Podcast appearances and mentions of Ayaan Hirsi Ali

With recent news, December is bringing a great time for discussion on the general issues of immigration, visas, naturalization, and Americanism. Kiss’s Gene Simmons’ testimony at the Pentagon in 2019 on his emigration to the United States. The ‘tale’ of two Somali-Americans; Ayaan Hirsi Ali and Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN). The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is launching the Fentanyl Free America Initiative.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's a "best of" episode of the Guy Benson Show with some of our favorites moments from Guy's most recent trip to the Hoover Institute at Stanford University. This Thanksgiving Best Of includes lengthy interviews with Condoleezza Rice and Ayaan Hirsi Ali, plus additional conversations with Dr. Abbas Milani, Victor Davis Hanson, and Michele Tafoya. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

📄 Sermon Summary: Grieving and Quenching the Spirit Speaker: Nick Theme: Grieving and Quenching the Holy Spirit (Part of the "Life in the Spirit" series) Key Scripture: Ephesians 4:30 – "And do not bring sorrow to God's Holy Spirit by the way you live." 1. The Principle of Responsibility The sermon opens by linking the great blessing of the Holy Spirit (discussed the previous week) with great responsibility (a modified Spider-Man quote). The danger is that Christians can focus solely on the positive aspects of God's blessing and forget their responsibility to live a life that pleases the Holy Spirit, not grieves him. 2. The Danger of Passivity Active Waiting: The concept of "waiting on God" is often misunderstood as passive inaction. The speaker contrasts this with the attitude of a "waiter" in a hotel (using a personal story from Nepal and an example of the ushing ministry in Zambia). An excellent waiter is active, alert, concerned, and anticipates the needs of the person they serve. Pleasure vs. Grief: Our relationship with God should be one of active engagement and should bring pleasure to God's heart, not grief. It's not about seeing how much we can "get away with" but about actively seeking to please Him—this is the true meaning of loving God. The absence of a genuine relationship brings God grief. 3. Sin is Dealt With, But Lack of Faith is a Struggle Christianity is Obsessed with Love, not Sin: Referencing a debate between Professor Richard Dawkins (atheist) and Ayaan Hirsi Ali (new Christian), the speaker affirms that while sin is real, Jesus has broken its power on the cross ("It is finished!"). The focus of Christianity should be on love, life, and hope, not dwelling on sin. Confession and Freedom: If we sin, the solution is to confess it, receive forgiveness, and walk away from it (like Jesus telling the woman, "Go and sin no more"). Sin is dealt with. The Greater Grief: Unwillingness and Unbelief: The harder issue that grieves the Spirit is our unwillingness to enter into all God has for us, our unbelief, and our failure to actively walk in the power of the finished work of the cross. 4. Five Areas That Bring God Pleasure (and their opposites cause grief): The sermon outlines five practical ways to actively seek a life that pleases God: Faith (Hebrews 11:6): Without faith, it is impossible to please God. We must continually believe God in what He is able to do, even when we have struggled with faith in the past. Unbelief grieves Him. Love (John 13:35): We must fight for unity and love one another, valuing others even more than ourselves. It is more important to love than to "win an argument." Division and disunity grieve the Holy Spirit. Obedience (1 Samuel 15): King Saul was rejected as king because he valued his own idea of a sacrifice over simple obedience to God's command. Obeying is better than sacrificing. Self-confidence and our own "theology" are not enough; we must be attentive to exactly what God wants. Thankfulness (1 Thessalonians 5:18): A grateful heart pleases God. It is a simple but powerful act that opens the door to our relationship with Him. An ungrateful heart grieves Him. Perseverance in Faith (Galatians 6:9; 1 Peter 1:6-7): The "well done, good and faithful servant" is spoken at the end of the journey, after we have walked through all the trials and challenges. Jesus's prayer for Peter was not for a new car, but that his "faith won't fail." Through perseverance, our faith is proven genuine and brings God much honor. Conclusion The core question for every Christian is: "Are we resting on the fact that we wear a Christian badge, or are we active in seeking a life that pleases God in the here and now and in the in-between?" 📝 Transcript of "Nick's Sermon" I'm just processing what Mike said, that it's sad the notices are finished because Nick's coming to speak. [laughter] Uh, yeah, buckle up. Um, we are on a, we're still on the "Life in the Spirit" series, and Jonathan spoke last week about the, uh, about being filled with the Spirit and being continually filled with the Spirit. And there was a great response and people came forward, and people were touched and blessed by the Holy Spirit. And so it falls to me this morning to pick up the subject of grieving and quenching the Spirit. And, uh, yeah, we've got to, we've got to take things from all angles, haven't we? And my, my main passage that I want us to look at this morning is in Ephesians chapter 4. When I say passage, it's a verse, actually. It's Ephesians chapter 4, verse 30. And it says this: "And do not bring sorrow to God's Holy Spirit by the way you live." "Remember, he has identified you as his own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption." "Do not bring sorrow to God's Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember he has identified you as his own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption." And I want to slightly misquote Spider-Man by saying, "With great blessing comes great responsibility." It's essential that we are hungry for God's Spirit. It's essential, as Jonathan was saying last week, that we are continually asking him for more. And so much of what we expect is, is positive. We don't even think sometimes of the angle where God might be, might have a, have a view on how we, how we are living, or how we are thinking, or, or how we are dealing with him, because it's always blessing. The prophetic words are always, "I love you," says the Lord. Everything is so positive. And it's right, it's good that we get encouraged by things, but we have to remember the responsibility that comes on the other side of how we deal with the Holy Spirit of God. It's essential that we, we reach out to him for the times of refreshing that come from the presence of the Lord. Acts 3:20 it says, but just as we're eager to receive everything good from him, we must be eager to make sure that we don't live in a way that in any way offends him or grieves him or brings him displeasure. We don't want God to withdraw from us. Because the frightening thing is that we can continue in all that we do. You know, the way that we gather on a Sunday, and the way that we sing, and the way that we interact, and the way that we listen to the Word, we can do all of that without actually having the presence of the Spirit with us. And sometimes we, we might not even be aware if he's withdrawn himself. And so we have to be really alert and to wait on the Lord as the Word says. Now, what do you think of when it, when we talk about waiting on God? Sometimes it can be a quite a passive approach, and we sit back and we fold our arms, we say, "Well, I'm waiting for you, Lord. Waiting here. Waiting here for you. Let's see what you're going to do. Let's see what you've got." You know, and then we, we wait and we think, "Well, where is God? Where has he gone? You know, what, what's happening? Why doesn't there seem to be anything happening?" And we have this sort of passive approach to waiting. But there is another verb to wait: to be a waiter, if you like, like in a restaurant or in a hotel. We begin to see our relationship with God differently. When I was in Nepal, I stayed in a hotel, um, which was actually, it was quite cheap compared to hotels that you can stay in around the world. But what stood out in that place was the attitude and the approach of the people that worked there. Every time I stepped out of my room into the lobby, there was somebody that said, "Are you all right, sir? Can I help you with anything, sir? Is there anything I could do for you?" Any question that I had, they could answer. Apart from, um, why I was having curry for breakfast, they didn't answer that one, but they, they, [laughter] they were really there to serve me. They were like, there was, there was like a real genuine interest in my welfare, what did I want? And they were able to anticipate in advance what I wanted. In Zambia, um, there's a ministry of being an usher. You know, we have welcome people here at the door, and it's all very British, you know, we shake hands, we give a hug, "How are you doing?" whatever, and that's, and that's it, and then we go and we find our seat. But in Zambia, there's a real ushing ministry where people will actually attend to your every need, not just pastors and, and, and bigwigs, but, but everybody. I've been in situations where I've, I've had, I've had no idea that people have been aware, but I've, like I had a headache, and maybe I was showing it, maybe I was like grimacing or whatever, and somebody would turn up with, "Here's the paracetamol for you." And like, you know, there's just that, that awareness and that concern to, to be able to meet the needs that you have. And I think there's something in waiting on God that is that, that is very active, not, not passive, not sitting back with their arms folded waiting for him, but actually thinking, "What does he want from me? How does he want me to live? How does he want me to approach this situation? How does he want me to think here? How does he want me to act? How does he want me, what does he want my attitude to be? Lord, how can I bless you with my attitude, with my approach to life?" Being aware of him, considering what he wants, considering what he needs. Don't ever take him for granted. We're very British, aren't we? Where you think, oh, well, you know, we, we, we step back and we, and we become very, like I said earlier on, we become very passive and very, uh, non, non-engaged. But in actual fact, God wants us engaged with him and to live and to act and to speak and to deal with him and relate to him in a way that, that not only satisfies him so he can tick a box, but actually brings pleasure to him, rather than grief. And it affects the way we seek and respond to him every day. It's what it means to actually love God, to take care of how we live, not because we're afraid of him, not because we're afraid of punishment, but because of how much he's done for us, because of how much he has achieved in our lives. Not taking an attitude that says, "Well, I wonder how much I can get away with." You know, I think, um, it's uh, it's interesting, I'm not, not getting party political, but you know, it's interesting seeing the government sort of jumping through hoops saying, "How can we put up taxes without putting up taxes?" And, you know, "How can we, how can we say we're not going to put up income tax, but really we're going to put it up, you know, here?" And it's like, and then if we, if we spin it this way, everybody will believe us. And it's like, and it's that we can be like that with God. "How can we, how can we just get away with stuff? How can we, how can we, we, we live how we want to do, but still do it in a way that appears to be pleasing God?" Yeah, not "how can I get away with it?" but "how can I please him?" We have the opportunity to make God smile. We have the opportunity to bring pleasure to the heart of God. We talk about Christianity is not being a religion, but it's a relationship with God. A relationship is about interaction. A relationship is about bringing pleasure. A relationship is about smiling. A relationship is about laughing. A relationship is about interacting and talking and communicating and all of that. How much of that is a feature and a hallmark of our relationship with God, and how much of it is just going through the motions? And it's that relationship that brings pleasure to the heart of God, and it's that absence of that relationship that brings him grief. Because the reason that he did what he did, when you think of what Jesus went through, and how he suffered, and how he died, the reason that he went to that extent was because he loves us, and because he wants a relationship with us, and because he wants that fellowship with us, and because he wants that interaction, and because he wants to know us, not because he wants us to just sit back and try and keep our nose clean and, and hope to get to heaven at the end of it all. That's, that's a poor reflection of the quality of the relationship that God has called us to. And so the question that we ask when it comes to, uh, not grieving and not quenching the Holy Spirit is, "How can I actually make the most of my privileged relationship with him? How can I make the most of what God has made possible for me in my life?" And if we don't do that, then we can bring grief to the heart of God, and we can bring grief to the Holy Spirit. It's really important that we engage. Like we said before, in so many areas in life, there's no neutral ground. We have to actually ask ourselves, "How do we go as far as we possibly can in that relationship with him?" Because, as I've said before, a Christian life can go on perfectly well in form and function without the Holy Spirit, and without any sense of knowing what it takes to please him. He can withdraw from us and we might not even know. When we take time to ask the question, "Is God here?" You know, that, that picture of God as, as a dove, the Holy Spirit as a dove settling on his people, and how easy it is for a dove to flutter away and for us not to be aware. Last week, I saw a video on YouTube. I don't know if you follow this guy. Well, not follow him because he's not really a very positive person to follow, but there's a guy called Professor Richard Dawkins who's an atheist, who's a, like a really, uh, what's the word, like a militant atheist. He really, his atheism is his evangelism. He really wants to make sure that people don't believe in God. And uh, he had a friend or has a friend who was a colleague of his in his atheism, a lady called Ayaan Hirsi Ali, and she uh, has actually recently become a Christian. [congregation murmurs, someone says "Hallelujah"] And uh, and so the two of them are having a debate and a conversation on YouTube. It's really interesting if you look it up. And uh, and you know, and he was saying, "You know, surely you don't believe in Jesus rose from the dead." And uh, she was saying, "Well, I choose to believe that. Yes, I do believe that." And uh, and he was saying, "You know, the problem with Christianity is..." (He knows everything about everything. He's a professor.) "The problem with Christianity is, it's obsessed with sin." And she said, "Well, you might say that," she said, "but I prefer to see that it's obsessed with love." And as I thought about that, and I listened to, I thought, actually, it's not just like The Beatles, you know, "All you need is love." It's all very, it's all love, love, love, love is all you need. But what she's saying is that, yes, there, there's sin, but Jesus has done away with sin. Jesus has done away with its power, and he's opened the doors of heaven to all who will believe. And the Holy Spirit, who used to be hidden away in the temple behind a big curtain, now lives in the hearts of men and women. And so there's that opportunity that we have. And so when he says it's obsessed with sin, actually, no. Sin was there, sin was the barrier, sin was the, was the issue, sin was the thing that kept us from God, but now sin, the power of sin, is broken. Broken by the cross of Jesus. That's why Jesus, when he hung on the cross, in all that pain and all that agony, the last thing he said was to cry, "It is finished!" It's finished. Sin is finished. So, Christianity is not obsessed with sin. Christianity breaks the power of sin. Christianity opens the door to life. Christianity opens the possibility of life. And sometimes it's not Christianity or or Jesus that's obsessed with sin, it's Christians that are obsessed with sin. We are obsessed with, you know, I'm not saying sin is not important, but sin is dealt with. Sin can be put aside. In the, in the second, the second verse after the one I read, it says, "Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven 1you." What's he