Link Neal on Why He Left the Christian Faith

On a recent podcast, Link Neal (of the comedy duo Rhett and Link) detailed his "spiritual deconstruction": his process of leaving the Christian faith. His podcast/Youtube/comedy partner, Rhett McLaughlin, had previously detailed his "spiritual deconstruction" on the previous week's podcast. Whereas Rhett focused on the intellectual component to his leaving the faith, Link focused more on the emotional side of things.

Near the end of the podcast, Rhett stepped in to observe that he knows that many Christians will explain these stories of "spiritual deconstruction" as indicating that he and Link were never really Christians (and Rhett seems to acknowledge that some Bible passages would lead Christians to this conclusion). Rhett and Link seem somewhat chagrined at the reaction that they expect from evangelical Christians (like me); they would rather be heard and accepted without any push-back. However, while maintaining "gentleness and respect," Christians must be"prepared to make a defense to anyone" concerning the hope within us (see 1 Peter 3:15), and we must "destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ" (2 Corinthians 10:5). Therefore, we cannot simply smile and nod when someone walks away from the Christian faith, when they say that belief in Jesus is unfounded. We must have an answer for their reasons and their experience.

So while (as I previously noted regarding Rhett's account of his "spiritual deconstruction") I would not necessarily recommend the podcast for immature Christians who are not firmly grounded in their faith, nevertheless I would strongly recommend that mature Christians, and especially those in any kind of recognized teaching or counseling position, take them time to listen to it. It is important to consider the thoughts and experiences of others, and then to consider how we should respond from a biblical perspective. You can listen to the podcast at the following link [no pun intended?]: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/227-links-spiritual-deconstruction-ear-biscuits-ep-227/id717407884?i=1000465144790

In terms of Link's testimony, there are three major themes that particular struck me as noteworthy. These are: hypocrisy, emotionalism, and "enlightened" morality. I believe that it is worthwhile to consider each of these in relation to understanding the experience of one who walks away from the Christian faith.

Hypocrisy

Speaking of his experience as a professing Christian in high school, Link says, "We didn't cuss: not in public at least; we didn't fool around with our girlfriends, or we felt guilty about it when we did." He then details an experience with getting drunk at a high school party. Link describes his mindset in deciding to drink as, "Screw it, I just want to have a little fun!" In considering a later experience, as an adult with doubts, yet leading worship in a church, he describes himself as closing his eyes tight, knowing that others would think he was intensely worshiping, while he was really trying his hardest to feel close to God, yet feeling nothing.

All of us as Christians will sin. We all still need a Savior. When we do sin, it should cause us to come back to Jesus. When there is sin in our lives, and especially if there is a pattern of an ongoing internal life that is inconsistent with our external profession, it should drive us to check if we have really come to possess the faith we profess. And if someone finally walks away from the faith, it is reasonable to conclude that the answer to that question was 'no'.

Emotionalism

As mentioned above, in giving the account of his own "spiritual deconstruction", Link was more focused than Rhett on the emotional component of his journey. At several points in his testimony, he emphasized not feeling close to God. Changing feelings or a lack of certain feelings: these seem to be a big part of Link's motivation in leaving the Christian faith.

Emotions are an important part of life. For the Christian, it is crucial that we desire God as we ought. If we don't delight in the Lord, then we definitely need a change in our lives. On the other hand, emotions are a great servant, but a terrible master.

Upon getting married as a young man in the mid-1600s, John Bunyan left behind a wild, sinful lifestyle, and he became a deeply religious person, "who went to church and read the Bible [along with other Christian devotional books]. His attempts at reformation, however, put him on an emotional roller coaster; visions of light and hope were followed by seizures of depression, doubt, fear, and guilt" [source: Cheryl V. Ford, "Preface to The Pilgrim's Progress"]. It is important to note that later in life Bunyan realized that these intense emotions in trying to be devoted to the Lord, and even (at that time) of feeling the word of God strongly impressed upon his mind in different ways, were PRIOR TO his actual conversion. It was ONLY LATER that Bunyan received the new birth, and learned to truly look outside of himself to Christ, loving Jesus for who He is.

