Source: The Weekly Dish
by Andrew Sullivan
“When I first heard about and read Ayaan Hirsi Ali’s essay on converting to Christianity, I have to admit I bristled a bit. It read, at first blush, like a political conversion rather than a spiritual one, the kind of argument a neoconservative might make. ‘False but convenient’ is the Straussian take on Christianity, and it strongly suggests that faith is simply an organizing tool for society. It keeps the masses in line, tamps down their earthly expectations, and inculcates socially useful virtues. ‘Atheists for Christianity’ is, in fact, a pretty good synopsis of neoconservatism. And Ayaan has, after all, long been a neoconservative. Her defense of the Christian faith therefore makes almost no mention of Jesus of Nazareth, nor of the Creed — the core of Christian belief.” (11/17/23)
https://andrewsullivan.substack.com/p/christianity-is-false-but-useful-d08