Around the time I was nursing a wounded ego for being stood up by the Ricky Schroder fan club, Neil Postman made a prediction in his 1985 book, Amusing Ourselves to Death. To put it bluntly. They launched the 'Mythical Morning' studio in 2012 in North . But the same timeworn skepticism the church has interacted with since its inception is given a fresh dose of potency when delivered to a whole new generation by cool and funny guys whove become a fixture of their childhood. Blend that with Rhett and Links magnetic personalities, and its no wonder the faith of many Christians has been unsettled. their home town version of Christianity placed on them. Celebrity YouTubers Rhett McLaughlin and Link Neal have caused a few waves following their collective decision to abandon the Christian faith. Rhett led off with his intellectual doubts and Link countered with an emotional appeal. Church is much more varied and diverse than you can imagine yet can all still When I was 11, I only had the opportunity to see Ricky Schroder once a week. About 24 minutes into the podcast, Rhett compares the development of human DNA to an instruction manual that gets two pages permanently stuck together, leaving the headers and footers in place to show exactly where one ends and the other begins. Would. He feared that truth would be lost in a sea of irrelevance.. To some, it smells like beauty and life; to others, it smells like death. However, celebrity Christian deconversions, or celebrity conversions, actually do matter. It gives you direction. Indeed they become: From the short exposure Ive had to the spiritual journey of Rhett and Link it seems they will produce even more love, joy, peace, gentleness, and kindness that Jesus says will come from those who are following him. What I want to address is that even if Evolution were true (which I dont believe it is) there are way too many things in this world that need explanations that the Naturalistic worldview cannot answer. Youre gonna get through this. I couldnt check his Instagram for updates every hour or tweet at him with the real possibility he might tweet back. Rhett and Link met each other way back in Elementary school in North Carolina and theyve stuck together into adulthood, at one time passing through a ministry phase as full-time staffers with Campus Crusade (now called Cru). Confession: When I was a kid, I was in love with Ricky Schroder. Thats worse than a house of cards. Could it be that the cultural influences driving these, Rhett was careful to say he doesnt think these apologists are intentionally deceiving anyone. Christians today must be ready to provide a compelling defense for Christand even play some offenseas we demonstrate an alternative story to deconversion. Christians today must be ready to provide a compelling defense for Christand even. Ray Comfort explains the reason why this happens so often with those who used to believe in Christianity. This is what Ive been teaching them. Living Waters exists to inspire and equip Christians to fulfill the Great Commission. Popular YouTubers Rhett McLaughlin and Link Neal have publicly announced that they have left Christianity and landed in agnosticism.. Their deconversions are especially noteworthy given how publicly the two had once been with their Christian faith (e.g., missionaries for CRU, featured in Phil Vischer's What's in the Bible?It's also noteworthy that Rhett and Link have over 15 million . Every bit helps, and is greatly appreciated. It's not the End of the World When public figures walk away from the faith, a lot of Christians panic; but really, it's not the end of the world. I remember my former Christian marriage therapist asking me point blank: What are you getting from this? Demas traded eternal hope for earthly treasure. For example, in 2016, they worked on a scripted television show called Rhett & Link's Buddy System that saw the pair act in a bid to entertain their viewers. 4K Followers. The YouTube comedy duo Rhett and Link are well-known for eating bizarre foods, making wacky music videos, and more recently, walking away from the Christian faith. ButIm more interested now in what I do when I LIVE.because the only thing that I know that Ive got is this life. Get your FREE eBook about deconstruction: 'Before You Lose Your Faith'. Link is known to be awkwardly funny, a master of organization, the President of the Republic of Cheesistan, and prone to retching and gagging when introduced to strange or unfamiliar food. How would it affect their revenue streams and net worth to remain faithful Christians in todays cultural climate? Do you think you know more than all these other brilliant people before you? Of course that knife cuts both ways, although the people who say this never do see how it should undermine their own confidence, as well. Their shift away from Christianity, though, raises quite a few red flags, especially given so much of it seems to hinge on their own experiences and desire to embrace the LGBTQ community. When youve mixed with European Christians, Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! It