Isaiah reads, "and behold, a young woman shall conceive", etc. Hebrew has a perfectly good word to distinguish 'virgin' (betulah) from 'young woman' (amah): the Greeks had only 'parthenos', with no distinction. My problem with the conversions of Mohammedans to the form of Judaism we call 'Christianity', is that people like Ayaan Hirsi Ali (now Lady Ferguson; since the knighting of Iain Ferguson, her husband, by our King) is that they exchange one fundamentalism for another. Unlike Islam (see Koran, The House of Imran, vv 5 ff) Christians are not required to treat our ancient texts, designated 'scriptures', as the actual words of God, Himself. Like Jack Spong, we should regard them as the works of human minds, contemplating God, and influenced by that contemplation. Only through such a conception is it possible to critique our scriptures using the immense amount of scriptural scholarship now available; and to 'use' scripture humanely; instead of weaponising it against humen beings. Currently the Church Universal has a huge, insurmountable, problem. Whereas, once, the Church could be referred-to, in order to define humane, civilised, behaviour; today it is the Church which needs to learn from the 'secular' world so many churchgoers despise. As a Christian I have learned much from Jewish scholars about the young male Jew I try to follow. Geza Vermes, Paula Fredriksen and Daniel Boyarin all bring that young man (another concept the Church has a problem with, as we approach the Feast of the 'embodiment' of God!) to life; such that he speaks, as a young male Jew today. It is the 'manhood' of Jesus which has suffered through 'post-resurrection' belief; to the extent that the expression, "God became man" is rendered meaningless. It should be the greatest, and most miraculous, 'gift' of all.

[apoetreadstowrite]

I adore Bertram Russell, & his book 'Why I Am Not A Christian' is a real treat. Born into the English aristocracy, he could have had a very comfortable & indulged life, but he believed in things passionately: he went to prison during WW1 because of his pacifism & was therefore 'banned' from receiving a professorship at Oxford/Cambridge. He is an incredible voice to listen to. Ah, John Shelby Spong, I love him. Oh boy, all my family are baptists (leaning to pentecostal expressions) - yikes... I miss the faith of childhood so much, & desperately wish to return, but I suspect it's impossible. We'll see... Thanks for a thought provoking video, you have given me much to ponder.

[BookishTexan]

Always interested in people’s discussion of their work individual journeys to or away from faith.

[ReinmarVonBielau]

Hi,
What do you think about saying future?
Did you have like that? You're saying something and then it happens? Even if it's unlikely.
Have you had any paranormal experiences? What do you think?
Where are you from? You have a West Slavic surname.

[omom]

3:22 this is hilarious. It doesn't matter what you used to call, it was always called Islam. You were spectacularly wrong