1996 was like my peak teenage year. Sometimes I don’t think I have much to offer people who are “deconstructing” now. I put that in quotes because it’s not what I called it when I did it. I’m in my 40s, I’ve done this work. Sometimes I’m triggered by people doing it now, because they don’t know (and I know they can’t know) that this isn’t a new thing. Fundamentalism is far newer than the balance of the Christian tradition. So sometimes twitter is hard. I don’t feel like I have much to offer. But, I do have this. Call it a hymn of deconstruction. Follow Jesus away from the bullshit. The album cut here is slow, but I always play it fast and happy.
For Those About to Deconstruct
We salute you.
A few tips.
Don’t forget: people have done this before. For decades. For centuries, even. You’re not alone.
If you’re coming out of fundamentalism or conservative evangelicalism specifically, you might still carry linguistic baggage. In those circles, it’s common to think that Christian = fundamentalist/evangelical. Many of us grew up believing that there were no “real” Christians in other expressions. When you want to talk about conservative Christian culture, be specific. Don’t tweet about “Christian this or Christian that” if what you really mean is “fundamentalist this” or “evangelical that.”
Thinking through your faith is nothing new. In the current context, you might need to be reminded that movements away from so-called “conservative” Christianity are not new. They did not start with the term “exvangelical” or the the hashtag “emptythepews.”
Speaking of which. Allow yourself to be filled with thankfulness when you realize that evangelicalism and fundamentalism have never honestly represented fealty to the historic witness of the 2000+ year journey of the universal Church. You’ve been told that “conservative Christianity” is just an unbroken chain from Jesus, but that’s simply not true.
You’ve been told there’s only one theory of atonement. You’ve been told there’s only one way to read various scriptures. You’ve been told that you have to believe things about the Bible before you get to meet Jesus. None of these things are true. That doesn’t mean that there aren’t other, truer expressions of the way of Jesus that are worth your time.
Blessings on your journey.
Worst Church Ever 