saying there? Is get rid of it. Just put it aside. Just don't live in that anymore. Why? Because we have the power to walk away from that because Jesus has declared, "It is finished!" And so there is no obsession with sin. There should be an obsession with love, with life, and with hope. And so the question is not, "Are we good enough for heaven?" I remember somebody, years and years and years ago, in one of the first services I was ever involved in, and one of the preachers was doing this interactive thing, and he was asking people, you know, "Are you, are you confident of your future, of your eternal future?" And one of these chaps called, uh, George, he said, "Well, I, I jolly well hope so." "I hope to, I hope to, I hope that everything will be all right in the end." He said, "You, you've missed it." He was very bold preacher. "You've missed the point. You've missed the point that God has given you that opportunity for life." And the question is, "How are we responding?" Our response to it, this is what gets back to our subject of grieving and quenching the Holy Spirit, our response to his grace, our response to his power, our response to his gospel and the open door that he's given us into his presence is the key to whether we bring pleasure to the heart of God or we bring grief. Our sin is not so much the issue. Grieving and quenching the Spirit is not so much about bad things that we do. We've got this whole list of, like the, gets dangerously close to Father Christmas, doesn't it? And the naughty and nice list. We've got a, a naughty list. "Well, you've got all of this stuff and all of these things against you, and uh, and these things have grieved the Holy Spirit." Well, in actual fact, it's not about the bad things that we do, but much more about the good things that we don't do and the opportunities for life that we don't step into. Because where there is sin, there is a solution. If we sin, we should confess our sin, and he's faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. That's the key. If you sin, confess it. Get rid of it. Put it aside. Put it away. And don't live in that anymore. Jesus said to the woman caught in adultery, "Go and sin no more." That was the, that was the prescription. It wasn't, "Now you need to go through this, and you need to go through these hoops and, and pay for this, pay this penalty," or whatever. He just said, "Go, and sin no more. According to the law, you should have been stoned, but now there's a new covenant in action. Go and sin no more. Be free." And so we confess our sins, knowing he's faithful and just to, to, to forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. And so there's everything that can be done about sin. If there's sin in your life today, put it aside. Repent of it. Get it out. Walk away from it. The power is there for you to do that. That's the opportunity that we have. But the harder thing to deal with is our unwillingness to enter into all that God has for us. Remember, somebody bringing a prophetic word saying, God saying, "I can, I can deal with your sin, I have no problem with that. I can deal with that because the, the, the cross is there, but what I can't deal with is your unbelief. What I can't deal with is your unwillingness to trust me. What I can't deal with are the things that are now still in your hands to do. I've dealt with your sin. What about your faith? What about your life?" And it's our response to God that impacts his heart, that brings him pleasure or grief. That when we stand before him, will it be the list that he's got? I saw a funny meme the other day of somebody of the, these people sat looking miserable on the steps and they said, "We're just waiting for Jesus to go through our WhatsApp feed before he lets us in." [laughter] You know, we think, is, is it our WhatsApp feed that's going to condemn us? Is it our, is it our internet search history? Is it whatever? All of those things. All those things, if they are things that are wrong, deal with it. Deal with it by the power of the, of the, of the cross. But it's not primarily those things that God's interested in because he has dealt with sin. He hasn't brought us to a point where we need to bring one sacrifice after another in order to bring ourselves to righteousness. There is one sacrifice that stands for all, for all time, and now the, the new and living way has been opened up into his presence. So that's the, that's the thing. Now the question is, what are we going to do with that? The things we have to take care of. Number one: Faith. Hebrews 11:6 says, "Without faith, it's impossible to please God." Impossible. Think about that. Let that sink in. There is a difference between labeling ourselves as a Christian and living a life of faith. Without faith, it's impossible to please God. You can do all sorts of stuff to try and please God. You can, you can give wonderful offerings, you can pray wonderful prayers, you can, you can, you can help old people across the road. You can do anything, but without faith, it's impossible to please him. I've been amazed recently looking back over life. I don't know if, it's not like life flashing before me, I don't take it too seriously. But, you know, looking back over so many years, looking over the faithfulness of God. And we sing those songs, "All my life, you have been faithful. All my life, you have been so, so good." Used to sing when I was young, when I was very young, a young Christian, they used to sing that Ishmael song, "Father God, I wonder how I managed to exist without the knowledge of your parenthood." And I used to think, I don't know what that means, really. You know, it's like, yeah, because I, because I had no experience. Now, I can say, yeah, I do wonder how I managed to exist without the knowledge of your parenthood and your loving care. But seeing stuff, seeing the faithfulness of God doesn't equal faith. Even when we are faithless, God is faithful. And so sometimes seeing the faithfulness of God over so many years and so many miracles of kindness and love and grace and provision, brings me a little bit of regret because I know that I didn't have anything like the faith that he's worthy of. But he still did it. And I'm still worrying about things now that God proved to me that he could take care of 25 years ago. There are things like the, you know, he feeds the 5,000, and then the next day, they meet another crowd, and they say, "Where are we going to feed, where are we going to get the food to feed these people from?" It's like, it just goes from one thing to another. And I am aware that I, God has been so faithful to me over so many years, and yet some of the basic lessons of faith I still struggle with. And I'm sure you're in the same boat there as I expose myself here and, uh, my lack of faith. Because we struggle with faith. But it's faith that brings pleasure to the heart of God. Without faith, it's impossible to please God. Without faith that says, "Actually, I believe you, God." Not, "I believe you, but I understand the realities," or, "I believe you, God, but, you know, there's this and that problem to take into consideration." "I believe you, Lord. I believe you." Not necessarily for a particular outcome, because that, that sort of pins everything on. But we just believe God. Believe God in what he's able to do. Believe God that he will see us through. Believe God that we will not, we will not crash and burn. Believe God that he will do what he says he will do, and we will accomplish what he says he will accomplish. Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see, and that attitude pleases God. And the opposite grieves him. Unbelief grieves him. When we don't actually trust him, when we don't put out, when we don't try to put our faith and our, our confidence in him, then that grieves his heart and it grieves his Spirit. Secondly: Love. "By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." John 13:35. "Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace." It's so easy to bypass things that are actually so close to the Father's heart, to justify discord, hatred, and division in the name of Jesus. We feel if we're doctrinally correct, nothing else matters, does it? If we've, if we've got the absolute truth, then everybody else can just do one! Because we are God's soldiers, and we've got his, we've got his truth. And it doesn't really, and yet, meanwhile, God is saying, "Love one another." It's more important to love one another than to win an argument. That's really tough, because we love to win arguments. Believing we are God's favored ones. Everybody else is numpties, but we are God's favored ones. Just like his disciples. You know, these people, they're all pre- He said, "Well, if they're not, if they're not against us, then they're for us." Fight for love, fight for unity, value one another even more than we value ourselves. And you know what? That brings pleasure to the heart of God. Where there is unity, God commands a blessing. Where there is disunity, the opposite must be true. It grieves the heart of God. It pains his heart. He suffers with it because when his people are divided, when his people don't love one another, when his people don't care for one another, when his people don't value one another, when they don't see that he loves each and every one, the person that you are at odds with, he loves as much as he loves you, because he made, he made them in his image as much as he made you in his image. Love brings pleasure to the heart of God, and division and disunity grieves the Holy Spirit. Obedience. In 1 Samuel, King Saul was given the task of completely destroying the Amalekites. This is where our sort of ancient biblical history and modern day sort of cross over, and we think, "Oh, these, all these, uh, you know, battles and fights are fairly gruesome." But King Saul was given the task of completely destroying the Amalekites. He was told to destroy them and everything that they owned. All the cattle, the sheep, everything had to be gone. And so he said, "I'll do it," and he went. Except, they, he kept the best sheep, and he kept the best goats, and he kept the best cattle. And the Bible says they only destroyed that which didn't have any value, didn't have any worth. And when the prophet Samuel, who'd been told by the Lord what, what Saul had actually done, went to find him the next day, he was told that Saul was out building a monument to himself because of all that he'd achieved in the name of the Lord. And he'd, he'd destroyed the Amalekites. So he built this monument. And when Samuel turned up to challenge him, Saul had no idea that he, what was about to happen. And he went out, he said, "The Lord bless you, Samuel. We've carried out everything. We've done everything that the Lord commanded us to do. I've carried out the Lord's command." And then there's a some of the most devastating words in the Bible, I find it really challenging and convicting. Samuel said to him, "Then what is this bleating of sheep that I hear?" And Saul says, "Oh, oh, yeah, yeah. Well, we did keep the best of the animals, but we're going to offer them to the Lord as a sacrifice. Don't worry, everything's good." He's made up his own theology. Where God said, "Destroy everything, get rid of everything, I don't want everything, be obedient to me." He said, "Actually, well, I know what we'll do. We'll take some of them and we'll make you an offering. You'll like that." And then Samuel delivered this devastating judgment. He said to him, "To obey is better than sacrifice, and submission is better than the fat of rams. Because you have rejected the command of the Lord, he has rejected you as king." So self-confidence in ourselves is not enough. We have to be attentive to exactly what God wants of us if we're going to avoid grieving him. Saul was rejected as king because he didn't have an interest in being obedient to the heart of God. He only had an interest in doing his thing. And yet he dressed it all up. "We're going to make sacrifices. We've done the, we've done everything the Lord said." And we might have thought, "Yeah, good man." But the Holy Spirit was not pleased. Thankfulness. "Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." 1 Thessalonians 5:18. "And he who offers thanksgiving as his sacrifice glorifies me." Psalm 50:23. Some of them, these things are so simple, and yet so hard. A grateful heart pleases God. An ungrateful heart grieves the heart of God. Gratitude and compassion bring him pleasure. It's so easy to accept the grace of God and never think to say, "Thank you." Like the ten lepers that were all healed and only one of them went back to say, "Thank you." There is power in gratitude. Not only power in gratitude, but it, it opens the door to our relationship with God. That's the thing that makes him smile. That's the, that's the thing that he loves when we actually look at our lives, and instead of complaining, instead of moaning on about it, we actually say, "Actually, Lord, I thank you. I thank you for what the life you've given me. I thank you for the breath that I take. I thank you for the way that you've cared for me. I thank you, Lord, and I praise you." And that brings him pleasure. Perseverance in faith. "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest." Galatians 6:9. "Well done, good and faithful servant." Matthew 25:21. Much of our blessing in the future tracks back to our attitude here today, in what we and how we look at things. When God says, "Well done, good and faithful servant," at the end of all things, it is at the end of all things. It's after we've gone through everything. It's not that first time we run up to the front of the church with our arms in the air and tears running down our face, and we say, "I love you, Jesus," and he says, "Well done." He says, "Well done," after you've been through all the ups and downs, all the challenges, all the issues, all the stress, all the things that would try and attack your faith and undermine your faith, all the things that you've had to fight through and battle through. At the end of all that comes the "Well done, good and faithful servant." How are we going to respond? Jesus told Peter about all that he was going to suffer, and how he was going to die, and he was, uh, he didn't say he would save him from it. But one thing he said is, "I have prayed for you, Peter, that your faith won't fail." Faith is the one commodity we can take with us from this life. Nothing else will make that journey with us. "I have prayed for you, Peter, that your faith won't fail." What a prayer, what a powerful prayer for Jesus to, to be by the side of the Father saying, "I pray for Peter. I pray for MCF. I pray for those people that their faith will not fail." That we, that through our perseverance in faith, we will bring pleasure to the heart of God. One of the things that afflicts the church the world over, and we've come across it in Zambia, is a sort of a twisted sort of prosperity gospel. We know God wants to bless his people, but there's this sort of prosperity that says, you know, "If you've got, if you've got a car, if you've got a big house, if you eat meat every day, you know, you are truly blessed of God." And uh, and I remember one of the bold preachers there saying, you know, "When, when Jesus is praying for us, he's praying that our faith won't fail. He's not praying for a new Mercedes." He's not praying that you'll get everything that you've ever dreamed of. He's not Father Christmas, as I said earlier on. But he is praying that through it all, through everything that you walk through, your faith will not fail. 1 Peter 1:6-7: "So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure trials for a little while. These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold. Though your faith is far more precious than mere gold, so when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to2 the world." And so this life of bringing pleasure to the heart of God, not grieving, not, not, not stressing the Spirit, if you like, is, is all about how we live, about what we do with the wonderful gift that's been given to us, the opportunity that we have, the possibility to grow in faith, the possibility to be thankful, the possibility to persevere, the possibility to love one another against all the odds. All of those things are the things that when God looks on his people, they cause him to smile. Not just that people have ticked and said, "Yes, I believe in Jesus, so I'm going, I've got my ticket to heaven," but it's about how we live our life in the here and now and in the in-between. And so the question is, where do we stand today? Are we resting on the fact that we wear a Christian badge, or are we active in seeking a life that pleases God?

