On the cusp of, and in the pull of, competing possibility to be born again. By Dr sohail Ansari

I wanted to be a Christian but…

 I wanted to have a friendship with Jesus Christ but….

For the department of English and Media studies. By Prof DR Sohail Ansari Dead line: 7thMay Objectives: Making students the critical consumer of information. Initiating students into the art of academic writing.

I saw online a book ‘Why We Left Islam: Former Muslims Speak Out ’. Title was a bit blurred; therefore the line ‘compiled and edited by Susan Crimp and Joel Richardson went unnoticed.

Clear and apparent lines (not part of a title) were:

 ‘Why We Left Islam: Former Muslims Speak Out First Edition, First edition’

by Joel Richardson  (Author), Susan Crimp  (Author)

It was the stupidity on my part that I mistook these authors to be the writers of a book. I should have known what ‘Angela Hunt’ a writer of more than 185 books had said: ‘It may even be possible for someone to be an author when they haven’t written a word.’

I should have known if someone can be an author without writing a word, so why editors and compilers cannot be the authors.

Anyhow, under the mistaken impression, I went to learn about authors. I read:

‘Joel Richardson is the author of several books including The New York Times bestselling Islamic Antichrist: The Shocking Truth About the Real Nature of the Beast. He is an internationally recognized expert on Biblical prophecy, the Middle East, and Islam, and is a human rights activist and a commentator for WND’. 

‘Susan Crimp is a noted journalist and the author of seven books on world-renowned personalities’

I was awestruck. What I learnt overwhelmed me.

I read once:

‘Reading print is so much more engaging because print has the magic of authenticity. It’s the kind of authenticity that people crave, because in a world of fake news, reading a quality printed book shows one to be more discerning than his click-bait chasing counterparts. Print can be branded as the medium wearing a badge of honor. ‘Conceal print readers within a special club of wise people that know better than to trust their news consumption to flakey-fakey digital’.

The introduction of authors was magnificent in its detail to have majestic impact as I concluded that people of such majestic stature could not write anything that is less than majestic.

Introduction of authors magnificent in its detail not only lent credence to the content of a book but also made me feel to be within a special club of wise people.

It is said ‘Printed feel special’ but I felt special because of printed. I felt wise just by having a book written by two wise people and trusted my book consumption even before consuming it as internationally recognized experts and the author of seven books could offer only authentic depiction.

Introduction of authors had the magic of authenticity.

I further learnt ‘Joel's heart is thoroughly missional, with a special love for all the peoples of the Middle East. Joel travels globally teaching on the Gospel, living with Biblical Hope’…and ‘Susan Crimp is the author of a book on Mother Theresa’.

I knew Mother Theresa is a lady who once said ‘As to my calling, I belong to the world’

These revelations were less like the communication of knowledge than the presentations of an irresistible lure. I was so enveloped and overpowered by a sublime and grand description of authors that the boundaries between self and authors seemed not to exist.

I began to feel the Biblical Hope Joel lives with.

‘Joel travels globally teaching on the Gospel’ I took a book as gospel.

John 3:16 reads, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

I was entirely convinced that For God so loved me that he gave his two great people, that I believe in Son through these two great people so to be born again, giving up my old life as a Muslim to live a new life through Christ Jesus and ‘shall not perish but have eternal life’.

Friedrich Nietzsche says ‘The noble soul has reverence for itself.’ The Noble Soul respects and honors itself, exemplifies living unapologetically. But the pure soul is a soul whose decisions come from within, from what that soul believes to be good/right, instead of for attention or for glory. These two wonderful people, I believed had pure souls.

Islam is not true religion, I mused, if it were, these two pure souls would have never left it.

But musing came to an abrupt ending by the belated discovery that authors and writers were two different people. Discovery came like a bolt from the blue. It was unsettling. I was to be devastated if not sustained by the belief that ‘tales of multiple people who left Islam who saw falseness of the supposed religion of peace’ was worth believing because compiled and edited by two loving, devoted pure souls.

I decided to begin with ‘Editorial Reviews’ and ‘some of the voices from Why We Left Islam and then book... but questions abounded and consequently deliverance ministry was thwarted.

The questions stymied the activity of cleansing me of Islam in order to address problems manifesting in my life as a result of the presence of it. My hope for the deliverance was not realized, I was left in bondage to Islam.

As the verses below illustrate, ‘we’re told to call on Jesus Christ, and that he will hear us and give us strength, hope and a grace sufficient to carry us through.  He will be our ever present help when we’re in need, and he can give us a peace that passes all understanding’. 

For me that was extremely encouraging.

Psalm 9:9-10 The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble.

Deuteronomy 31:8 It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not fail you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.

‘One day, an American on the verge of converting to Islam said to one of the editors, Please, I fear I am about to make the biggest mistake of my life. Please give me one solid reason not to convert. This is the book Joel Richardson wishes he had at that moment. Powerful, often shocking but always heartfelt, these essays from over a dozen individuals who have left Islam -- often in fear for their lives -- are remarkable for their honesty. The stories of how these men and women freed themselves from this repressive and brutal religion are not just inspirational, but present a searing challenge to those Westerners determined to perpetuate the Islam is a religion of peace myth at all costs.’

I am on the verge of converting. I am on the threshold, going to have a big transition. I say to ‘one of the editors, Please, I fear I am about to make the biggest mistake of my life. Please give me one solid reason’ to convert. The book ‘Joel Richardson wishes he had at that moment’ I have with me. ‘The stories of how these men and women freed themselves from this repressive and brutal religion’ are not inspirational at all, ‘but present a searing challenge to those Westerners’ or all people  ‘determined to perpetuate’ the message of this book or promoting it as the gospel of truth.

Nehemiah 8:10 Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.

I do not grieve; I believe the answers to my questions are forthcoming.

Answers would end years of bondage to Islam.

Exercise:

‘The As If Principle: If you say it, you may believe what you’re saying. The “as if” principle is a powerful persuader.’ Saying is believing. If you behave like you believe in something, your opinions can actually change’.

Question: ‘Dr Sohail Ansari’ behaves like he believes in Christianity. Do you think his opinions have actually changed?

Question:

Explain the heading:

On the cusp of, and in the pull of, competing possibility to be born again.

Question:

‘and trusted my book consumption even before consuming it’ how the author ‘Dr sohail Ansari’ can trust consumption even before consuming?

Question:

‘Introduction of authors had the magic of authenticity’

What magic of authenticity means?

Question:

Dr Sohail Ansari has used Christian terms such as ‘ born again’ ‘deliverance ministry’ and quoted from the Bible. Why he has done so?