Reasons to Believe: One Man's Journey Among the Evangelicals and the Faith He Left Behind – A Lapsed Believer's Intimate Portrait of American Evangelical Culture

by John Marks

Born again at sixteen, John Marks later abandoned his faith. In Reasons to Believe he attempts to cross a deep cultural barrier to understand those who now condemn his way of life. He speaks at length with missionaries, political activists, theologians—the rich and powerful, the poor and broken, and the pastors who have turned small congregations into megachurches. The result is a remarkable, intimate portrait of evan-gelicals, one of the most influential forces in America today, and the unforgettable story of how a lapsed believer came to terms with his faith.

Genres: Religion, Nonfiction, Memoir, Biography

400 pages, Paperback

First published January 29, 2008

Reviews

[Steve · Rating 1 out of 5]

While conducting interviews on assignment as a producer for the CBS news program Sixty Minutes in 2003, author John Marks was asked a probing, personal question by a couple in Dallas, Texas. While being asked about the phenomenon created by the apocalyptic novel series Left Behind for CBS’ Morley Safer, Don and Lillie McWhinney turned the tables and asked Marks if the coming Rapture will leave him behind. In this provocative journey, Marks takes 28 chapters and 365 pages to answer the McWhinney’s question.

For a man who claimed to have been born again at the age of sixteen and later in life walked away from his faith, it’s interesting that he divides this spiritual confessional into three books with the short titles: the way, the truth, the life. On page 234, Marks admits that the passage in John 14:6 “had been a touchstone of (his) faith, too, when (he) believed.” Funny thing, the author shares the same names as two of the writers of the New Testament gospels, John and Mark.

Bottom line, Marks bailed out of evangelicalism for one reason and one reason only. He can’t answer the timeless question skeptics have asked for centuries, “How can a holy God stand by and allow evil and suffering in the world?” He says as much in his closing chapter: “I couldn’t imagine a god that presided over a meaning, a redemptive meaning, in the murder by Josef Stalin of 50 million human beings through starvation and repression. I couldn’t imagine the God of mercy that ruled over trench warfare or the machetes in Rwanda or the murder of the Jews of Salonika, of Kishinev, of Berlin and Prague. I don’t mean that I can’t believe that good could ever coexist with evil or terrible events. I do believe in the possibility and existence of goodness; I’ve seen it. But the sovereign control of goodness over a temporarily rampant darkness is beyond me.”

So, because the question cannot be answered by Marks, (in his mind at least), therefore God doesn’t exist. In Marks’ view, there is no heaven or hell. “A god who can’t stop (the next slaughter) has no right to my loyalty or my belief . . . I rest on the authority of the uneasy dead. Leave me behind.” Sad words in deed. Especially so from one who once held on to the truth that sets all men and women free. I John 2:19 comes to mind here. As I turned every page of Marks’ critique of the evangelical Christian world, I couldn’t help but think, if only he could sit down to lunch with someone like Josh McDowell who could present irrefutable evidence that demands just one verdict: there really are reasons to believe!

[B Dohle · Rating 4 out of 5]

John Marks goes on a journey into the evangelical faith that he lost. As a political journalist, he does an excellent job interviewing and wrestling with the faith he encounters in others, a faith he no longer shares. He tackles the political side of evangelicalism, the missionary side of it, and even tackles homosexuality. His book is a bit dated, having been writing in the 2000's. The rise of Trump as a the evangelical candidate is something I would love him to write about. Maybe as an appendix.
My only frustration is the binary he clings to. Hes either wrong or right. Death is either meaningless or not. God is either in control or he doesnt matter. Even his initial question is binary. Is he going to be raptured or not?
If I could speak to him I would challenge him on his binary thinking. Could God be in control and suffering with? Could death be full of meaning and meaningless? I would love to see him wrestle with the binary worldview he has. That would be an interesting book indeed.

[Jim Heckman · Rating 1 out of 5]

Bias Perspective

This book is typical of those who do research with their conclusions already established. Marks spends the entire book blaming God for the atrocities that men commit, then blames God for not stopping them. He claims to be free not believing in a God who wouldn't stop these atrocities, yet ironically misses the point that God gave mankind freewill to do good or evil. If God did intervene, Marks would accuse God of denying us free will. So, God is once more blamed for mankind's actions. This book is a waste of one's time.

[Lori · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book should be titled "Reasons to Not Believe."

[Carrie · Rating 3 out of 5]

John Marks is an exceptionally compassionate journalist with a powerful message in this book. I chose the book because stories about abandoned faith revisted interest me, perhaps because it's such an unsettled question in my mind.

Spoilers below
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My favorite part of the book was the conclusion. In the beginning, John meets a fundamentalist couple while researching the Left Behind series for his work on 60 minutes. The husband, who turns out to be sympatheic and prominent character in the book, asks John whether he will be "left behind."

In true journalistic form, John spends most of the book carefully being objective with his experiences while still maintaining an emotional autheticity. His writing is near poetry, even while being a little long winded at times.

The part of the book that hit me the most was the conclusion. He went back to the question at the beginning about being left behind, and explained that he couldn't imagine a world where God exists with the simultaneous existance of the massacres in Bosnia and Rwanda. He also confesses that his wife and son are Jewish, and a fundamentalist belief would also condem them to Hell. I'm simplifying his monolog, but at the end he concludes simply, "leave me behind".