1. Ayaan Hirsi Ali’s Personal Journey: Born in Somalia in 1969, raised in a Muslim household. Fled to the Netherlands in 1992 to escape a forced marriage. Became a Dutch citizen, studied political science, and served in the Dutch Parliament. Transitioned from Islam to atheism, and later converted to Christianity. Currently a research fellow at the Hoover Institution and founder of the AHA Foundation. 2. Defining Political Islam vs. Islam as a Religion: Hirsi Ali distinguishes between Islam as a religion and Islamism (political Islam). She describes Islamism as a totalitarian ideology aiming to establish Islamic dominance globally. Emphasizes the threat posed by groups like the Muslim Brotherhood, which she compares to a “termite infestation” due to their subversive tactics. 3. The Muslim Brotherhood: Founded in 1928 by Hassan al-Banna in Egypt. Described as a decentralized, global movement using both peaceful and violent means to infiltrate societies. Hirsi Ali and Cruz advocate for its designation as a terrorist organization in the U.S. 4. The Red-Green Alliance: A term used to describe the alliance between radical Islamists (green) and Marxist/communist groups (red). Hirsi Ali warns that this alliance is strategically dangerous and aims to undermine Western democratic institutions. 5. Sharia Law and Its Implications: Hirsi Ali outlines the oppressive nature of Sharia law, especially toward women and LGBTQ individuals. She warns of the potential consequences if Islamist ideologies gain influence in Western societies. 6. Islamist Influence in Europe and the U.S.: Hirsi Ali and Cruz discuss the rise of Islamist influence in European cities and the potential for similar developments in the U.S. They express concern over political figures like Zohran Mamdani and Ilhan Omar, suggesting they represent the Red-Green alliance. 7. Persecution of Christians in Nigeria: Cruz and Hirsi Ali highlight the mass murder of Christians by Boko Haram and other Islamist groups. They criticize the Nigerian government for its inaction and call for U.S. sanctions and accountability. 8. Recognition of Somaliland: Hirsi Ali supports recognizing Somaliland as an independent nation. She praises its democratic governance, stability, and alignment with Western values. Go to BackyardButchers.com and enter promo code “VERDICT”, that’s V-E-R-D-I-C-T, for up to 30% off, 2 free 10-ounce ribeyes, and free shipping when you subscribe. http://www.backyardbutchers.com/Verdict Please Hit Subscribe to this podcast Right Now. Also Please Subscribe to the 47 Morning Update with Ben Ferguson and The Ben Ferguson Show Podcast Wherever You get You're Podcasts. And don't forget to follow the show on Social Media so you never miss a moment! Thanks for Listening YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@VerdictwithTedCruz/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/verdictwithtedcruz X: https://x.com/tedcruz X: https://x.com/benfergusonshowYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@VerdictwithTedCruzSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ayaan Hirsi Ali, fellow at the Hoover Institution, best-selling author, founder of the Ayaan Hirsi Ali Foundation, and host of the Ayaan Hirsi Ali Podcast, joined The Guy Benson Show today to discuss her upbringing as a Muslim in Somalia and Kenya and how her experiences with Islamic extremism ultimately led her to deconvert. Hirsi Ali explained the crucial difference between Muslims and Islamists, and reflected on the October 7th massacre and the strengthening of what she calls the "red-green alliance" to destroy the West. Hirsi Ali also discussed the alarming rise of antisemitism in the UK, where Jewish citizens increasingly face threats from violent Islamists. Ali and Benson wrapped the interview by addressing New York mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, arguing that the weaponization of the term "Islamophobia" has allowed his brand of radicalism to thrive. Listen to the full interview below! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Are we entering a Fifth Great Awakening—a cultural swing back toward religion? An increasing number of books and articles are calling for a religious revival. “We need religion to keep our society functioning.” “People need meaning.” Michael Shermer responds to and revisits the historical waves of religious fervor that shaped American life. He also asks what today's renewed interest in faith, spirituality, and meaning says about our culture. Featuring commentary on new books by Ayaan Hirsi Ali and Charles Murray, and a preview of Helen Pluckrose's new article for Skeptic.

