Notable Christian Musician "Loses His Faith"

[SweetSue92]

Marty Sampson of the band Hillsong has recently renounced his Christian faith. It happens. However, his statement about this was shocking. Here is a man who was a "worship leader" for some twenty years. And this is what he has to say on leaving the faith:

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.

This is a soapbox moment so here I go … How many preachers fall? Many. No one talks about it. How many miracles happen. Not many. No one talks about it. Why is the Bible full of contradictions? No one talks about it. How can God be love yet send four billion people to a place, all ‘coz they don’t believe? No one talks about it. 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.

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. Lots of things help people change their lives, not just one version of God. 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.

Hillsong Songwriter Marty Sampson Says He’s Losing His Christian Faith | RELEVANT Magazine

He was upfront, leading Christian worship (!) for twenty years (!) and he could not wrap his head around why there were "no more miracles". To him the Bible is "full of contradictions". (How often did he study it?). Hell is a big one, I will grant him, but his understanding of it reads like every 17 year old sniveling atheist.

His entire post does not read like someone who was apparently not only in the faith for 20 years, but LEADING and CREATING songs of the faith for 20 years. Which is a whole 'nother topic about the inanity of modern Christian worship music, but I digress.

In closing this is what happens when the church becomes about tickling ears and not about teaching truth, even when it's uncomfortable.

Unfortunately, this is not going to get better.

 

[Compost]

Sad. He had the Truth. Now he seeks "genuine truth" in the world.

 

[JoeB131]

He was upfront, leading Christian worship (!) for twenty years (!) and he could not wrap his head around why there were "no more miracles". To him the Bible is "full of contradictions". (How often did he study it?). Hell is a big one, I will grant him, but his understanding of it reads like every 17 year old sniveling atheist.

His entire post does not read like someone who was apparently not only in the faith for 20 years, but LEADING and CREATING songs of the faith for 20 years. Which is a whole 'nother topic about the inanity of modern Christian worship music, but I digress.

In closing this is what happens when the church becomes about tickling ears and not about teaching truth, even when it's uncomfortable.

Unfortunately, this is not going to get better.

Wow, Sour Sue, you think his problem was that he was involved in the show-biz edge of big religion? Really?

Frankly, what he said made a lot of sense... even if it messes up your sensibilities.

Why does God send otherwise good people to hell because they had the bad luck to be born in a place where they don't worship Jesus?

That makes him sound like a prick, really.

 

[SweetSue92]

Sad. He had the Truth. Now he seeks "genuine truth" in the world.

Well...I might say he was close to the Truth but did he ever really have it? It would seem to me that in all those years, he never really got it at all. Tragically.

 

[cnm]

Perhaps at last he has.

 

[JoeB131]

Well...I might say he was close to the Truth but did he ever really have it? It would seem to me that in all those years, he never really got it at all. Tragically.

Or maybe he just engaged his brain, something most of you Xians don't do.

Here's the real problem. The whole idea of religion is NOT to think about it. It's to sit obediently in Church or Sunday School and have someone who can't hold down a real job tell you what to think.

And if he turns out to be an adulterer or a kiddy-diddler, well that's not God's fault.

 

[hjmick]

Good for him.

 

[SweetSue92]

Good for him.

Based on your signature you would be unable to be objective at any rate.

 

[shockedcanadian]

There are plenty of reasons I was an Atheist. Just as many, maybe more than drew me to religion, even in the most trying of circumstances facing off against the most Ungodly of people.

I look at it this way, there is an Almighty Being. I follow Jesus while having a peripheral understanding of other religions. He can ask all the questions he wants of science, but the big one will be "why is there life at all? What is the meaning of life"?

It's difficult for any belief system to answer. It keeps us coming back to God in some form or another.

 

[SweetSue92]

There are plenty of reasons I was an Atheist. Just as many, maybe more than drew me to religion, even in the most trying of circumstances facing off against the most Ungodly of people.

I look at it this way, there is an Almighty Being. I follow Jesus while having a peripheral understanding of other religions. He can ask all the questions he wants of science, but the big one will be "why is there life at all? What is the meaning of life"?

It's difficult for any belief system to answer. It keeps us coming back to God in some form or another.

