Always sad when someone loses faith but especially when it is someone who influenced so many others through their music. We should pray for Mr Sampson.
But I want to examine his first statement.
So lets unpack his thoughts. In parentheses is me speaking.
Hillsong songwriter Marty Sampson took to Instagram to inform his followers that “I’m genuinely losing my faith.”
Here’s the post.
Time for some real talk. I’m genuinely losing my faith, and it doesn’t bother me. Like, what bothers me now is nothing. I am so happy now, so at peace with the world. It’s crazy.
( At peace with the world? Not sure what this means but I look at the world it doesn't bring peace to mind...)
This is a soapbox moment so here I go … How many preachers fall? Many. No one talks about it.
( We just was talking about Joshua Harris last week who gave no reason for leaving the faith other than his view on LGBTQ people.)
How many miracles happen. Not many. No one talks about it.
(Well I wonder how he defines miracle. The universe being created from nothing was the biggest miracle and it only happened once. The splitting of the Red sea happened once, the virgin birth of Jesus only happened once. By definition a miracle is something rare and usually supernatural or a beyond the natural realm of nature. If it happened everyday then it wouldn't be very miraculous.
But what if small miracles do occur all the time? Has he examined many different cases where so called miracles are mentioned? Some of these in the medical field that are documented.
Even if you never experienced or saw a miracle in your lifetime still doesn't hurt the case for miracles.)
Why is the Bible full of contradictions? No one talks about it.
( Okay this is like beating a dead horse but what verse contradicts another? Have you read it in context, or the Biblical Hermeneutics of scriptures, or cultural differences as in one book being poetic while the other is historical, or how eyewitness accounts usually do not line up perfectly but each shed light on the event from a different perspective. If all accounts exactly lined up then most investigators would think the eyewitnesses had gotten together and was lying. This question has been torn apart by Biblical scholars. Due to the evidence our current Bible is 99.8% accurate compared to original thoughts and records.)
How can God be love yet send four billion people to a place, all ‘coz they don’t believe? No one talks about it.
( This same God is also all just and all holy. This same God provided every generation with the opportunity to respond. Also being patient for centuries in order for nations to respond. This same God to finally settle the debt of sin sacrifices himself in the most brutal disturbing way. If that wasn't loving enough. He has been patient for over 2000 years holding off judgment.
No one is without sin and this makes us unholy. A unholy vessel could never be in the presence of a all holy and just God. Reality is that we live in a world guided by a absolute moral law that is evident in all even if they rebel against it. A thief who is stolen from will cry out in anger that he was stolen from. Self evidently showing even in his sin that stealing is wrong. A moral law is pointless without judgment of this law and consequences of that rebellion.)
Christians can be the most judgmental people on the planet—they can also be some of the most beautiful and loving people. But it’s not for me.
( True and true. Christians are human and I guarantee you everyone is judgmental according to the culture's definition of judgment. If your not tolerant towards others beliefs or lifestyles then your intolerant, a bigot, judgmental, racist, or deplorable.)
I am not in any more. I want genuine truth. Not the “I just believe it” kind of truth. Science keeps piercing the truth of every religion.
( What kind of science? Empirical? Finding God in a test tube? Forensic? Finding God in past events? Metaphysics? Epistemology? Biology? Which science? And which truth is hurting the message of the gospel? What is genuine truth? Something you can only see, smell, feel, taste, hear? If I just believe it was the belief behind his faith then no wonder all these doubts finally blew up. Choked by the thorns and vines of doubt with no effort to turn I just believe to this is why I believe.)
Lots of things help people change their lives, not just one version of God.
(But are they true? Change their lives to what? A better morality than Christianity? To deny a idealogy must mean you need another idealogy that best explains reality. Otherwise the individual subjectively choosing how they want to view reality. )
Got so much more to say, but for me, I keeping it real. Unfollow if you want, I’ve never been about living my life for others.
All I know is what’s true to me right now, and Christianity just seems to me like another religion at this point. I could go on, but I won’t.
Love and forgive absolutely. Be kind absolutely. Be generous and do good to others absolutely. Some things are good no matter what you believe. Let the rain fall, the sun will come up tomorrow.