If the government thinks it can grant rights, then they can also take them away.  __________ For more resources to live like a Christian in this cultural moment, go to breakpoint.org.

n this powerful episode of Free Speech Forward, Chris and Joia speak with Muslim feminist reformer Soraya M. Deen, who reveals the shocking reality of advocating for women's rights within religious orthodoxy—where speaking truth can mean exile from your own community. From her awakening moment watching Ayaan Hirsi Ali on C-SPAN as a young mother to co-founding the Clarity Coalition, Deen exposes how cancel culture operates within faith communities and why so many of those who need to speak up remain dangerously silent. As an interfaith advocate fighting extremism and fundamentalism, she shares her radical approach of "truth circles"—creating brave spaces where conflicting ideas can clash without violence. Discover why she believes the greatest weapon against bad ideas is better ideas, how she builds collective consciousness using the "100th monkey" principle, and her urgent call for open debates about anti-Semitism and radical Islamic ideology on college campuses. This episode offers hope and practical strategies for anyone facing opposition within their own community while fighting for fundamental human freedoms. Learn more about Soraya M. Deen's work at: https://www.claritycoalition.org/soraya-deen/

Adam from the "Adam's Fall" (  @Adams-Fall  ) channel joins me to discuss his personal journey out of atheism and back into his native LDS faith. He then provides a detailed and clarifying overview of LDS Christology, explaining its unique non-Trinitarian framework and its concept of a progressive, developmental divinity for both Christ and humanity.Adam's Channel "Adam's Fall" - https://www.youtube.com/@Adams-FallPastor Paul Vanderklay & The Little Corner (TLC) community, Jordan Peterson, Jonathan Pageau, Joseph Smith, Brigham Young, John Murdoch (Adam's ancestor), Rupert Sheldrake, Ayaan Hirsi Ali, Gavin Ortuand, Trent Horn, President Russell M. Nelson, Sydney Rigdon, Jacob Faturechi (  @faturechi  ), Moses, Tertullian, Clement of Alexandria, Origen, Bruce R. McConkie, Joseph F. Smith, Orson Whitney, Orson Pratt, C.S. Lewis, Rod Dreher, Beau Branson, The "heliocentric" channel (  @HeliocentricOfficial  )

It's the summer break on Planet Normal so in the first of this year's best of the rocket series, our co-pilots take a look back at some of their most explosive voyages on the rocket of right thinking from the year so far.Following the emergence of more harrowing details of rape gangs operating in the UK, in January Allison spoke to a warrior of free speech, and one of her heroines, Ayaan Hirsi Ali. A former Dutch MP, Ayaan has put herself in danger many times for speaking out against Islamists and supporting the self-determining right of Muslim women.Then, in March, Liam had a fascinating conversation with American entrepreneur Mike Calvey. Who whilst living and working in Russia, ended up in Moscow's notorious Matrosskaya Tishina prison on trumped-up charges in 2019. Now free and fully exonerated, Mike joined Liam to discuss his book Odyssey Moscow, the war in Ukraine, and his complex relationship with Russia.Read more from Liam: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/authors/liam-halligan/ |Read more from Allison: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/authors/a/ak-ao/allison-pearson/ |Need help subscribing or reviewing? Learn more about podcasts here: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/radio/podcasts/podcast-can-find-best-ones-listen/ |Email: planetnormal@telegraph.co.uk |For 30 days' free access to The Telegraph: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/normal | Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Monique is talking about the big news of the week. She shares her thoughts about the ongoing Jeffrey Epstein case and what it means for justice. Then, she has some thoughts about the shocking surrogacy scam in Arcadia, CA (basically our backyard) involving 21 kids. This situation raises important questions about children's rights and the ethics of surrogacy. Finally, she shares her concerns about Islamic influence in American politics, featuring insights from Ayaan Hirsi Ali and discussions on socialism's compatibility with American values. Don't miss this raw, honest conversation on biblical justice, cultural issues and standing for truth.

In this episode of Thinking Out Loud, Nathan and Cameron react to Jordan Peterson's appearance in the viral Jubilee debate—and things get theologically intense. They unpack where Peterson's thinking aligns with Christian truth and where it dangerously veers off course. From disordered loves and worship to the meaning of belief, Nathan and Cameron bring biblical clarity and philosophical depth to the table. Along the way, they reference thinkers like Augustine, Ayaan Hirsi Ali, T.S. Eliot, David Foster Wallace, and Tom Holland, making this a must-listen for Christians who care about faith, reason, and the big questions of culture.Topics Covered:Is Jordan Peterson a Christian—or just Christian-adjacent?What is worship, really? Augustine vs. PetersonDisordered loves and cultural idolatryWhy “aim upward” isn't the gospelPeterson's definition of belief—where it failsAre atheists borrowing Christian morality? (feat. Tom Holland)David Foster Wallace, Paul Tillich, and the quest for meaningWhy science can't give you moralityDid empathy replace conscience? A naturalist critiqueDONATE LINK: https://toltogether.com/donate BOOK A SPEAKER: https://toltogether.com/book-a-speakerJOIN TOL CONNECT: https://toltogether.com/tol-connect TOL Connect is an online forum where TOL listeners can continue the conversation begun on the podcast.

From Islam to Atheism to ChristSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From Islam to Atheism to ChristSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Happy Israel Independence Day! Yishai Fleisher is back after his whirlwind tour of the USA with Minister of National Security Itamar Ben Gvir. First, Minister Ben Gvir (with Yishai translating) on Tablet Mag's podcast. Then, Yishai speaks with famed intellectual and anti-Jihad activist Ayaan Hirsi Ali. And finally, Ben Bresky on the history of Israel's jet fights. Plus, the blessings of rebirth!

SEASON 2025 EPISODE 14: Happy Israel Independence Day! Yishai is back after his whirlwind tour of the USA with Minister of National Security Itamar Ben Gvir. First, Minister Ben Gvir (with Yishai translating) on Tablet Mag's podcast. Then, Yishai speaks with famed intellectual and anti-Jihad activist Ayaan Hirsi Ali. And finally, Ben Bresky on the history of Israel's jet fights. Plus, the blessings of rebirth!SPONSOR LINKS:The Israel Bible https://theisraelbible.com/Prohibition Pickle https://www.facebook.com/Prohibitionpickle/Hebron Fund https://hebronfund.org/The Jewish Press https://www.jewishpress.com/JNS https://www.jns.org/Kosher Cycle Tours http://www.KosherCycleTours.comPODCAST INFO:Podcast website: https://yishaifleisher.com/podcast/Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3mIsdfUSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3oP2Reo4JYnfIJdDUrQS2cRSS: https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/1271258.rssYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/YishaiFleisherTVSUPPORT & CONNECT:Check out the sponsors above, it's the best way to support this podcastSupport on Givecloud: https://kumah.givecloud.co/Twitter: https://twitter.com/YishaiFleisherInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/yishaifleisherLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yishaifleisher/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/YishaiFleisherSupport the show

Live from the Frontline Club in London, Ctrl Alt Deceit is back for its second season. Hosts Nina dos Santos and Owen Bennett-Jones host a fascinating discussion on the myriad threats to democracy, particularly in light of Trump's re-election. Joined by Gabriel Gatehouse is an award-winning BBC journalist and broadcaster, formerly International Editor of Newsnight and host of the award winning podcast The Coming Storm. And Connor Tomlinson is a commentator and writer, contributing to Ayaan Hirsi Ali's Courage Media and presenting the Deprogrammed podcast at the New Culture Forum. He previously hosted Tomlinson Talks on LotusEaters.com In this provocative and timely discussion, big ideas collide as our panel tackles the fault lines shaking the foundations of the democratic world. As power shifts, authoritarianism rises, and ideological battles intensify, is liberal democracy collapsing under its own contradictions—or is it still the best system we've got? From Silicon Valley's techno-libertarian ambitions to the push for a return to a more rigidly defined Western identity, our panel will explore the competing visions for the future. Has democracy been hijacked by global institutions that sideline voters? Was the dream of a liberal world order always doomed to fail? And if democracy is in decline—what comes next? Producer: Pearse Lynch Exec Producer: Lucinda Knight Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/political-science