gives you something to hold on to. Alisa Childers wrote a piece for The Gospel Coalition critiquing Rhett & Links shared spiritual deconstruction from evangelical Christianity. Please have your Passports Ready. He cohosts the award-winning television program Way of the Master, which airs in 190 countries. I might get a new episode once a week if I was lucky. It gives you stability. Well, first off, lets look at their deconstruction and see if they went wrong anywhere (Spoiler Alert: I think they went wrong right out of the gate). Did it also come from that pair of chromosomes? After having spent years in young adult ministry, Rhett and Link now call themselves "hopeful agnostics." Their shift away from Christianity, though, raises quite a few red flags, especially given so much of it seems to hinge on their own experiences and desire to embrace the LGBTQ community. This is how we know what there is to know about Jesus. The LGBTQ agenda is the new master who takes no prisoners. Nothing? I hope theres something. I was amazed at the providential coincidences that converged for me, personally, when I listened to these testimonies last week. And if you like what you read on Godless in Dixie, please consider sponsoring me on Patreon, or else you can give via Paypal to help me keep doing what Im doing. It didnt take long before quickly discovering these two were not some boys who got saved at some church youth camp alter call and then used their new found Christianity merely as a buttress against sex, drugs, and rock-n-roll after that. But I dont think its the actual arguments themselves people have found so persuasive. However, when they got to the point where they turned the corner away from the God of the Bible, our paths split and my heart broke. It morphed into doubts surrounding biblical reliability, the historicity of the resurrection, and the general idea of hell and judgment. admit in the podcast that moving to L.A. did free them of some constraints that What was scheduled as an hour-long chapel service last Wednesday has turned into a multi-day revival at Asbury University. Neil Carter is a high school teacher, a writer, a speaker, a father of four, and a skeptic living in the Bible Belt. Yep. But I dont think its the actual, people have found so persuasive. I jumped into a sea of uncertainty. Thomas, 31, wrote his chart-topping hit, "Die a Happy Man" a story about a man's need for nothing more in life than his woman's "crazy love"for and about his wife, Lauren (Gregory) Akins, 32. You need a context in which to deal with the doubts. Reasonable answers exist for each notion the duo passed along that, in their opinion, defeats the truth of Christianity. Its no wonder, then, that every time we turn around there is yet another deconversion story being proffered as the newest ex-evangelical smoking gun. Aside from the fact that most apologists have day jobs, this leads to a fair question: what would Rhett and Link stand to lose if they didnt capitulate to culture on an issue like same-sex marriage? Like in biological puberty where one begins to form an adult identity separate from their parents and begin to wrestle with the understanding that the world is much more complex and nuanced than originally thought. Rhett and Link have grown their brand performing hilarious satirical songs and engaging in zany stunts such as duct-taping themselves together, playing wedgie-hangman, crushing glow sticks in a meat-grinder, and flinging bags of dog feces at one another's faces. After poking holes in Christianity, Rhett offered no plausible alternative to explain reality. It is one of Clark Gable's most recognizable and significant roles. I quickly downloaded and submerged myself into Rhett and Links respective stories (which you can also see on YouTube here and here). Apologetics books arent written for the lost, theyre written for the saved. They exist to collect dust on the shelves of believers who will now sleep better knowing that someone took the time to think through all that stuff long enough to get it down into print. As an apologist, my knee-jerk reaction was also to grab my computer and start typing refutations with the force of a thousand suns. Its hard not to feel insulted by his unwillingness to accept this. I laughed out loud when Rhett talked about engaging people on airplanes by spouting talking points from books byJosh MacDowell and Lee Strobel. Theres one thing I respect about the deconstruction stories of Rhett and Link. The character is played by Mythical Crew member Jordan Morris, and is often portrayed as a creepy man who is obsessed with Rhett and hates Link. When they each recorded videos walking fans through their spiritual-deconstruction stories in February, it shot through the internet like a bolt of lightning. Listening to both Rhetts and Links stories, you can feel how much pushback they anticipate encountering from people who love them. He firsttells the story of how during college he fell in with a crowd of Young Earth Creationists who maintained that the