Christians need a healthier approach to deconstruction

It’s not a crime to question hypocrisy and idols in the church that are harming people.

Roughly one year ago, I was finally forced to deconstruct my faith. It’s been a long and painful journey that’s ended with me coming to terms with some harsh truths about church life and American evangelicalism.

Breaking down my faith was triggered by the gaping disparities between the life of Jesus and personal experiences in a church that was rotting from the inside out. Doing this in 2020 made it all the harder, with worsening disparities coming in rapid-fire succession.

I certainly haven’t been alone in my generation. I know more people under the age of 40 who are deconstructing their faith right now than the past several years combined. The reasons why are myraid. The us vs. them mentality that is endemic in white American evangelical culture, nationalism, and abusive leadership are all rejected in the teachings of Jesus, yet they are central tenets in large swaths of evangelical churches today.

Deconstruction, explained

Faith deconstruction is the systematic taking apart of one’s belief system for examination.