Justin Brierley reports from the ARC conference in London where over 4,000 secular and religious attendees met to hear about the renewal of civilisation from speakers such as Jordan Peterson, Douglas Murray, Jonathan Pageau and Ayaan Hirsi Ali. But in the era of Trump 2.0, is the Alliance for Responsible Citizenship co-opting Christianity for conservative political purposes? Justin interviews Christian speakers Bishop Robert Barron, Miriam Cates and Johannes Hartl on what ARC is. He also hears from influencers Ruslan KD, Whaddo You Meme and Biased Skeptic, plus delegates Peter Lynas, Jeff Fountain and Mikhael Laursen on the overlap of politics and faith. He also finds out why New York Times columnist David Brooks created such a stir. Justin also dialogues with secular meaning seekers and influencers, including Andrew Gold, James Lindsay and Carl Benjamin, who have abandoned New Atheism and discovered a new appreciation for the value of Christianity. More info, book & newsletter: https://justinbrierley.com/surprisingrebirth/ Support via Patreon for early access to new episodes and bonus content: https://www.patreon.com/justinbrierley/membership Support via Tax-deductible (USA) and get the same perks: https://defendersmedia.com/portfolio/justin-brierley/ Give a one-off gift via PayPal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/brierleyjustin Buy the book or get a signed copy: https://justinbrierley.com/the-surprising-rebirth-of-belief-in-god/ Got feedback? Share it with us by emailing: feedback@think.faith Ep 6 show notes: https://justinbrierley.com/surprisingrebirth/season-2-episode-6-all-aboard-the-arc-why-conservatives-want-to-save-christendom The Surprising Rebirth of Belief in God is a production of Think Faith in partnership with Genexis, and support from The Jerusalem Trust. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ayaan Hirsi Ali, the famed Muslim-turned-atheist and critic of religion along with her New Atheist cohort, shocked the world when she came out as a Christian in 2023. The partial story of her conversion from the UnHerd article she penned received backlash from non-Christian and Christian commentators alike. Recently, she sat down with agnostic Alex O'Connor to set the record straight. In this episode of All Rise, former Muslim, Abdu Murray, and former atheist, Derek Caldwell, react to Ayaan's more complete self-disclosure.  Read the original article that started it all: https://unherd.com/2023/11/why-i-am-now-a-christian/.   Facebook https://www.facebook.com/abdumurray  Instagram https://www.instagram.com/abdumurray12  Twitter https://twitter.com/abdumurray  TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@abdumurray  Keep in touch with Abdu and be notified when he is in a town near you by signing up for his monthly newsletter at https://embracethetruth.org/sign-up/.   Embrace the Truth is a donor-supported ministry that seeks to answer PEOPLE, not questions. Consider partnering with us in this important mission by visiting https://embracethetruth.org/donate.  

Live from the Frontline Club in London, Ctrl Alt Deceit is back for its second season. Hosts Nina dos Santos and Owen Bennett-Jones host a fascinating discussion on the myriad threats to democracy, particularly in light of Trump's re-election. Joined by Gabriel Gatehouse is an award-winning BBC journalist and broadcaster, formerly International Editor of Newsnight and host of the award winning podcast The Coming Storm. And Connor Tomlinson is a commentator and writer, contributing to Ayaan Hirsi Ali's Courage Media and presenting the Deprogrammed podcast at the New Culture Forum. He previously hosted Tomlinson Talks on LotusEaters.com In this provocative and timely discussion, big ideas collide as our panel tackles the fault lines shaking the foundations of the democratic world. As power shifts, authoritarianism rises, and ideological battles intensify, is liberal democracy collapsing under its own contradictions—or is it still the best system we've got? From Silicon Valley's techno-libertarian ambitions to the push for a return to a more rigidly defined Western identity, our panel will explore the competing visions for the future. Has democracy been hijacked by global institutions that sideline voters? Was the dream of a liberal world order always doomed to fail? And if democracy is in decline—what comes next? Producer: Pearse Lynch Exec Producer: Lucinda Knight Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/politics-and-polemics

Live from the Frontline Club in London, Ctrl Alt Deceit is back for its second season. Hosts Nina dos Santos and Owen Bennett-Jones host a fascinating discussion on the myriad threats to democracy, particularly in light of Trump's re-election. Joined by Gabriel Gatehouse is an award-winning BBC journalist and broadcaster, formerly International Editor of Newsnight and host of the award winning podcast The Coming Storm. And Connor Tomlinson is a commentator and writer, contributing to Ayaan Hirsi Ali's Courage Media and presenting the Deprogrammed podcast at the New Culture Forum. He previously hosted Tomlinson Talks on LotusEaters.com In this provocative and timely discussion, big ideas collide as our panel tackles the fault lines shaking the foundations of the democratic world. As power shifts, authoritarianism rises, and ideological battles intensify, is liberal democracy collapsing under its own contradictions—or is it still the best system we've got? From Silicon Valley's techno-libertarian ambitions to the push for a return to a more rigidly defined Western identity, our panel will explore the competing visions for the future. Has democracy been hijacked by global institutions that sideline voters? Was the dream of a liberal world order always doomed to fail? And if democracy is in decline—what comes next? Producer: Pearse Lynch Exec Producer: Lucinda Knight Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

Outside of the academics and activists whose ideology came to dominate the West in the second decade of the twenty-first century, arguably no group influenced public discourse as much as the Intellectual Dark Web. Challenging the intellectual and cultural orthodoxies that engulfed universities, the media, and big tech, this group—a loose collective of politically diverse intellectuals, commentators, and scholars critical of political correctness, identity politics, and cancel culture—relied on alternative platforms like podcasts, digital magazines, and YouTube to promote free speech, universal rights, and individual liberty. While the term is most commonly identified with Sam Harris, Ben Shapiro, Jordan Peterson, Bret and Eric Weinstein, and Joe Rogan, the group's concerns and philosophy extended more broadly to include a wide range of individuals who helped mainstream critiques of “woke” culture and a robust defense of free speech, including Steven Pinker, Michael Shermer, Jonathan Haidt, Dave Rubin, Ayaan Hirsi Ali, and Stephen Fry. The Intellectual Dark Web's coherence began to unravel in the early 2020s due to internal differences (such as over the response to COVID-19 and climate change), and its full legacy and historical impact are yet to be determined. Jamie Roberts is a lecturer in the Department of Government and International Relations at the University of Sydney. His new book is The Intellectual Dark Web: A History (and Possible Future).

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.louiseperry.co.ukMy guest today is Ayaan Hirsi Ali, a Fellow at the Hoover Institute at Stanford University, the bestselling author of books including 'Infidel', 'Heretic', and 'Prey', and also the founder and editor of Restoration, a new publication which seeks to rebuild the West's broken institutions. We spoke about why Ayaan was so thrilled at Trump's victory, the i…

Former 'new atheist' Ayaan Hirsi Ali shocked the world when she announced her conversion to Christianity in 2023. Hirsi Ali recently spoke with Dr James Orr for a Trinity Forum Cambridge event about her new faith, her concerns about radicalisation at top Universities, and the need to educate young people about Christianity. Hirsi Ali's story has become a significant milestone in the 'Surprising Rebirth' phenomenon. But does Ayaan see a similar rebirth among her peers? And how does she respond to criticism of her own conversion being 'political'? Justin Brierley was present to ask such questions of Ayaan during the Q&A, and also spoke to some young converts among the audience about their reflections on the rebirth of interest in Christianity. More info, book & newsletter: https://justinbrierley.com/surprisingrebirth/ Support via Patreon for early access to new episodes and bonus content: https://www.patreon.com/justinbrierley/membership Support via Tax-deductible (USA) and get the same perks: https://defendersmedia.com/portfolio/justin-brierley/ Give a one-off gift via PayPal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/brierleyjustin Buy the book or get a signed copy: https://justinbrierley.com/the-surprising-rebirth-of-belief-in-god/ Ep 3 show notes: https://justinbrierley.com/surprisingrebirth/season-2-episode-3-ayaan-hirsi-ali-cambridge-qampa-on-conversion-christianity-and-politics The Surprising Rebirth of Belief in God is a production of Think Faith. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

