Skip to main content



Maybe it's just me, but I find it interesting that there is a seemingly increasing front against the cultural American Christianity known as Evangelicalism, not to mention against God himself (thank you Christopher Hitchens, Sam Harris, Richard Dawkins, et. al.). I say this because of some recent books published where each author at one time considered himself a conscious, consenting troop in the evangelical front.

I find this trend particularly interesting, because I myself, an "evangelical" (though I might act a lot like our beloved Apostle Peter when confronted with a potentially threatening situation concerning my allegiances to the evangelical identity, though not concerning my faith [knock on wood...]) must seriously consider the issues raised within these publications.

John Marks, author of:
Reasons to Believe: One Man's Journey Among the Evangelicals and the Faith He Left Behind?

Bart Ehrman, author of:
God's Problem: How the Bible Fails to Answer Our Most Important Question--Why We Suffer

Franky Schaeffer, author of:
Crazy for God: How I Grew Up as One of the Elect, Helped Found the Religious Right, and Lived to Take All (or Almost All) of It Back


What am I to make of these? These are people who have credentials. They have thought about these issues long and hard, a lot longer than I have. All have expressed and would admit genuine (at the time) conversion experiences. They don't appear to be reactionaries (though maybe Franky Schaeffer is...). All have found evangelicalism wanting. Marks is polite. Ehrman is indicting. Schaeffer is disillusioned. Schaeffer still maintains some expression of allegiance to the Christian faith, though doesn't know how much. Marks and Ehrman have found Christianity itself as a faith without sufficiency since it fails to answer the fundamental question, "Why is there so much evil, if God is so good?" They no longer believe. Why do I?

What is going on? Why are so many people publishing "their story" and why do they think we care? Well, unfortunately (I say this because of the gruesome process of simply trying to comprehend the issues), I do care. I wish I didn't, but I do. I don't care about politics, but I do care about religion. Especially my own. At this point, I confess with Augustine, "Seek not to understand that you may believe, but believe that you may understand.” and Anselm, "I do not seek to understand that I may believe, but I believe that I may understand: for this I also believe, that unless I believe I will not understand."

I find a book by Randall Balmer to have been especially helpful in my case. It's called "Growing Pains: Learning to Love My Father's Faith". It's his story about his "leaving" fundamentalism for the academy and how ultimately he embraced the faith of his father, just not the same expression of faith.

Popular posts from this blog

A response to my beloved mother: part 2

READ THIS POST FIRST MY MOTHER : "I'm a registered Conservative, but my vote counted since they endorsed McCain, so I guess it all depends on who the Libertarian's endorse, and even if it were someone difference, at least you would have had a part in voting for the "most" righteous candidate, and McCain was the one even though he's still not the Christian ideal! Remember, Bill Clinton was a "pro-choice" candidate as well as one who furthered the homosexual agenda, so it wasn't surprising to me that 9/11 happened after his term was up and it's not surprising that the economy is faltering so badly now, and it won't surprise me if Obama continues the downward spiral, even if it is into socialistic policies since that's how Europe has gone since they left off looking to God. It doesn't matter what the rest of the world is doing since the majority have been anti-God for so long and their nations have paid for that for centuries (Dark...
Read more

I don't have all the answers, but I do have two cents.

My friend and fellow recovering ex-fundamentalist , I greet you joyously knowing the freedom you have found in leaving fundamentalism, however I am saddened by your departure as a whole from our Lord. I indeed understand the hardship which you have faced is cause for questioning God’s existence, faithfulness, and love to his creation. I would like to respond to you because I feel like I understand your socio-religious background. Let me first tell you my goal is not to re-convert you, but rather to give you a second thought from one who grew up in similar roots, whose posture of faith remains bent toward the gospel. I also grew up in ultra-conservative fundamentalism. If names like Peter Ruckman, Jack Hyles, Arlin Horton, etc, mean anything to you than you will understand. I graduated from PCC. OMG. I cannot believe it, but it’s true. What a crazy place. Fear, guilt, shame, legalism were the name of the game! As long as you “caught the spirit” all of life would be good and God would b...
Read more

The Intolerance of Presbyterian Creeds

The bind between American political allegiance and Protestant evangelical conservatism is a key which unlocks the door of much early American civil history especially during the antebellum era through the early 20th century. To be conservative and American meant that you must regard a Protestant form of Christianity, namely the revivalistic, moral gospel which declared a morally conservative view of the socio-political system as king. In fact, not to be Protestant and politically conservative was in line with defaming the stars and stripes. Hart describes a situation in the early 20th century where the state of Utah elected and appointed a Mormon Apostle, Reed Smoot, to the U.S. Senate. Smoot underwent serious investigation from a Senate appointed committee to deliberate upon the ability of a Mormon to function in the place of a Senator given his religious views. The conservative Protestant ethos of the age was skeptical of any other religious conviction in its ability to be “American”...
Read more