Religious conversions later in life are generally
greeted as evidence that something terrible must have happened to
the converter. The Onion published a satire in 2016,
ridiculing Paul DAmatol, who took up a life of Christian piety in
late middle age. It must be drugs or maybe he killed someone in a
car accident. Something super messed up.
No room in satire for something good as the cause.
Interestingly, its not Protestant evangelical born-again-ism but
the Catholic bells-and-smells and Islamic mysticism that attract
those interested in spiritual growth as they approach the end,
despite (because of?) Romes/ Islams hard teachings on divorce,
homosexuality, the ordination of women. Catholics and Muslims take
their religion seriously.
From Fire, By Water: My Journey to
the Catholic Faith, a memoir by Iranian American Sohrab
Ahmari, is provocative, to say the least.
Such conversions are rare and never casually broadcast. Muslims
do not look kindly on such apostates. You can interpret that as you
like, but I figure it is a good indication that they take their
beliefs seriously, something that we cant say
about most of the Christianities or Judaisms on offer.
Yes, schisms abound; even the monolithic Catholic church struggles
to keep the faith in this truly godless age of anything goes.
But good for Ahmari. His own life has been charmed, from a
bohemian childhood in post-revolutionary Iran to Wall Street
Journal London correspondent and still in his mid-30s. He
remembers his grandparents being pro-revolution, as Iranians
generally are bitter about foreign meddling, with good reason. But
many of the urban, educated young look to the West. The taste of
western living under the Shah, the open culture, comedy, the arts,
racey theatre, the high life all suddenly gone. His uncle went to
the US right away. Ahmari and his mother emigrated in 1993.
His religious training in Tehran was actually stimulating and
entertaining. His first instructor was clearly from the wild tribal
lands, hair disheveled, shirt half tucked in, a rube from the hicks
thrust into downtown Tehran. His acting out of the Battle of
Karbala transfixed little Ahmed. He learned that Hussein stuck by
his friend unto death. Stood for the Truth.
...