universe is only 6,000-10,000 years old, give or takea perspective he would adopt for many years to come. Episode 29: What Atheists Wish Christians Knew About Them, "I'll be there! In fact, he said that he jumped out of the Christian ship, but not into another ship, per se, but into an ocean of uncertainty more on that later. They no longer identify as Christians so it is not judgmental to refer to them this way.) As far as Im concerned, Jesus was as real to me as he possibly could be without physically manifesting himself in my presence. Goins-Phillips, in response, pointed out that Christianity has been around for 2,000 years and remains the worlds largest religion, so it has withstood challenges and investigations. He even says that he understands the argument that you cant have a moral law without a moral law Giver But then he says, that he just doesnt know. Its the people behind the arguments. What am I gonna teach my kids? A Christians Response to the Deconstructed Faith of YouTubers Rhett and Link. It was time to stop just reading Christian answers to everything and go a level deeper, looking next at the answers to the Christian answers. A former church elder with a seminary education, Neil now writes mostly about the struggles of former evangelicals living in the midst of a highly religious subculture. Alisa Childers is an American singer and songwriter who writes at alisachilders.com, an apologetics blog for doubting Christians and honest skeptics. Christy Neal: Link's wife. He suggested that if all these apologists and theologians were to recant their stories and change their opinions, their livelihoods would be at stake. If youve been taught your whole life that Rhett & Link, best friends since 2 nd grade, currently host one of the most popular YouTube channels on the Internet, Good Mythical Morning. How could so much of the history of Israel be made up? One article about Rhett and Link said, "they both felt a deep discomfort with biblical sexual ethics, which they perceived to oppress women and their LGBTQ+ friends.". So I think that I was primed to hear what they had to say with an open (but biblically-grounded) mind. Much of their appeal comes from their history together. Certain? Chances are also good that one of them isGood Mythical Morning featuring Link Neal and Rhett McLaughlin. Please help us to continue to make our videos and movies available on YouTube free of charge. And, every time Rhett said, I know you are going to say _____________, I was thinking, Yeah, thats exactly what Id say.. Bingo! Like him, I was told that archaeology only proves the Bible, which means theres no reason not to dive headlong into it, right? Because of his feelings. Both Goins-Phillips and Andros commended the comedy duo for their willingness to talk so transparently about what is sure to have been a difficult and challenging process. Melanie then asks for coffee and sandwiches. They never talk about if it's morally wrong, but rather the person expressing who they think they are and who they think they love. By naming several apologists such as Lee Strobel, Josh McDowell, Tim Keller, and Ravi Zacharias, he knocked the legs out from under their arguments. SUBSCRIBE to Faithwires (free) YouTube channel. Sign up to get our newsletter your inbox every day. As I listened to them walking through their journeys I was surprised to see that we have covered much of the same terrain. Again, the jumping ship lingo isnt mine, thats from him. In Rhett & Links deconstruction they frequently site their growing struggles with reconciling these add on requirements with the reality of science, morality, and basic common sense. But as Christians we should be encouraged to remember that for every Rhett and Link, theres a Lee Strobel, a J. Warner Wallace, a Holly Ordway, a C. S. Lewis, and a Rosaria Butterfield who tested their beliefs against the evidence, and found their atheism wanting. Frank had gone to Shantytown with some members of the Ku Klux Klan to. Rhett and Link already know theyll be accused of being arrogant. Since the release of their stories, several apologists and scholars have offered sound rebuttals to some of the claims made by Rhett in particular. I imagine those types of responses will continue to roll in. I didnt have the opportunity to open my laptop (they didnt yet exist) or turn on our home computer (we didnt own one), hop on YouTube, and watch my future husband walk me through his breakfast choices, morning drive, and whimsical musings. Anticipating pushback from those who say you have to trust Jesus over the noise of your own intellectual questions, Rhett reminds us you cannot separate an historical figure from actual history and still say youre talking about the same person. Rhett said, , to believe [Christianity], then why would I? Link expressed, Why was I working so hard to make Christianity work for me if it wasnt even true? Aside from encountering intellectual stumbling blocks, it seems that, to YouTubes favorite pair, the gospel had begun to stink. Our media fueled siloed communities dividing us in