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. Living Waters exists to inspire and equip Christians to fulfill the Great Commission. As much as I felt undying love for Ricky Schroder, I knew little about him. 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. And then my heart broke hearing not only where they are in their faith, but how they have made it easier for others to abandon their belief in God too. Ive heard these things described dozens of times by now, but never before by guys I know my still-believing daughters have been watching for years. Reasonable answers exist for each notion the duo passed along that, in their opinion, defeats the truth of Christianity. This is the effect the gospel has, and we should expect these types of reactions. 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". He even says that he understands the argument that you cant have a moral law without a moral law Giver But then he says, that he just doesnt know. Later in Pauls ministry, however, he writes that Demas ended up loving the present world more than the things of God and walked away (2 Tim. After all, when someone is conversant in apologetics and theology, knows his Bible, and can anticipate my suspicions and objections, its difficult to simply pass him off as someone who never really understood Christianity. However, celebrity Christian deconversions, or celebrity conversions, actually do matter. Norman C. Nevin, Theistic Evolution Edited by J.P. Moreland, Stephen C. Meyer, Ann K. Gauger, Wayne Grudem, & Christopher Shaw. We have to understand were not the first people to grapple with these sorts of questions, said Andros, noting Ecclesiastes 1:9, which says, There is nothing new under the sun., In one interview, Rhett argued that, if Christianity is true, it should be able to withstand investigation and inquiry.. As far as Christians believing in the theory of Evolution or not, there is too much to go into in this short post. About 24 minutes into the podcast, Rhett compares the development of human DNA to an instruction manual that gets two pages permanently stuck together, leaving the headers and footers in place to show exactly where one ends and the other begins. Copyright 2023 The Gospel Coalition, INC. All Rights Reserved. Lover of beans. That is an excellent analogy. Rhett & Link, best friends since 2 nd grade, currently host one of the most popular YouTube channels on the Internet, Good Mythical Morning. That, though, didnt ease their concerns over how much emphasis Rhett and Link seem to be putting on their feelings. They began their career as engineers and ended up in the field of comedy. Ill interact the most with Rhetts extimony as it covered the lions share of their reasons for leaving the faith. 24:12). Lori calls it guerrilla evangelism, and its a burden shouldered by everyone who knows Jesus. Its hard not to feel insulted by his unwillingness to accept this. Producer: Good Mythical Morning. He predicted that with the rise of technology and communication, people wouldnt be deprived of information, but rather they would be given somuch that they would become passive and egocentric. The stories themselves werent so different from others that have lit up social media over the past few years. What I want to address is that even if Evolution were true (which I dont believe it is) there are way too many things in this world that need explanations that the Naturalistic worldview cannot answer. Since the release of their stories, several apologists and scholars have offered sound rebuttals to some of the claims made by Rhett in particular. Scarlett had befriended the very people who had destroyed the South. He suggested that if all these apologists and theologians were to recant their stories and change their opinions, their livelihoods would be at stake. 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. This is how we know what there is to know about Jesus. This creates a sense of community, in which we come to experience love and loyalty for our favorite YouTube celebrities. For exmaple, you decide you're hooked on a song. Christy White is the wife of Charles Lincoln Neal III, the bespectacled half of the internet-famous duo, Rhett & Link on Good Mythical Morning their famous YouTube comedy. I cant help but notice the similarities. I'm super disappointed but also not surprised. I think Postman was on to something when he wrote, WhatOrwell feared were those who would ban books. He says that he wants to raise his kids to believe in right and wrong, but he doesnt have a standard for it. I never got a reply. Both Goins-Phillips and Andros commended the comedy duo for their willingness to talk so transparently about what is sure to have been a difficult and challenging process. Theres a good chance the Christian kid who looks up to Rhett (and probably doesnt ever crack open his Bible) will never read those authors now. It didnt take long before quickly discovering these two were not some boys who got saved at some church youth camp alter call and then used their new found Christianity merely as a buttress against sex, drugs, and rock-n-roll after that. Sign up to get our newsletter your inbox every day. And if you like what you read on Godless in Dixie, please consider sponsoring me on Patreon, or else you can give via Paypal to help me keep doing what Im doing. Hopefully, they also realize these accusations are shots fired out of fearfear that one day they may wake up