I went from being a Christian missionary to an atheist.
We should not think of conversion as the acceptance of a particular creed, but as a change of heart.
Especially for my father it was a great change. He used to be a socialist and even a member of the socialist party. But then he became an orthodox Jew.
My wife converted me to religion. I never believed in hell until I married her.
If your religion has not changed your life, youd better change your religion.
My ancestors were all Freethinkers, formerly Catholics. It was science and Darwin, in particular, that made them decide, as educated people, which they were, that the priest, nice as he was, didn't know what he was talking about.
You'll be pleased to hear, Christopher, that I am no longer a Muslim liberal but an atheist [....] I find that it obviates the necessity for any cognitive dissonance.
The fact is that previously they were simply dunces and now they've suddenly become nihilists.
I grew up Jewish, became an atheist and a Marxist, and 28 years ago, at age 26, became a Christian.
Post-Christian man is not the same as Pre-Christian man. He is as far removed as virgin is from widow: there is nothing in common except want of a spouse: but there is a great difference between a spouse-to-be and a spouse lost.
I was exhilarated by the new realization that I could change the character of my life by changing my beliefs. I was instantly energized because I realized that there was a science-based path that would take me from my job as a perennial “victim” to my new position as “co-creator” of my destiny. (Prologue, xv)