( What idealogy tells you, you should love, be kind, forgive, or be generous to others. How do you justify those beliefs. Definitely not atheism. Definitely not Islam or Hinduism. Relativism won't get you there. Marxism wont. Socialism wont. What so called truth or belief can justify those morals?
In the cover of search for truth, the truth will never be found if you deny the one and only truth. But oh so conveniently during this search the seeker fulfills all their fleshly desires. )
John L. Cooper, the lead singer of popular Christian rock band Skillet, issued heartfelt advice to Christian influencers who have recently renounced their Christian faith in public.
"I'm perplexed why they aren't embarrassed? Humbled? Ashamed, fearful, confused?" he asked. "Why be so eager to continue leading people when you clearly don't know where you are headed?"
"[M]ost shocking imo, as these influencers disavow their faith, they always end their statements with their 'new insight/new truth' that is basically a regurgitation of Jesus's words?!" he mused. "It's truly bizarre and ironic. They'll say 'I'm disavowing my faith but remember, love people, be generous, forgive others.'"
"No child is ever born and says 'I just want to love others before loving myself. I want to turn the other cheek. I want to give my money away to others in need.' Those are bible principles taught by a prophet/Priest/king of kings who wants us to live by a higher standard which is not an earthly standard, but rather the 'Kingdom of God' standard."
"It is time for the church to rediscover the preeminence of the Word. And to value the teaching of the Word. We need to value truth over feeling. Truth over emotion. And what we are seeing now is the result of the church raising up influencers who did not supremely value truth who have led a generation who also do not believe in the supremacy of truth," he reasoned. "And now those disavowed leaders are proudly still leading and influencing boldly AWAY from the truth."
"I implore you, please please in your search for relevancy for the gospel, let us NOT find creative ways to shape Gods word into the image of our culture by stifling inconvenient truths, but rather let us hold on even tighter to the anchor of the living Word of God. For He changes NOT," he wrote.
"'The grass withers and the flowers fade away, but the word of our God stands forever (Isaiah 40:8),'" he closed.
But I want to examine his first statement.
So lets unpack his thoughts. In parentheses is me speaking.
Hillsong songwriter Marty Sampson took to Instagram to inform his followers that “I’m genuinely losing my faith.”
Here’s the post.
Time for some real talk. I’m genuinely losing my faith, and it doesn’t bother me. Like, what bothers me now is nothing. I am so happy now, so at peace with the world. It’s crazy.
( At peace with the world? Not sure what this means but I look at the world it doesn't bring peace to mind...)
This is a soapbox moment so here I go … How many preachers fall? Many. No one talks about it.
( We just was talking about Joshua Harris last week who gave no reason for leaving the faith other than his view on LGBTQ people.)
How many miracles happen. Not many. No one talks about it.
(Well I wonder how he defines miracle. The universe being created from nothing was the biggest miracle and it only happened once. The splitting of the Red sea happened once, the virgin birth of Jesus only happened once. By definition a miracle is something rare and usually supernatural or a beyond the natural realm of nature. If it happened everyday then it wouldn't be very miraculous.
But what if small miracles do occur all the time? Has he examined many different cases where so called miracles are mentioned? Some of these in the medical field that are documented.
Even if you never experienced or saw a miracle in your lifetime still doesn't hurt the case for miracles.)
Why is the Bible full of contradictions? No one talks about it.
( Okay this is like beating a dead horse but what verse contradicts another? Have you read it in context, or the Biblical Hermeneutics of scriptures, or cultural differences as in one book being poetic while the other is historical, or how eyewitness accounts usually do not line up perfectly but each shed light on the event from a different perspective. If all accounts exactly lined up then most investigators would think the eyewitnesses had gotten together and was lying. This question has been torn apart by Biblical scholars. Due to the evidence our current Bible is 99.8% accurate compared to original thoughts and records.)
How can God be love yet send four billion people to a place, all ‘coz they don’t believe? No one talks about it.
