Responding to Humanist Yard Signs

In this house, we believe:

Black Lives Matter
Women’s Rights are Human Rights
No Human Is Illegal
Science Is Real
Love Is Love
Kindness Is Everything

In the past few years, these words have been displayed on yard signs and in the windows of homes on virtually every block of every neighborhood in my town and the areas where I work. Perhaps this is not the case in less “progressive” areas of the United States (I live near San Francisco), but I suspect we are all at least familiar with the statements held within the sign, as many of them are ubiquitous in American culture. 

For Christians, this sign reminds us of Joshua 24:15: “And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve… But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” It is also reminiscent of early statements of faith like the Apostle’s Creed, which says:

I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried;
he descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again;
he ascended into heaven,
he is seated at the right hand of the Father,
and he will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting.
Amen.

Being fashioned as something resembling a creed, the message is clear: these are the values held dear in this household. Considering that the sign neglects to acknowledge any Creator God or supernatural authority, it is safe to assume that what is valued in the household within reflects those of humanism: a secular values driven philosophy. The American Humanist Association defines humanism as: “…a progressive philosophy of life that, without theism or other supernatural beliefs, affirms our ability and responsibility to lead ethical lives of personal fulfillment that aspire to the greater good.” The Humanist Magazine states: “Humanism is a rational philosophy informed by science, inspired by art, and motivated by compassion. Affirming the dignity of each human being, it supports the maximization of individual liberty and opportunity consonant with social and planetary responsibility. It advocates the extension of participatory democracy and the expansion of the open society, standing for human rights and social justice. Free of supernaturalism, it recognizes human beings as a part of nature and holds that values-be they religious, ethical, social, or political-have their source in human experience and culture. Humanism thus derives the goals of life from human need and interest rather than from theological or ideological abstractions, and asserts that humanity must take responsibility for its own destiny.”

A common thread through all definitions of humanism is that morality is sourced within humanity, and is not to be given or discovered from anything or anyone (God) outside of ourselves. While humanism is often seen as the moral philosophy of atheism, there are many spiritually-minded people who also ascribe to it, whether or not they are familiar with the term. I thought I would take this opportunity to examine the 6 statements on this popular yard sign from a humanistic perspective, and provide a Christian response to each. 

Black Lives Matter

As with most of these statements, there is nothing controversial in the words themselves. There are very few Americans who would deny that the lives of black people matter. However, there are substantial differences in what we mean by these three words. For the humanist, “Black Lives Matter” could be an endorsement of a social justice movement with political aspirations for the restructuring of Western society, or it could simply be a statement of support for those who have suffered hardship and racial prejudice throughout American history up to the present. Leaving politics aside, when a humanist speaks of life as something that “matters,” they cannot mean that it matters in the same sense as the Christian. 

For Christians, any and every individual human life matters because it is created “in the image of God.” Therefore value is God-given, and no human or any institution of society can affect that value. By contrast, the humanist has ruled out God as the source of value, and must source any human’s value in other humans. The weakness becomes apparent. Human value is made contingent on whether it is valued by other humans, whose values are collectively in a constant state of evolution. Since “the greater good” is the greatest value to society at any given time, circumstances may change to make the lives of particular individuals not “matter” to those of society as a whole. Wherever human value is detached from the Creator, this inevitably follows, as the interests of the many outweigh those of the few. 

The clearest example in America today is abortion. Christians agree that God’s image resides in every human being, no matter how small or how little they contribute to society. Yet our secular world has decided that value is dependent on the mother (or whoever who has coercive power to make the choice for the mother) granting value to that life. Since the preborn child hasn’t contributed anything to society, its life does not yet “matter.”
Many Christians got themselves in hot water by countering “Black Lives Matter” with the saying, “All Lives Matter.” To avoid charges of being dismissive of the positive affirmation of value in the lives of black Americans, we would be wiser to reply, “All Black Lives Matter.” The humanist cannot genuinely affirm this and abortion, of which about 30% of its American victims are black. The Christian can boldly declare that we affirm the value and dignity of all black people, as each and every one is made in the image of God. 

Women’s Rights are Human Rights

This statement is formed as an equation. In other words, women’s rights equal the rights of humans in general. This is not controversial in most corners of the world, and Christians absolutely agree! The question I have is whether the equation works both ways. Do human rights equal women’s rights? If women’s rights are as good as any human’s rights, then we can affirm this so long as any human’s rights are as good as any woman’s rights. Problem is, the vast majority of humanists cannot affirm this. Once again, the abortion issue makes this clear. We know as scientific fact that children in the womb of their mothers are human beings from the moment of conception. Secularists can no longer hide behind the myth that the child is not alive or is a fish or some other creature going through the stages of evolution to reach humanity at the time of birth. DNA analysis shows that we have a unique human being at every stage. So, by the logic of humanism, this statement doesn’t say much for human rights, since we know that being a human does not grant someone any rights in our society. The humanists who have actually thought this through will appeal instead to the rights of a “person” instead of a human being. Arguing that preborn children are not persons is necessary to justify the brutal killing of the defenseless human. While such a claim is a statement of faith in itself (you cannot prove that a human being can lack personhood), the sign should say: “Women’s Rights are Person’s Rights” in order to be consistent. 

No Human Is Illegal

Here we have another statement whose very existence implies a controversy where none is to be found. Certainly this is in reference to the term “illegal immigrant.” However, nobody who uses that term believes that the human who illegally crosses a border is a human illegally. To imply such is to either completely misunderstand the term, or to intentionally mislead so as to demonize those who believe that national borders should be legally enforced. The irony of calling a preborn child a “parasite” is not lost here.

Science Is Real

Who denies that science is real? I have yet to find such a person. What I suspect they are trying to say is that man-caused climate change is real, or possibly that Darwinian evolution is real. These positions remain controversial with the public, though they reflect the general consensus of scientists. However, there are dissenters in the relevant fields, and science itself deals in the realm of fact, not opinion. If the humanist wants to lend their support to the majority of scientists, they could perhaps rephrase this as “scientific consensus is fact.” This would avoid creating a strawman of opponents of the strong majority views. The downside though, is that this might undermine other values they want to affirm. Scientific consensus supports that human life begins at conception. Science itself (apart from opinion) confirms that male and female are biological realities, and that both are necessary for human reproduction. To affirm that “science is real,” the humanist who wants to deny these facts must then appeal to a yet unknown “science” that will overrule them someday, thus making today’s science in these areas unreal. Perhaps they should reconsider the broadness of this statement and simply state an affirmation of climate change and/or Darwinism. 

