Podcast Summary

Podcast: I Don't Have Enough FAITH to Be an ATHEIST
Host: Dr. Frank Turek
Guest: Ridvan Aydemir (Apostate Prophet)
Episode: Why I Left Islam and Became a Christian
Date: January 2, 2026

Overview

In this deeply candid episode, Dr. Frank Turek interviews Ridvan Aydemir, better known as the Apostate Prophet, about his remarkable and perilous journey out of Islam, through a decade of atheism, to ultimately embracing Christianity. Ridvan recounts his experiences growing up in both Germany and Turkey, the intellectual and emotional challenges of leaving Islam, the unique dangers faced by ex-Muslims, the shortcomings he found in the Islamic faith, his period of atheism, and finally what drew him to the Christian gospel. The episode is a masterclass in respectful but uncompromising dialogue about truth, religious tradition, and the cost of changing one’s deepest convictions.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Ridvan’s Background and the Weight of Apostasy (00:03–04:08)

• Ridvan introduces his upbringing: born in Germany to Turkish Muslim parents, strictly raised in Islam, then moved to Turkey at age 15.
• He began practicing Islam very seriously and read the Quran multiple times, finding it increasingly confusing and troubling.
• Hostility Toward Apostasy:
  • Ridvan’s moniker “Apostate Prophet” is intentionally provocative; leaving Islam carries not just social stigma but real threats.
  • “Apostasy is a very, very difficult thing in Islam... You are not just shunned, you are also threatened. I was threatened like that.” (Ridvan, 01:56)
• Comparison between the Bible and Quran: Ridvan always found Ecclesiastes ahead of its time, whereas he found the Quran ignorant and lacking in wisdom or historical narrative.

2. Intellectual Doubts and Reasons for Leaving Islam (04:08–09:36)

• Ridvan could not reconcile the Quran’s message with observed reality and basic science.
• The Quran’s story of "Dhul-Qarnayn" (the Two Horned One) especially troubled him, as it mirrored ancient folk legend rather than revealed truth.
• The sun setting in a “murky spring” (Quran 18) reflected a 7th-century worldview, not divine insight.
• “This book... turned out to be a very ignorant book; a religion or a religious scripture that seems to be a product of simple and pure ignorance in 7th-century Arabia.” (Ridvan, 02:52)

3. The Cost of Apostasy: Family and Personal Safety (10:47–14:53)

• Ridvan left Islam around 2013 but did not initially disclose it to his parents; they eventually learned through his online activities.
• Consequences: estranged from his father (“under these circumstances, you cannot be our son anymore... you are basically dead for us” (Ridvan, 12:35)); his relationship with his mother is strained.
• Many ex-Muslims face much worse: threats, violence, exile, and even governments pursuing them.
  • “Leaving Islam is a dangerous path... Even if the governments don’t do anything, people are always there wanting to harm you and to kill you.” (Ridvan, 13:57)
• In the U.S., Ridvan receives FBI protection/advice, unlike many in Europe or the Middle East.

4. Islamic Teachings on Apostasy and Violence (14:53–17:46)

• Dr. Turek asks where in the Quran or Hadith these threats originate.
• Ridvan explains that while the Quran hints at harshness, the Hadith are explicit: “Whoever changes his religion, kill him.” (Hadith, cited at 15:40)
• All main schools of Islamic jurisprudence endorse execution for apostates.
• “Muslims... have for 1400 years held that it’s the right thing to do to persecute and to kill apostates.” (Ridvan, 16:20)

5. The Meaning of Peace in Islam (16:37–18:35)

• Ridvan clarifies that Islam means "submission," not "peace."
• “You can of course have peace if you fully abide by Islam’s brutal laws. And... if you refuse to do that, you can die and rest in peace. But that, that’s all the peace there is to it unfortunately.” (Ridvan, 17:36)
• The myth of Islam as a ‘religion of peace’ is, Ridvan argues, a recent Western invention, made popular after 9/11, particularly by George W. Bush (see 19:20–21:00).

6. The Islamic Dilemma Argument (21:38–32:02)

• “Islamic Dilemma”: The Quran instructs Muslims to accept the Torah and Gospel as earlier revelations, yet both contradict key Islamic doctrines.
• “If Muslims do agree indeed with their own Quran that the Gospel is a scripture by Allah, then they have to affirm that Christianity is true and Islam is false...” (Ridvan, 21:55)
• Muslims typically respond with circular arguments—accepting only the parts of earlier scriptures that match Islam, yet the Quran insists these books are reliable.
• Lot of discussion of passages (Surah 5:68, Surah 4, etc.) and how no credible Muslim response exists to this dilemma.
• “They can’t get out of it... it’s an airtight, solid argument that really thoroughly refutes and debunks Islam.” (Ridvan, 29:54)
• Notable moment: Ridvan cites a prominent Muslim debater’s (Mohammed Hijab) recent frustrated attempts to answer this dilemma (see 31:26–32:02).

