--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I talk about a Christianity that is…" description: "\"I talk about a Christianity that is enlightened enough to separate spirituality from the rest of life. Not just church and state, but knowledge and chu..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/02e/ayaan-hirsi-ali-2858_about_i-talk-about-a-christianity-that-is-enli_295509.jpg" --- # I talk about a Christianity that is enlightened enough to… ![“I talk about a Christianity that is enlightened enough to separate spirituality from the rest of life. Not just church and state, but knowledge and church.” quote by Ayaan Hirsi Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/02e/ayaan-hirsi-ali-2858_about_i-talk-about-a-christianity-that-is-enli_295509.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/02e/ayaan-hirsi-ali-2858_about_i-talk-about-a-christianity-that-is-enli_295509.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/02e/ayaan-hirsi-ali-2858_about_i-talk-about-a-christianity-that-is-enli_295509.jpg) > “I talk about a Christianity that is enlightened enough to separate spirituality from the rest of life. Not just church and state, but knowledge and church.” [Ayaan Hirsi Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayaan-hirsi-ali/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. She advocates a Christianity that embraces rational spirituality, separating faith from politics and institutional control. **In simple terms:** Rational faith apart from politics. Key Takeaway Separate belief from power structures. Themes religion reason secularism Mood thoughtful critical Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - public policy - interfaith dialogue - education reform Key Concepts Enlightenment spiritual autonomy Questions to Reflect On - How can faith stay meaningful without institutional ties? - What role should religion play in public life? A Different Perspective May overlook cultural traditions that intertwine faith and identity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [About](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/about/) [Christianity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christianity/) [Christianity Enlightened](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christianity-enlightened-2833537/) [Church](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/church/) [Church and state](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/church-and-state/) [Enlightened](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enlightened/) [Enlightened Separate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enlightened-separate-2833539/) [Enough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enough/) [Just](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/just/) [Knowledge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knowledge/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Rest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rest/) [Rest of life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rest-of-life/) [Separate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/separate/) [Separate Spirituality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/separate-spirituality-2833538/) [Spirituality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spirituality/) [State](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/state/) [States](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/states/) [Talk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/talk/) ## Related quotes > [“Our play is not something separate from our spirituality; it is itself a sign of the presence of God in the world.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-shigematsu/our-play-is-not-something-separate-from-our-spirituality-it-is-itself/) [Ken Shigematsu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-shigematsu/) > [Celibacy doesn't make you enlightened, otherwise every nun or priest in Buddhism or Christianity would be enlightened. People who don't date and can't get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/celibacy-doesn-t-make-you-enlightened-otherwise-every-nun-or-priest/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Church and state are, and must remain, separate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/church-and-state-are-and-must-remain-separate/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [Church and state should be separate, not only in form, but fact - religion and politics should not be mingled.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/millard-fillmore/church-and-state-should-be-separate-not-only-in-form-but-fact/) [Millard Fillmore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/millard-fillmore/) > [Put these words on your head and let them percolate We need to separate church and state.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/childish-gambino/put-these-words-on-your-head-and-let-them-percolate-we-need-to/) [Childish Gambino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/childish-gambino/) > [Christians - at least Christians in a liberal democracy - have accepted, after Thomas Hobbes, that they must obey the secular rule of law;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayaan-hirsi-ali/christians-at-least-christians-in-a-liberal-democracy-have-accepted/) [Ayaan Hirsi Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayaan-hirsi-ali/) > [The books one reads in childhood, and perhaps most of all the bad and good bad books, create in one's mind a sort of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/the-books-one-reads-in-childhood-and-perhaps-most-of-all-the-bad-and/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [There is nothing better and greater and sweeter than the love of our God and the fact that I can rest in that for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jen-ledger/there-is-nothing-better-and-greater-and-sweeter-than-the-love-of-our/) [Jen Ledger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jen-ledger/) > [Humanity is part of nature, a species that evolved among other species. The more closely we identify ourselves with the rest of life, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/humanity-is-part-of-nature-a-species-that-evolved-among-other-species/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If we seek first the Kingdom of God and live as we should, all the rest of life seems to fall into place and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-b-haight/if-we-seek-first-the-kingdom-of-god-and-live-as-we-should-all-the/) [David B. Haight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-b-haight/) > [“Three passions, simple but overwhelmingly strong, have governed my life: the longing