( This same God is also all just and all holy. This same God provided every generation with the opportunity to respond. Also being patient for centuries in order for nations to respond. This same God to finally settle the debt of sin sacrifices himself in the most brutal disturbing way. If that wasn't loving enough. He has been patient for over 2000 years holding off judgment.
No one is without sin and this makes us unholy. A unholy vessel could never be in the presence of a all holy and just God. Reality is that we live in a world guided by a absolute moral law that is evident in all even if they rebel against it. A thief who is stolen from will cry out in anger that he was stolen from. Self evidently showing even in his sin that stealing is wrong. A moral law is pointless without judgment of this law and consequences of that rebellion.)
Christians can be the most judgmental people on the planet—they can also be some of the most beautiful and loving people. But it’s not for me.
( True and true. Christians are human and I guarantee you everyone is judgmental according to the culture's definition of judgment. If your not tolerant towards others beliefs or lifestyles then your intolerant, a bigot, judgmental, racist, or deplorable.)
I am not in any more. I want genuine truth. Not the “I just believe it” kind of truth. Science keeps piercing the truth of every religion.
( What kind of science? Empirical? Finding God in a test tube? Forensic? Finding God in past events? Metaphysics? Epistemology? Biology? Which science? And which truth is hurting the message of the gospel? What is genuine truth? Something you can only see, smell, feel, taste, hear? If I just believe it was the belief behind his faith then no wonder all these doubts finally blew up. Choked by the thorns and vines of doubt with no effort to turn I just believe to this is why I believe.)
Lots of things help people change their lives, not just one version of God.
(But are they true? Change their lives to what? A better morality than Christianity? To deny a idealogy must mean you need another idealogy that best explains reality. Otherwise the individual subjectively choosing how they want to view reality. )
Got so much more to say, but for me, I keeping it real. Unfollow if you want, I’ve never been about living my life for others.
All I know is what’s true to me right now, and Christianity just seems to me like another religion at this point. I could go on, but I won’t.
Love and forgive absolutely. Be kind absolutely. Be generous and do good to others absolutely. Some things are good no matter what you believe. Let the rain fall, the sun will come up tomorrow.
( What idealogy tells you, you should love, be kind, forgive, or be generous to others. How do you justify those beliefs. Definitely not atheism. Definitely not Islam or Hinduism. Relativism won't get you there. Marxism wont. Socialism wont. What so called truth or belief can justify those morals?
In the cover of search for truth, the truth will never be found if you deny the one and only truth. But oh so conveniently during this search the seeker fulfills all their fleshly desires. )
John L. Cooper, the lead singer of popular Christian rock band Skillet, issued heartfelt advice to Christian influencers who have recently renounced their Christian faith in public.
"I'm perplexed why they aren't embarrassed? Humbled? Ashamed, fearful, confused?" he asked. "Why be so eager to continue leading people when you clearly don't know where you are headed?"
"[M]ost shocking imo, as these influencers disavow their faith, they always end their statements with their 'new insight/new truth' that is basically a regurgitation of Jesus's words?!" he mused. "It's truly bizarre and ironic. They'll say 'I'm disavowing my faith but remember, love people, be generous, forgive others.'"
"No child is ever born and says 'I just want to love others before loving myself. I want to turn the other cheek. I want to give my money away to others in need.' Those are bible principles taught by a prophet/Priest/king of kings who wants us to live by a higher standard which is not an earthly standard, but rather the 'Kingdom of God' standard."
"It is time for the church to rediscover the preeminence of the Word. And to value the teaching of the Word. We need to value truth over feeling. Truth over emotion. And what we are seeing now is the result of the church raising up influencers who did not supremely value truth who have led a generation who also do not believe in the supremacy of truth," he reasoned. "And now those disavowed leaders are proudly still leading and influencing boldly AWAY from the truth."
"I implore you, please please in your search for relevancy for the gospel, let us NOT find creative ways to shape Gods word into the image of our culture by stifling inconvenient truths, but rather let us hold on even tighter to the anchor of the living Word of God. For He changes NOT," he wrote.
"'The grass withers and the flowers fade away, but the word of our God stands forever (Isaiah 40:8),'" he closed.