politics, religion, race, culture, and various interests meant I was totally oblivious to Rhett & Link despite their being YouTube comedy sensations with nearly 17 million subscribers. Rhett McLaughlin. Our cultural moment is a cauldron of information and celebrity worship in which the cult of personality can ferment and grow. (Except for a short hiatus after The Karate Kid, when Ralph Macchio was my all in all for a few months.) No, these lads loved Jesus. Rhett echoed that hes more interested in what happens during his life on earth: , Its not so much what happens after you die, but what happens while youre alive., Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 2:1416 that through his missionary work, Christ spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of himself. Second, he was troubled by the fact that he needed certainty and couldnt get it. Catholics believe one can have lgbtq thoughts/ temptations, but not act on them. When I listened to their journeys from belief to hopeful agnosticism I was shocked at how much this looked like a one-two punch attack against Christianity. For Rhett, it started with questions relating to science, the age of the earth, and evolution. Rhett and Link met each other way back in Elementary school in North Carolina and they've stuck together into adulthood, at one time passing through a ministry phase as full-time staffers with Campus Crusade (now called Cru ). How can two guys who make a living as YouTube personalities go from making possum corndogs one day to throwing 2,000 years of Christian history under the bus the next? At one point, Rhett asked a very good question. ), but he cant escape the fact that he is an image-bearer of God, living in Gods world. Then he skillfully planted a possible motive: money. On Feb. 22, the Rhett & Link's Mythical Entertainment agreed to buy Smosh in a deal that would unite two long-running YouTube channels. Rhett said, If I dont have to believe [Christianity], then why would I? Link expressed, Why was I working so hard to make Christianity work for me if it wasnt even true? Aside from encountering intellectual stumbling blocks, it seems that, to YouTubes favorite pair, the gospel had begun to stink. He was the only one for me. On the contrary, as he pointed out, being a straight white dude in an evangelical church kind of greased the rails for him. Several people reached out to me personally, including pastors who reported that the faith of several kids in their youth groups was rocked by the broadcasts, leaving them shaken and doubting. Not only was I taught everything I ever needed for my faith in Christ could be found in that aisle but later, sadly, that was what I went on to teach others. had a broader perspective on certain subjects it freed them to consider that Rhett and Link met each other way back in Elementary school in North Carolina and they've stuck together into adulthood, at one time passing through a ministry phase as full-time staffers with. and African Christians, and South American Christians, and Indian Christians, On the other hand, we need to be confident in our faith, so we need to listen to what non-Christians say about Christianity. When he identified as a Christian he said that he had to have certainty, but now he is fine not having certainty. With the help of the Holy Spirit, they became convinced that Christianity is true as they gazed deeply at Christs beauty. Did you know that these entertaining goofballs were once evangelical Christians who specialized in student ministry? I found myself identifying with them a lot through experiences from our very similar pasts. ), and both have made it abundantly clear that they are 100% pro-homosexuality, and take serious issue with Christianity because of it (I mean it is the 21st century - Helloooo? Meaning I dont know, but I hope. I mean we have little finite minds and we are trying to understand an infinite God. Why? But as Reformed Evangelicals these werent simply add on beliefs. Our cultural moment is a cauldron of information and celebrity worship in which the cult of personality can ferment and grow. Through the deal, Mythical has expanded its busine Today that simple choice to follow Jesus and learn to engage Life through his Way comes with a whole lot of additional belief requirements. I would also love to hear somethinganythingfrom their wives about how they experienced the transition out of the faith while still remaining intact as a family. But then I remember this is part of how they protect themselves, knowing too well the fragility of their own faith. They protect themselves, knowing too well the fragility of their own faith Christian marriage therapist me. The jumping ship lingo isnt mine, thats from him I found myself identifying with them a through! New episode once a week if I dont think its the actual, people have found so persuasive feel much... Macchio was my all in all for a short hiatus after the kid... Again, the gospel had begun to stink: 'Before you Lose your faith ' and. 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