Love Is Love

Finally we have a statement that can be disagreed with on its face. What we are talking about here are different kinds of love being of equal value; specifically different kinds of romantic love. We’re not concerned with equating the love of a mother for her child with the love of a soldier for his fellow countrymen, or the love of Christ for His Church and vice versa. Those different kinds of love possess unique qualities that are certainly not equal in value. For example, an American soldier may be willing to die for the freedom of other Americans, but if given the choice to save the life of his daughter or the lives of two strangers, we wouldn’t fault him for choosing his daughter’s life because we understand that his love for her is of greater value than for the average American. The humanist would probably agree. The loves they are comparing then are specifically those of heterosexual couples and those of individuals in the LGBTQ+ community. 
For the humanist, no combination of consensual individuals is better than another… well, with the exceptions of incest and pedophilia (at least for now). These exceptions are dismissed as irrelevant by the affirming, but they are worth exploring because they reveal how this statement is ultimately self-defeating. You cannot say, “love is love, except those kinds of love.” These three words must be all-encompassing if they are to mean anything at all. If there are exceptions, then some kinds of love are better than others. If this is so, on what basis can we conclude that there is no value differentiation between those kinds of love our society has decided are acceptable? Why not say that some kinds of love are good and others are a little better? Why is it only some are good and those others are not good at all? We have no basis to judge the value of one against the other if we are simply appealing to things like personal happiness and the consent of those involved. There is nothing about incest or pedophilia that requires a lack of consent (not discounting that this will often be the case). It is certainly possible that individuals who are in those kinds of relationships are there by their own choice. They might be quite happy and feel that they are being unfairly maligned by society. Shouldn’t we affirm and fight for their free expressions of love?

For the Christian, we have a different standard to measure what is good. We have God’s design for human sexuality (teleology). We can objectively see that the human body was designed for the unity of man and woman. We can see that only this physical union is capable of creating a new human being. From a purely scientific view, we can see that only heterosexual unions can propagate the species. Heterosexual unions on the whole are good for procreation, while others are not. In addition, we have the written commands for a man and a woman to join together in marriage, therefore defining sexual unions outside of marriage as less than good. Scripture specifically calls them out as sins of “fornication” and “adultery.” Scripture also calls us to “submit to one another” and to “love your neighbor as you love yourself,” which leaves no room for violations of consent. 

Kindness Is Everything

Kindness is important, that’s for sure. What does it mean for kindness to be everything? Well, it could be a reference to how we handle conflicts or debates with those who disagree with our views. It could also be a call to be an “ally,” someone who lends support to those who belong to minority or marginalized groups. In general, it seems to be a call to be friendly and welcoming of others. That is, for the most part, a good thing. However, it becomes meaningless and contradictory to the 5 statements before it when it is said to be “everything.” Certainly truth matters. These “belief statements” must themselves matter or we could scrap them all and simply display a “Kindness is Everything” sign. No need for anything else because “everything” is already covered. Perhaps a simple change to “kindness is essential” would do. 

For Christians, kindness is an outworking of love. 1 Corinthians 13:4 tells us that “love is kind.” This heavily quoted chapter is centered on love, which is the quality from which kindness flows. Verse 13 says, “And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.” It is important then to distinguish kindness from love itself, as kindness is merely one aspect of love. Verses 4-7 give a definition: “Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” Taking the whole of what love entails, it must take a stand for right and wrong, and sometimes that looks unkind to the world. It may be withholding support from those who are practicing sin. It may be challenging the lies of the culture. To be loving is to be in alignment with what is good and what is true. Scripture tells us that God is love. Jesus says that He is the truth. Love and truth converge in God, who is the source of all that exists. To truly love is to be in alignment with Him. 

Conclusion

What is noticeably missing from the humanist’s yard sign is an acknowledgement of the source of all that gives us value. There is no love apart from God. Consequently, there can be no genuine kindness in a godless world, and there is no grounding for the value of human life. The “real” world and everything in it ultimately doesn’t matter. That house is built on sand. As Christians, we must stand in stark contrast by building our homes on the solid rock of Jesus Christ.

“Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.” (Matthew‬ ‭7:24-27‬)

Making Sense of Christianity 2: Personhood and the Image of God

In the previous post, I made the case that there must be something that has always existed and continues to exist that is the cause of everything else that exists. This is what we mean by “God.” However, I haven’t shown that this God must be anything resembling the personal God of Christianity. Couldn’t it be an inanimate, eternally existing physical substance of some sort that blindly birthed all that has ever come to exist? I’d like to explain how this option won’t work, and that the eternal God must be personal. From there, I will show how this personal God aligns with Christianity and the concept of humans being created in the “image of God.”

Created by Choice

To be eternal is to be changeless, since change is a quality of sequential existence. For an eternal physical substance to suddenly birth the universe would require some change in its condition that precedes that moment. To illustrate this point, imagine a deflated basketball. Without the addition of air into the ball, it will remain deflated. Once it is added, the ball begins to change, and with enough air it will be able to bounce on a hard surface. Its own existence isn’t sufficient to inflate itself and bounce. It needs the addition of air and a hard surface to act on its potential, and it is powerless to do so on its own. So it is with all physical things. Nothing purely physical can go from inactivity to action by itself. So this option won’t work. 

The only other option is something that exists eternally without change in itself that has the capacity to create change. This capacity is what we might refer to as “will” or “intention.” In simpler terms, this boils down to the freedom to choose. Impersonal forces or substances do not have this ability. Only living beings that think can do so. Therefore, at the very least, for anything to exist at all, there must be a mind that willed other things into existence. God is that mind, and all that exists is the result of His choice to create. 

Personhood vs. Instinct

Now, the ability to choose is found in human beings as well as in the animal kingdom, yet we do not consider animals to be persons. So what does it mean to be a person? I would argue that a key distinction is to be found in how choices are made. As humans, we think introspectively and consider the options before us. As philosopher J.P Moreland describes, we have “thoughts about our thoughts.” This distinguishes us from animals that act on instinct and sets us apart from all other living things in the natural world. Animals act purely in response to their environments as their natures dictate. In this sense, their choices are made for them in a system of cause and effect. Humans, by contrast, have the ability to make different choices in the same circumstances. With this comes something significant that animals lack: moral responsibility. We do not think our pet cat is a criminal deserving of punishment if it kills a bird. We do think our neighbor should go to jail if he shoots our cat. This is because he has a choice in how he will respond to it. He could also choose to pet the cat or to simply ignore it. Therefore moral agency is an evident component of personhood. Human beings possess the ability to refrain from doing things that are recognized as morally wrong. We also can do things that are understood to be good. 

