Evangelicalism is inherently Fundamentalist, both theologically and socially. (Please see Are Evangelicals Fundamentalists?) Evangelicals who say they aren’t Fundamentalists either don’t understand Fundamentalism or are Evangelical-in-name-only. I know more than a few people who are liberal theologically, yet they continue to attend Evangelical churches. Family connections, comfort, familiarity, and worship style are often given as reasons why they remain. I even know a few atheists who go to church on Sundays. Strange, from my perspective, but each to his own, right?
Christian Fundamentalism affects every aspect of our lives, regardless of whether we are believers. Fundamentalists currently have the ear of President Trump and can be found holding cabinet level seats in his administration. Fundamentalists regularly come to the White House to pray for Trump, reminding him that he is God’s super-sexy chosen one. Most U.S. people believe the Christian God created the universe, and many of them believe the earth and all therein was created 6,023 years ago. A majority of people believe the Bible is a supernatural book written by God. Worse yet, many people believe the stories of the Old and New Testaments really happened. Never mind the fact that there is no evidence for stories such as the flood or the exodus, and no evidence outside of the Bible for the supernatural claims found in the New Testament. Despite these facts, millions and millions of Evangelicals believe the stories of the Bible are true; that the Bible is an inspired, inerrant, infallible text. Simply put, ignorance abounds.
There is only one cure — besides death — for Christian Fundamentalism: knowledge. And therein lies the problem. Evangelicals aren’t known for their Einstein-like intellectual prowess. Evangelicals are encouraged to just read the Bible and select Christian books that reinforce their beliefs. Questions and doubts are drowned in the sea of faith. Congregants are warned about how Satan uses doubt to lead people astray. People such as myself are tools of Satan, pawns of the Evil One. How dare we cause people to question and doubt!
In a post earlier today, I mentioned the YouTube video lectures of Yale University professor, Dr. Christine Hayes. As I listened to her lectures, I found myself saying, man, if only I had heard these things when I was training for the ministry at Midwestern Baptist College; if only I had stumbled upon these things as a pastor. Unfortunately, I was sheltered from any and all knowledge that challenged or rebutted Christian Fundamentalism, that called into question my beliefs. Of course, my pastors and professors knew that if I was exposed to non-Evangelical theology and history, it would likely lead to either unbelief or the adoption of liberal Christian beliefs. So, they hid the truth from me.
You can’t argue Christian Fundamentalists out of their beliefs. Deeply rooted in faith, it is almost impossible to get Evangelicals to question their system of belief. The only thing I know to do is encourage them to read non-Evangelical books and blogs and listen to videos that challenge the fundamentals of their faith.
The books of Dr. Bart Ehrman, a renowned New Testament scholar, are a good starting place:
The Triumph of Christianity: How a Forbidden Religion Swept the World
Misquoting Jesus: The Story Behind Who Changed the Bible and Why
How Jesus Became God: the Exaltation of a Jewish Preacher from Galilee
Did Jesus Exist?: The Historical Argument for Jesus of Nazareth
Forged: Writing in the Name of God–Why the Bible’s Authors Are Not Who We Think They Are
God’s Problem: How the Bible Fails to Answer Our Most Important Question — Why We Suffer
Want to gain a good understanding of the Old Testament? Try Dr. Christine Hayes’ free course, Introduction to the Old Testament. Over 20 hours in length, this course will literally destroy everything you were taught by Evangelical pastors and professors about the Old Testament.
Start here:
Converting Christian Fundamentalists requires exposing them to authors, writers, and speakers who challenge their sincerely held beliefs. Arguing with them and getting into shit-throwing Twitter battles is a waste of time. It might feel good to put them in their place, but if our goal is to make the world a better place, then we are going to have to evangelize Evangelicals with the gospel of reason and truth — one person at a time.