You may have recently seen episode 1 in the new docuseries "Uncomfortable Truths." Today I'm joined by its filmmaker, Travis Brown, who was drawn to investigate gender ideology after noticing many traits it shared in common with the controlling religious environment he grew up in.We discuss the historical context of gender transition protocols and the questionable ethics of current practices. Travis highlights the alarming trend of rushing into medical procedures without adequate understanding or consideration of the long-term consequences, especially for minors. From his libertarian perspective, he emphasizes the need to balance personal freedom with the importance of waiting periods and psychological evaluations before undergoing irreversible surgeries. Meanwhile, I argue that these procedures should be outlawed altogether, reframing the debate from one of individual rights to one of professional ethical responsibilities.Travis Brown is a visiting fellow at Danube Institute, content producer for Genspect, the president of a non-profit, and an international filmmaker and commentator known for his thought-provoking docuseries 'The Woke Reformation,' which features Peter Boghossian, Douglas Murray, Ayaan Hirsi Ali, Vivek Ramaswamy, and other brave intellectuals who demolish and then offer a positive alternative to Woke culture. Travis frequently engages with contemporary cultural issues, exploring themes like identity, belief, and the importance of meaning through his work. He travels internationally to screen his work and engage in public discussions.Travis is the president of The Signal Education Project (SEP), a non-profit that shines a light on how dogmatic thinking distorts the truth and fractures our relationships. Through SEP, Travis explores how strict ideologies shape our view of reality, the effect this has on our conversations, and what it does to relationships and society as a whole. SEP's current project investigates the contentious topic of gender identity in the upcoming docuseries Uncomfortable Truths: The Reality of Gender Identity Ideology.Donate to support the series on GiveSendGo.00:00 Start[00:02:03] Trans ideology and its impact.[00:03:33] Identity and oppression in upbringing.[00:08:06] Oppression and authoritarian tendencies.[00:12:00] Compassionate perspectives on trans issues.[00:16:18] Conveyor belt of transition.[00:19:02] Communicating with trans-identified youth.[00:22:27] Language and its implications.[00:27:03] Interviewing controversial figures.[00:31:17] Buck Angel's evolving perspectives.[00:35:55] Moral psychology and fear.[00:38:31] Importance of opposing views.[00:41:41] Concerns about social media influence.[00:46:53] Medical autonomy and restrictions.[00:48:10] Ethical dilemmas of technology.[00:53:31] Rebuilding parent-child relationships.[00:58:04] Spiritual needs in society.[01:01:40] Pursuing creativity after activism.[01:03:13] Content quality in storytelling.ROGD REPAIR Course + Community gives concerned parents instant access to over 120 lessons providing the psychological insights and communication tools you need to get through to your kid. Use code SOMETHERAPIST2025 to take 50% off your first month.TALK TO ME: book a meeting.PRODUCTION: Looking for your own podcast producer? Visit PodsByNick.com and mention my podcast for 20% off your initial services.SUPPORT THE SHOW: subscribe, like, comment, & share or donate.ORGANIFI: Take 20% off Organifi with code SOMETHERAPIST.Watch NO WAY BACK: The Reality of Gender-Affirming Care. Use code SOMETHERAPIST to take 20% off your order.SHOW NOTES & transcript with help from SwellAI.MUSIC: Thanks to Joey Pecoraro for our song, “Half Awake,” used with gratitude & permission.ALL OTHER LINKS HERE. To support this show, please leave a rating & review on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe, like, comment & share via my YouTube channel. Or recommend this to a friend!Learn more about Do No Harm.Take $200 off your EightSleep Pod Pro Cover with code SOMETHERAPIST at EightSleep.com.Take 20% off all superfood beverages with code SOMETHERAPIST at Organifi.Check out my shop for book recommendations + wellness products.Show notes & transcript provided with the help of SwellAI.Special thanks to Joey Pecoraro for our theme song, “Half Awake,” used with gratitude and permission.Watch NO WAY BACK: The Reality of Gender-Affirming Care (our medical ethics documentary, formerly known as Affirmation Generation). Stream the film or purchase a DVD. Use code SOMETHERAPIST to take 20% off your order. Follow us on X @2022affirmation or Instagram at @affirmationgeneration.Have a question for me? Looking to go deeper and discuss these ideas with other listeners? Join my Locals community! Members get to ask questions I will respond to in exclusive, members-only livestreams, post questions for upcoming guests to answer, plus other perks TBD. ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Last week Bari traveled to Austin, Texas, to host a debate on a simple little topic: religion and whether we need more of it. There's a line from Proverbs that has guided believers for at least the past 2,000 or so years. It goes like this: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” But for most of our lives, this message has been turned on its head. We can't entirely blame the so-called New Atheists, who dominated the American intellectual scene in the first part of this century, for the death of God—for that, we'd need to go back to Nietzsche or Darwin or the Enlightenment. But the point is that for people of Bari's generation and cohort, to be an educated, sophisticated, respectable person was to be an atheist. Or at the very least, an agnostic. The percentage of Americans who identify as Christian fell from 90 percent in 1972 to 64 percent in 2022, while the religiously unaffiliated (the so-called “nones”) rose from 5 percent to 30 percent in the same period, according to Pew Research.The shift toward secularism has been even more pronounced across the Atlantic. Among Europeans ages 16 to 29, 70 percent say they never attend religious services. But after years of decline, this trend may be starting to reverse. A massive new Pew survey found that the share of Americans identifying as Christian has, after many years of decline, finally started to rise again. And the share of Americans identifying with other religions is actually increasing. So are we better off with or without God? The other night in Austin Bari sat down with Ross Douthat, Ayaan Hirsi Ali, Michael Shermer, and Adam Carolla. They came together to debate the following resolution: Does the West need a religious revival? Ross and Ayaan argued yes. Ross is a New York Times opinion columnist. His most recent book is Believe: Why Everyone Should Be Religious. Ayaan is an activist and best-selling author of many books including Prey: Immigration, Islam, and the Erosion of Women's Rights.  On the other side, Michael Shermer and Adam Carolla argued no, we do not need a religious revival. Michael is the founding publisher of Skeptic magazine and the host of The Michael Shermer Show. He, too, is the author of multiple New York Times bestsellers on science, psychology, and faith. Adam Carolla is a comedian, actor, radio personality, TV host, and best-selling author. He currently hosts The Adam Carolla Show. If you liked what you heard from Honestly, the best way to support us is to go to TheFP.com and become a Free Press subscriber today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Does the West need a religious revival? This was the subject of a debate hosted by The Free Press at the Paramount Theater in Austin Texas on February 27th. The debate pitted two religious advocates—Ayan Hirsi Ali and Ross Douthat—against two avowed atheists—Michael Shermer and Adam Carolla—in search of an answer. The scene of current affairs in the West was set by The Free Press as follows:“The West has experienced a rapid erosion of our shared culture. Political polarization, loneliness, depression and addiction have surged, while marriage and birthrates have plummeted. There's a crisis of meaning, and a growing chorus of intellectuals are pointing to secularism as the cause. Studies show that religious service attendance correlates with lower rates of depression, suicide and substance abuse. Religious individuals are also more likely to marry, stay married, and have children. For the first time in U.S. history, church membership among Americans has fallen below 50%. Less than a fifth of Western Europeans attend church regularly. In Sweden, over 75% of young people claim no religion at all. So, is the decline of religion to blame for our social unraveling? Or are rapid technological changes, growing economic inequality, and other social disruptions the culprit? And would empowering religious institutions, which have historically abused their power to stifle scientific progress, fuel war, and discriminate against perceived enemies be a mistake? In short, would a return to faith restore order, or simply revive old divisions?”David Hanegraaff traveled to Austin, Texas to cover the event—you can find his review and response here. [Coming Soon!]  He joins his father Hank Hanegraaff on this edition of Hank Unplugged to discuss the debate, his role at the Christian Research Institute and much more.  Topics discussed include: The Free Press organized a debate about religion that was unique for our time—secularism was not regarded as the default, but forced to defend itself (2:15)Who were the debate participants? (4:45)Why is the perspective of Ayaan Hirsi Ali so important? (6:30)Is a religious revival on the horizon? (8:00)What are the detrimental impacts of secularization on society? (12:25)Were the arguments made by the atheists—Adam Carolla and Michael Shermer—convincing?  (14:00)New atheists, same old, tired arguments (16:50)Richard Dawkins claims to be a cultural Christian (18:15)The consequences of an unexamined life—worldviews matter (20:50)The role of technology in our world today (25:50)Why was this debate significant? (27:00)The importance of localism (30:25)The transformational nature of a Christianity lived out in practice (33:20)What was it like growing up as the son of the Bible Answer Man? (37:05)The legacy of Johannis Hanegraaff (40:00)The importance of apologetics (42:30)The sign of the cross (49:30)The importance of being equally yoked (53:30)Church and life are inextricably woven for Christians (55:15)The detrimental impact of bad theology (58:25)The joy of parenthood (1:02:20)Meeting Jay Richards in Greece—a favorite Hank Unplugged guest (1:07:15)Traveling to the monastic community at Mt. Athos (1:10:45)The joy of having your children in the Church (1:14:45)Why David Hanegraaff loves the Republic of Georgia—aggressive hospitality (1:20:00)A boy named Grace—why? (1:23:20)The importance of reading and the role books play on the Hank Unplugged podcast (1:26:00)Listen to Hank's podcast and follow Hank off the grid where he is joined by some of the brightest minds discussing topics you care about. Get equipped to be a cultural change agent.Archived episodes are  on our Website and available at the additional channels listed below.You can help spread the word about Hank Unplugged by giving us a rating and review from the other channels we are listed on.

A few reflections on religion following The Free Press debate in Austin, TX on February 27, 2025. Michael Shermer and Adam Carolla (atheists) faced off against Ayaan Hirsi Ali and Ross Douthat (Christians). You can watch the debate here: https://www.thefp.com/p/watch-does-the-west-need-a-religious

Jeremy and Lucas Cole discuss takeaways from the ARC Conference - the new, anti-Wold Economic Forum think tank group. From an acceptance of Judeo-Christian values on the public stage, to defining the ideal, monogamous, childbearing family, to remembering that the ordinary truly is extraordinary, this is a conversation and conference that will encourage you and get the ideas turning in your head. It's time for us to influence the world with Truth, instead of being ashamed of it. On this episode, we talk about: 0:00 Intro 1:00 Debriefing the ARC Conference 4:28 Takeaway 1: Stop Apologizing For Judeo-Christian Values 14:22 Takeaway 2: The Ideal Family 22:55 The Slide Into A Polygamous Culture (Andrew Tate Response) 31:00 Takeaway 3: The Economy Runs on Family and Energy 41:05 Jordan Peterson and The Basics Subscribe on Substack ➡️ https://jeremypryor.substack.com Follow Jeremy on: Instagram: https://instagram.com/jeremympryor/ X: https://x.com/jeremympryor/ Resources Mentioned: ARC Conference: https://www.arcforum.com/ Infidel by Ayaan Hirsi Ali: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0743289692/ Family Revision by Jeremy Pryor: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0578526123/ --- Welcome to Jeremy Pryor's Podcast, or what I like to call, "Jeremy Pryor Unfiltered." We are excited to bring you seasons of content all the way from Tolkien to Theology, from Business to Family. If you like to contemplate deep philosophical ideas across a wide range of topics, you've come to the right place. Make sure to subscribe on Apple, Spotify, or YouTube so you don't miss out on future episodes!

Two figures loomed large at the Alliance for Responsible Citizens (ARC) conference in East London today. Donald Trump - whose playbook many of the delegates want to see copied in the UK - and a certain Nigel Farage.Hot off the back of fresh YouGov polling that puts Reform in the lead on 27pc to Labour's 25pc and the Conservatives' 21pc, Farage took the opportunity to repeat to a cheering crowd that there would be no deal with Kemi Badenoch to unite the right. Kamal and Camilla were watching side of stage, and put Farage's views on the future of the UK right to former Tory cabinet minister and now editor of The Spectator, Michael Gove. President of the Heritage Foundation Kevin Roberts was also on hand to explain just how much influence his think tank's ‘Project 2025' manifesto is having on President Trump's administration so far. And they also caught up with Ayaan Hirsi Ali, the Somalian-born activist, campaigner and critic of Islam, who explains why she thinks Islamism can be defeated.Producer: Lilian FawcettSenior Producer: John CadiganPlanning Editor: Venetia RaineyExecutive Producer: Louisa WellsSocial Media Producer: Rachel WelshVideo Editor/Camera Operator: Andy MackenzieEditor: Camilla TomineyOriginal music by Goss Studio Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Best of Our Inheritance: Restoring Our Foundations is a collection of essays on the foundations of our civilisation, published by the Alliance for Responsible Citizenship (ARC). With contributions from 15 of the world's top thinkers, including Ayaan Hirsi Ali, Nigel Biggar, Brian Griffiths, Matt Ridley, Andrew Roberts, Bjorn Lomborg, Os Guinness and Konstantin Kisin, the book recalls the foundations of Western Civilisation and asks how we renew and strengthen them to equip us to face current and future challenges. The book is available for pre-order at £20 from the ARC website: https://www.arcforum.com/store/p/the-best-of-our-inheritance-arc-research Join our exclusive TRIGGERnometry community on Substack! https://triggernometry.substack.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The bravest of all the free speech campaigners, Ayaan Hirsi Ali, speaks out eloquently on tribalism, Islam, immigration, Trump, her conversion to Christianity, and what it's like being married to a quite well-known historian.