A Common Objection

Defining personhood in such a way will inevitably lead to the objection that infants, children in the womb, and those with severe mental disability do not qualify as persons. However, this assumes that personhood is something most people develop in time. It would logically follow then that there is one second when a human being is not a person followed by another where he/she is. Much like the basketball analogy, you have to ask: what is added in that moment to roll one over to personhood? Can non-persons make themselves persons? A better solution is to acknowledge that all human beings are persons from the moment they are conceived, but their capability to express their minds and make moral decisions is inhibited by a lack of experience in the world and/or physical development. The fact that most do shows that humans are born with the potential to express the attributes of personhood, and that is only possible if they are persons to begin with. As a result, personhood is not a matter of degrees. Every human being is equally a person who bear’s God’s image. To be able to ground human value in what God assigns it is a distinct advantage of the Christian worldview.

The Image of God

As the Scriptures teach us, God created man and woman “in the image of God.” Genesis 1:26-27 says, “Then God said, ‘Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.’ So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.”
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Having already shown that God is not a physical entity, we can surmise that the image of God is spiritual in nature. Everything I’ve laid out about personhood meets this description. Therefore, we can conclude that God’s image at the very least includes personhood, which entails a rational mind coupled with moral agency. Another aspect is creativity, which is a way humans “image” the Creator. So we see reflecting back at us that bearing the image of God is linked to His own personhood. Therefore, God is not merely a rational mind, but is also a moral agent.

God as the Source

Another way to look at this is to see God as not merely the Creator of all things, but also as the source of all things. What this implies is that nothing can possess an ability that is greater than its source. Humans cannot possess any ability greater than God possesses in Himself. We can’t receive what can’t be given. Since this is true, the fact that human beings are personal requires that God is personal. We couldn’t have obtained personhood if God didn’t have it first to give us. 

Of course, the naturalist will disagree and argue that greater things continually emerge from lesser. From their vantage point, things like consciousness and personhood can and did emerge from physical things that lack them, and the universe (or multiverse) itself at some point was birthed from nothingness. It should be pointed out that if this is true, it is even more miraculous than the intentional act of a supernatural Creator. At least with an eternally existing God, there is always a source that is capable of producing whatever exists in our world. Naturalism logically requires that something (and consequently everything) came from literally nothing.

Why it Matters

The implications of a personal God cannot be overstated. Being personal, we know that He has chosen for this world, and all of us as individuals, to exist. When we consider that God is a rational, moral being, we can conclude that He is the source of rationality and morality. Therefore, all that exists is ordered to His laws of logic, and all persons are subject to His standards of right and wrong. And because God is consistently both rational and moral, we can conclude that His morality is itself rational. As personal beings, we long for connection with others. Therefore, we must have a God who desires connection with other persons. We know that the greatest of all virtues is love, therefore God must highly value love. Perhaps He loves. Perhaps He is love. As 1 John 4:8 says, “He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.” If He IS love, then love is in accordance with what is good, which is in accordance with what is rational, which is in accordance with the will of God. And if this is so, the perfect expression of our love is to be in submission to His will for our lives, and to encourage others to do the same. 

God in Relationship

As a final note, I’m not intending to present a philosophical defense of the Trinity in these posts. I believe that case is best made from the Scriptures, and would require more space than I can give here. What I will say is that we can reasonably conclude that if our personal God cares about His creation, He is likely to reach out to them to make His presence known to them. One way He can do this is through creation itself, but sometimes He might want to speak more clearly to those He made in His image. Scripture is the work of a God who loves the people He created and desires for them to be in relationship with Him. Christianity teaches that it is written by human beings moved under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Therefore our conclusion that God Himself exists as one being in a tri-personal relationship is one derived through the special revelation of Scripture, but it is consistent with the natural revelation of one personal God.

Looking Ahead / Catching Up

Having laid out a definition of what is good, next time we will turn our attention to what is not: sin & death.

1. The Creator God
2. Personhood & the Image of God

3. Sin & Death

4. The Spiritual War

5. Atonement Through Incarnation

6. Atonement Through Sacrifice

7. Resurrection

8. Grace Through Faith 

Top 10 Resources for Making Sense of the Christian Worldview

 

Having previously discussed the reasons why people leave the Church, as well as sharing my own philosophy on how to raise my own children to avoid those pitfalls, I now would like to share some specific resources that have been helpful to me in developing a Christian worldview that is able to withstand the attacks raised against it. Training up our children in a world that is hostile to Christianity is a heavy task, and we may not have all the answers to the various questions we receive. However, we need not lay such a heavy burden on ourselves. We have a wealth of resources we can lean into for help when those hard questions come. Sometimes our role will not to be the one with the answers, but to be the one who knows where to find them. The following are 10 of the most helpful extra-biblical resources I have found for building and defending a comprehensive Christian worldview. (click on each title to visit)

 

Media

Reasonable Faith (website, YouTube, podcast, etc.)

Anyone interested in building an intellectual defense of the Christian faith needs to be familiar with William Lane Craig and his ministry, Reasonable Faith. Craig is the world’s greatest living Christian apologist and philosopher. He is well known for his version of the Kalam Cosmological Argument for God’s existence, and is widely recognized as the most formidable Christian debater. For those unfamiliar with his work, I recommend starting with his debate against the late Christopher Hitchens, who was one of the leading voices in the new atheist movement before passing away in 2011. Craig is incredibly prolific, as he has written numerous books, publishes a weekly podcast, and teaches a Sunday school class that covers the finer points of Christian theology. This “Defenders” class is also made available to the public through podcast and YouTube. Of all that Craig has done, it is perhaps my favorite resource. There aren’t many Sunday school classes out there that delve into such topics as God’s necessary existence, His relationship to time, or how we can make sense of the Trinity, but Craig tackles all of these and much more in great detail. As for those issues that are non-essential for the Christian, he presents all sides clearly and does his best to explain why he takes one view over the others. I don’t always agree with him, but I appreciate how he models this approach. 

Whaddo You Meme?? (YouTube)

For some, Craig’s approach may be too intellectual and thorough, especially for those first stepping into the world of Christian apologetics. Jon McCray’s “Whaddo You Meme” is a great resource for those looking for something more accessible and entertaining. This isn’t to say that it is watered down. Quite the contrary! McCray produces short and direct videos responding to cultural events and influential voices, while presenting how Christianity offers a better alternative. Sometimes he employs humor through parody or satire, but oftentimes he responds directly with heavy doses of biblical truth. Originally developed in response to popular memes (hence the name), McCray will take on any voice that speaks against the truth of Christianity, and he does so with style. This is a great resource for parents and teens alike. You guys ready? “Then let’s goooooooo.....!”

