I want to share with you a concern that many Christians have about friends and family who are leaving behind their belief in truth, God, the Bible, and the moral value system that God institutes through the scriptures. This movement is called Christian Deconstructionism and is wreaking havoc in Christian families and churches. The Deconstructionist defaults to feelings and experience over history, research, apologetics, or any universal truth. Thanks to the many podcasts, internet videos, Facebook posts, blogs, and YouTube, deconstruction has become a threat to many Christian social media fans as thousands of people are abandoning their belief in Christ.
Teens and adults alike are jumping on the band wagon without thoroughly understanding what the real issues are in this movement. Though there are many reasons for this exodus, they all seem to have a few things in common: They have doubts and questions about their faith that have gone unanswered; misbehaving Christians are causing them to stumble; most pastors and youth workers are not teaching the truth of the Scriptures in a way that is relevant to their lives, and others leave because they cannot reconcile the idea of a good God allowing suffering.
In deconstructionist Joseph Honescko’s story, he tells why he left Christianity behind. “For years, I had watched faithful people pray, fast, and intercede only to find themselves heartbroken and without answers. Doubt became disdain for God’s very being. If his will being done meant his people suffered, I didn’t understand why he deserved my worship. It didn’t take long before I started poking at other parts of the faith, too. One question led to another, and it came to a crescendo that day our pastor had called the congregation to pray for a suffering member, and all I could think of was the times God hadn’t come through.”
Questioning and doubting the Christian faith does not have to level a death blow to someone’s trust in God. The hope of rebuilding faith comes through the work of the Holy Spirit working through Christians who have a solid understanding of the Christian faith built through studying the Bible and apologetics, which is a study of the defense of the Christian faith. They are the ones who are equipped to answer tough questions that, unless answered, will lead to disengagement of their belief in Christ. We all need to be able to answer people’s doubts and questions with gentleness and respect. Sadly, Christian schools, colleges, youth pastors, and churches are more of the problem than the solution for those with a shaky faith. Christians who want to help often struggle because they have not been taught how to build a solid biblical apologetical worldview for themselves. Therefore, those who desperately need to learn from them will flounder.
The good news is that we can become a part of turning the tide of wandering faiths. There is hope! We all need to approach the solution with Christian boldness and not shy away from people entertaining the idea of leaving their faith. Instead, we must make ourselves available to hear their side of the story and be prepared to talk with them and answer their questions about God, the Bible, and why a good God allows suffering.
Here are some suggested guidelines:
1. Have open conversations with your children or friends about their faith. Ask them to tell you about when they made their faith in Jesus their own.
2. Make sure that they understand that we all have doubts, but they can use them to learn more about their faith. There are answers, and social media is not the place to go to find them!
3. Be careful not to judge those who doubt, but rather listen to their story and engage with them at their level and not your own.
4. Ask for the Holy Spirit’s love, kindness, and compassion in your conversations. Please stay away from letting your conversations turn into a debate. They need to know that you love them and will always be there for them, no matter what.
It is for such a time as this that Anchorsaway ministry exists. We want you to be part of the solution. If you have never been taught apologetics or need a refresher, you can start today. Learn how to defend your faith and get your questions answered! Go to hicot32.sg-host.com Click on Unanswered: Smoke, Mirrors, and God for family and study, or click on Anchors Worldview Bootcamp for more in-depth learning. If we can assist you in any way, please call our office at 317-844-0381.
Thank you so much for your support and prayers.
Blessings,
Nancy