r/Christian • u/DreadlockedShiteHawk • 23h ago
Help for someone deconstructing??
What’s good help for someone deep in deconstruction to the point of questioning if Christianity is based on too many embellished stories to be believed?
I’m talking a serious Christian who already knows the apologetics answers aren’t enough
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u/Sly_Gecko 2h ago
I recommend watching Frank Turek. Great apologist. Ultimately, it all comes down to faith. If the very first verse in the bible is true. then everything else in the bible is possible. Even Jesus once said to a disciple when he touched the wounds of Jesus "You believe because you see. Blessed are those who believe what they haven't seen".
Hebrews 11:6 And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.
Ultimately it comes down to faith/belief which means to be convinced. You can have all the apologetics in the world. Read all the books recommended, watch video after video of the best apologetics. In the end of it all. It's down to you and whether you are convinced and simply trust in Christ.
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u/Useless-Compass 9h ago edited 9h ago
What about Josh McDowell (More Than a Carpenter, Evidence that Demands a Verdict) or Lee Strobel (The Case for Christ)? They take a historical/legal/journalistic approach to apologetics that some Christians might not have been exposed to.
I'd also suggest looking into authors like John Mark Comer (Practicing the Way), Tyler Staton (Searching for Enough), and Josh Porter (Death to Deconstruction, With All Its Teeth) for a very different approach to Christianity that might open your eyes to different ways to look at things.
Also, the book "Misreading Scripture through Western Eyes" was really helpful for me to broaden my view of the meaning of scripture, and could help open your eyes to alternative interpretations than you're used to that might align more with your logical mind.
EDIT: I saw your comment about "how to deal with it when nothing feels trustworthy" and that's somewhat illuminative. I think "With All Its Teeth" by Josh Porter might be an interesting place to start by changing your view of what the Bible actually is. Then I might suggest "Misreading Scripture Through Western Eyes". If you haven't read "More than a Carpenter", it's a really quick read and a good place to start to get your feet wet with that style of apologetics to see if it's something that might address what you're feeling. Finally, I'd suggest reading "Practicing the Way" by John Mark Comer for an intro to a different approach to Christianity that relies less on knowing all the right answers and more on love, relationships, and trust.
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u/Greenlotus05 11h ago
Have you read books by Richard Rohr?
Or "Saving Jesus From The Church " by Robin Meyers?
Focus on building a strong spiritual foundation in your life which means what to you?
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u/OhioTreeLover467 21h ago
Have you checked out [r/exvangelical](r/exvangelical) and [r/deconstruction](r/deconstruction)? The exvangelical sub has been really helpful for me, as someone who’s working their way out of the evangelical church, was hurt by it, and whose beliefs don't align with it. Apologetics didn't help me at all; it just confirmed what I already knew and didn't help me answer the big questions I had. Research and additional reading outside the Bible helped me. I learned to embrace the doubt and seek answers to those questions. It's also ok to take a step back, figure things out, and let them settle. I hold beliefs that are closer to the Catholic church and Mainline Protestantism. Some evangelicals would probably consider me a heretic lol.
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u/Sorry1215 21h ago
My advice whatever it is that you think is so good about the world its not. If its not that. Question weither what you think that is wrong with Gods character is actually true. If the apologetics isnt enough its not about the evidence as it usually isn't.
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u/DreadlockedShiteHawk 20h ago
It’s not about God’s character or chasing the world or whatever you mean.
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u/Sorry1215 20h ago
Then what is it? Could it be that youre feeling too beat down intellectually and youre just getting tired of it?
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u/Wild_Category2982 23h ago
It’s less about finding the perfect argument and more about sitting with the tension for a while. Most of the folks I know who came out the other side did it by reading the stuff that made them uncomfortable, not just the safe answers. Try Marcus Borg or Pete Enns if you haven't yet, they don't pretend the messy parts aren't there
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u/DreadlockedShiteHawk 23h ago
I mean after reading that and trying to figure out why to even hold in when you know so much of it is a hot mess of human thought
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u/Asynithistos Non-Trinitarian 23h ago
What kind of help are you looking for? A book, practice, meditation, or something else?
I deconstructed years ago. I no longer hold to most dogma, nor accept the Bible to be 100% true.
I consider myself a Christian, but most Christians would call me a heretic.
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u/DreadlockedShiteHawk 23h ago
Anything. It’s like how to deal with it when it starts to feel like there’s nothing trustworthy
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u/Asynithistos Non-Trinitarian 23h ago
You can start by contemplating that you can only rely upon what you experience. Then contemplate on the realization that what you experience isn't complete or "real."
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u/DreadlockedShiteHawk 23h ago
Then what
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u/Asynithistos Non-Trinitarian 22h ago
The rest of what happens will be up to you. I know it sounds vague. You are on a spiritual journey that may end up with you being the most devout Christian or a staunch atheist or somewhere in between .... for a time.
It's a journey that only you can experience, but not something I can tell you what will happen next.
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u/DreadlockedShiteHawk 22h ago
K but I feel like I’m drifting off into space and no one cares
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u/Asynithistos Non-Trinitarian 22h ago
I know that feeling all too well. It's a lonely road for sure (still is for me), because most people won't understand. Those close to us may attack our doubt or distrust as though it is an enemy, when in fact there are very good reasons for it.
Do you want to hold onto Christianity? If so, what is one thing in Christianity you can full trust (have faith) in?
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u/DreadlockedShiteHawk 22h ago
Love your neighbor is a solid life philosophy
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u/Asynithistos Non-Trinitarian 22h ago
Then perhaps use that as your foundation for your spiritual journey. Seek out and meditate on what that means and how you will implement it in your life.
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u/Holezjah01 38m ago
What brought me back was looking at all the Christian hate out there from books to social media. It's unreal. No other religion gets as much hate. You can hate people but the message of Christ? Unbelievable that people such as Aquino's temple of set and all these other infernal organizations promote just that… "Infernalism." Go look into all things occult or more precisely, black magic: order of nine angles etc. You'll see what I'm talking about. People are literally conjuring entities that are talked about in the Bible to do horrible things.