Richard Dawkins makes his final ever tour appearance - and has the indignity of doing so with interviewer Andrew Gold. His thoughts on Elon Musk, Douglas Murray and Jordan Peterson are fascinating and controversial, while he speaks brilliantly about Ayaan Hirsi Ali and the late Christopher Hitchens. He explains why Islam is so different to Judaism & Christianity - and defies cancel culture and trans lunacy.  Get his brilliant new book The Genetic Book of the Dead: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Genetic-Book-Dead-Richard-Dawkins/dp/1804548081  Check out my new documentary channel: https://youtube.com/@andrewgoldinvestigates  Support Heretics: http://andrewgoldheretics.com  Andrew on X: https://twitter.com/andrewgold_ok  Insta: https://www.instagram.com/andrewgold_ok Heretics YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@andrewgoldheretics Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Your co-pilots have blasted off a whopper of a rocket this week so strap in.It's Labour vs lettuce this week as the scrutiny of Chancellor Rachel Reeves continues to the rising drumbeat of calls for her to go. And with a resignation and an upcoming inauguration, there's no shortage of melodrama in orbit this week.It will come as no surprise that the residents of the rocket are less than impressed with ‘Rachel from accounts'; is she on borrowed time and will there be an emergency budget in March? Resident rocket economist co-pilot Halligan brings his expert opinion and context to the discussion.Joining your co-pilots this week to discuss the recent grooming gang scandal is the inspirational author of Infidel: My Life, and Prey: Immigration, Islam, and the Erosion of Women's Rights, is activist Ayaan Hirsi Ali. Read more from Liam: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/authors/liam-halligan/ |Read more from Allison: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/authors/a/ak-ao/allison-pearson/ |Read Allison” : ‘Rachel Reeves should quit now, not later this year': https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/01/14/rachel-reeves-should-quit-now-not-later-this-year/ |Read ‘Infidel: My Life': https://www.amazon.co.uk/Infidel-Ayaan-Hirsi-Ali/dp/1416526242 | Need help subscribing or reviewing? Learn more about podcasts here: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/radio/podcasts/podcast-can-find-best-ones-listen/ |Email: planetnormal@telegraph.co.uk |For 30 days' free access to The Telegraph: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/normal | Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The RW ghouls are at it again, using any opportunity they can to fan the flames of hate. Be it a mass shooting, a terrorist attack, a plane crash or a natural disaster like the tragic wildfires in LA - Vultures like Dave Rubin, Elon Musk, Douglas Murray, Ayaan Hirsi Ali, Matt Walsh, Alex Jones and many more .... are out there trying to spread disinformation and ridiculously pinning the blame for the fires on 'Diversity'. Join me as I run through some of the worst, most embarrassing takes from these hateful, RW freaks. ——— Pls subscribe to patreon.com/nicemangos to access the extended episode.

It's the biggest crime—and cover-up—in British history. And most people, at least until recently, haven't even heard of it. Thousands of young girls, mostly children, were systematically groomed and raped by immigrant gangs across the UK over a period of decades. Police turned the girls away. Detectives were discouraged from investigating. Politicians and prosecutors did their best to sweep it under the rug. Journalists skipped the biggest story of their lives. A culture of silence enveloped the United Kingdom. Why? Today, we talk to two women who spoke out years ago about what was happening while nearly everyone looked the other way: the British feminist and author Julie Bindel, and the author and activist Ayaan Hirsi Ali. Both took tremendous risks in highlighting the story while the legacy press largely looked away. Bindel is the author, most recently, of Feminism for Women and writes a popular Substack column. Hirsi Ali, a Free Press contributor, is the author of numerous books on radical islam, including Prey: Immigration, Islam, and the Erosion of Women's Rights, which helped bring attention to the grooming gangs scandal in 2021.  Julie and Ayaan explain today what happened, how these rapes and murders were covered up in the name of preserving “social harmony,” how it's still happening, why Elon Musk is suddenly tweeting furiously about it and how Britain's ruling class is being forced to reckon with a scandal it had, until recently, successfully ignored.  It's a story about “tolerance” run amok, and how a civilized country can convince itself to accept the most uncivilized crimes imaginable. If you liked what you heard from Honestly, the best way to support us is to go to TheFP.com and become a Free Press subscriber today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ayaan Hirsi Ali is an ex Muslim survivor who had a fatwa (death threat) against her. Check out her new podcast: courage.media  Support Heretics: http://andrewgoldheretics.com  Andrew on X: https://twitter.com/andrewgold_ok  Insta: https://www.instagram.com/andrewgold_ok Heretics YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@andrewgoldheretics Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Decades ago, I escaped the Islamic world and came to the West. Many don't know how good the West is, or how fragile. I fight for the restoration of what made the West great.' – Ayaan Hirsi Ali Ever since writer and activist Ayaan Hirsi Ali publicly disavowed Islam, controversy has followed her every step. For many years the Somali-born former Muslim was a fierce critic of religion – particularly Islam – and became famous worldwide after publishing her controversial bestselling autobiography 'Infidel'. In the first decade of this century she was a pioneer of the New Atheist movement alongside the so-called ‘Four Horsemen': Sam Harris, Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens and Daniel Dennett. And then late last year Ali stunned many of her own supporters and allies when she wrote an article ‘Why I am now a Christian,' in which she announced her conversion to Christianity and argued that the Christian belief system — not atheism — is the only means to preserve Western values. Many atheists felt that she had betrayed her life's work and many Christians felt she had politicised their religion. In September 2024 Ali came to the Intelligence Squared stage where, in conversation with Editor-in-Chief of UnHerd Freddie Sayers, she discussed her complicated history — from escaping an arranged marriage in her early 20s to becoming a Dutch MP aged 33 and going into hiding when death threats were made against her for alleged apostasy. And she explained her conviction that Christian values are the best hope for preserving Western society. … Subscribe to our newsletter here to hear about our latest events, discounts and much more. https://www.intelligencesquared.com/newsletter-signup/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ayaan Hirsi Ali is a Ayaan Hirsi Ali is a Somali-born Dutch-American writer, activist and former politician. Once an advocate for the new atheist movement, she last year announced her conversion to Christianity.

Sam Harris speaks with Christine Rosen about how technology is changing our culture. They discuss the courage of Ayaan Hirsi Ali, lost practices like handwriting, tradeoffs in our use of technology, social media, conspiracy thinking, X as a platform for breaking news, the future of journalism, the importance of local news, the asymmetry right and left politically, the strange case of Tucker Carlson, the antisemitic hallucinations of Dan Bilzerian, expectations for a second Trump presidency, antisemitism in America, and other topics. If the Making Sense podcast logo in your player is BLACK, you can SUBSCRIBE to gain access to all full-length episodes at samharris.org/subscribe. Learning how to train your mind is the single greatest investment you can make in life. That's why Sam Harris created the Waking Up app. From rational mindfulness practice to lessons on some of life's most important topics, join Sam as he demystifies the practice of meditation and explores the theory behind it.

Original link on Ayaan's channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NknDCkgdENQ&t=2s Also please visit: https://courage.media Ayaan's website: https://ayaanhirsiali.com _______________________________________ If you appreciate my work and would like to support it: https://subscribestar.com/the-saad-truth https://patreon.com/GadSaad https://paypal.me/GadSaad To subscribe to my exclusive content on Twitter, please visit my bio at https://twitter.com/GadSaad _______________________________________ This clip was posted on November 13, 2024 on my YouTube channel as THE SAAD TRUTH_1767: https://youtu.be/BKu5_MA8Ca4 _______________________________________ Please visit my website gadsaad.com, and sign up for alerts. If you appreciate my content, click on the "Support My Work" button. I count on my fans to support my efforts. You can donate via Patreon, PayPal, and/or SubscribeStar. _______________________________________ Dr. Gad Saad is a professor, evolutionary behavioral scientist, and author who pioneered the use of evolutionary psychology in marketing and consumer behavior. In addition to his scientific work, Dr. Saad is a leading public intellectual who often writes and speaks about idea pathogens that are destroying logic, science, reason, and common sense.  _______________________________________  

Last night in Amsterdam, dozens of Maccabi Tel Aviv fans suffered a pogrom in the streets of Amsterdam, following the soccer team's match against Ajax. According to most accounts, this ambush was planned and coordinated in advance. And according to Israeli authorities, 10 Israelis were injured throughout the night, as mobs of antisemitic rioters ambushed, chased, and attacked the Israeli soccer fans. Dozens have been arrested, and the Israeli government dispatched planes to Amsterdam to return the Israeli  fans safely to Israel. The Amsterdam police was observed to be largely ineffective in attempting to protect the Israeli fans from the assailants. To unpack these disturbing events, and discuss the climate of antisemitism that has erupted in the Netherlands and across Europe, we are joined by Ayaan Hirsi Ali and Omer Bigger. Ayaan Hirsi Ali is a Somali-born Dutch-American activist, author, and a former Dutch member of Parliament. She is known for her outspoken criticism of Islam. Ayaan has just launched a media platform called Courage.Media, which aims to amplify the voices of those who are showing great courage by standing up to the anti-western, anti-liberal, anti-democratic movements that are taking root in our media, our politics, our schools, and our communities.  Omer Bigger is an Israeli tech worker living in Amsterdam. Ayaan's piece on the pogrom in Amsterdam: https://courage.media/2024/11/08/the-pogrom-in-amsterdam/To buy Ayaan's books: https://tinyurl.com/pd34a9s8Also discussed in this episode: “Pogrom 2024” John Podhoretz: https://www.commentary.org/john-podhoretz/pogrom-2024/

