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If only the self-righteousness preachers understood that we were neither born nor raised in the gutter, but were in fact imbibed with piercing morals by Godfearing families, who taught us right from wrong, and bestowed many of the strong ethics that guided us in our lives.

Don’t make assumptions about what we were like before faith. Many of us were honorable even then: we didn’t sleep around or have serial relationships, but rather waited patiently for our turn. Don’t presume we were the worst of the worst. Perhaps we didn’t have so far to travel.

Interesting fact: many converts I have known in my life were from very religious families. Amongst them I have known ordained and trainee priests. I have known converts whose fathers included a bishop, ministers and a rabbi. They include those raised in practising Christian, Jewish, Sikh and Hindu households.

Most of us were not rebels or wayward souls. Rather, we were raised to love God, which led us on to pursue the sincerity of a true monotheism which recognises that the One is distinct from His creation. What were we seeking? Merely to purify and perfect our faith, to tame our egos, and lead good lives in the service of God and our fellow man.

We don’t claim to be perfect, pious or righteous. For sure, we have not reached journey’s end. Even so, I think many of us are tired of people who should know better talking about our background as if we were degenerates, utterly lost. No, no we weren’t. If anything, we were gifted the moral compass which guided us home.