I believe that Christians should understand young Link Neal's experience in the same way that the older John Bunyan reflected on his own experience from when he was a young man. I'm sure Link's religious experiences were intense. But as Jonathan Edwards noted in his work on Religious Affections: "It is no sign one way or the other [that a person is truly a Christian], that religious affections are very great, or raised very high." A person should not bank on his religious affections as necessarily indicating that he possesses true faith. When those affections begin to wane, a person should not let an emotionally stale state lead him away from the Lord.

Faith must come before affections/emotions, being grounded in Truth outside oneself. The truth of who Jesus is and what He has done is found in both evidential reality in the material world (which evidence—such as the eyewitness testimonies of the Apostle John [see John 19:35] and over 500 others [see 1 Corinthians 15:6]—Rhett and Link now deny) and in metaphysical/presuppositional reality (which was mentioned barely, if at all, in these podcasts). Idolizing emotions as the be-all and end-all, so that feelings define everything about what it means to be human and to live in relationship with people and with God: this is a besetting sin in our society.

"Enlightened" Morality

Link's feelings lead him to the conclusion that he is better than the God who spoke the universe into existence. At least, Link would say that his morals are better than those of God as He is presented in the Bible. The biblical definition of marriage as between a man and a woman [see Matthew 19:4-5] and the biblical condemnation of homosexuality [see Romans 1:26-27]: these are offensive to Link, and would form a barrier for Link re-thinking his current rejection of Christianity.

In the podcast, Link also says: "If God exists... I just can't believe that me being open and sincere, and as loving as possible and as honest as possible, is disqualifying me from receiving God's love. I can't accept that. I can't just decide to be or believe something that I don't." There is no verse that says "being open and sincere, and as loving as possible and as honest as possible" disqualifies anyone "from receiving God's love." However, we do earn spiritual death through falling short. And our consciences should acknowledge that we all fall short: certainly of God's standards, but even of any substitute standards that we might want to establish. Does Link really believe that he is always "as loving as possible and as honest as possible"? Wouldn't he have to admit that he falls short and, at least through weakness or distraction, he is often selfish and shades the truth? Such a consideration (and certainly a consideration of God's law, which demands perfect love for God and neighbor) should drive Link and all of us to realize that we need a Savior: that we are not as moral as we would like to believe, and that we need instruction as to what love really looks like.

The Root Problem: A Need for a New Heart

Notice the end of Link's quote that I cited in the last paragraph: "I can't just decide to be or believe something that I don't." This is a true statement. Link and all of us are naturally "dead in transgressions and sins... gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts... by nature children under wrath" (see Ephesians 2:1-3). Again, Link and all of us need a rescue from outside of ourselves. If YOU are to have life and have it to the full [see John 10:10], YOU must have a new heart [see Ephesians 2:4-10; Ezekiel 36:26].  God's radical, rescuing, regenerating activity: this is my prayer for Link and for each person reading this post.

Closing Your Prayers With Gospel Consideration

[The following originally appeared on this blog on 1/13/12; I still find this practice/consideration personally helpful.]

People do not choose to do things that they find boring. And repetition-- doing the exact same thing in the exact same way-- is one of the surest paths to boredom. One of the reasons that some Christians falter in their duty to pray is because, after awhile, prayer gets boring: the same basic prayers are brought before God again and again, and the prayer is ended with "in Jesus' name, amen;" thus, prayer becomes a rote exercise.

One opportunity for a greater degree of variety in our prayers, which many of us may miss, is at the end of our prayers. Christians should certainly pray in the name of Jesus. But instead of simply rattling off "in Jesus' name" at the end of your prayers, consider giving serious attention to who Jesus is and what He has done as you pray.

In considering who Jesus is when you pray, think of who He is in your personal experience. For example: if you have found Jesus to be dear to you, you might end some of your prayers with, "in the precious name of Jesus I pray;" if you have found Jesus to be mighty in answering prayer, you might end some of your prayers with, "in the powerful name of Jesus I pray."