Bruce Gerencser, 67, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 46 years. He and his wife have six grown children and thirteen grandchildren. Bruce pastored Evangelical churches for twenty-five years in Ohio, Texas, and Michigan. Bruce left the ministry in 2005, and in 2008 he left Christianity. Bruce is now a humanist and an atheist.
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It’s tough to convince them to read something. They live in a system that teaches them that their Bible/church/pastor is the ultimate authority and that anything contradictory is of Satan and to be distrusted. But I wholeheartedly agree that arguing with them is pointless, and that education is the key to breaking those ridiculous beliefs. (When I told my brother about things I had learned that contradicted fundamentalist belief, he said I should seek spiritual knowledge instead of worldly knowledge, so I knew that was the end of the conversation).
Hi Bruce,
Are the atheists you know who go to church Christian atheists? ).
Hey Bruce, this is well written and so true! I have been fortunate to have a couple friends who, through my Christian years, asked me hard questions about the Bible and what it teaches. I think the key to me being open to their questions is that I actually went to them first with some questions. I would ask their opinion on certain topics and they would tell me what they thought, and asked questions in return. I don’t think either would say they are atheists, but skeptics for sure. These hard questions made me do research, in the Bible and outside of it. Gasp! Outside the Bible?!?! Shocking. Like you and ObstacleChick pointed out, we were discouraged from reading anything other than the Bible and certain Christian writers. Why this never sent up any red flags, I have no idea? The research I did brought more questions with it. So I read more, and then more questions. And so on. As I read your post I found myself going, “yep!”, through all of it. The leaders of the churches I came out of said all those things! Don’t read anything that makes you question your faith. It’s of the devil! Ugh. Thanks for posting the links by Ehrman. I’ll have to check those out.
Let me know what you think of Ehrman’s books. He’s a scholar, but his popular books are quite readable. He is a master at distilling complex textual issues down to a level where they can be understood by the average reader.
so familiar. never read,see, or accept help outside the church. the worst advice came from the preachers. guess their special conduit to god was off that day? glad I am out and got my kids out before they were really indoctrinated. thanks for continuing to educate and write about these issues.
I agree. I believe it was the fact that I was allowed to read science books as a child that kept me from turning to Fundamentalism. Carl Sagan, Steven Jay Gould, and other science writers were a big influence on my early development. Unfortunately, I fell away from reason and embraced religious superstition, in my forties, when going through a stressful time. It was only when Jesus was clearly ignoring my suffering that I came to realize there was nothing to pray to. But, like addicts, we can only change when we are truly ready to change.
I am followed by some Fundamentalist/Quiverfull people on Twitter. They never argue. They don’t troll me. They don’t comment. They are just quietly there, despite my anti-religious posts. I have heard from some ex-Christians who did the same. They secretly followed atheist/agnostic accounts because they were starting to doubt, but had nobody to talk to in real life. They are terrified of being shunned. We must remember that although it appears no one is listening, many are doing so secretly, and they will change in their own time. Rather than trolling and fighting, I try to set a good example for the secular movement. It will work better in the long run.
My pastors drilled into my head the importance of having a good testimony. I still believe that today as an atheist and humanist. Every time I see a fellow secularist get in a shit-throwing contest on social media with a Fundamentalist Christian, I want to say, “you are not helping our cause.” Sure, sometimes it feels good to rip the head off a Fundy and spit in their neck. 🙂 But, such behavior does nothing to change minds and convert people to a humanist worldview.
Dear Pawn of the Evil One,
How is it possible that the all powerful god of the Bible brooks any opposition at all? Supposedly he brought Satan into this world and could take him out with a mere thought. How can anyone or anything oppose an all-powerful, all-knowing entity?
If Satan is messing with God’s plans, heck the Mafia would take him out, so would many other organizations, but Jesus … apparently not.
