Dr. Jerald Dirks on Why He Rejected Christianity and Embraced Islam
[Written by John W. Loftus] Jerald Dirks is a former minister (deacon) of the United Methodist Church. He holds a Master's degree in Divinity from Harvard University and a Doctorate in Psychology from the University of Denver. Here he is interviewed on The Deen Show sharing why he accepted Islam. I was only going to skim through his interview, but I found myself captivated by his story. His critique of Christianity is penetrating and well founded.
One thing seems clear to me and that is Islam doesn't have as many problems as Christianity does because Muslims reject the Trinity, Incarnation, and the atonement, doctrines which are not rationally coherent at all. It seems to me Dr. Dirks rejected certain doctrines of Christianity as a liberal which left him open to accept Islam, but it is wishful thinking just the same, and it also lacks the required evidence to believe. Another thing is that he was influenced to believe by social contact with other Muslims. I'm surprised that a Ph.D. in psychology didn't realize how social contact changes our beliefs, much like how Christians now seek to evangelize with what they call Life Style Evangelism.
I'm very curious how as a former liberal Christian he can reconcile the Islamic faith with democracy and the rights of women, or how he deals with the opening chapters of Genesis 1-11, which Muslims accept as God's literal truth.
It seems to me he should turn this same critique against Islam like Ibn-Warraq has done. My claim is that if he does he will reject Islam as well. When it comes to Christianity I agree with the Protestant criticisms of the Catholics as well as the Catholic criticisms of the Protestants. And I also agree with the fundamentalist criticisms of the liberals as well as the liberal criticisms of the fundamentalists. And I agree with the Hindu, Muslim and Jewish criticisms of Christianity, as well as the Christian criticisms against their religions. When they criticize each other I think they’re all right! What’s left is the demise of religion and Christianity as a whole.
Just as Dirk recognizes there are different sects within Christianity he should know there are also different sects within Islam. Some of these sects are militant and would think Dirk is an infidel and worthy of being killed (yes, that's true!).
If anyone can find the Psychology Today article where they surveyed the Christian clergy who only believed 7% of what the people in the pews believed, I would be grateful.
[BTW: I sure like the music of the opening and closing songs. I might like Muslim cultural music if it wasn't for the words.]
One thing seems clear to me and that is Islam doesn't have as many problems as Christianity does because Muslims reject the Trinity, Incarnation, and the atonement, doctrines which are not rationally coherent at all. It seems to me Dr. Dirks rejected certain doctrines of Christianity as a liberal which left him open to accept Islam, but it is wishful thinking just the same, and it also lacks the required evidence to believe. Another thing is that he was influenced to believe by social contact with other Muslims. I'm surprised that a Ph.D. in psychology didn't realize how social contact changes our beliefs, much like how Christians now seek to evangelize with what they call Life Style Evangelism.
I'm very curious how as a former liberal Christian he can reconcile the Islamic faith with democracy and the rights of women, or how he deals with the opening chapters of Genesis 1-11, which Muslims accept as God's literal truth.
It seems to me he should turn this same critique against Islam like Ibn-Warraq has done. My claim is that if he does he will reject Islam as well. When it comes to Christianity I agree with the Protestant criticisms of the Catholics as well as the Catholic criticisms of the Protestants. And I also agree with the fundamentalist criticisms of the liberals as well as the liberal criticisms of the fundamentalists. And I agree with the Hindu, Muslim and Jewish criticisms of Christianity, as well as the Christian criticisms against their religions. When they criticize each other I think they’re all right! What’s left is the demise of religion and Christianity as a whole.
Just as Dirk recognizes there are different sects within Christianity he should know there are also different sects within Islam. Some of these sects are militant and would think Dirk is an infidel and worthy of being killed (yes, that's true!).
If anyone can find the Psychology Today article where they surveyed the Christian clergy who only believed 7% of what the people in the pews believed, I would be grateful.
[BTW: I sure like the music of the opening and closing songs. I might like Muslim cultural music if it wasn't for the words.]