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. With the YouTube-ification of our culture, though, consumers are connecting not with actors playing characters, but real people who allow them to peek behind the curtain of their lives. 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. Overtime these add on requirements of belief become so ingrained with ones Christian faith that when you begin to question them your whole Christian identity feels under threat. As with most former evangelicals (henceforth ex-vangelicals), the majority of key turning points in Rhetts deconversion story coincide with changes in his relationship to the Bible, and to his own traditions reading of it. stand to lose if they didnt capitulate to culture on an issue like same-sex marriage? 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. My heart is breaking and my head is spinning in light of the so-called deconstruction of Rhett and Links faith. 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. They acknowledge that Christianity, The apostle Paul identifies his friend Demas as a fellow worker who was with him while imprisoned in Rome (Philem. For Rhett, it started with questions relating to science, the age of the earth, and evolution. .Both said they are no longer evangelical Christians with Rhett saying he would call himself "a hopeful agnostic" and Link saying he would call himself "an agnostic who wants to be hopeful". 4:10). With every hit of the like button, the personalities weve subscribed to have become our authorities for truth. After poking holes in Christianity, Rhett offered no plausible alternative to explain reality. These discoveries challenged the underpinnings of his whole theological system, but like all of us he was encouraged to press on through with his questions without fear because: All truth is Gods truth. No, these lads loved Jesus. Im almost sure I said those same words at some point in my journey. Or what about morality? Please make sure all fields are filled out. As they mixed with Christians that perhaps I didnt want to believe thisI didnt want to leave this thing. Christy was born in the United States of America. Love these mugs! To paraphrase: Mammy sits by the door and hears nothing, only a low humming sound--Melanie convincing Rhett to bury Bonnie. 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? Today that simple choice to follow Jesus and learn to engage Life through his Way comes with a whole lot of additional belief requirements. Back in seminary they warned us that the world out there hates truth, and wants to be free to create their own reality. What he learned in time was that history disconfirms pretty much every major story from the flood of Noah all the way down through the Conquest of Canaan by the Israelites, with things not much improving for the next several books. The truth is that we have a personality-driven culture in which two comedians can persuade Christians to rethink their faith in just three hours of video. This implies that they are, in fact, deceiving people. Should Christian Parents Send Their Children to Public Schools? That was one of the hardest pills for me to swallow, too. It morphed into doubts surrounding biblical reliability, the historicity of the resurrection, and the general idea of hell and judgment. It was a relationship. But I dont think its the actual arguments themselves people have found so persuasive. Please have your Passports Ready. Yes, there is certainly a degree to which Rhett and Link's typical YEC background left them ill-prepared to think carefully about evolutionary arguments, setting them up for anger and. themselves a Christian? That's why the recent Rhett and Link controversy has been so upsetting. Confession: When I was a kid, I was in love with Ricky Schroder. 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 anothers faces. Lauren Boebert And Marjorie Greene's Adult Christianity Was Never About Democracy, Anyway. On the show, the two comedians . Anticipating the response he would get for opening up about all of this, Rhett addressed the No True Christian argument right off the bat: I want to emphasize how big of a deal it was to me. And furthermore, who wants to embrace uncertainty? How would it affect their revenue streams and net worth to remain faithful Christians in todays cultural climate? Rhett and Links deconstruction journey frequently mentioned the struggle they felt as they began to hold long held beliefs to the fire. you? Then the format changed. Our cultural moment is a cauldron of information and celebrity worship in which the cult of personality can ferment and grow. This channel has made Rhett and Link the fourth highest-earning YouTube stars 3 while reaching audiences around the world. 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. What would Rhett and Link stand to lose if they didnt capitulate to culture on an issue like same-sex marriage? Today that simple choice to follow Jesus and learn to engage Life through his Way comes with a whole lot of additional belief requirements. After abandoning a Young Earth view of the cosmos, Rhett wrestled next with the historicity of the rest of the Old Testament (the stuff about Jesus would have to wait till later). Rhett led off with his intellectual doubts and Link countered with an emotional appeal. Get resources, podcast episodes, and SWO updates sent directly to your inbox. Ill confess I havent watched a ton of their stuff, but thats mostly because I dont watch much YouTube at all. I'm glad that so many are able to turn their jobs at GMM into better careers down the line :) We'll miss you Jen, I guess the old saying is true, "If you love something, let it go". As far as Christians believing in the theory of Evolution or not, there is too much to go into in this short post. I Work for a Pastor with Low Emotional Intelligence, Split or Stay? I did not have a personal tragedybut I was angry at the thinkers. It may not be them but the have to obey the labels they are partnered with. Then he skillfully planted a possible motive: money. The joke first appeared in the episode called Odd . I never got a reply. 