Trinity Radio (YouTube/podcast)

It’s hard to pick a favorite here, but I probably spend more time on Trinity Radio than anywhere else on this list. TR is a YouTube channel (also available on podcast) created by Braxton Hunter, President of Trinity College of the Bible and Theological Seminary. This channel is primarily focused on rebuttals of videos put out by popular internet atheists, or debates featuring other key voices in atheism/agnosticism. Braxton walks through each video step-by-step, explaining where each argument against the Christian God fails. He is remarkably clear in his critiques, and many unbelievers have commented on how fair and gracious he is in his disagreements. His videos are really a wonderful model of how to speak truth in love. Sometimes though, words need to be spoken a little more bluntly. For this, Braxton often invites his seminary partner, Johnathan Pritchett, to balance his gentleness with a good dose of snarkiness. The “good cop, bad cop” interaction between the two is one of the highlights of the show. I highly recommend this channel for anyone who wants to learn how to counter all the popular arguments against Christianity, and how to reflect Christ in the process.

Unbelievable? (YouTube/podcast)

For those turned off by the recent presidential debates, I offer as a stark contrast the long-running UK radio program-turned-podcast and YouTube channel, “Unbelievable?” with Justin Brierley. Every Friday, Brierley brings together the best of both sides of any argument relating to the Christian worldview. More often than not, the show will feature a Christian and a non-believer, but sometimes they are “in-house” theological discussions. What sets Unbelievable? apart is the level of civility in these debates. It is very rare for one of the debaters to be disrespectful or talk over the other side. Much of this is do to the level of control Brierley maintains, combined with the high quality of the guests he invites to participate. One of the best ways to learn what other people believe is to sit down and listen, and this is a great model for doing just that. For those of us who are listening, we are likewise learning how to hear the other side and how to respond to their questions and arguments. I’ve heard Braxton Hunter say that he recommends listening to debates as the best way to quickly learn apologetics. There is no better source for such debates than “Unbelievable?”

Eric Hernandez (YouTube)

Eric Hernandez is a young apologist who is gaining a lot of attention through his YouTube channel and his online debates in defense of the Christian worldview. His ministry has spent a great deal of attention on making a case for the existence of the soul, and showing how the body alone cannot make sense of things like consciousness and free will. His arguments are devastating for the naturalistic worldview that is so strongly pushed on students in secular environments today. I happen to think that making the evidence for the soul is one of the best lines of argument for the Christian worldview, and one that is often neglected among apologists. Eric’s channel features a mixture of his debates with atheists and some entertaining post-debate rebuttals to those same atheists (this one is especially hilarious!), along with interviews and lectures he’s given on serious issues like abortion.

Truth Unites (YouTube/podcast)

Gavin Ortlund is known for his gracious demeanor and thoughtful approach to theological issues, especially those that divide Protestants from Catholics and Eastern Orthodox Christians. As a defender of the truth of Christianity across denominations, Ortlund helps us to understand various issues from different perspectives, always encouraging us to investigate these things for ourselves and come to our own conclusions. He defends the basic principles of Protestantism while rejecting sectarianism. While I don’t always agree with his conclusions, he models how to disagree well. This is how Christians can be light in a dark world!

Books

Orthodoxy by G.K. Chesterton

There’s a running joke about how Christians always quote Chesterton, but they’ve never read any of his books. This is a shame! The best way to fix this injustice is to start by reading “Orthodoxy.” While the title might suggest a boring read, those fears are quickly put to rest in the opening lines of the introduction. Perhaps a more accurate title of this oft-overlooked classic would be found in in these words from the introduction; “The man who… discovered what had been discovered before.” Here, GKC chronicles how as an unbeliever he tried to develop a revolutionary worldview through his observations, but found that Christianity had been saying the same things from its beginning. In the quest to make sense of the world, Christianity is the key that fits all the locks. “Orthodoxy” is not a typical apologetics book of specific evidences surrounding the resurrection and other biblical events, and it doesn’t lay out the classic philosophical arguments for God’s existence. What it does is simply present a case that Christianity makes sense of the world while all other worldviews fail. And it does so with all the humor and brilliance you can expect from one of the most quoted Christian thinkers of all time.

Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus by Nabeel Qureshi

The person of Jesus Christ is the central issue of Christianity, and Nabeel Qureshi’s story is a prime example of what a difference our beliefs about who He is can make. Raised in a minority sect of Islam, Qureshi was skilled at poking holes in the faith of the Christians he encountered in high school and college. He was sure they had no intellectual legs to stand on until he ran into David Wood, a fellow student who knew what he believed, how to defend it, and how to shake Nabeel’s confidence in his own beliefs. “Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus” chronicles his journey to discovering the truth about Jesus Christ, and how that pursuit of truth is worth more than anything this world has to offer. Following Jesus can cost you everything, and Nabeel’s life was a testimony to this fact. While this book tells the story of how he sacrificed the comforts of his family and Islamic upbringing, his life would take an unexpected turn in the years after its publishing. In 2016, he would be diagnosed with stage 4 stomach cancer, and a year later would die at the age of 34. Throughout his battle, he broadcast his thoughts on a video log uploaded to YouTube. In one of his final videos, he shared how in the midst of all his struggles to understand why God hadn’t healed him, he still could not turn his back on Jesus knowing what he now knew about Him. He had discovered the truth, which brings to mind what it says in John 6:66-69: “From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more. Then Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you also want to go away?” But Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.””

The Case For Miracles by Lee Strobel

Many of us, like Nabeel Qureshi, have prayed for healing that has never come. We can become discouraged and either lose faith or begin to adopt a more naturalistic approach to it. We may find ourselves praying that God would simply use the skilled hands of doctors or that He would bring about some kind of gradual improvement of our condition that, if we were to be honest, would not show any sign of God’s intervention if we were able to put it under a microscope. Such was my approach to prayer for most of my life, but that began to change with Lee Strobel’s recent book on miracles, as he shows that such events as what you might find in the Gospels or the book of Acts are still happening around the world today. Looking at the subject from a journalist’s perspective, Lee interviews individuals on various sides of the issue, and highlights a number of modern cases of miracles. This book brought me to tears of joy on numerous occasions as I began to see that the God of the Bible is still the same God we worship today. Strobel’s book serves as a fatal blow to the philosophy of naturalism. One can reasonably continue to dismiss televangelist “faith healers” as charlatans while also being open to the supernatural work of God in the world we live in. There are legitimate miracles today, and being aware of them can be an encouragement to our faith, regardless of whether we are the recipients. Strobel is best known for his first book, “The Case For Christ.” While I have a copy, I must confess that I haven’t yet read it (though I have seen the excellent movie adaptation). That being said, I am confident that I can recommend any of his work, especially for those new to apologetics.