for love, the search for knowledge, and unbearable pity for the suffering…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/three-passions-simple-but-overwhelmingly-strong-have-governed-my-life/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [“One comes in the end to realize that there is no permanent pure-relationship and there should not be. It is not even something to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-morrow-lindbergh/one-comes-in-the-end-to-realize-that-there-is-no-permanent-pure/) [Anne Morrow Lindbergh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-morrow-lindbergh/) > [“The art of writing tales consists in an ability to draw the rest of life from the little one has understood of it; but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/italo-calvino/the-art-of-writing-tales-consists-in-an-ability-to-draw-the-rest-of/) [Italo Calvino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/italo-calvino/) > [Living simply means concentrating on what's important in light of eternity. And not taking the rest of life too seriously.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-chapman/living-simply-means-concentrating-on-what-s-important-in-light-of/) [Annie Chapman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-chapman/) > [“Death is a reality that calls the rest of life and all of our assorted strivings into sharp relief.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-d-lounsbrough/death-is-a-reality-that-calls-the-rest-of-life-and-all-of-our/) [Craig D. Lounsbrough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-d-lounsbrough/) ## More by Ayaan Hirsi Ali > [Women covering their heads is traditional, but now we're seeing more and more women covering themselves from head to toe. This is said to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayaan-hirsi-ali/women-covering-their-heads-is-traditional-but-now-we-re-seeing-more/) [Ayaan Hirsi Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayaan-hirsi-ali/) > [I am grateful to my father for sending me to school, and that we moved from Somalia to Kenya, where I learned English.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayaan-hirsi-ali/i-am-grateful-to-my-father-for-sending-me-to-school-and-that-we-moved/) [Ayaan Hirsi Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayaan-hirsi-ali/) > [In Holland I have seen well-meaning, principled people blinded by multiculturalism, overwhelmed by the imperative to be sensitive and respectful of immigrant culture, while…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayaan-hirsi-ali/in-holland-i-have-seen-well-meaning-principled-people-blinded-by/) [Ayaan Hirsi Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayaan-hirsi-ali/) > [If we don't take effective measures now, the Netherlands could be torn between two extreme rights.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayaan-hirsi-ali/if-we-don-t-take-effective-measures-now-the-netherlands-could-be-torn/) [Ayaan Hirsi Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayaan-hirsi-ali/) > [I see no difference between Islam and Islamism. Islam is defined as submission to the will of Allah, as it is described in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayaan-hirsi-ali/i-see-no-difference-between-islam-and-islamism-islam-is-defined-as/) [Ayaan Hirsi Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayaan-hirsi-ali/) > [They decided to let immigrants in and I am an immigrant. They gave us a chance to participate in this country's life and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayaan-hirsi-ali/they-decided-to-let-immigrants-in-and-i-am-an-immigrant-they-gave-us/) [Ayaan Hirsi Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayaan-hirsi-ali/) > [I want people to emphasize life before death as opposed to life after death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayaan-hirsi-ali/i-want-people-to-emphasize-life-before-death-as-opposed-to-life-after/) [Ayaan Hirsi Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayaan-hirsi-ali/) > [“Wishful thinking about the peaceful tolerance of Islam cannot interpret away this reality: hands are still cut off, women still stoned and enslaved, just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayaan-hirsi-ali/wishful-thinking-about-the-peaceful-tolerance-of-islam-cannot/) [Ayaan Hirsi Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayaan-hirsi-ali/) > [By declaring our Prophet infallible and not permitting ourselves to question him, we Muslims had set up a static tyranny. The Prophet Muhammad attempted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayaan-hirsi-ali/by-declaring-our-prophet-infallible-and-not-permitting-ourselves-to/) [Ayaan Hirsi Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayaan-hirsi-ali/) > [“The will of little girls is stifled by Islam. By the time they menstruate they are rendered voiceless. They are reared to become submissive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayaan-hirsi-ali/the-will-of-little-girls-is-stifled-by-islam-by-the-time-they/) [Ayaan Hirsi Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayaan-hirsi-ali/) > [I am not against migration. It is simply pragmatic to restrict migration, while at the same time encouraging integration and fighting discrimination. I support…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayaan-hirsi-ali/i-am-not-against-migration-it-is-simply-pragmatic-to-restrict/) [Ayaan Hirsi Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayaan-hirsi-ali/) > [I confront the European elite's self-image as tolerant 'while under their noses women are living like slaves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayaan-hirsi-ali/i-confront-the-european-elite-s-self-image-as-tolerant-while-under/) [Ayaan Hirsi Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayaan-hirsi-ali/) > [What matters is abuse, and how it is anchored in a religion that denies women their rights as humans. What matters is that atrocities…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayaan-hirsi-ali/what-matters-is-abuse-and-how-it-is-anchored-in-a-religion-that/) [Ayaan Hirsi Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayaan-hirsi-ali/) > [“When I look at people talking about intersectionality, what I see is the human being magnifying a biological attribute, and then putting them aside,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayaan-hirsi-ali/when-i-look-at-people-talking-about-intersectionality-what-i-see-is/) [Ayaan Hirsi Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayaan-hirsi-ali/) > [We must reclaim and retake feminism from our fellow idiotic women.