Why So Many Christians Have Left the Faith: Responding to the Deconstructionist Movement With Unshakable, Timeless Truth

by Michael L. Brown

FROM THE BEST-SELLING AUTHOR OF JEZEBEL'S WAR WITH AMERICA, HYPER-GRACE, AND THE REAL KOSHER JESUS

At a time when the Bible and Christianity are considered untrustworthy, will we choose faith or follow the culture?
 
This book will provide you with the facts and understanding you need to respond to difficult questions biblically and stay rooted in your faith even when others seem to be abandoning theirs.
 
We are living in unprecedented times when Christian leaders are renouncing their faith and large numbers of believers are falling away. Is this the final apostasy prophesied by Jesus and Paul? And can we do anything to help those struggling with their faith? In Why So Many Christians Have Left the Faith, Dr. Michael L. Brown confronts the problem of “Christian deconstruction” with solid, faith-building answers and honest responses to difficult questions. He addresses:
What the Bible says about an end-time falling away and whether that is what we are seeing in our day;
How solidarity with and sympathy for the LGBT movement has brought with it a rejection of biblical values;
The effect of leadership scandals on the credibility of the gospel;
How the me-centered gospel is contributing to the current faith crisis by putting God on trial;
The contemporary objections to the Bible’s moral standards;
The problem of pluralism; and
What the Bible does and doesn’t say about future punishment in hell, while also examining the scriptural statement that “God is love.”
Looking at the stories of those who fell away as well as the larger cultural factors, this book offers solid answers to the major attacks against the Bible and helps readers build an unshakable faith.

Genres: Religion, Christian, Nonfiction

256 pages, Paperback

Published March 7, 2023

About the author

Michael L. Brown (born March 16, 1955) is a Messianic Jewish Old Testament scholar, professor, activist, itinerant speaker, and author who has preached in numerous countries and written twenty books. He is the founder and president of ICN Ministries. His writings have been translated into more than a dozen languages. He was married to Nancy Gurian on March 14, 1976 and they have two daughters, Jennifer and Megan, and four grandchildren.

Reviews

[John Martindale · Rating 2 out of 5]

There are two types of people, those who have experientially undergone deconstruction, and those who have not. Brown has not (sure, he has had a few questions and doubts, but not a true deconstruction). He attempts to be empathic, though, but it is so overwhelmingly clear he just doesn't know. This book could be likened to a man writing a book-long exhortation to women on what childbirth is like, and how they should act and think and feel throughout the process. Any woman who has undergone a difficult pregnancy can recognize the difference of a man's attempt to empathize, with another woman who knows from personal experience what it is like. As a man likely needn't write such a book and hand it out to pregnant women, Brown should have refrained from writing this book and giving it out to doubters.

Anyhow, the problem is Brown, repeatedly shows throughout this book, that he just has no idea. I can somewhat appreciate his attempt, but yeah, anyone who is struggling seriously with doubt and who has been blindsided by a new state of being, where everything is seen in a new light, will not gain much from this book, well, other than a glimpse at how the faithful and confident and sure-footed think.

[Steven H · Rating 5 out of 5]

AN HONEST, FORTHRIGHT ASSESSMENT OF MANY ISSUES

Author Michael L. Brown wrote in the Preface to this 1993 book, “I will explore why so many believers have deconstructed, especially here in America, offering practical responses to each and every reason… I’m aware … that some Christians do not believe anyone can truly fall away from the faith, citing 1 John 2:19… This remains true to this day. Many people appear to be ‘with us’ for a season, only to show their true colors by leaving…. It is true that some were false converts. But many were true converts, and I take their stories seriously. Why did they renounce their faith? Was it intellectual? Was it experiential?... Did they fall morally before they changed their theology? Did church hypocrisy drive them away? These are the questions we put on the table in this book… and in each and every case I do my best to offer solid, thoughtful, intellectually sound, morally defensible, theologically rigorous, and fully compassionate answers.” (Pg. ix-x)

In the 2nd chapter, he asks, “Could it be, then, that we are now in the time of the final apostasy, a time of which both Jesus and Paul spoke?... Personally, I do not believe that we are in that final time of apostasy. But without question … this is the most significant falling away I have ever witnesses, and numerous factors are contributing to this current crisis of faith.” (Pg. 16) Later, he adds, “we are in a SIMILAR TIME, a time of increasing challenges to our faith.” (Pg. 121)