Counterpoints (Series) by Zondervan Publishing

This is an on-going project of mine, as there are numerous volumes in this series, and I have only read a handful of them. While much remains for me to explore, I have found these written back-and-forths from various scholars on a wide range of secondary issues of the faith to be incredibly helpful in building a flexible and informed Christian worldview. Each book features a representative theologian for each prominent position on the topic at hand. After each presents his own view, the others provide their rebuttals. In this way, each position is presented as it is best explained by its supporters, and each is put to the test by its critics. I’m currently reading “Three Views On the Millennium and Beyond,” which is a subject that I know that I’m needing to be educated in. The main lesson that I’ve taken from these is that there is a wide range of acceptable disagreement among Christians. Many things that we might assume are undisputed among Bible-believers are actually hotly debated, and those who disagree can build strong cases from the same Bible we use to support our own views. We cannot always assume “the Bible clearly says” when there are many today and throughout Christian history who have interpreted things differently. We must approach Scripture with an understanding that it is the authority, not our own interpretations. Once we do so, we can be open to being moved to a new and better understanding of what it has to say. Coupling this series with the work of Alisa Childers can help us to discern between what is acceptable Christian doctrine and what is not. Striking a balance isn’t always easy, but it is worth the effort. Having a properly balanced approach to Scripture is especially useful for teaching our children how to study the Bible. Giving them the freedom to decide what makes sense within the boundaries of orthodox Christianity will help them to develop a faith that endures.

These 10 resources are just scratching the surface of what is out there, but they will be a great start for anyone looking to dive into the thoughtful side of Christianity. As I said on a previous post, anyone who really seeks the truth will find that Christianity holds up to the test. Their faith will be made stronger for having asked the difficult questions and for seeking the answers. I hope you find these helpful, and that they may encourage your faith, and the faith of others through you.

5 Keys For Steering Our Kids To Lasting Faith

As I discussed in my previous post, there are a variety of reasons why a person might leave Christianity, and we have been seeing many depart in recent years. While this can be a source of great sadness, there are some lessons to be learned. My hope in writing this is to show how we can do our own part to reverse this trend. I don’t pretend to suggest that we can always prevent people from leaving, but I do believe that our churches, and most importantly, Christian parents, can do better to prepare our own children for the challenges to their faith that they will encounter in an increasingly secular world.

In my line of work, we undergo periodic training in defensive driving through the Smith Driving System. This program, which features behind-the-wheel instruction, is summarized in the “5 Keys.” I came to the realization that these same principles can be easily adapted to the training up of our children in the knowledge of the truth of Christianity. So, I thought I would share how I am applying these keys in raising my own kids, and how I believe the Church at large can likewise learn to help guide our children going forward. 

Key #1: Aim High in Steering (Keep Your Eyes On Christ)

One of the biggest mistakes drivers make is when they lock their eyes on the car in front of them, not seeing what is going on further down the road. As Christians, we can make a similar error by focusing on all the superficial aspects of the day-to-day Christian life. We can be so ingrained in the culture of the Church, that we lose sight of the One for whom it exists. We need to help our kids understand that, while there are many aspects of our lives that are shaped by our faith, the object of our faith is Christ Himself. It is interesting to note in my last post the absence of Jesus as a reason why people leave Christianity. Nobody ever says, “I found the proof that Jesus was not really God and didn’t rise from the dead.” No. The reasons given make it evident that their eyes were not on Christ, but what was right in front of them. By contrast, ex-Muslim turned Christian apologist Nabeel Qureshi, while dying from stomach cancer at the age of 34, affirmed in his final days that while he didn’t understand why his prayers were not answered, or why his suffering was so great, that he could not deny the truth that Jesus is Lord, and that He is risen from the dead. He had his eyes aimed high, and his faith persevered in the midst of the greatest trials. 

Key #2: Get the Big Picture (Make Sense of the Christian Worldview)

I was an AWANA kid. Growing up in the 80s, we were taught to learn our Bible verses word-for-word, and we had all the flannel-board Bible stories in Sunday School to go along with it. Now, there’s nothing wrong with any of these things, but what is severely lacking in Christian education, especially for children and teenagers, is a philosophical grounding for our worldview. We learn “what” to think, but we don’t learn “how” to think as Christians. How many children in our churches can tell you about how David killed Goliath with five smooth stones and a slingshot, yet they cannot tell you what it means to be made “in the image of God?” Do our high schoolers understand why God as our Creator makes all the difference in how we ought to live our lives? Do they know what a soul is, and how its existence points us to God? These are challenging subjects, but they are far more important than the number of animals of each kind that entered the ark, or what kind of wood Noah used to build it. I’m not arguing that we should neglect the details. On the contrary, understanding the purpose of Christianity motivates further study into the details of Scripture. When we place our focus on the details, we can miss the big picture. At some point, we all must ask, “WHY should I be a Christian?” That is a reasonable question, and we should have an answer grounded in truth. Just as adjusting your mirrors in your car can give you the big picture of everything around you, having a wide-angle view of Christianity can give us clarity as we go out into the world. 

Key #3: Keep Your Eyes Moving (Prepare for Potential Threats to Faith)

While it is helpful to have the big picture of the world around us, we are still in danger if we aren’t continually checking each mirror and preparing for potential hazards. Having our Christian worldview in place, we also need to be aware of challenges to it, because they can come from any angle. Many Christians take the approach that we should do everything we can to protect our kids from exposure to people and ideas that run counter to our beliefs. It is sad to see how many of those who share their “ex-Christian testimonies” are ones who grew up in such an environment. A better approach is to help our kids understand what other worldviews are out there, and to show them how they fail to make sense of things. If we are the first to introduce them to postmodernism, and we have shown them how self-refuting it is, they will be prepared to dismiss it when they encounter it. If we teach them to spot naturalism, they will recognize it in their science textbooks. Likewise, we can introduce them to other religions, showing them how they fail as satisfying explanations of the world, and pointing out how they contradict Christianity. Now an important disclaimer: when presenting other views, it is absolutely essential that you do so accurately. Is your description something someone who holds that view would sign on to? It is no good, and even detrimental to your purpose, to present a straw man of other worldviews. Doing so can destroy your credibility, and can be a cause for doubts to arise in your children when they encounter the actual beliefs of others. So this will require some work to properly understand other views. I suspect that many Christians avoid doing this because they are themselves fearful that they will get sucked into them or discover that Christianity is false. As someone who has studied apologetics and philosophy for years now, I can assure you that exposure to other belief systems, while balanced with a big picture understanding of my own, has only strengthened my confidence in the truth of Christianity. I have no doubt that others will experience the same. 

