Posted on 06/13/2012 6:40:02 PM PDT by marshmallow
(CNN) – Jerry DeWitt entered the ministry when he was 17, launching a 25-year career as a Pentecostal preacher. He traveled all around his home state of Louisiana, preaching and ministering wherever he could.
All these years later, DeWitt, 42, is still on the road, and now takes his message all over the United States. But the nature of that message, along with his audience, has changed dramatically.
DeWitt is now an avowed atheist, and his audiences are made up of religious “nones,” the growing number of Americans who are atheist, agnostic, humanist or just plain disinterested in identifying with a religion. Today, DeWitt preaches a gospel of disbelief.
During his speeches, he talks about the process of leaving his preacher job. “If you don’t believe, then you will be like me – you’ll suddenly find yourself where you only have two choices,” DeWitt told a group in Johnson County, Kansas, earlier this year.
“You can either be honest that you don’t believe ... or you can pretend that you do,” he said. “Which is what so many people are doing and that is called faith.”
The transition from preacher to outspoken atheist has not been easy, and DeWitt is trying to smooth the way for other former believers. He is executive director of Recovering from Religion, an organization founded in 2009. Its slogan: “Thousands of organizations will help you get INTO religion, but we’re the only one helping you OUT.”
But a relatively new effort goes a step further than his own group by focusing on helping clergy in particular. In March 2011, a coalition that includes national groups such as American Atheists, the Freedom From Religion Foundation and the Richard Dawkins Foundation helped launch the Clergy Project, which is aimed at giving doubting and atheist preachers a community.....
(Excerpt) Read more at religion.blogs.cnn.com ...
“I’ve had several opportunities to renounce my faith in the past 20 years...”
I imagine very few Believers don’t have times when they doubt God, lack faith, etc. “Blessed are those who are poor in spirit, for they will inherit the Kingdom of God”.
I read on FR quite awhile ago where they found some letters of Mother Theresa, and how they showed all sorts of fears and lack of faith. I suppose that is sort of like that definition of “courage”. Courage is just doing want needs to be done in spite of being scared.
OTOH, I might put him in touch with a former pastor of ours that came new to our church. About a year in he gave a sermon on how Jesus was NOT born of a Virgin, “I grew up on a farm, that’s impossible”. We had him over for dinner shortly after that. I asked him “Well, I’m afraid I already know what you think about the Resurrection.” He of course didn’t believe that either! We told him to take us off the rolls as we wouldn’t be back. And take the choir books with you.
Atheists just worship themselves as God!
When you run out of sheep to fleece...find a new flock.
(Am I a cynical so-and-so or what?)
A lot of preachers, especially in the deep South, were raised as preachers as a family business, a highly competitive business often wracked by cynicism and greed.
For them, they were showmen, who provided entertainment under the guise of religion. This was often the case, as life in the deep South, from reconstruction to about the 1960s, was impressively boring.
It has even been suggested that the only two entertainments available to many people were tent revivals and lynchings.
The rather crude comedian Sam Kinison was raised to be such a preacher, and just couldn’t stand it anymore, revolted by the entire enterprise. Faith had nothing to do with it.
So I am not particularly surprised that there are those of that type who are atheists. They have rejected what they do as being to benefit others, and is just a profit making scheme.
Most that I know didn't start that way, but when you've built a "career", it's tough to walk away and start again.
“A little more than a year later, 270 members are contributing to the message boards and connecting anonymously with one another.”
I tried going onto that message board early today and it was restricted to people who agreed with the party line. They would not approve my ability to post.
Most religion today has little to do with worshiping God. It is either a charismatic stage hypnosis show, a legalistic peer group, or a self glorifying identity group. Things will be changing soon as it is time to get rid of the old wine skin and the old garment so the new can arrive. These tough times ahead are going to serve a spiritual purpose and realign people’s values.
Please don’t take my above comments to imply that I am anti-religion. I am anti “pseudo religion.” In order to know thy Father, you must look within. As my Father is in me and I am in my Father. These words really do make sense when you experience God rather than just theorize.
I have had some of these same pastors and clergy come to me asking for help, stating “I am afraid I threw the baby out with the bath water when I abandoned my religion!” I guide them back to the path.
Remember Saul who became Paul. Sometimes it is your greatest critics who become your greatest evangelists!
“All the best and keep looking up!”
Excellent wisdom in all of your words.
Athiesm is a religion. There is no proof whatsoever that God does not exist.
““When I was 17, I preached what I believed was best for people at the time; when I was 20, it was a little different; at 25 it was different, too,” he said. “And now at 42, I am still the same guy preaching what I see is best for people.””
The problem here is the “I”, “I”, “I”.
When I die of self (daily) then it is the Spirit of thy Father within me that teaches others. If I must brag, allow me to brag of my faults as it is only in diminishing “self” that I have made room for thy Father to be within me.
tired&retired wrote:
“The problem here is the ‘I’, ‘I’, ‘I’.”
Yes, that is part of the problem, to be sure. It always has been and always will be as long this fallen and corrupt world endures. But where were the older, more mature Christians to keep this self-absorbed teenager from inserting himself and his ego into the pulpit (or onto the stage, as the case may be)? Is there no responsibility on the part of the people who put up with preacherly nonsense and drivel of whatever kind? Where are parents, responsible parents?
“The only thing that keeps me going is the belief that, in some way, God has a plan and a reward for me. If that’s not true, my life was already wasted.”
Having physically died and experienced Heaven during a bout of meningitis over twenty years ago, I miss that wonderful feeling of being home and have often cried in sorrow asking God to either use me or let me come home. It was through these many experiences that I realized that Jesus’ great sacrifice was lowering himself to our level to teach us, not going home to be with our Father. I have no fear of death now, and actually look forward to it. The only reason I have the willpower to stay here is that “in some way, God has a plan for me.” My reward is in going Home (again)!!
What you say is very true of Mother Theresa having doubts. The same was true of every single apostle, disciple, or saint. You can’t approach the dark-night-of-the-soul without having doubts, and you can’t experience God without going through the dark-night-of-the-soul.
The process though is not doubting God, it is doubting “self” and the realization that we are not in control, a necessary step in surrendering to God and finding joy.
There are no atheists in foxholes!
Thank God for your beautiful testimony, dear tired&retired!
One of my favorite all time quotes was Abraham Lincoln during the Civil War. It was during a National Day of Prayer when a group of Methodist ministers came to visit Mr. Lincoln and said, “We pray that God is on our side.”
Mr. Lincoln replied,”That is not my concern! But that we are on God’s side is my concern!”
“The rather crude comedian Sam Kinison was raised to be such a preacher, and just couldn’t stand it anymore, revolted by the entire enterprise.”
And then they move to bigger fish by becoming politicians!
I agree with you. It’s a sign of the times we are in.
Just remember, no matter how much peril we encounter, no matter how much pain & suffering, there will be a “Happy Ending!”
Helping people out of a religion? I don’t get it. Are there religions (not cults) that force people to believe?
And why would someone preach a sermon about something he DOESN’T believe in?
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