He acknowledges, “it would be one thing if we heard about a scandal involving a major church leader once in a blue moon. The exception would prove the rule… But these days it feels as if the reverse is true… one day it’s a beloved apologist [Ravi Zacharias] or the president of a Christian university [Jerry Falwell Jr.]. Another day it’s a celebrity pastor, then it’s that pastor’s related network of churches [Hillsong], then a whole denomination [Southern Baptist Convention].” (Pg. 38) He adds, “I understand how these failings---so many of them, in so many different Christian groups and organizations---cause people to mistrust Christian leaders, or their message or their God or all of the above.” (Pg. 41-42)

But he counters, “It was tragic to hear about the failings of one of the world’s best-known Christian apologists. But he had a whole network of coworkers. How many of them were indicted with similar changes? None to my knowledge… When a Christian university president lost his job over a sex scandal, that was the exception, not the rule… There are hundreds of Christian universities and colleges in America, and it is exceedingly rare to hear about the scandals among the senior leaders or even serious charges being brought against them.” (Pg. 46)

He notes, “Our grandchildren … have grown up in a very different world than my wife and I did… or our daughters did… They live in a world where they have openly gay or trans classmates … a world in which the legalizing of same-sex ‘marriage’ is old news, a world in which President Biden made trans rights one of his major causes, a world in which preschoolers learn gender identity… this is an intensely personal issue, not just a theoretical issue… ‘You’re telling me that they’re going to hell because of who they love?... they can’t serve in your church? If so, I want nothing to do with your religion or your God.’” (Pg. 61-62)

He continues, “to the extent that, as Christians, we have become better known for being anti-gay than pro-Jesus, the problem is much worse… We are viewed as mean-spirited, narrow-minded, hateful, and judgmental.; Little wonder so many choose their friends over their faith, especially when that faith is so caricatured and misunderstood.” (Pg. 64-65) He goes on, “So if we want to be in solidarity with the Lord, we will find ourselves at odds with the prevailing culture. At the same time, we do not want to drive people away from the Lord by making opposition to LGBTQ!+ activism our primary cause…” (Pg. 75)

Admitting that he supported Trump for president in 2016 and 2020, he asks, “Can we vote for Trump without compromising out witness?... Can we unite around Jesus even if we differ over Trump?... I too had to fight off the political fever, the feeling of being consumed day and night with the elections… I’m also sure that some Christians … saw me as an apologist for Trump… I know it because I heard from them on a regular basis. In some of our circles, loyalty to the Lord was judged by our loyalty to or rejection of Trump… Personally, I am deeply grateful to President Trump for the good things he did … At the same time, he left a wake of destruction in his path, the worst of which was felt in the church... That’s because in many ways we became like him, emulating his worst qualities… and putting him on such a high pedestal that it bordered on idolatry. Not only did this offend the Lord, but it offended many people…… to the extent that we became known as passionate CHRISTIAN supporters of Trump, the gospel now became mixed with politics and Jesus became mixed with a very flawed man.” (Pg. 81-82)

He continues, “we were known as the … ones who proclaimed, ‘Character counts! Morality matters!’ We were the ones who were outraged over Bill Clinton’s sexual failures… Now we were vying for photo ops with a thrice-divorced former playboy who made millions … on casinos, sone of them housing strip clubs as well? … did we support Trump any less when the infamous ‘Access Hollywood’ tapes were released, exposing some of his most vulgar comments about women?... if similar tapes exposed a Democratic presidential candidate, would we have let him… off the hook so easily?” (Pg. 82-83)

He admits, “I endorsed Senator Ted Cruz for president in 2016… I also made some political comments… for Cruz and against Trump… something I had never done in my entire life… I listened to one of those messages … and I wept before the Lord as I listened. I had mixed politics with the gospel in an unhealthy way… I had become partisan.” (Pg. 85) Later, he adds, “If you are one of those who walked away because of this, I don’t blame you… you certainly don’t go to church to hear one candidate exalted and another candidate bashed. You go there to hear about Jesus.” (Pg. 90) He continues, “But please do not write us off… we crossed some dangerous lines. We own our mistake, and we pledge to learn from it and move forward.” (Pg. 92-93)

He asks, “What about all those who never heard about Jesus? What about those who learned about another God, like the nearly two billion Muslims[?]… What about the devout Hindus and the practicing Buddhists?... Do any of them, let alone all of them, deserve to go to hell forever?” (Pg. 163-164) He goes on, “there are tens of thousands of ultra-Orthodox Jews who believe Jesus was an evil man… who led Israel astray… What happens to them?... I could give you all kinds of theoretical answers… but instead I will simply say this: God will treat them fairly… That is enough to satisfy me… But more relevant right now is that YOU have heard about Jesus… If you reject Him, you do it with your eyes wide open…” (Pg. 176)