Key #4: Leave Yourself An Out (Allow Differences in Interpretation)

How many of us have been on the freeway when suddenly a car to our side begins moving over into our lane, and we have to swerve to avoid impact? Such a thing happened to me a couple weeks ago, and due to my training to avoid being boxed in, I was able to quickly move over without hitting another car. Learning to “leave yourself an out” is a great practice for Christian faith as well. Knowing that Christianity essentially boils down to faith in Jesus Christ as Lord, and that He is our risen Savior (Key #1), we do not need to box ourselves in by making secondary issues essential to our faith. My goal with my children is to help them to realize that there are various points of disagreement among Christians on a number of doctrinal issues, but that can be a strength, not a weakness. I hope to help them to understand various sides of all these issues so they have the freedom to pursue what they believe is right. We don’t want our children to reject Christianity for the wrong reasons. Are the secondary issues we feel convicted about worth drawing a line in the sand over? Should my children become convinced that I am wrong about my views on the end times, the age of the earth, or even (gasp) predestination, I want them to have the freedom to move into a different lane. As long as that lane is going in the same direction, they are progressing in their walk of faith and getting closer to their eternal home. Their faith will actually be stronger for it, because they have learned to make it their own. Part of this step is being willing to present the various perspectives that are out there to our children once they are old enough to understand. I often tell our 14-year-old daughter, “many Christians disagree on this, but I lean towards this interpretation.” This allows her to differentiate between primary and secondary issues, and also lets her know that it is okay to disagree with me and remain a faithful Christian. Her salvation isn’t dependent on signing off on a long list of doctrinal points. It is much simpler, and much more flexible. In that way, it is much less fragile. 

Key #5: Make Sure They See You (Live Authentically)

Humans are social creatures. We cannot function properly in isolation. When it comes to driving safely, making eye contact or hand signals with pedestrians or other drivers can help to communicate our intentions. As Christian parents, it is likewise important that our children see us living out our faith so that our words translate to our actions. When there is a disconnect, the message is confused and they do not see the practical value in Christianity. For my own part, I have been intentional with our daughter to make sure that she sees me forgive and extend grace to her and my wife when they have done something to upset me. Likewise, I have apologized and asked for forgiveness when I have done wrong to them. I don’t do these things perfectly, but I make sure to do them when I know that I need to because that is how I can best model Christ to my family. My hope is that she will remember these moments as she grows up and that they communicate something real and different from the secular world. Most of all, I hope to be an example to her and my newborn son of selfless, unconditional love. When I drifted away from the faith in my late 20s, my parents did not treat me as any less a part of the family. They demonstrated unconditional love for me as their son. For those parents whose children have left the home, and maybe even left the faith, it is not too late to begin doing this if you aren’t already. It is not enough for Christians to be set apart from the world by what we don’t do. We must also do what the world won’t do. Living out the selfless, sacrificial love of Jesus is the most impactful way of communicating the Gospel. We must begin doing this with those in our own home. 

Concluding Thoughts

I can imagine that for many parents, some of this may seem quite daunting. How am I supposed to teach my kids these things if I don’t know where to begin myself? Well, I won’t lie and say it will be easy. It takes time and a great deal of effort to learn theology, apologetics, and philosophy. However, our children need us to step up to this challenge. What we’ve been doing isn’t good enough in this culture, where the threats to the faith of our kids are so pervasive. If they don’t face them all at school, there are countless voices just a click away on the internet who are hard at work making their beliefs seem silly. We must do better. As it says in Proverbs 22:6: “Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it.” This is not an absolute guarantee, but a general principle regarding the responsibility we have to the spiritual health of our children. While we can’t say with certainty that even if we do everything right, that our kids will persevere in their faith, one thing we be sure of is that to neglect that training is to set them up for failure. We must adapt this proverb to our increasingly hostile world by training them to understand and defend Christianity. 

So where do we start? Well, I’d like to help with that in my next post, as I will be sharing my top 10 extra-biblical resources for building and defending the Christian worldview. These will help primarily with keys 2-4. In the meantime, the most important things to remember are to always direct their eyes to Christ as the center of our faith, and to model His love in our homes and to others. In these ways, we can help our kids safely navigate the dangerous roads they will travel in life.

12 Reasons Why People Leave Christianity

It seems like a daily occurrence. Either a prominent voice in Christian culture, or someone we know personally, announces on social media that they no longer identify as a Christian. Hawk Nelson singer Jon Steingard recently made his announcement via Instagram, citing the reasoning behind his stepping away from the faith. For those of us who believe, this can be hard to understand. Why would someone abandon the assurance of salvation in Jesus Christ? It seems you have everything to gain in persevering to the end and eternity to lose in walking away. Yet many do, and my goal in writing this is to help believers understand why. 

Before I begin, I want to make it clear that my objective is not to determine if someone can have salvation in Christ and lose it. That is a separate issue. This is merely about why some people walk away and others don’t, and why some later return while others will not. The easy answer for many is that those who leave were never true believers, and I don’t doubt that is the case at least some of the time. However, many of them will object, and I believe it is best to take people at their word when they share their stories. The important thing is that they do not presently believe. Also, this post is not dealing with those who merely grew up in the environment of the church. There are countless young people who leave the moment they have the chance because they never were personally invested. They were merely dragged along by their parents, and faith in Christ meant nothing to them. No, this post is about those who, by their own testimony, did believe and live a Christian life. These are self-described ex-Christians. 

Having walked away from my own faith for a time, only later to reconstruct it, this subject is near to my heart. I know many others, including someone especially instrumental in my life, who left Christianity behind. Having seen it from many angles, I understand how and why it happens. 

The Post-Christian ID

With much attention on this issue, I’ve observed a number of key factors in an individual’s departure from Christianity. I would summarize these broadly within what I will call the “ID”s of the post-Christian viewpoint: Influences and Decisions. Within “Influences,” we have all the negative influences in Christian culture as well as the positive influences outside. There are also the societal influences that can be very persuasive against Christianity. “Decisions” refers to the steps taken by the choice of the individual to distance himself/herself from Christ and the Church. It takes at minimum a single decision to lead a person away from their faith, though that decision is never made apart from at least one of these influences. Together, they form a new post-Christian identity.

Influences Inside the Church

1. Bad Christians

“The greatest single cause of atheism in the world today is Christians, who acknowledge Jesus with their lips and walk out the door, and deny Him by their lifestyle. That is what an unbelieving world simply finds unbelievable.” This oft-repeated quote from the late evangelist Brennan Manning is technically not true, but it strikes a chord with many because those within the church often do live lives full of hypocrisy. Many have been put off by those proclaiming the name of Christ, and that personal representation can easily leave a negative association in the minds of many on the outside of the Church. It can also move the hearts of those within its walls who are hurt by those they expect to live differently. This could be as simple as someone living no different than an unbeliever in their daily life. It could also be much more personal and traumatic. Some have experienced physical or psychological abuse at the hands of someone who takes the name of “Christian.” These kinds of traumatic events can be powerfully influential against belief. 

