Thoughts on Rhett McLaughlin's Deconversion, and a Question About Deconstruction
Welcome back to The Think Institute Newsletter. Every Friday, you get one idea from me, one quote from somebody else, and something to think about.
AN IDEA FROM ME
Rhett McLaughlin, of “Rhett and Link” fame, recently explained to atheist Alex O’Connor that, in his view, Christian apologists are trying to make the facts match their own preconceived ideas, whereas higher critics of the Bible (who aren’t Christians) are actually interested in the truth. But Rhett is assuming, falsely, that the higher critical scholars are neutral. He assumes they are starting from a neutral perspective, and they're just trying to arrive at the truth. But I stand by this: there is no neutral ground between God and not-God.
That means, if you arbitrarily reject the ideas (A) that Scripture comes from God, (B) that God is there and (C) that God has revealed himself to us, you don't have a leg to stand on. You don't have a platform for truth or knowledge. You have no foundation for certainty at all. You can’t even investigate why the authors wrote Scripture the way that they did.
—From Christian Apologist REACTS to Rhett’s Sad Deconstruction
A QUOTE FROM SOMEBODY ELSE
Jesus is Lord. And as we declare the risen Son — the risen S-U-N and the risen S-O-N, Jesus — as we declare him, he illuminates everything else.
And he makes sense of:
Oh gosh, that's why human exceptionalism is really a thing.
Oh, that's why Christianity has exploded from nothing and has taken over the world — because Jesus has risen from the dead as Lord of all.
And at that point, we can return Jesus back to Rhett. Because I — I think Rhett loves Jesus. But I think Jesus had been packaged in a rationalistic apologetic that was actually quite fragile.
And when that foundation crumbled, Rhett has wanted to hold on to Jesus, but he's not sure that he can. And part of my advice to Rhett is: Deconstruct further. Deconstruct from that rationalism. And come to read the Scriptures again with Christ at the center. And cry out to God and — and — and say: "Jesus, show yourself to me as Lord." His person is the foundation for everything else.
—Glenn Scrivener, Rhett McLaughlin Needs MORE Deconstruction
SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT
Do you know anyone who has “deconstructed” their Christian faith? What does the Bible say about this phenomenon?
Reply to this email in seven days, and I will write you back.
In Christ,
Joel Settecase
President, The Think Institute
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