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. Rhett even invokes the Apostle Peters response to Jesus when Jesus asks if he will leave him to which Peter responds, Where would I go?. In later episodes, Rhett and Link each go into depth describing what led them, ultimately, to deny their earlier faith. However, celebrity Christian deconversions, or celebrity conversions, actually do matter. Over the course of a few days, social-media newsfeeds became inundated with hot takes, responses, disagreements, and praise for the comedy duo. He further likens the endogenous retroviruses shared between humans and other ape descendants to a coffee stain that shows up in later versions of a manual, demonstrating an earlier common ancestor who must have experienced the original mutation/stain. They were getting tired of doing GMM. Lover of beans. Please help us to continue to make our videos and movies available on YouTube free of charge. I cant help but notice the similarities. And we as Christians shouldnt be surprised when this happens. I have a love-hate relationship with Thanksgiving Day. Welcome to Ohio. I believe they have a fundamental misunderstanding of the issue. If I wouldve found out he was a former Christian now identifying as agnostic, it would have broken my heart. And when I jumped ship, I didnt jump to another boat. Rhett led off with his intellectual doubts and Link countered with an emotional appeal. Governor Bullock's presence at Scarlett's crush made Melanie feel. Rhett explains that his first step toward evolution came through Francis Collins' book The Language of God. That, though, didnt ease their concerns over how much emphasis Rhett and Link seem to be putting on their feelings. Theres one thing I respect about the deconstruction stories of Rhett and Link. Ray Comfort explains the reason why this happens so often with those who used to believe in Christianity.Visit https://www.LivingWaters.com to view more free Christian videos, articles, and to get tracts and other resources by Ray Comfort and the Living Waters team.FACEBOOKLiving Waters: https://www.facebook.com/lwwotmRay Comfort: https://www.facebook.com/official.Ray.ComfortINSTAGRAMLiving Waters: https://www.instagram.com/livingwatersofficialTWITTERLiving Waters: https://twitter.com/LivingWatersPubRay Comfort: https://twitter.com/RayComfort 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. If you want Continue reading, Origin of Manhood: Every Man is a Theologian. 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.". Deconstructing from certain Statements of Faith doesnt mean you have to jettison the Christian faith altogetherin fact for many of us, its put the focus back on Jesus and the fire back in our faith! We homeschool because the public education system is a liberal conspiracy to brainwash children into believing things like global warning is real. I jumped into the water. Like him, I was told that archaeology only proves the Bible, which means theres no reason not to dive headlong into it, right? Thats worse than a house of cards. I jumped into a sea of uncertainty. (Tim Challies reviewed the book once upon a time.) They launched the 'Mythical Morning' studio in 2012 in North . 1:24; Col. 4:14). This is how we know what there is to know about Jesus. Much to the chagrin of their critics who And soon discovered some of these other traditions had different perspectives on some of the issues that often trigger Evangelical spiritual deconstruction: I came to realise the Evangelical aisle of the supermarket is a wonderful aisle in the supermarket but it aint the only aisleas much as they often like to claim it is. fear that if they stopped believing in this How would it affect their revenue streams and net worth to remain faithful Christians in todays cultural climate? Spotify have songs removed so you will buy them. Thats what pushed us out, in the end. When youve mixed with European Christians, 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. And I want to say that because Ive noticed that when I tell my story, often people kind of conclude that I was never a true Christian. 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). Rhett (a.k.a. These apostles of unbelief are on a mission to help others deconstruct with the same evangelistic zeal they learned from their previous tribe. Really good analogy. Rhett James McLaughlin) and Link (a.k.a. Receive weekly updates about fresh articles, videos, and audios, as well as new resources, special discounts, and upcoming events. Rhett echoed that hes more interested in what happens during his life on earth. Rhett's argument here against Christianity wrongly very wrongly assumes questions about sexuality are in some way new, as if, despite having survived thousands of years, Christianity is unable to withstand the whims of human desire. But that is no way to live. Co-founder of @mythical. This creates a sense of community, in which we come to experience love and loyalty for our favorite YouTube celebrities. 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? Rhett & Link, best friends since 2 nd grade, currently host one of the most popular YouTube channels on the Internet, Good Mythical Morning. He feared that truth would be lost in a sea of irrelevance.. and African Christians, and South American Christians, and Indian Christians, Are Rhett and Link still religious? 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. 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. What about the beginning? And thats no laughing matter. As I listened to them walking through their journeys I was surprised to see that we have covered much of the same terrain. As far as Im concerned, Jesus was as real to me as he possibly could be without physically manifesting himself in my presence. I found myself identifying with them a lot through experiences from our very similar pasts. Try the whole world. With guest appearances on The TODAY Show, Live with Kelly, and The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, their stars have been rising for the past few years, swelling their net worth to an estimated $23 million. While Rhett and Link spend some time talking about their post-Christian lives in the deconstruction episodes, they devote the lion's share of the time to looking back on the life and belief. I cant help but notice the similarities. If youve been taught your whole life that But it was while still back in North Carolina that Rhetts wife, Jessie, had taken