2. Bad Teaching

What we believe as Christians is incredibly important. There are essentials of the faith that we can all agree on, but Christians diverge in numerous secondary doctrines. Depending on what church an individual finds himself in, there may be a strong emphasis on certain debated doctrines as being essential, with the questioning of such things not tolerated. This intolerance of dissent leaves the impression for many that to be a Christian is to believe a long list of things that historically have not been held by all believers. The shutting down of debate can raise considerable questions in the mind of those who have legitimate disagreements with the interpretation or application of Scripture in their church. This general approach, regardless of the issue, can give the questioner the impression they are trapped in a cult. This is especially problematic when the theology being taught paints a distorted picture of God. It is tragic when people walk away from a “Christianity” that isn’t the real thing.

3. Inauthentic Spirituality 

Related to theology is the real-life application of what we believe. One of the foundational beliefs of Christianity is that God is personal, and His presence is evident in the believer. There are various ways in which someone can not experience the reality of God in the church environment. Perhaps an individual finds herself in a legalistic church where the emphasis is on working their way to salvation. The Christian life becomes an endless chore devoid of joy. Another problem in many modern churches, especially Pentecostal denominations, is equating a genuine relationship with Christ with demonstrating the charismatic gifts of the Holy Spirit (speaking in tongues, prophecy, healings, etc.) If you don’t have such experiences, the legitimacy of your faith is questioned. As a result, many growing up in these environments feel they must “do as the Romans do” and act out such experiences to be accepted. The thought eventually crosses their minds that perhaps everyone else is “faking it” too. So it’s no surprise that later on they depart. To the other extreme, some churches demonize personal experiences, as though they are evidence of a false, damning faith. Merely believing a list of facts doesn’t equate to saving faith, and some who have had a purely doctrine-driven background in the church have also found it to be empty and lacking the power of the God they profess to believe in.

4. Discouragement of Doubts

In many churches, doubt is seen as the enemy of faith. In truth, doubt can co-exist with faith, depending on what the doubter does with it. Sadly, many ex-Christians have shared their experiences of raising questions to their pastors or youth leaders only to get told to “ignore it and just have faith.” This gives the impression that there is something being hidden from the questioner. Like in The Wizard of Oz, there is a “man behind the curtain.” If you are asking too many questions, you are getting too close to discovering the truth. Therefore you must be silenced! That may not be the intention, but it is the impression given. The truth, more often than not, is that the one silencing the questioner is simply ignorant of the answer. For them, “just believe” is sufficient. They have probably counseled many others who also found it acceptable to embrace the unknown. But for those who really are deep thinkers, or have a great desire to learn and understand what they believe, such an answer is discouraging and potentially defeating.

5. Lack of Love

As ambassadors of Christ to the world, we are to be known for our love. That love is to be demonstrated to other Christians, and then outward to the unbelieving world. As the old hymn goes, “they will know we are Christians by our love.” Unfortunately, many experience the Church as a place of judgment and condemnation, not the love we profess. This is not to say that we should not call out sin for what it is, but rather that we are failing if we are not communicating the love of Christ towards others. As a committed Christian, I am continually discouraged by the infighting among Christians on various issues. We are eager to divide, resistant to unity. Yet Christ Himself prayed that we would be One, as He and the Father are One (See John 17:20-23). This is not what the world sees, and it is not what many within the Church see. Instead they see a Church that is self-seeking, filled with those desiring their own way or the highway. This failure to reflect the self-sacrificial love of Christ should be troubling to all of us. Yet in spite of this broad generalization, many of us have experienced the selfless love of Christ through the witness of fellow believers. Seeing it walked out gives legitimacy to the words that motivate them to live it out. I have benefited greatly from such real-life examples. However, I know that many have come and gone without having encountered the love of Christ through the Church.

Influences Outside the Church

6. Positive Personal Relationships

Sometimes it’s not a matter of negative experiences within the Church that begins to turn a person’s heart away from Christ. Sometimes it is the opposite. Getting to know people outside the Church, especially in close personal relationships, can be powerfully influential in leading a person to question the exclusivity, and consequently the truthfulness, of Christianity. It could be a good friend, a co-worker, or possibly a love interest, that shatters a preconceived stereotype of what an unbeliever should be like. This is especially troubling for someone who has been raised in an overprotective environment, where they are sheltered from perspectives outside of the Christian world. Growing up in such a way can lead a young person to believe that all non-Christians just go around sinning continually, and are horribly unpleasant people. When they get out on their own and actually meet people who are pretty decent, and perhaps even more enjoyable to spend time with than the average Christian, this can be a shock to the system. If everything they have been taught about the unbeliever is a lie, it seems quite reasonable that doubts might arise about the whole framework of Christianity. 

7. Cultural Pressures

I remember when I was growing up in public schools, there was a lot of talk about the dangers of peer pressure. Kids were encouraged to resist other kids who were pushing them to smoke or do drugs, or whatever other bad behavior they might face. We were encouraged to stand up for what is right, whatever the social cost might be. What I’ve learned as I’ve grown older is that peer pressure never goes away. It just takes different forms, and the consequences of resisting can be much more significant. The cost of being a Christian (at least publicly), can be extremely high in certain environments. There are social and financial pressures to “get in line” with the sociopolitical causes of the day, and some of those are in direct contradiction to Christian values. Young people are especially vulnerable to these pressures, as our culture is growing increasingly “post-Christian.” Also factor in the influence of the rich and powerful, whether they be celebrities or media outlets, and it seems that the whole world is speaking with a unified voice against the views and beliefs of Christianity. For many, it is just too hard to resist these pressures, and as much as they may have loved life within the Church, there is a life outside of it that seems a lot less lonely.

8. Philosophical Indoctrination

Our educational systems are predominantly governed by two philosophies that directly contradict Christianity. For young Christians who are not properly prepared to counter these ideas, they can create a great deal of confusion, and potentially lead them to abandon their faith in Christ. These are the philosophies of naturalism and postmodernism (a.k.a. relativism). Contrary to popular opinion, indoctrination in these views does not begin at the university, but is present in various ways from grade school on up. Naturalism can be summed up in the idea that everything within the universe can be explained by the universe. There is nothing supernatural. All that exists is the natural world, and everything that comes into existence finds its cause in nature. As Carl Sagan famously said, “the cosmos is all there is or was or ever will be.” Assuming atheistic naturalism as the “neutral” view for public education, Darwinian evolution is given exclusive rights to be taught as the explanation of our origins, since all other views are regarded as superstitious belief systems lacking scientific proof. This ignores the fact that naturalism is itself unproven scientifically. For impressionable young minds, what is taught in schools as the real story is in direct contradiction to the biblical accounts of the origins and history of human beings. This becomes irreconcilable for those who are taught young earth creationism as an essential doctrine of Christianity. It can also be a problem for those in more liberal environments who are taught that God guides evolution. At some point they realize that Darwinism doesn’t really need God if its tenets are true. And if He isn’t needed to explain life in the universe, why bother?