Well. I'm not faulting him so much as I am us, the church, whatever oversight he should have had, I guess.

These are not the questions of a mature believer. These are the questions of a baby believer. And I'm not trying to insinuate that we don't all have valleys and mountaintops, we do. But to be a leader in the faith, in a position of leadership, and not have these basic questions figured out....

We have to do better.

And as I said before....or hinted at....this explains to me why so many modern Christian praise songs seem rather empty. Maybe this is what's behind them. Not much of anything, really.

 

[hjmick]

Good for him.

Based on your signature you would be unable to be objective at any rate.

Not at all. I fault no one for their faith. If religion is where one finds strength and comfort, good for them. If one finds strength and comfort elsewhere, good for them.

You see, unlike many people of faith, I say to each their own. I do not believe that a person of faith is better than a person who is not. I do not believe that a person of faith has any more answers than a person who is not.

I would say that I am much more likely to be objective than say... you.

 

[SweetSue92]

Good for him.

Based on your signature you would be unable to be objective at any rate.

Not at all. I fault no one for their faith. If religion is where one finds strength and comfort, good for them. If one finds strength and comfort elsewhere, good for them.

You see, unlike many people of faith, I say to each their own. I do not believe that a person of faith is better than a person who is not. I do not believe that a person of faith has any more answers than a person who is not.

I would say that I am much more likely to be objective than say... you.

No one says people of faith are "better" than people who are not. In fact Jesus said, "For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God..." Romans 3:23

The problem is when someone in the faith poses as if they are a leader when they have less wisdom and understanding than my Sunday School 5th graders--and I mean that quite seriously. Marty Sampson with this one post demonstrated less Christian maturity than some of my older Sunday School students. And I'm not talking about just parroting the right answers.

As Christians "we" allowed him to write our songs, lead our praise, whatever. This is a problem. We are not well-rooted, and that's a problem.

 

[shockedcanadian]

There are plenty of reasons I was an Atheist. Just as many, maybe more than drew me to religion, even in the most trying of circumstances facing off against the most Ungodly of people.

I look at it this way, there is an Almighty Being. I follow Jesus while having a peripheral understanding of other religions. He can ask all the questions he wants of science, but the big one will be "why is there life at all? What is the meaning of life"?

It's difficult for any belief system to answer. It keeps us coming back to God in some form or another.

Well. I'm not faulting him so much as I am us, the church, whatever oversight he should have had, I guess.

These are not the questions of a mature believer. These are the questions of a baby believer. And I'm not trying to insinuate that we don't all have valleys and mountaintops, we do. But to be a leader in the faith, in a position of leadership, and not have these basic questions figured out....

We have to do better.

And as I said before....or hinted at....this explains to me why so many modern Christian praise songs seem rather empty. Maybe this is what's behind them. Not much of anything, really.

All religions face modern issues of temptation and distraction. There are so many fun and appealing activities for people to engage in, worshiping and/or going to church and engaging in ritual isn't appealing to the rapidly active mind.

It won't get any better as apps are readily available to kids at a young age and the speed of thought, ideas and other distractions takes away from solemn thought and self actualization. People don't stop to smell the roses or ask the bigger questions until they reach a certain age, many won't ever ask at all. Some of this is natural, but probably ensures a generally less empathetic society.

 

[SweetSue92]

There are plenty of reasons I was an Atheist. Just as many, maybe more than drew me to religion, even in the most trying of circumstances facing off against the most Ungodly of people.

I look at it this way, there is an Almighty Being. I follow Jesus while having a peripheral understanding of other religions. He can ask all the questions he wants of science, but the big one will be "why is there life at all? What is the meaning of life"?

It's difficult for any belief system to answer. It keeps us coming back to God in some form or another.

Well. I'm not faulting him so much as I am us, the church, whatever oversight he should have had, I guess.

These are not the questions of a mature believer. These are the questions of a baby believer. And I'm not trying to insinuate that we don't all have valleys and mountaintops, we do. But to be a leader in the faith, in a position of leadership, and not have these basic questions figured out....

We have to do better.