Also, pay close attention as you read your Bible day-by-day. If you have just read Genesis 1, for example, you might end your prayer with, "in the name of Jesus-- the Word through whom the worlds were created-- I pray;" if you have just read Genesis 3, you might end your prayer with, "in the name of Jesus-- the true seed of Eve-- I pray." One benefit of ending your prayers in this way [or in including this type of consideration at any point when you pray] is that it will help you to see how all Scripture points you to Christ, and it will help you to get to know the incarnate Word through means of His written Word.

Additionally, give attention to categories of Systematic Theology as you pray. When you think about perseverance, for example, you might end your prayer with, "in the name of Jesus, who keeps my soul safe safe until the end, I pray;" as you think about imputation, you might end your prayer with, "on the basis of Christ's righteousness alone I pray."

Prayers using terms from the Bible and from systematic theology will also lead you to think about what Jesus has done as you pray. Thinking of Jesus' obedience to the Father on our behalf-- obedience to the point of death-- and thinking of Jesus' victory over death, can also invigorate your prayers. And so you might end some prayers with, "in the name of Jesus-- who died for our sins, and was raised for our justification-- I pray." Speaking to God in such gospel terms will train your heart and mouth to speak the good news of Jesus Christ before the people for whom you are praying.

Rhett McLaughlin on Why He Left the Christian Faith

On a recent podcast, Rhett McLaughlin (of the comedy duo Rhett and Link) detailed his "spiritual deconstruction": his process of leaving the Christian faith. Though focused on relating his own personal experience, in this podcast, Rhett is also (in part) trying to persuade Christians to question and walk away from their own faith as well, since (he says) he does not believe that Christianity is in line with the truth. (In the podcast, he promotes resources that contributed to his "spiritual deconstruction".)

While I would not recommend the podcast for immature Christians who are not firmly grounded in their faith, I would strongly recommend that mature Christians, and especially those in any kind of recognized teaching or counseling position, take them time to listen to it. Most Christians have had or will have a friend who, seeming to possess a strong relationship with Jesus and a full knowledge of God's Word, later turns his back on the Christian faith. However, most people who apostatize are unwilling or unable to articulate their thought process to the degree that Rhett does in this podcast. (Rhett apparently has kept a journal for years, so he can accurately describe what was going through his mind during his 'journey'.)  So, it might be helpful for believers to have a fully detailed account of what apostasy looks like from the point-of-view of the apostate. You can listen to the entire podcast at the following link: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/226-rhetts-spiritual-deconstruction-ear-biscuits-ep-226/id717407884?i=1000464459618

Here are some notes that I took during the podcast, which I think my brothers and sisters in Christ should find particularly interesting.

Former Faith

First, we should note that Rhett strongly rejects any idea that he was simply going through the motions of Christianity, without a real faith in Jesus. This is how Rhett describes his belief:

I believed that Jesus was the Son of God, that a personal relationship with Him was the only way to be saved, the only way to go to Heaven when you die, and this belief defined everything for me... Jesus was as real to me as He possibly could be without physically manifesting Himself in my presence. It was a relationship.

He says that he was not a 'Sunday morning Christian,' but that his belief shaped his entire worldview, and that he was engaged in evangelistic, apologetic, and discipleship ministries. Rhett does mention that: "Even in the midst of a very vibrant Christian faith, I had doubts."

Early Doubts

Specific early doubts that Rhett mentions:

-How the Bible came together

-Concerning the resurrection of Jesus

Rhett says that when he would start to have doubts, he would read "Christian experts" [="apologetics"]. That would "plaster over [his] doubt". These periodic struggles with doubt started for him in high school, and they intensified during college.