to find that we are making at least as much sense as they are. But the same timeworn skepticism the church has interacted with since its inception is given a fresh dose of potency when delivered to a whole new generation by cool and funny guys whove become a fixture of their childhood. Watching people eat bugs and murderously hot peppers isnt really my thing, but its a different story for my kids. Rhett and Link met each other way back in Elementary school in North Carolina and they've stuck together into adulthood, at one time passing through a ministry phase as full-time staffers with. I believe they have a fundamental misunderstanding of the issue. I imagine those types of responses will continue to roll in. They loved not the things of the world, but repented of their sin and put all their hope and trust in him. On Feb. 22, the Rhett & Link's Mythical Entertainment agreed to buy Smosh in a deal that would unite two long-running YouTube channels. I mean really loved Jesus! However, when they got to the point where they turned the corner away from the God of the Bible, our paths split and my heart broke. By Dawson Gaillard FOR about some the reason seasoned, as I aged sat in bricks a French dating Quarter back to patio the musing 1700's, about the seasoned, aged bricks dating back to the 1700's, I began to think of Gone with the Wind. A former church elder with a seminary education, Neil now writes mostly about the struggles of former evangelicals living in the midst of a highly religious subculture. But it wouldnt have shaken. Popular YouTubers Rhett McLaughlin and Link Neal have publicly announced that they have left Christianity and landed in agnosticism.. Their deconversions are especially noteworthy given how publicly the two had once been with their Christian faith (e.g., missionaries for CRU, featured in Phil Vischer's What's in the Bible?It's also noteworthy that Rhett and Link have over 15 million . It's easy Christianity-it left Jesus out a long time ago. Most of my life I saw the one or two aisles of Evangelical / Charismatic Christianity I was raised with as the totality of the whole store. 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. But I dont think its the actual arguments themselves people have found so persuasive. 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. Careers Workplace and Religion Columnists, Recreation Outdoors and Religion Columnists, Religious Music and Entertainment Columnists, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Starring filmmakers and comedy duo Rhett & Link, this non-fiction comedy series follows their travels to small towns across America where they develop and produce commercials for local businesses using local talent. Mark Spence, a Christian, discusses some controversial subjects with a couple, and they leave once he brings up one topic in particular. But then I remember this is part of how they protect themselves, knowing too well the fragility of their own faith. Are Rhett and Link still religious? Rhett led off with his intellectual doubts and Link countered with an emotional appeal. As an apologist, my knee-jerk reaction was also to grab my computer and start typing refutations with the force of a thousand suns. Please help us to continue to make our videos and movies available on YouTube free of charge. She had a pretty nose, little girl's eyes, but her lips gave everything away. He feared that truth would be lost in a sea of irrelevance.. Listening to their podcast you hear the I dont know. I found myself identifying with them a lot through experiences from our very similar pasts. Blend that with Rhett and Links magnetic personalities, and its no wonder the faith of many Christians has been unsettled. So, if you want to listen to them you can do so without fear. I quickly downloaded and submerged myself into Rhett and Links respective stories (which you can also see on YouTube here and here). Maybe youre just checking to make sure a bolt of lightning wont immediately strike you the moment you do. They launched the 'Mythical Morning' studio in 2012 in North . They no longer identify as Christians so it is not judgmental to refer to them this way.) She Leaves Once This Christian Brings Up This Topic. Did you know that these entertaining goofballs were once evangelical Christians who specialized in student ministry? As the logic goes, a God who is not on board with the LGBTQ agenda is not a God worth serving. Affiliate disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, we may earn commissions from qualifying purchases on Amazon.com. Our cultural moment is a cauldron of information and celebrity worship in which the cult of personality can ferment and grow. 