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayaan-hirsi-ali/we-must-reclaim-and-retake-feminism-from-our-fellow-idiotic-women/) [Ayaan Hirsi Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayaan-hirsi-ali/) [Explore all 147 Ayaan Hirsi Ali quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayaan-hirsi-ali/) ## More About quotes > [If you ask an introvert a question, wait until she thinks about it. Introverts think before speaking, not through speaking. If you want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-helgoe/if-you-ask-an-introvert-a-question-wait-until-she-thinks-about-it/) [Laurie Helgoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-helgoe/) > [Joking about violence is not funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/perez-hilton/joking-about-violence-is-not-funny/) [Perez Hilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/perez-hilton/) > [I talk to my mates about our kids, being too tired and being worn out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-willoughby/i-talk-to-my-mates-about-our-kids-being-too-tired-and-being-worn-out/) [Holly Willoughby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-willoughby/) > [With 'Pretty Girls,' I saw the opportunity to talk not just about crime but what crime leaves behind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karin-slaughter/with-pretty-girls-i-saw-the-opportunity-to-talk-not-just-about-crime/) [Karin Slaughter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karin-slaughter/) > [I write about presidents. That means I write about guys - so far. I'm interested in the people closest to them, the people they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-kearns-goodwin/i-write-about-presidents-that-means-i-write-about-guys-so-far-i-m/) [Doris Kearns Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-kearns-goodwin/) > [That's something a lot of folks don't know about me - I'm pretty darn funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-jai-white/that-s-something-a-lot-of-folks-don-t-know-about-me-i-m-pretty-darn/) [Michael Jai White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-jai-white/) > [I learned a lot about myself at Oakmont.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-lowry/i-learned-a-lot-about-myself-at-oakmont/) [Shane Lowry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-lowry/) > [I don't think about the press or the crowds or the other leaders of the race. The focus is only on myself. As soon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/magdalena-neuner/i-don-t-think-about-the-press-or-the-crowds-or-the-other-leaders-of/) [Magdalena Neuner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/magdalena-neuner/) > [Sport is not just about entertainment. It is equally about winning and losing, pooling and galvanising the energy of the youth, upgrading people's physical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nita-ambani/sport-is-not-just-about-entertainment-it-is-equally-about-winning-and/) [Nita Ambani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nita-ambani/) > [One of the ways that I discovered my confidence and my ability to overpower is becoming a mother. Suddenly, my world wasn't about myself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lights/one-of-the-ways-that-i-discovered-my-confidence-and-my-ability-to/) [Lights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lights/) > [I didn't want to do 'Fashion Police' because I thought, 'This is stupid, this is beneath me, who wants to talk about fashion?' It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-rivers/i-didn-t-want-to-do-fashion-police-because-i-thought-this-is-stupid/) [Joan Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-rivers/) > [I just worried about my weight. Worried about my appearance and thought I wan't pretty enough to be a pop star. It was very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-durham/i-just-worried-about-my-weight-worried-about-my-appearance-and/) [Judith Durham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-durham/) > [I read a couple of books about neuroscience and the relationship between the mind and the body.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-kinnaman/i-read-a-couple-of-books-about-neuroscience-and-the-relationship/) [Joel Kinnaman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-kinnaman/) > [There are a lot of kids out there copying and distributing movies - not because they care about seeing the movies or sharing them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-perry-barlow/there-are-a-lot-of-kids-out-there-copying-and-distributing-movies-not/) [John Perry Barlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perry-barlow/) > [I have no physical genius about me. I can't dribble a ball and run at the same time, I can't do lay-ups - I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rich-mullins/i-have-no-physical-genius-about-me-i-can-t-dribble-a-ball-and-run-at/) [Rich Mullins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rich-mullins/) [Browse all 26,122 About quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/about/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I talk about a Christianity that is enlightened enough to separate spirituality from the rest of life. Not just church and state, but knowledge and church.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Ayaan Hirsi Ali" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayaan-hirsi-ali/i-talk-about-a-christianity-that-is-enlightened-enough-to-separate/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "About" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayaan-hirsi-ali/i-talk-about-a-christianity-that-is-enlightened-enough-to-separate/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/02e/ayaan-hirsi-ali-2858_about_i-talk-about-a-christianity-that-is-enli_295509.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/02e/ayaan-hirsi-ali-2858_about_i-talk-about-a-christianity-that-is-enli_295509.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/02e/ayaan-hirsi-ali-2858_about_i-talk-about-a-christianity-that-is-enli_295509.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I talk about a Christianity that is enlightened enough to separate spirituality from the rest of life. Not…” — Ayaan Hirsi Ali", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Ayaan Hirsi Ali", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayaan-hirsi-ali/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I talk about a Christianity that...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayaan-hirsi-ali/i-talk-about-a-christianity-that-is-enlightened-enough-to-separate/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayaan-hirsi-ali/i-talk-about-a-christianity-that-is-enlightened-enough-to-separate/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```