You're listening to the Michael Sherman Show. The Michael Sherber Show Hello everyone it's Michael Schirmer and it's time for this special episode of

the Michael Schirmer show this is my statement or article called Why I am not a Christian. This is in response

to I. N. Hershey Ali's declaration, why I am now a Christian.

As I have explained in her essay,

that her title comes from, of course,

the original Bertrand Russell famous essay, Why I am not a Christian.

So she is saying she is now a Christian and she explains why.

So I thought I would do an audio version of my response to her. I've known I in for many years. She's

been a guest on the show. I've been a guest on her podcast. We've appeared together at conferences numerous times. I've read all of her books and I support her heroic work defending women's rights, civil rights, free speech, and freedom of religious expression, along with her brave stand against

intolerance, bigotry, and hate, religious, or otherwise.

I'll never forget when she spoke at Occidental College when I was a professor there

That during the Q&A two Muslim women dressed in the hijab accused her of

Islamophobia and unfairly characterizing Islam as a religion of violence.

Here is what she said to them.

Then why do I have to travel with armed guards to protect me from death threats I receive from members of my own religion of Islam?

Ayan has pride in the pantheon of greats who have had the courage of their convictions

to the point of putting their own lives on the line in the name of universal principles of justice and freedom.

Nothing Ayan has written in her essay

changes my evaluation of her as a heroic figure.

I simply think she's mistaken. We all are about a great many things and maybe I'm wrong here and she's right.

But I think reason and history prove otherwise. Let me explain in the spirit of respect for what is on the line here starting with the subtitle of IAN's essay

atheism can't equip us for civilization war

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