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. After all, remember, we are talking about nothing. He cohosts the award-winning television program Way of the Master, which airs in 190 countries. Governor Bullock's presence at Scarlett's crush made Melanie feel. For Rhett, it started with questions relating to science, the age of the earth, and evolution. Whenever somebody other than Rhett mentions the word "Tokyo," Rhett will shout "What" for a length of time, and an overlay appears with the word "Tokyo," stylized to look like the Japanese flag, the cityscape of Tokyo, and a cat chasing a red laser beam, while a bell rings in the background. Rhett is 0% left-handed. How Is God Loving if He Allows Suffering. The two men, known for their daily Good Mythical Morningbroadcast, have, over the last few years, gone through what they have described as their spiritual deconstruction[s]. After having spent years in young adult ministry, Rhett and Link now call themselves hopeful agnostics.. Now, the debate stops at Rhetts conclusions. Changed My Whole Entire Being: Ex-Strip Club Owner Born Again, Now Works to Help Victims of Sex Trafficking, UK Lawmakers Demand Stricter Pornography Laws to Combat Epidemic of Violence Against Women, Professor Reveals Why Asbury Revival Is Now Being Called Outpouring and What That Really Means, Christian Ex-Cop Fights Back After Resigning Over Social Media Post About Gods Design For Marriage, Researcher Warns Biblical Theism Is Much Closer to Extinction in America, Unveils Stunning Stats. The REAL Reason Why Rhett and Link Fell Away from Christianity 268,033 views Premiered Mar 4, 2020 11K Dislike Share Save Living Waters 1.12M subscribers Rhett and Link, extremely. 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. This is why growth is stunted, why people abandon the faith: our church is too shallow for roots to dig deep. 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. This week, Faithwire managing editor Dan Andros discussed some of those concerns with editor Tr Goins-Phillips. Commercial Kings: With Rhett McLaughlin, Link Neal, Shayne Pax, Brandon Taylor. Rhett and Link already know theyll be accused of being arrogant. As a result, they are surprised and hurt by Christians who promptly said that they never truly were of us ( 1 John 2:19 ). (And Im a regular YouTube watcher)But then Rhett & Link appeared suddenly on my radar when their silo crossed over into mine. 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. They loved not the things of the world, but repented of their sin and put all their hope and trust in him. Most recently, of course, is the story of well-known pastor and author Joshua Harris, as well as the Youtube comedians Rhett and Link.. I've written on this phenomenon myself in a number of places, including my recent book, The 10 Commandments of Progressive Christianity, as well as my my article, "The . This implies that they are, in fact, deceiving people. Rhett Butler (Born in 1828) is a fictional character in the 1936 novel Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell and in the 1939 film adaptation of the same name. Since Rhett and Link were relatively deep into religiosity, having learned "Christianese" and the culture, it took them years to complete their pilgrimage to secularism. After having spent years in young adult ministry, Rhett and Link now call themselves "hopeful agnostics." 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. If youre younger than 30, you likely have a list of favorite YouTube channels that you follow. Spotify have songs removed so you will buy them. This is something Jesus himself said would happenand it will continue to happen until he returns (Matt. The most recentand arguably most influentialone has come from entertainers and YouTube sensations Rhett McLaughlin and Link Neal of the Good Mythical Morning channel and Ear Biscuits podcast. On the one hand, we dont want people who are not having doubts in their faith to listen to Rhett and Link and start doubting (Id rather have a millstone necktie). How would it affect their revenue streams and net worth to remain faithful Christians in todays cultural climate? Rhett & Link are celebrating their 10-year anniversary and the 21st season of their show, Good Mythical Morning Released on 01/27/2022 Transcript We should be pretty good at this. Ray Comfort is the Founder and CEO of Living Waters, a bestselling author, and has written more than 100 books, including, The Evidence Study Bible. more Christ-like now that they no longer see themselves as Christians. 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. Link asked, Why on airplanes? to which Rhett replied: Because when youre an evangelical Christian, when you sit next to a stranger, this may be the only opportunity you have to share the life changing message of Jesus with them. Thats a messy situation. SUBSCRIBE to Faithwires (free) YouTube channel. As it is also, evidently, for the more than 16 million subscribers these guys have accumulated since their show started back in 2012. When the teenage years come and the questions and pushing the boundaries begin most churches are ill-equipped to handle it. Actor Rupert Everett, who fell hard for her said: 'Her face had the illusion of beauty, but in fact it was wonky all over. 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. With the help of the Holy Spirit, they became convinced that Christianity is true as they gazed deeply at Christs beauty. But it was Jesuss turn to be under the microscope next. My understanding of who Jesus is is not just based on my experience with him personally, but its also based on what the Bible has to say about him. ). Good Mythical Morning is the most watched daily show online, averaging 100 million views in a month. When they each recorded videos walking fans through their spiritual-deconstruction stories in February, it shot through the internet like a bolt of lightning. But the same timeworn skepticism the church has interacted with since its inception is given a fresh dose of potency when delivered to a whole new generation by cool and funny guys whove become a fixture of their childhood. 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