Doubting the Foundation

For Rhett, young earth creationism was a hang-up. In thinking about how scientists know the age of the earth and how the age of the earth should impact Christian belief, Rhett says that he initially found Creation and Time by Hugh Ross and The Bible, Rocks, and Time to be helpful. Rhett says that there is overwhelming evidence that the earth is billions of years old. When doubting young earth creationism, Rhett (at first) still believed in Adam and Eve and didn't believe in evolution. He viewed a literal Adam and Eve to be necessary for his belief due to the genealogy of Jesus found in Luke and the doctrine of Original Sin, which is the reason Jesus needed to come as a Savior.

Rhett says The Language of God by Francis Collins was transformative in his thinking. He asserts that this book presents "undeniable evidence for evolution". Rhett says of creationist responses for evolutionist arguments: 'I find them not to be compelling in the least.'

Rhett says that from his point of view: "The truth had to be more important than my beliefs." He asserts that Christians are so committed to their belief system that they are impervious to straightforward evidence of evolution. At first, Rhett thought he could incorporate evolution into his Christian belief; he recognized that C.S. Lewis believed in a theory of evolution. At this point in his 'journey,' Rhett says he spent a lot of time at the BioLogos website.

Once Rhett believed in evolution, he realized that some theistic evolutionists believed in a literal Adam and Eve. (He cites Tim Keller.) He still realized that a literal Adam and Eve were necessary to make sense of the story-line of Scripture, but he found it increasingly difficult to believe in them. His doubt "was creeping beyond the story of creation" into doubt about the Old Testament itself. He had been told that the Old Testament was always backed by archaeological evidence, but he came to disbelieve in this assertion.

Doubting the Old Testament

Specific doubts Rhett mentions concerning the Old Testament:

-Why is there no Egyptian historical record of the Israelite captivity, when the Egyptians "kept really good records"?

-Why is there no evidence of the conquest of Canaan by the Israelites?

Rhett says: "I was in crisis at this point." But he says that he tried to calm himself with the question: "Isn't the important thing Jesus?"

Concerning the slow development of his "spiritual deconstruction" (taking place over years), Rhett observes: "When you're in full-time ministry, you have no impetus to examine these things," because your livelihood depends on believing them, and why would you want to call into doubt the source of you income?

Rhett also observes that for Christianity, the whole of the Bible being true is a lynch-pin.

Doubting Jesus

Concerning the evidence for Jesus, Rhett had read Josh McDowell's Evidence That Demands a Verdict, and New Evidence That Demands a Verdict. He had read Lee Strobel's The Case for Christ, and he knew these resources well. Countering this evidence, Rhett cites Bart Ehrman's Jesus Interrupted, and The Historical Jesus: Five Views. Rhett came to the conclusion that the Gospel accounts of Jesus are a mix of history and religious propaganda.

Rhett declares: "The major shift for me occurred when I asked, 'What if I'm wrong?'"

Of his spiritual state today, Rhett says that he doesn't have a philosophy that gives him community, purpose, and meaning, but he has an openness that he says is the most liberating thing he has found in his adult life.

He self-describes as a hopeful agnostic.

He says he is currently in therapy, he does back exercises every day, and he watches what he eats, because this is the only life he knows he's got.

Some Thoughts Concerning Rhett's Account of His "Spiritual Deconstruction"

Personal: My primary response to the podcast is heartbreak. To have been given the light of the gospel and to have rejected Jesus as Lord is a tragic thing with everlasting consequences. Also, according to Rhett's account, he led his wife away from her Christian faith, and they have children as well.

Moral: For a large portion of Rhett's account, there is no consideration of any moral aspect of his decision to leave the Christian faith. Near the end of the podcast, Rhett and Link assert that turning away from the Christian faith has no negative impact on one's morals. (Interestingly, Rhett does not use any foul language in his account until after he describes his final rejection of Christianity, and from that point on the podcast contains several obscenities.) In recounting his "spiritual deconstruction," Rhett speaks as if his decision was entirely intellectual in nature (though he does mention an intense emotional impact made by his intellectual decision: especially in light of his relationship to his wife and others). However, it seems unlikely (just given how humanity works as a whole) that along with the intellectual doubts, there were not also specific moral temptations; also: Rhett's account does not consider whether acceptance or rejection of Jesus is, in itself, a moral decision (as John chapters 1 and 3 would indicate that it is).