He gives multiple interpretations of Hell: “Some would say… people will simply get what they deserve. Others… [are] arguing that over time, as we are separated from God and under judgment, we will degenerate to the point that we are hardly even conscious… There are others, however, who… recognize that a real hell with real fire exists. And … future judgment will be severe… So in the future, God will ‘destroy’ both the soul and the body of those who refuse to obey Him. That is quite different from torturing them forever. They will be destroyed… one group will receive an eternal punishment, namely final destruction… All that so say that there are different ways to understand the question of future punishment, based on the Bible alone.” (Pg. 178-180)

This book will be absolute “must reading” for anyone even marginally concerned with the issues with which Dr. Brown deals.

[Robyn Cates · Rating 2 out of 5]

I purchased this book because I have been interested in the subject matter. While there are a few things to chew on, there are many things that make reading the book difficult.

First, the author uses a writing style that results in consecutive paragraphs set up with patterned triplets. For one of many examples, see pages 39 and 40. The second paragraph employs three “that” statements. The third paragraph uses three questions. The fourth paragraph has three “surely” statements. On page 40, the first paragraph has “would you” questions, and so on from there. This style continues throughout the book.

Second, the author refers to his own writing in multiple places throughout the book while using articles from Vox and Huffington Post and other non-scholarly sources to build his case. For a topic as sobering as deconstruction, we must do better. Dr. Brown claims he is answering why believers are abandoning their Christian faith (which is its own paradox), but the evidence he puts forth are mostly symptoms and not causes. If the reasons he sets forth are truly credible, there would be reliable research conducted and presented to back them up.

Third, chapter 3 regarding the trustworthiness of today’s Christian leaders has many troubling parts. While I understand the point that we should not “tarnish” the “solid reputations” of those who are faithful leaders “because of the failings of a small but conspicuous minority,” (p. 47) Dr. Brown spends more time pointing out that the wicked are the minority and less time calling out the sin. He even writes, “These are often acts of weakness more than wickedness.” (p. 53) Sin is, by its very definition, wicked, and we do no justice by diminishing that fact.

Overall, the book demonstrates more regarding the results of a deconstructed faith and less of the “why so many Christians are leaving the faith,” as his stated purpose reads on page 197. Dr. Brown did not achieve that purpose.

[Lynnette Goebel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I will read more of his books based on the timeliness and clarity of this book. Brown speaks to what is happening in culture today with insight, but the best part is that he backs up what he says, each time, with Scripture. He does not speak from his point of view, but from Scripture.

Brown does not sugar coat anything, but acknowledges the errors of the church which has harmed people in the past. He also does not gloss over sin, but emphasizes the work of Jesus on the cross for our sins.

I appreciate his call to all of us to share the main points of the gospel - that we are all sinners, that Jesus died a terrible death on the cross, shedding His blood for all of us, rose from the dead that we might have everlasting life if we believe. (John 3:16 "For God so loved the world,[a] that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.")

[Monte Hickingbottom · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book's two purposes are to explain the deconstructionist movement and to help those questioning their faith. Brown does an admirable job on both fronts; however, he focuses primarily on the latter. I have no problem with the author focusing on those struggling with their faith, but the book's title seems to suggest that it explains the situation at hand. Overall, it is a great book that all Christians should read, especially those involved in pastoral ministry.

[Pamela Allen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I needed this book. I do not doubt Jesus, but I struggle with His church. And I have my reasons for that struggle. I know I will continue to struggle with the body of believers, but there is absolutely no doubt in my mind that Jesus is who He says He is, and He has rescued me from very dark places. I hope this book is a step for me to start trusting others who love Jesus with all their heart, mind, and soul.

[Sage · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an easy read. I wasn't really the targeted audience for this book. It really is written for someone struggling or doubting their faith which he does clearly tell you at the beginning of the book. It was interesting and clear chapters with concise information.

[Daniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Deals with contemporary topics and issues which have permeated our society today. Brown gives good arguments and food for thought arguments which can be used as guide to sail today's morally open society

[Jessica Harvey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This quote says it all, "God remains our rock and refuge." To rethink ones beliefs, do it the right way. If ones support system is lacking of religious or spiritual mindfulness, walking away may seem simple. However, leaving a church is not the same as losing one's faith.

[Dev · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good if you know someone who has left Christianity and want to know the statistics on why. Also good for thos e who have left or are questioning, this may help give some insight into these things.