Hello! Would you consider Francis Collins to be evangelical in name only? I recently read his book The Language if God and, as someone who has “struggled” to harmonize science to my evangelical faith since age 20, enjoyed it. I am now in my mid 30s and am considering reading books by Bart Ehrman since you have recommended him so often on this blog. My husband’s view about God sending people to hell is the same as yours in your “16 reasons I am not a Christian” article. I got a kick out of all of those descriptors! He was never in evangelicalism as deep as I was growing up and has a lot more standard objections and questions that I have.
Joy,
Theologically — creationism aside — Francis Collins is Evangelical. He’s definitely on the left end of the Evangelical spectrum based on everything I know about him.
Thank you for the kind words. I think you will find Bart Ehrman’s books helpful. Send me an email and let me know what you think. I’m currently reading his latest book, Heaven & Hell. Quite an eye opening book, even for someone with my theological background.
Be well.
Bruce
Hello Mr. Gerencser, not a Evangelical but a Catholic, I am curious how you square the belief that existence is a cosmic accident with the belief that humanity is important. I am being sincere, when I questioned my Faith I was never able to get over the hump of nihilism or of where matter comes from if it has no source and I would like to hear if you have any answers on the subject. All I have asked before have essentially behaved in what I am sure you would derisively term a religious manner and told me to have faith that the answer was out there it simply has not been discovered yet.
All any of us know is what happened from the Big Bang forward. No one knows what happened before that. You assert, without evidence, that your peculiar deity is the First Cause. I’m content to say “I don’t know,” and quite frankly “I don’t care.” I’m dying. My life is short, so I focus my time and energy on what matters: my wife, children, and grandchildren; their future happiness and prosperity; the Cincinnati Reds; the Cincinnati Bengals; feral cats, birds, and wildlife; walks on beaches with the love of my life; helping people break free from Evangelical Christianity. Every day, I do what I can to meaningfully help others; to make the world a better place to live. I’ve not had one nihilistic thought in my life — ever. I don’t need a deity for my life to have meaning or purpose. The question is: why do you?
Thanks for commenting.
If the universe is without cause then everything in it must necessarily be also without cause; and they can gain no worth through your esteem because you are yourself without worth. This is the source of the nihilism. I have my answer though, despite your failure to address my question directly but rather to pathetically play on my ego.
Have a pleasant day Mr. Gerencser
I didn’t say the universe is without cause. I am saying none of us know what that cause is. And I don’t care. Life is too short for me to waste time on the unknowable. Tonight, ten of our grandchildren are spending the night at our house. Our home is filled with laughter and noise. THIS is what matters to me. I don’t need a deity to enjoy life; to find meaning and purpose. That you can’t wrap your mind around this is your problem not mine.
I directly answered your question. Don’t like my answer? Again, that’s your problem not mine.
If you want to have a meaningful discussion with me, fine. However, it you continue on the path you are on, consider this your last comment.
Cody, think about and analyse what you’ve said. Essentially it boils down to ‘the universe is really complicated, and I don’t like that science isn’t finding the answers quickly, perhaps maybe never will. So I’ve decided to invent an answer, for which I admittedly have no evidence, and I call it God’. It might make you feel better but I’d rather deal with reality, not what makes some people feel better.
Incidentally, asking where matter comes from is a pointless question as it assumes a state of ‘nothing’. There’s no evidence that there is such a state: even if you could demonstrate there were such a state you’d still have to show how a god could create something from nothing as opposed to a naturalistic explanation. In short, belief in God presents far more problems than it solves.
Christopher Hitchens said something that, I think, addresses what Cody really fears about what he calls “nihilism.” “In ‘The Future of an Illusion,’ Freud made the obvious point that religion suffered from one incurable deficiency: it was too clearly derived from our own desire to escape from or survive death. This critique of wish-thinking is strong and unanswerable.” If there is no God, no First Mover, and the universe I live in is grand, terrible and indifferent to me, then my death is final. No more me. That’s hard to take. Those of us who face this brutal fact straight on find meaning in our little lives by doing good for others, being creative and enjoying art and music, and improving ourselves, among other positive actions. We live fully now, with no expectations of life beyond this one.