DECONSTRUCTION
Since 2020 the whole world has changed dramatically and will probably never be the same again. From the Wuhan labs in China came a virus that spread worldwide, killing thousands of people and literally changed the course of history. The spirit of fear sat on the throne of our world, and still sits there today.
Who would have imagined a day when church doors would close and the lights on the steeple were darkened? People retreated to their homes, locked tight, and could not go out in public for fear of a deadly sickness. Masks were required, and “social distance” was put in place. The psyche of the world was shaken beyond imagination.
We were frightened twenty years before by the theory that whenever 1999 came to New Year’s Eve, the world would end at the dawning of the next day – January 1, 2000. Computers and technology would crash and our lives would end.
Through all this trauma and drama a generation of people have been totally changed. Now there is a movement through social media called “deconstruction” that is causing a mass exodus from the church pews. If 2020 and COVID didn’t do us in – this seeks to transform a generation who grew up in the church as kids to now run the other way.
Read the definition that Wikipedia has to say about this:
Faith deconstruction, also known as deconstructing faith, evangelical deconstruction,[1] the deconstruction movement, or simply deconstruction, is a phenomenon within American evangelicalism in which Christians rethink their faith and jettison previously held beliefs, sometimes to the point of no longer identifying as Christians. “
Out of this comes a new “word” to describe many who are running from the church:
Exvangelical is a social movement of people who have left evangelicalism, especially white evangelical churches in the United States, for atheism, agnosticism, progressive Christianity, or any other religious belief, or lack thereof.[1][2][3] People in the movement are called "exvangelicals" or "exvies". The term prodigals is sometimes used for exvangelicals by people who remain evangelical.[4]
Many exvangelicals attribute their departure to experiences of homophobia, misogyny, and racism in evangelicalism, to skepticism toward the Church's moral and social teachings, to a personal crisis of faith, or to sexual abuse in a religious setting, particularly if the abuse was covered up.
The movement is disseminated largely via podcasts and social media hashtags. The name was coined in 2016, though the movement built upon criticisms of the church that were already widespread among people raised Evangelical.
The results of this “critical” tearing apart of Christianity has led to another “void” in the lives of many. If we have not “anchors” then we will drift aimlessly through life – feeling again more fear and uncertainty.
Yes, we should evaluate what we have been and are being taught through the Christian ranks. God never asks us to gullibly believe anything and everything we hear. Social media should never be our instructor. Everybody has a voice and everybody has an opinion – that does NOT mean it is right and should be followed, no matter how many “likes” a person has. Who are these people you listen to, watch, and “follow”?
The “anchor” we need is the Bible – everything must line up with the Word! Men’s opinions and “interpretations” must all be verified by multiple Scriptures. All doctrine and dogma must be centralized in the Word. Interpret Scripture based on Scripture.
These “deconstructionists” are basing their doubts on experience! That cannot be the “last word” on anything. Yes, people have been hurt in the church world – things have been said and done that were not right, according to the Scriptures. But, please don’t “throw the baby out with the bath water”. Don’t abandon the “anchor” !
What do you think?
