For anyone who has ever felt lost or uncertain of their place in the world, deconstructing Christianity can provide a new perspective and a more fulfilling life. By examining the history and teachings of Christianity, and comparing them to other religious and philosophical beliefs, it is possible to find a more authentic path that is free from the dogmas and constraints of traditional Christianity.
There are many reasons people may have for deconstructing Christianity. Some may do so out of a sincere desire to find the truth, while others may do so out of a desire to undermine Christianity. Whatever the reason, deconstruction can be a valuable tool for examining religious beliefs and determining whether they hold up to scrutiny.
Why Do People Deconstruct Their Faith?
One point I would like to expand on here is what might be causing this movement of deconstruction among Christians. Some might say that in a digital age, the access to information gives people more opportunities to explore spiritual paths. But I don’t believe this is the root cause, since information doesn’t necessarily lead to wisdom (without some work on our own part).
Or maybe it’s driven by the latest movies and documentaries that seek to expose large Christian churches for crimes of financial and sexual abuse. This is a byproduct of an increasingly secular, humanist, agnostic culture, in which the percentage of religious “nones” has increased sharply in the last decade. But like any great multivariate study, there is almost always more than one contributing factor.
If you ask me, I think what we’re seeing is people crashing after binging on sugar-coated moralistic therapeutic deism (MDT) for so many years. MDT, in a sentence, says that God wants you to “feel good” about yourself because you do good things. Jesus is your best friend, your therapist, and only wants what’s best for you. This is a theology that is closely related to the prosperity gospel, and it isn’t all that substantial after all.
Christian Dogma Doesn’t Help Us Grow
One step further, I think people are deconstructing their faiths because they don’t feel academically or mentally stimulated in church. Instead of diving deep into stories and encourage critical thinking and alternate perspectives (much like a collegiate course might), pastors feed their congregants the same gospels over and over again, without offering any new conclusions.
Christians aren’t learning. And at the same time, Christian dogma says that God’s Word only exists in a collection of books and documents written in ancient times, and going outside of that would be sinful. This theory doesn’t even include how ministers have used this theological loophole to control, manipulate, shame, and coerce their congregants.
But once people have learned that God does indeed still speak today, by that point the church has lost its trust with its congregants, pastors and other clerical leaders lose their respect and authority, and people just never return to the pews. Best-case scenario, people leave the church, but not Jesus (and thank God for that).
What’s your story? Did deconstruction lead you further away from the church, or further up and into a greater appreciation for God’s immutability?
Hear my full story
Check out the first track of my latest EP, ‘Color Me Blue’, where I express what I, and many others like me, go through when feeling like we have no home church while we’re deconstructing.