Last night in Amsterdam, dozens of Maccabi Tel Aviv fans suffered a pogrom in the streets of Amsterdam, following the soccer team's match against Ajax. According to most accounts, this ambush was planned and coordinated in advance. And according to Israeli authorities, 10 Israelis were injured throughout the night, as mobs of antisemitic rioters ambushed, […]

This week's episode engages an article by moral theologian, Luke Bretherton of Oxford, who suggests that the recent swath of conversions by public intellectuals like Ayaan Hirsi Ali and Paul Kingsnorth, and flirtations with Christianity by figures like Jordan Peterson, Douglas Murray and Luise Perry are best understood as idolatrous pseudo-conversions which are more about preserving Western Culture than his brand of genuine Christianity, which is anti-fascist, anti-racist, and working tirelessly for democracy. The pugs are not convinced. And they show a host of reasons why. Article: https://comment.org/the-conversion-of-public-intellectuals/ Catch our new documentary ‘A Pugcast Pilgrimage: Lewis, Oxford, and Our Postmodern Age’ on Canon+: https://canonplus.com/tabs/discover/videos/34865?fbclid=IwY2xjawF-J-9leHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHXqj6CIhUs6mTwkMc-AHhKiP1E4dPAtOm60rgu69RZ2LfhqYLJg2JHx4uQ_aem_LV-nOWc1vnhV6scW9cGZpA Support the Pugcast on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thetheologypugcast?fbclid=IwAR17UHhfzjphO52C_kkZfursA_C784t0ldFix0wyB4fd-YOJpmOQ3dyqGf8 The Theology Pugcast is a ministry of Trinity Reformed Church in Huntsville Alabama. To view more media from TRC, visit their website: https://trinityreformedkirk.com/trc-media/

Gad Saad was born in Beirut in 1964 into one of the last Jewish families to remain in Lebanon. But the country that was once called “the Paris of the Middle East” began to turn. Saad remembers one day at school when a fellow student told his class that he wanted to be a “Jew-killer” when he grew up. The rest of the kids laughed. By 1975, Lebanon descended into a brutal civil war and Saad said death awaited him at every millisecond of the day. Even through the danger and turmoil, his family thought, This will pass over. We will be fine. Until someone showed up to their home in Lebanon to kill them, at which point his family fled the country and rebuilt their life in Canada. In 2024, many of us in Western democracies find ourselves saying the exact same things: This will pass over. We will be fine. Even as Hamas flags and “I love Hezbollah” posters wave in cosmopolitan capitals across the West. How worried should we be? And, is there a way to roll back admiration for anti-civilizational groups? Those are just some of the questions we were eager to put to Saad in today's conversation. Saad said that witnessing the Lebanese Civil War gave him a crash course in the extremes of identity politics, tribalism, and illiberalism. He argues that immigrants like himself, who have lived without the virtues of the West—freedom of speech and thought, reason, and true liberalism—uniquely understand what's at stake right now in Western cultural and political life. It's no coincidence, Saad said, that the most prominent defenders of Western ideals are immigrants, people like Ayaan Hirsi Ali, Salman Rushdie, and Masih Alinejad. Saad is a professor of marketing and evolutionary behavioral sciences, and if you're on X, we suspect you know his name. Unlike most professors, he has a million followers, and a knack for satire—so much so that Elon Musk seems to be one of his biggest fans.  Outside of his X personality, he's been teaching at Concordia University in Montreal for the past 30 years. But he's now having second thoughts. Concordia is today widely regarded as the most antisemitic university in North America. Saad is now a visiting professor and global ambassador at Northwood University in Michigan. He said he can't bear the possibility of returning to Concordia given the antisemitism on campus. All of this, he argued, constitutes another war: a campaign against logic, science, common sense, and reality here in the West, which he explains in his book: The Parasitic Mind: How Infectious Ideas Are Killing Common Sense.  Today, Bari Weiss asks one of the most insightful and provocative thinkers about the risks of mob rule and extremism on the left, where these “parasitic ideas” came from and why they're encouraged in the West, if progressive illiberalism is waxing or waning, and if these trends are reversible. And if you liked what you heard from Honestly, the best way to support us is to go to TheFP.com and become a Free Press subscriber today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ayaan's website: https://ayaanhirsiali.com #Islam #reformation #religion #immigration #wokeism _______________________________________ If you appreciate my work and would like to support it: https://subscribestar.com/the-saad-truth https://patreon.com/GadSaad https://paypal.me/GadSaad To subscribe to my exclusive content on Twitter, please visit my bio at https://twitter.com/GadSaad _______________________________________ This clip was posted on October 21, 2024 on my YouTube channel as THE SAAD TRUTH_1740: https://youtu.be/9OiZEPiNV90 _______________________________________ Please visit my website gadsaad.com, and sign up for alerts. If you appreciate my content, click on the "Support My Work" button. I count on my fans to support my efforts. You can donate via Patreon, PayPal, and/or SubscribeStar. _______________________________________ Dr. Gad Saad is a professor, evolutionary behavioral scientist, and author who pioneered the use of evolutionary psychology in marketing and consumer behavior. In addition to his scientific work, Dr. Saad is a leading public intellectual who often writes and speaks about idea pathogens that are destroying logic, science, reason, and common sense.  _______________________________________  

Megyn Kelly is joined by Piers Morgan, host of "Piers Morgan Uncensored," to talk about the outrageous media coverage that blames former President Trump for being the victim of his own assassination attempt, the left saying it's Trump's rhetoric that's at fault, the outrageous comments from the head of the Secret Service praising the job they did after the second Trump assassination attempt, the lack of accountability from the organization, VP Kamala Harris' latest embarrassing interview with a local ABC affiliate, her tendency to ramble on without saying anything of substance, whether she'll do more interviews, and more. Then Ayaan Hirsi Ali, editor of Restoration Bulletin Substack, joins to discuss the dangers of immigration to America and Europe without any assimilation, how it can harm the lower and middle class, the terrible media coverage of Springfield, Ohio, young girls speaking out about the dangers of "gender neutral" bathrooms at their school, and more. Then Erik Prince, founder of Blackwater, joins to discuss the incompetence of the Secret Service and their shortcomings in protecting Trump once again, bizarre details about the background of the would-be Trump assassin, and more. Plus, Megyn brings an update on the supposed ABC whistleblower story and ABC's empty denial, and shares what we now know about the "bomb threats" in Springfield, Ohio that were hoaxes.Morgan- https://www.youtube.com/@PiersMorganUncensoredAli- https://www.restorationbulletin.com/Prince- https://x.com/realErikDPrince Grand Canyon University: https://GCU.eduBlackout Coffee: https://BlackoutCoffee.com/MK or use the code MK for 20% off your first orderFollow The Megyn Kelly Show on all social platforms:YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MegynKellyTwitter: http://Twitter.com/MegynKellyShowInstagram: http://Instagram.com/MegynKellyShowFacebook: http://Facebook.com/MegynKellyShow Find out more information at: https://www.devilmaycaremedia.com/megynkellyshow 

Dr. Jordan B. Peterson sits down with author and activist Ayaan Hirsi Ali. They discuss the subversion of the West, how the pursuit of truth has become the ownership of it, the corruptive nature of the oppressor/oppressed power narrative, the importance of Christian ideals, and why a push for restoration is more necessary than ever before. Ayaan Hirsi Ali is a Fellow at the Hoover Institute at Stanford University, a Senior Fellow with the Future of Diplomacy Project at the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at The Harvard Kennedy School, a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, and the bestselling author of “Infidel” (2007) and “Heretic: Why Islam Needs a Reformation Now” (2015). Born in Mogadishu, Somalia, Hirsi Ali strove to live as a devout Muslim during her early life, but in 1992, fled to the Netherlands to escape a forced marriage. She became a citizen and went on to study at the University of Leiden. From 2003 to 2006, Hirsi Ali served as an elected member of the Dutch parliament and then moved to the U.S., where she founded the AHA Foundation to protect and defend the rights of women from harmful traditional practices. In 2024, Hirsi Ali founded Restorationbulletin.com, where she explores the forces of subversion plaguing Western society.  - Links - For Ayaan Hirsi Ali: On X https://twitter.com/Ayaan?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor Restoration Bulletin https://www.restorationbulletin.com/

Born in Mogadishu, Somalia, Ayaan Hirsi Ali's journey is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit. Raised in a devout Somali Muslim family, Ayaan received a strict Muslim education and fled a forced marriage. Armed only with intellectual curiosity and unwavering determination, she sought refuge in the Netherlands, where she was first exposed to the ideas of the West. It was here that she found her voice, her passion for women's rights, and her commitment to challenging the status quo. Ayaan has become a prominent voice for reform within Islam and has dedicated her life to advocating for the rights of women, minorities, and dissidents living under oppressive regimes. Tune in for a compelling dialogue with one of the world's most fearless voices. - - -  Today's Sponsors: Birch Gold - Open an IRA in GOLD and get a FREE infokit. Text "BEN" to 989898. http://www.birchgold.com/Ben Stamps.com - Sign up for stamps.com using promo code "SHAPIRO" for a special offer that includes a 4-week trial, plus free postage and a digital scale: https://www.stamps.com/ Helix - Get 30% off your order + 2 dream pillows.  https://helixsleep.com/BEN