Alongside naturalism is postmodernism, which teaches that truth is subjective. Each individual has their own truth, and what is true for you is not necessarily true for me. Therefore we should be accepting of beliefs different than our own, since they are equally true. What is interesting about this philosophy is how it contradicts both itself and naturalism. First, you could argue that postmodernism is true for someone else, but not for you. Second, you could argue that naturalism is true for your science teacher, but not for you. So in that sense, our schools are teaching contradictory philosophies. Where they find unity is in the area of moral relativity. Since an atheistic universe has no moral lawgiver, and therefore no binding moral laws, it follows that morality is an invention of human beings. So it is up to us to decide what is right. Thus, what is moral can either be decided by the individual or the group. In some cases society decides what is acceptable, and in others, society grants the individual the right to decide for themselves. For example, society agrees (rightly) that rape is morally unacceptable. However, all forms of consensual sexual behavior are okay, and maybe even morally good. So the attractiveness of such a worldview becomes apparent. Since I am nothing more than my body (naturalism), my body’s desires should be expressed as a way of living out “my truth” (postmodernism). A worldview that offers us the justification to live life on our terms is certainly appealing, especially in contrast to one that calls us to “take up our crosses” and die to ourselves daily. 

With all of these influences working against Christianity, it is still possible to remain in the Church. All Christians deal with a good percentage of these, yet many do not forsake their faith. What tips the scales to unbelief are the decisions an individual makes.

Decisions (The 4 “D”s of Deconversion)

9. Disconnecting from God

A few years back, a Seventh Day Adventist pastor named Ryan Bell embarked on a “year without God” as an experiment in living the life of an atheist. This involved intentionally disconnecting from all faith practices, including prayer, Bible reading, involvement in a church, and so forth. When the year was over, he had become an atheist. This shouldn’t surprise anyone. To intentionally shut God out of your life will lead you away from a relationship with Him. What often happens in deconversion stories is that the individual gradually or suddenly begins to stop doing the essential things that draw us closer in relationship to Him. When you shut out His voice, it is no wonder that He is not heard. Then it becomes easier to believe that He is not there.

10. Disobeying God

“Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God; but exhort one another daily, while it is called ‘Today,’ lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.”‭‭ (Hebrews‬ ‭ 3:12-13)

From the very beginning of the Christian movement, there have been defectors. While some of the influences have changed shape over time, the practice of sin has remained a constant obstacle to perseverance in the faith. Why is this? Well, our hearts can be shaped by our minds, or our minds can be shaped by our hearts. When it comes to absolute truth and the Christian world view, we are called to conform our hearts to the truth revealed in Christ and the created world. This goes against our natural tendency, which is to conform our minds to the desires of our hearts. We seek to rationalize those things that we want to be true so we can enjoy life on our own terms. Many have chosen to follow their desires to do what is against the commandments of the God of Christianity, and in so doing, have chosen to embrace those sins instead of confessing and turning from them. All Christians have sinned, and we all face this temptation. For many who abandon Christianity, there is a choice to give up the struggle against sin, and allow it to shape their worldview. The philosophies of the world come along and provide encouragement to choose this path. 

11. Disappointment with God

In my own story, I began to distance myself from Christianity as my first marriage was ending. While I knew intellectually that being a Christian didn’t mean that I would live “happily ever after” in this life, there was a sense that all of my life up to that point had been a huge failure, and being a Christian had gotten me nowhere. For all my years of service to God, He had failed me. I’m sure I’m not the only one to have had my faith shaken by such a feeling. When the realities of life hit, and all that we had hoped for fails to meet our expectations, there is a temptation to blame God. “Why didn’t you bless me? Why didn’t this relationship work out? Why am I, after all these years, struggling to make ends meet?” For some it might also be, “Why am I still struggling with this sin?” These are the kinds of questions every Christian will ask themselves at some point. Many wrestle with these things, but lean into their faith. Others turn skeptical. When we allow our expectations to place demands upon God, we are in danger of losing faith when those demands aren’t met. It is easy then to go from being disappointed with the Christian God to simply believing that He just isn’t there. Disappointment, in this sense, is deciding that faith in God is pointless, and possibly even detrimental to living a good life.

12: Disapproval of God

Perhaps the most common of all causes of deconversion is moral disagreement with God. More than being disappointed with the Christian life, this is a personal rejection of God’s character as understood by the now-unbeliever. It is the conclusion that his or her’s own morality is superior to God’s, whether or not He exists. This can take a variety of forms. It may be that they disagree with the actions of God in the biblical narrative (particularly in judgment of idolatrous nations), or the prohibitions on extramarital sexual behaviors and homosexual acts, or the idea that the Son of God would be “unjustly punished” by the Father for the sins of the world. Certainly the doctrine of hell is a hard one that all believers struggle with. Or maybe their disapproval is connected to the particular warped theology of the denomination they grew up in, which they wrongly understand to be the true representation of Christianity. It may also be a rejection of God’s goodness based on the presence of evil and suffering in the world. 

How can a loving God allow so much suffering in His creation? What is commonly referred to as “the problem of evil,” is one of the most challenging questions posed to Christianity, and one that very few are prepared to answer. For Jon Steingard, he has cited the evils he witnessed in his time working in Uganda as a turning point in his deconversion. Often it is closer to home. Watching a friend or loved one suffer with a horrible disease or be the victim of a senseless crime can lead someone to lash out in anger at God. That anger can be a gateway to disbelief, as it is incredibly difficult to square an evil god with the loving God of Christianity. Sometimes it is their own experience with evil that justifies their rejection of God. It is said by many Christian apologists that the problem of evil is much easier to make sense of in a philosophical sense, and much harder on a felt, personal level. All our answers cannot adequately satisfy the one who is hurting. For many, that hurt turns to anger. For some, that anger turns to disbelief.

Concluding Thoughts

Every testimony of an ex-Christian is filled with some combination of these reasons. It can be hard for us who remain believers to understand, and leave us with a sense of loss, especially for loved ones. How should we counter what seems to be a growing trend in our churches? How should we respond when it our own son or daughter walks away? I hope to address these in a follow-up post in weeks to come, while sharing my own approach in teaching my kids about Christianity.

For now, I want to leave you with some encouragement. Is there hope for the one who walks away? I am convinced there is, as I am sure that our patient, gracious God is eager to receive each prodigal son and daughter in His loving arms. Time will tell who will find their way back home. What separates those who do and those who don’t is not a God who loves one and not the other, but rather, it is whether the individual is willing to seek the truth and follow Him if that is where it leads. One of my favorite Bible passages to quote is the following:

“And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings, so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us.” (Acts 17:26-27)

Let me repeat that last phrase one more time: “He is not far from each one of us.” That includes the one who has walked away from Him. There is always hope because the Father is still right where He’s always been…waiting.