Bible courses under agnostic biblical scholarBart Ehrman, and the historical questions those studies raised continued to impact their lives. It would appear that despite how destabilizing and difficult their deconstruction processes were, they no longer, The sad reality is that, for the deconverted, disbelief isnt sufficient. So, if you want to listen to them you can do so without fear. I think Postman was on to something when he wrote, WhatOrwell feared were those who would ban books. I hope youll take the time to watch/listen to the show for yourself, along with the follow-up episode in which Link tells his own story about how he left his faith behind after he became an adult. And, every time Rhett said, I know you are going to say _____________, I was thinking, Yeah, thats exactly what Id say.. feared was that there would be no reason to ban a book, for there would be no one who wanted to read one. Why ban a Tim Keller or Ravi Zacharias book when you can create a community in which no one will want to read one? Its okay to have doubts. Do you see the problem? Rhett seems really reluctant to talk about it, so Scarlett doesn't ask more questions. 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. Yep. The lesson we can learn from the Rhett and Link story is to observe the power of the media platform, recognize the roadblocks of the new apostles of unbelief, and keep a humble eye to history, remembering that our Savior told us some would fall away. Blend that with Rhett and Links magnetic personalities, and its no wonder the faith of many Christians has been unsettled. Postman posited that in the future, we would be oppressed not by an outside force like Big Brother in George Orwells dystopian novel1984. / Politics / Trump / Uncategorized, find a Statement of Faith list of things you will need to believe, had to the spiritual journey of Rhett and Link. 4:10). So you "offline mode" it. The best chance I had of communicating with him was writing a letter to his fan club. Demas traded eternal hope for earthly treasure. 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. Heres the deal, we (at SWO) have gone back and forth on whether or not to address this. Read what Steve Ham has to say on this subject. Contents 1 The Early Years 2 Career 3 Personal Life 4 Kids 5 Appearances 6 What Link Neal Doesn't Like 7 What Link Neal Does Like 8 Trivia 9 References This brings us to the salient question. Augustine goes on to say that it is significant when someone of this stature converts . Demas traded eternal hope for earthly treasure. Before February 2020 I had never heard of Rhett McLaughlin and Link Neal. They loved not the things of the world, but repented of their sin and put all their hope and trust in him. With guest appearances on, their stars have been rising for the past few years, swelling their net worth to an estimated $23 million. 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. Here are nine things you should know about revival and the history of revivals in America. Living Waters exists to inspire and equip Christians to fulfill the Great Commission. Now that they no longer need to outsource their morality to God they begin to take more responsibility for it themselves. This is the effect the gospel has, and we should expect these types of reactions. This is why growth is stunted, why people abandon the faith: our church is too shallow for roots to dig deep. Were So Spoiled. Since the release of their stories, several apologists and scholars have offered sound rebuttals to some of the claims made by Rhett in particular. Its not like hes throwing out the baby with the bathwater, its like hes throwing out the tub and trying to keep the baby and the bathwater intact. So I think that I was primed to hear what they had to say with an open (but biblically-grounded) mind. As a result, they are surprised and hurt by Christians who promptly said that they never truly were of us ( 1 John 2:19 ). Thats why leaving it is so damned scary. Its no wonder, then, that every time we turn around there is yet another, 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 anothers faces. The youth-group kids left flustered and agitated by doubt mightve been entirely unperturbed had they heard those arguments from another source. As the logic goes, a God who is not on board with the LGBTQ agenda is not a God worth serving. That said, I sympathize even more with the ones who follow their own consciences out of the fold, in time being accused of every impure motive imaginable. Charles Lincoln "Link" Neal III is an American actor, writer, singer/songwriter known for being the comedy duo "Rhett & Link." Neal is also known for being the co-creator and co-host of Good Mythical Morning (2012) along with several other projects such as Commerical Kings (2011), The Mythical Show (2013), and Rhett and Link's Buddy System (2016 . When Scarlett was seen in Ashley's arms at the saw mill she knew. It doesnt really matter if it never reaches its destination. your local one size fits all faith is THE faithwell, youre going to be in By naming several apologists such as Lee Strobel, Josh McDowell, Tim Keller, and Ravi Zacharias, he knocked the legs out from under their arguments. Bingo! If youre new to Godless In Dixie, be sure to check out The Beginners Guide for 200+ links categorized topically on a single page. Should we watch it? But then on top of all this, adding insult to injury, they keep underestimating the sincerity of our search, which may be the thing that stings the most of all. It is one of Clark Gable's most recognizable and significant roles. Its far easier to dismiss this all with the wave of a hand, ascribing imperfect motives to us as if that changes the facts themselves in any way. How would it affect their revenue streams and net worth to remain faithful Christians in todays cultural?. And loyalty for our favorite YouTube celebrities Democracy, Anyway most recognizable and significant roles persuasive. Feared were those who would ban books former Christian now identifying as agnostic, it seems that, to their. Rhett McLaughlin and Link those arguments from another source and SWO updates sent directly to inbox. A ton of their stuff, but thats mostly because I dont watch much YouTube all! 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