Losing Your Faith

A friend and high school classmate of mine recently posted two articles on his Facebook wall about Christians (and Pastors in particular) "losing their faith." Another one of my friends (and also a high school classmate) commented that she couldn't wait to read my response. Instead of getting into an unproductive back and forth on Facebook I wanted to share my thoughts in a blog post. You can find the first article here and the second here.

First, let me say that this story does not shock or surprise me. I think most people with a Christian background go through a crisis of faith in their life. I actually think it's a part of the process that God uses to prove whether or not we have a real faith. That's what Peter had in mind when he wrote:

⁶ In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. ⁷ These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire —may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. ⁸ Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, ⁹ for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls. 1 Peter 1:6-9

Scripture mentions several people who at one point-in-time professed to know and serve God but later left the faith, Hymenaeus and Alexander for example (1 Timothy 1:18-20).  This is nothing new. Not even for "Ministers." It happens.  


Second, and this may sound strange to say, but I think it is a healthy thing for every believer to struggle with their faith. Real faith necessarily involves three things: knowledge, assent and trust (I used to refer to them as the KAT of faith). Frankly, I sometimes cringe when I hear people talk about their "faith." It's as if their belief is solely based on emotion and pie in the sky. On the contrary, real faith is rational. It is based on the knowledge of certain facts about the gospel as you understand them. It requires that you intellectually assent to those facts and that you make a volitional decision to place your trust in the person (Christ) to whom those facts point.

You will not understand everything there is to know about God or Christ or the Bible when you first exercise your faith, but you better make the effort to grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord (2 Peter 3:18). This means you need to continue to learn more, read more and study more. It means you need to challenge yourself to always grow in your understanding of the facts of the gospel and the arguments for and against Christianity (also known as apologetics). Of course there will be doubts, there will be challenges and there will be struggles...but you have to do this in order to know that your faith is real.

Unfortunately, like Teresa MacBain (the minister in the first article), the process causes some people to "lose their faith." What can you do about it? You can't worry about them (in the sense that YOU cannot change their mind, only God can). You can pray for them. In the end, that's about it.

"I believe in God," says her husband, Ray. "And to be honest, I pray for her every night, I got friends praying for her."


But he says he adores his wife and defends her right to disbelieve. "That's why I spent 23 years in the Army. That's why I'm still a police officer. We have freedom of speech and freedom of thought. And God never forced anybody to believe, so who am I to step up?"

The one thing that does bother me is the shunning. On the one hand, I think it's perfectly understandable that members of her congregation are disappointed and hurt. I mean the woman had been leading a double life for over a year (and struggling for several years prior to that). She had been "preaching" sermons and teaching the congregation things she did not believe. The feeling of betrayal on the part of the congregation is only human. On the other hand, Christians tend to put their leaders on a pedestal and their "faith" in the minister instead of God. Then, when the leader falls either through a moral failure or through a rejection of their faith, we are devastated. It is an unrealistic perspective and an unhealthy practice.

Having said that, when situations like this occur the church tends to fulfill the caracature the world has of it as being judgmental, legalistic and grace-less. I was disappointed to see that only a few of her friends would even talk to her. How can you continue to care for a person if you refuse to reach out to them? Now granted, I have had a few experiences where people very dear to me have renounced their faith and they tend to become uneasy to love. It makes it difficult to remain friends because they actually become hostile in their attitude and demeanor. But that should never be said of a Christian. There are ways to communicate your care for them without being condescending and harsh. Furthermore, if you truly believe that a person's eternal soul is at risk, you will do whatever you can to continue to look for opportinities to show them the love of Christ.    

Third, I find it ironic that those who call themselves "atheists" get so worked up when they get one to join their team. It's almost like they are...oh, I don't know, a religion or something! From the article, I gleaned the following:

• Atheists have their own church meetings (MacBain was speaking at an Atheist Convention)
• Atheists have their own preachers (MacBain and the other speakers at the convention)
• Atheists get emotional when their preachers speak (people jump to their feet, hoot and clap for her as she speaks [an atheists version of an "amen?"] it sounds like a typical charismatic church service)
• Atheists have their own missionary groups (The Clergy Project) and fellowship groups (Humanists of Florida Association)
• Atheists even have their own prophets (e.g. Richard Dawkins mentioned in the second article)

I think MacBain, said it best herself.

"I have never felt so appreciated and cared for, you know?" MacBain says later, noting that she has left one community — Christianity — for another. "New member, just been born — that's what it feels like."

Hmmm...

The thing that you need to remember is that people make rational, intellegent decisions everyday to place their faith in God. They do this after looking at the facts. They do this because they realize that their life without God has no meaning and  purpose. Most people never regret that decision even though their life is not always peaches and cream. Despite the struggles and despite the crisis moments where their faith is challenged, they continue on, they persevere if you will, because their faith is real.