Yesterday morning, I read The Free Press’s article “Ayaan Hirsi Ali: Why I Am Now a Christian.” The article was about Ayaan Hirsi Ali, a Somali-born Dutch-American activist and former politician who’s converted to Christianity. The comments section was filled with reactions ranging from overwhelming praise, but there was some disbelief. Some people were surprised by such a conversation. Here’s the comment thread1 that I found myself on:
It’s incredible to see the impact that religion has on the public. Religion shapes our worldview, values, morality, and identity. But rarely is religion looked into for the social and political tool that it is. It’s only just looked at for the personal matter. And if we don’t understand how religion has political and social implications, we’re left in the blind.
Recommended Reading: Why Gnositicsm is the Christianity Needed Today
Look at what’s happening in Israel, for example. The conflict there is primarily fueled by the idea that some people (pro-Israel) religiously think they have the right (biblical) to that land. This ideology is what happens when religion is taken seriously. This perspective is akin to arguing if Hercules really fought the dreaded monster -- instead of learning the lesson of the myth.
If you take religion seriously, you theoretically believe myths for reality. But when you understand religion’s historical, philosophical, metaphysical, and historical context, you see it in a new light. From GPT 4, “You realize that religion is not a literal truth, but a symbolic expression of the human quest for meaning and transcendence.”
When you have a true understanding of all contexts, all aspects of life come together.
When you understand the religious, philosophical and spiritual aspect of life, you realize that our life is a journey for the soul to learn. We begin to see the beauty in life and how this whole thing called life is nothing more but a lesson for the soul. This perspective is by far the most accurate depiction of reality versus seeing it in 1) a religious dogmatic way or 2) a material reality devoid of spirituality.
Recommended Reading: The Invisible Matters
When we see the beauty in life, we see beauty in every day. Every day is special and every day is unique to the point where we ask ourselves, what is our soul here to learn today? Simply asking this question puts us in a different state of awarness. From GPT4, “we become more mindful, more grateful, more compassionate, and more joyful.”
The lesson I’m currently working on is how to distinguish between my ego (material) and my awareness (spiritual). To differentiate the two, GPT4 sums it best:
The ego is the part of me that is attached to my identity, my desires, my fears, and my opinions.
The awareness is the part of me that is connected to the source, the essence, the truth, and the love.
The ego is the voice in my head that judges, criticizes, and complains.
The awareness is the silence in my heart that observes, accepts, and appreciates.
It’s important to note that the ego is not bad. It is simply the material aspect of our psyche, and once we understand this, we understand what the religions, myths, and fairy tales have been trying to tell us about our quest here on this journey.
And when one sees and begins to integrate the aspect of the spiritual into daily life, life becomes so much better. You see the world in a whole new light. You understand why you get mad at certain things — but you don’t react. You learn yourself more and by doing so, you learn more about your soul and your very essence.
And when this occurs, you begin to ask yourself, here I am in this place called life; what am I supposed to do here? What’s my purpose? What’s my existence? GPT4 states it best: “It’s about having a vision, a mission, and a passion.”
Recommended Reading: How To Find My Purpose
Recommended Reading: How To Live My Purpose
And when one understands this and then layers this upon the political and historical ramifications of their time and the philosophical and spiritual context of times before, one becomes enlightened in the sense of “ohh… so this is what this is all about.”
Life is so much better when you know what’s going on. It’s more rewarding and more engaging. It’s refreshing, challenging and uplifting all at the same time. But again, it helps when you can see the meaning to all of this versus wandering blindly — which, unfortunately, is how things have been set up.
But that’s part of the journey! Waking up from the slumber, the soul has been sent to “know thyself.” And once you do, the journey then really begins to kick off!
Call to Action
If you enjoyed this article, please consider taking action to show your appreciation.
You can share it with a friend, restack it, or leave a comment with feedback.
If you really enjoyed it, you can become a paid subscriber or make a small donation. Here’s three reasons why you should become a paid member.
Your support, no matter how big or how small, means a lot and is greatly appreciated.
Thank you and best of luck in your journey.
Here’s the link to where you can order my book to start your journey:
https://www.thefp.com/p/ayaan-hirsi-ali-why-i-am-now-christian-atheism/comment/43621570#comment-43622925?utm_source=activity_item
My main feeling about life now that I'm 83 & traveled here for a long time is - this is not fair at all, we do not automatically understand what we are here for, and there is no reason to assume we will discover said reason - why make it all so obscure ? None of these 'answers' satisfy my need to know 'why?' !!! I can only look at the vast expanse of space & billions of other suns with possible worlds out there & recognize that we simply have ZERO ability to understand what 'this' is all about and as much as we rationalize & try we cannot understand the reality we are sitting in - how ridiculous - hence the deep need to invent something that keeps us from going completely mad over said facts !
In my mind, there is a huge difference between religion and faith. Religion, in many cases, is man made rules. Faith is of the heart. Think of Rahab, a prostitute who believed without written word, as far as i can tell. There are so many instances of such in the Bible.
What never ceases to amaze me is how relevant the Bible is today, how many people and situations where i see myself, doubting, failing and returning to God for grace are reflected on its pages in its characters and stories. It is a message of hope and mercy.