And as I said before....or hinted at....this explains to me why so many modern Christian praise songs seem rather empty. Maybe this is what's behind them. Not much of anything, really.

All religions face modern issues of temptation and distraction. There are so many fun and appealing activities for people to engage in, worshiping and/or going to church and engaging in ritual isn't appealing to the rapidly active mind.

It won't get any better as apps are readily available to kids at a young age and the speed of thought, ideas and other distractions takes away from solemn thought and self actualization. People don't stop to smell the roses or ask the bigger questions until they reach a certain age, many won't ever ask at all. Some of this is natural, but probably ensures a generally less empathetic society.

Hillsong's style of "praise music" is absolutely geared to be "relevant". And it is about as sound and nutritious as whipped cream. I contend that the church can and should use technology to spread the Gospel, but should never EVER consider that the Gospel needs to be made "relevant".

All we need to do is present the Gospel. It is the most relevant message ever sent to mankind. "Those with ears to hear, let him hear."

 

[JoeB131]

No one says people of faith are "better" than people who are not. In fact Jesus said, "For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God..." Romans 3:23

Wouldn't that have been Saint Paul who said that.

The problem is when someone in the faith poses as if they are a leader when they have less wisdom and understanding than my Sunday School 5th graders--and I mean that quite seriously. Marty Sampson with this one post demonstrated less Christian maturity than some of my older Sunday School students. And I'm not talking about just parroting the right answers.

As Christians "we" allowed him to write our songs, lead our praise, whatever. This is a problem. We are not well-rooted, and that's a problem.

Naw, the real problem is that you guys just can't stand having anyone question the BULLSHIT.

You see, as an Atheist, I have no problem with Jesus' philosophy. Treat people the way you'd want to be treated, forgive those who've wronged you, help the less forturnate... Those are all pretty good ideas lost on "Conservative Christians" like you who think Christianity is about hating gays and Mexicans.

Where you lose me is when you claim he was a divine being, and that if you don't believe that he was, then God is going to burn you in hell forever and ever, but if you "Say the right things", that gets you into heaven.

By that logic... Anne Frank is burning in hell right now, and Jeffrey Dahmner is sitting on a cloud. (Thankfully, God hates them Gay people, so he won't accidentally run into anyone he ate! That would be awkward.) .

Sorry if I think that's all manner of fucked up.

 

[JoeB131]

Hillsong's style of "praise music" is absolutely geared to be "relevant". And it is about as sound and nutritious as whipped cream. I contend that the church can and should use technology to spread the Gospel, but should never EVER consider that the Gospel needs to be made "relevant".

All we need to do is present the Gospel. It is the most relevant message ever sent to mankind. "Those with ears to hear, let him hear."

Honey, here's the problem with that. You "Christians" have been giving the same treatment to the Bible that Disney gives to various fairy tales and stories... You sanitize it to meet modern sensibilities...

Which is why you won't talk about Jephthah the Gileadite butchering his own daughter as an offering to God, or Elisha the Prophet unleashing bears on children because they made fun of his baldness. Because those stories are kind of fucked up.

 

[cnm]

I look at it this way, there is an Almighty Being. I follow Jesus while having a peripheral understanding of other religions. He can ask all the questions he wants of science, but the big one will be "why is there life at all? What is the meaning of life"?

It's difficult for any belief system to answer. It keeps us coming back to God in some form or another.

I understand it can be pretty scary to say 'I don't know'.

 

[hjmick]

Good for him.

Based on your signature you would be unable to be objective at any rate.

Not at all. I fault no one for their faith. If religion is where one finds strength and comfort, good for them. If one finds strength and comfort elsewhere, good for them.

You see, unlike many people of faith, I say to each their own. I do not believe that a person of faith is better than a person who is not. I do not believe that a person of faith has any more answers than a person who is not.

I would say that I am much more likely to be objective than say... you.

No one says people of faith are "better" than people who are not. In fact Jesus said, "For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God..." Romans 3:23

The problem is when someone in the faith poses as if they are a leader when they have less wisdom and understanding than my Sunday School 5th graders--and I mean that quite seriously. Marty Sampson with this one post demonstrated less Christian maturity than some of my older Sunday School students. And I'm not talking about just parroting the right answers.