7. Preservation and Historical Reliability of the Quran (32:02–36:26)

• The oft-told Muslim claim: the Quran has been perfectly preserved, word for word.
• Historically, multiple versions with textual variants existed until Egypt (1920s) and Saudi Arabia (1980s) enforced one standard.
• Compilation after Muhammad’s death was haphazard and involved lost recitations due to war casualties.
• “The Prophet never gave them the idea that it [the Quran] should be compiled into one book.” (Ridvan, 35:36)

8. Leaving Islam and Becoming an Atheist (38:11–45:40)

• Ridvan details how loss of faith in Islam led straight to atheism: Muhammad’s revelations mirrored mental illness, and stories of miracles (e.g., splitting the moon) were later inventions.
• No external witnesses to Muhammad’s foundational miracles or revelations.
• Parallels drawn to Mormonism: one man with new revelation, claim of corrupted earlier scriptures.
• “My conclusion was at that time, I think all of it is a lie. We are just being deceived. There is no God.” (Ridvan, 42:15)
• Influenced by 'New Atheist' thinkers, he spent almost a decade as an atheist/agnostic, despite respecting Christian teachings.

9. From Doubt to Christianity (45:40–48:40)

• Over time, Ridvan is drawn to Christianity—notably realizing the Bible’s moral depth and coherence, especially after reading Romans and C.S. Lewis’ "Mere Christianity."
• “When I read the Epistle to the Romans, I realized what a fantastic set of writings the New Testament actually is and how meaningful it is.” (Ridvan, 46:10)
• He grasped the unique message of grace, realizing the difference from Islam’s strict system of reward/punishment.
• “After Islam... then realizing what kind of a wonderful, humane message the Gospel actually has came only very, very recently.” (Ridvan, 48:22)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the Quran’s Nature:
  “The Quran is a book that is not rich, that is not full of wisdom, that does not have history, that doesn’t teach you much, and that is simply the collection of crazy ramblings by a 7th-century merchant and turned warlord.” (Ridvan, 04:09)

• On Islamic Threats to Apostates:
  “My father has cut all ties with me... under these circumstances, you cannot be our son anymore and you have to change your ways. Otherwise you are basically dead for us.” (Ridvan, 12:30)

• On the Islamic Dilemma:
  “The Gospels directly tell us that Jesus rose from the dead, that he is God, and so on... when you say that you only believe in parts of it, you are denying what the Quran says. Once again, you fail.” (Ridvan, 28:05)

• On Meaning After Atheism:
  “There is no inherent meaning. There is no inherent creator... We all happen to accidentally live on this planet in this empty universe and one day we will die and all of this will be gone. And that’s just how it is. And I thought I could make peace with that. Yeah, I thought I could make peace, peace with that and find meaning in that...” (Ridvan, 44:12)

• On Encountering Grace:
  “Then realizing what kind of a wonderful, humane message, what kind of a human message, the Gospel actually has came only very, very recently.” (Ridvan, 48:22)

Important Timestamps

• 00:03–01:13: Introduction and Ridvan’s background
• 02:00–04:08: Early doubts, intensive Quran study
• 06:09–09:36: The “Dhul-Qarnayn” story as a turning point
• 11:10–14:53: How Ridvan’s family responded to his apostasy
• 14:53–16:37: Islamic scriptural rulings on apostasy
• 17:46–18:35: The meaning of “Islam” and the myth of religious peace
• 21:38–22:38: Introduction of the “Islamic Dilemma”
• 26:23–30:28: How Muslims respond to the dilemma
• 32:02–36:26: Issues with Quranic preservation and variants
• 38:11–43:44: From Islam to atheism (and the reason for the transition)
• 45:40–48:40: Reconsidering Christianity, grace, and transition to faith

Tone

The tone throughout is forthright, personal, and, at times, quietly humorous in the face of serious and even dangerous implications. Ridvan is both analytical and reflective, often inserting a dry wit that makes his testimony feel accessible. Frank Turek, the host, is respectful yet eager to highlight critical differences between Islam, atheism, and Christianity, keeping the discussion moving while asking probing questions.

Conclusion

Ridvan’s journey is an unusually honest and layered account of religious transformation in the modern world—marked by deep intellectual wrestling, great personal cost, and finally, a found hope in Christianity. Whether or not listeners agree with all his critiques, his openness as a former Muslim, atheist, and now Christian provides substantial food for thought for both skeptics and believers.

Resources Mentioned

• Ridvan’s YouTube Channel: Apostate Prophet
• David Wood’s content on the Islamic Dilemma
• Jay Smith on the history and preservation of the Quran
• C.S. Lewis’ "Mere Christianity"
• Videos: “43 Scientific Mistakes in the Quran,” Inspiring Philosophy’s response to Mohammed Hijab

For follow-up, the next episode will dive deeper into Ridvan’s exploration of Christianity, his understanding of grace, and lessons for those reaching out to Muslims or ex-Muslims.