Ecclesiastical: According to his account, Rhett remained in ministry positions (leading a church small group, etc.), while he was exploring serious doubts about his faith. He says that he did confide to certain Christian friends, voicing his doubts. However, it seems, the people that he confided in were either not in the position to remove him from a ministry position or they were unwilling to do so. If someone is unsure of the foundation of his faith, he is unqualified for any teaching ministry, in which he must be an example of faith to others. Someone should have insisted that he step away from ministry, rather than just waiting for him to make that decision. We should keep this in mind in our own churches as well.

Apologetic: Andy Stanley (the pastor of North Point Community Church in the Atlanta area) has [in]famously suggested that we "unhitch" Christianity from the Old Testament. He believes that in persuading people to consider the Christian faith, many evangelists and apologists are unnecessarily burdened by the perception that they have to defend Old Testament accounts. Stanley and apologists who follow his view believe that we should focus on getting people to consider the evidence for and claims of Christ, so that even if they remain in doubt about the rest of the Bible (at least initially), this will be enough to get them saved, and their other views can/will change over time. Rhett's account shows, however, that once the foundation is doubted, the rest of Christianity cannot stand. The same kind of thought process that doubts God's word about creation or Israel will lead a person to doubt the eternal Word, Jesus Christ.

4 Habits That Have Helped in My Personal Prayer Life

I've been slow to post this, because I've been concerned that I not violate Jesus' command: "Be careful not to do your 'acts of righteousness' before men, to be seen by them" (Matthew 6:1a). However, I do think that these habits that have helped me might help others as well. As far as I can know my own heart, that's the reason I'm posting them now.

I have struggled and sometimes continue struggle to have consistent, focused times of personal prayer. However, the following habits, developed over time, have been helpful. None of these habits are directly commanded in Scripture, so I'm not saying that they're the only way to do things, but if you're dissatisfied with how your prayer-life is going, I commend them to you.

1. Wake Up Earlier to Pray
This was the hardest habit for me to develop. I already felt that I was already getting up quite early to get ready and get to work on time. However, I realized that if I did not make some sort of self-sacrifice, I would never find the time to pray as I wanted. I also wanted to prioritize Bible reading and prayer in my daily schedule. Jesus Himself got up early to pray on at least some occasions, as we read about in Mark 1:35. Many others throughout church history who have had rich spiritual lives have engaged in sustained early-morning prayer as well. So, on at least several days a week, I've gotten in the habit of setting an alarm an hour before I would normally need to wake up to get ready for work. (In order to get enough sleep, this does require that I watch TV at night less than I used to, and some days I now don't watch any TV at all, which is probably good for me as well.)

2. Pray According to Priorities
After praying the petitions in the model prayer from Jesus (see Matthew 6:9-13), when I'm bringing specific petitions before the Lord on behalf of others, who should I pray for in the time that I have? I often prioritize prayers for others in terms of the priorities and people that God has providentially brought into my life. So I usually pray for the following, in this order:

a. my wife;
b. my children;
c. my extended family;
d. my church family (our pastors and deacons and their families, then other members);
e. my fellow staff members and teachers at the school where I work;
f. my students;
g. government officials.

3. Pray With Bible and Sermon Notes
 Prayer is us speaking to God. Scripture is God speaking to us. In personal prayer, it's rare that I don't have a  open Bible with me.  Also, I often review sermon notes when praying; I don't want to hear a sermon once and then forget it, but I want to meditate on the truths the pastor was proclaiming from God's Word so that they shape my life, and if they're going to shape my life, then they must first shape my prayer-life.

4. Write Out Prayers
One thing about getting up especially early to pray: I'm usually tired, so it can be quite hard to focus on what I'm wanting to bring before the Lord. One habit that's helped me maintain focus and not drift or doze is writing out my prayers. Often, I will use the back of my sermon notes pages from previous weeks and write out prayers that are shaped by the verses/teaching there.