As Christians "we" allowed him to write our songs, lead our praise, whatever. This is a problem. We are not well-rooted, and that's a problem.

You "allowed" him to write "your" songs... just... wow...

When he was "leading" who is to say he did not believe? I would guess that he did, and strongly. So, how is it a problem that he was a "leader"?

Does "belief" equal wisdom and understanding? Apparently so, in your book. So am I to interpret, based on your statement, that wisdom and understanding come from religion? If so, then in your mind people who do not practice religion have neither because they do not adhere to any particular religious belief system. If they lack wisdom and understanding in your eyes, do you not then think you are better than them? You've got wisdom and understanding, they are lacking both...

On another note...

And what of all the other religions? Is yours the right one? Are all the others wrong? If so... well, you get the idea...

 

[shockedcanadian]

I look at it this way, there is an Almighty Being. I follow Jesus while having a peripheral understanding of other religions. He can ask all the questions he wants of science, but the big one will be "why is there life at all? What is the meaning of life"?

It's difficult for any belief system to answer. It keeps us coming back to God in some form or another.

I understand it can be pretty scary to say 'I don't know'.

Nothing scary at all about it. I just find in my experiences, those least interested in God have been the most evil. Not just evil as in a bad person, but genuinely enjoying the abuses against others. MANY of them in Canada. Happy to destroy your life for their benefit, a smile on their face as they quietly put the screws to you.

I respect a businessman who competes and crushes your company, at least you know that it's a two way street. The most Godless people I have met are in positions of authority. It's a scary future here North of your border. Don't let it spread it's tentacles into USA. I'm confident it starts and ends with people who don't feel an obligation to God, but instead, are obligated to some other "agency".

 

[SweetSue92]

Good for him.

Based on your signature you would be unable to be objective at any rate.

Not at all. I fault no one for their faith. If religion is where one finds strength and comfort, good for them. If one finds strength and comfort elsewhere, good for them.

You see, unlike many people of faith, I say to each their own. I do not believe that a person of faith is better than a person who is not. I do not believe that a person of faith has any more answers than a person who is not.

I would say that I am much more likely to be objective than say... you.

No one says people of faith are "better" than people who are not. In fact Jesus said, "For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God..." Romans 3:23

The problem is when someone in the faith poses as if they are a leader when they have less wisdom and understanding than my Sunday School 5th graders--and I mean that quite seriously. Marty Sampson with this one post demonstrated less Christian maturity than some of my older Sunday School students. And I'm not talking about just parroting the right answers.

As Christians "we" allowed him to write our songs, lead our praise, whatever. This is a problem. We are not well-rooted, and that's a problem.

You "allowed" him to write "your" songs... just... wow...

When he was "leading" who is to say he did not believe? I would guess that he did, and strongly. So, how is it a problem that he was a "leader"?

Does "belief" equal wisdom and understanding? Apparently so, in your book. So am I to interpret, based on your statement, that wisdom and understanding come from religion? If so, then in your mind people who do not practice religion have neither because they do not adhere to any particular religious belief system. If they lack wisdom and understanding in your eyes, do you not then think you are better than them? You've got wisdom and understanding, they are lacking both...

On another note...

And what of all the other religions? Is yours the right one? Are all the others wrong? If so... well, you get the idea...

Of course all organizations only allow their very most wise and understanding be leaders. Is this a surprise to you? And if they discover they are NOT, guess what? The best organizations take steps to demote. Right? How or why should religions organizations be different?

By his very words, he proves that his beliefs were based on whipped cream. His foundation was probably emotional-based. Again. This is the problem with modern Christian praise music.

When you are a Christian you are supposed to grow in wisdom and understanding of the faith, same as in any endeavor. Again this should come as absolutely no surprise. I have been teaching for 25 years, and just sat in on interviews to hire several brand new teachers in the district. These youngsters are very enthusiastic and we're glad, and they are very knowledgeable and that's even better. But it can be assumed that, in over 25 years of teaching I'm knowledgeable AND have some wisdom gleaned too, the kind that doesn't come from books. Sampson doesn't even demonstrate the Christian basics that can come from books. This is what I'm telling you