The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life. John 10:10

 

Pauline said she stopped calling herself a Christian in her 30s. Diana said she “lost her faith” as a process of gradual disengagement.

 

England and Wales are now minority Christian countries, says the British news source, The Guardian.[1] In an interview with readers who got in touch with The Guardian to share why they no longer identified as Christians, reasons varied. One said the final straw was having to watch her father die without pain relief, while waiting for healing because it was “God’s will.” Another said that “Christian dogma was incompatible with critical thinking.” The article refers to “Christian religion” and “Christian faith” interchangeably but, is there a difference?

 

Each person portrayed by the article turned their back on a religious system of belief. It’s doubtful if their practice of what they thought of as their Christian faith was ever intimately informed by scripture. Most spoke of “the church,” but sadly, none spoke of Jesus. A religious system without faith in the living person and power of Jesus is probably something you should leave behind. If it’s nothing more than a list of rules that require endless effort that never measures up, where is the abundant life that Jesus spoke of? “My purpose” Jesus said, “is to give life in all its fullness” (John 10:10b). Yes, there are things in the Bible we don’t fully understand. The Bible admits, “The Lord our God has secrets known to no one. We are not accountable for them, but we and our children are accountable forever for all that he has revealed to us,” (Deuteronomy 29:29).

 

Ironically, the respondent who now calls himself an atheist enrolled his young daughters in a Church of England school.

[1] “‘I Couldn’t Pretend Any More’: Readers on Why They Left the Christian Faith.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 2 Dec. 2022, https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/dec/02/i-couldnt-pretend-any-more-readers-on-why-they-left-the-christian-faith.