[Kaye · Rating 2 out of 5]

John Marks is a former "born-again" Christian and US News & World Report reporter. Given the first credential, I find it pleasing that he was able to interview Christians with such equanimity. He wasn't overtly critical, and was able to separate the people from the beliefs that he found distasteful (not always common in former anythings). I felt as if this journey wasn't really meant to be a published work for the masses, but it was just something that he wanted to do for him, and as he was jobless, he could make it worth his while as well. When he forayed into the political sections, I felt that he failed. The sections were short, and the information was scanty. It did not belong in a personal therapy session about faith, or the lack of it. His brief treatment of the political arena was surprising, considering his journalistic background. I wavered between a two and three star review on this, but went with the lower number because it ended on a dull and unsatisfying note. I wanted to hear conviction at the end, either pro or con for faith, and I heard the same tone I heard through the entire book on that regard, dull sensibility.

[Kristi · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautifully poignant book, it was, at times, profoundly painful for me to read. John Marks is a man who lost his faith, first in Christ then in the existence of God. There is an air of suppressed rage towards evangelicalism and yet that rage coincides with both respect and, dare I say it, love.

At times I wanted to shake him and say "Fundamentalism and evangelicalism are not the only options. There are other ways to be Christian!". Then I remembered that this book dealt specifically with the evangelical faith Marks left behind so it focused solely on that flavor of Christianity.

In the end, it is the ever present problem of evil and his assessment of the answers provided by evangelical Christianity as weak and illogical that proved to be the ultimate barrier.

Martin Luther declared at the Diet of Worms " I cannot and will not recant anything, since it is neither safe nor right to go against conscience. May God help me. Amen."

And in his own way, so does John Mark declare.

[Elyssa · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author, John Marks, was once a Christian and became an atheist. This book includes segments about his religious upbringing and devotion and then his transition into a non-believer. He intersperses this with anecdotes about Christianity including its history, different types of Christianity, portrayals of contemporary Christians, politics, social justice, race, etc. The stories are interesting and show the diversity within Christianity. The main flaw of the book is that the various chapters feel scattered and uncohesive. It seems like he threw togther a bunch of essays under the umbrella of evangelism, but did not try to create any continuity. Overall, I would still recommend the book. Unlike other books I have read about atheism, this one is less aggressive in its denigration of religion. Instead, it allows the reader to see the positive aspects of Christianity and how these could be included in a secular humanist mindset.

[Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

Marks clearly explained the "levels" of Christianity that are prevalent in the USA. Having been at one time or another involved in all of those levels I could appreciate his desire to share how he has been personally affected by their influence. He certainly took an in-depth look at the evangelical movement and gave many people in it an opportunity to showcase their good works. At the same time, he revealed their agenda to mix church and state and to use the pulpit and youth organizations to indoctrinate citizens to their point of view. He calls them out on their intolerance and how it turns people like me against the church. I applaud him for his courage to speak out and to question his own faith.

[Cbpax · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mr. Marks visits/revisits all the evangelicals he knows about or has previously met in his life's journey. From his life's journey he concludes that he can no longer believe in God. Not yet anyway. (Based on the amount of evil in the world that he has seen basically and I know that this is just a summary.). You can feel the yearning that Mr. Marks has for Christianity throughout the book. I often wished he would quit looking at Christians and just look at Jesus for his answers but that was not to be. This is a great book for us as Christians to read to be aware of how the 21st century is viewing the Church.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

A friend of mine recommended this book to me (the author is a Davidson grad) and I soon found myself struggling to put it down. This was the first time I've taken a more "academic" look at Evangelical Christianity, and while John Marks certainly has a biased perspective, I think he painted a realitely accurate picture of American Evangelicals. I found his anecdotes to be at once fascinating and frightening, and I appreciated his ability to criticize some Evangelical practices without stripping them of validity.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read a few of the recent crop of books from the "New Atheists" (Dawkins, Hitchens, Harris, and Dennett), and, while I enjoyed them each to differing degrees, I found this title by John Marks to be a more even statement along the same lines. Highly recommended, especially for people who have gone through what has been termed "theological abuse." Marks is forgiving but tough, and his conclusion, when it is finally revealed, has a balanced feel most works critical of religion tend to lack. The last couple paragraphs have an impact that add even more value to the preceding pages.

[Shulamit "Shulie" · Rating 4 out of 5]

For anyone who has ever had a "born again" experience, this is a must read. For those who have no first hand knowledge of the evangelical world, this gives a very clear picture of what that world looks like. I found Marks' story to be gripping in an unexpected way as I felt the suspense rise almost like a novel, as the reader is kept guessing right to the end as to Marks' ultimate response to Christianity. At times too, I felt like I was reading a horror or science fiction tale about a world on the brink of apocalypse.

[Alexa]

An honest, moving and fairly balanced account of a journalist who examines his reasons for leaving his faith. I say fairly balanced because I disagree with his conclusions, and certain emotional language that he uses I think is unjust. But I certainly admire his candor and willingness to tackle the subject head on. I don't know how to classify this book - its not that I don't like it because I disagree with his conclusions, but its challenged me to think critically about what I believe.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Picked this up off the shelf at the library and found it completely captivating. Marks grew up in Highland Park and was "born-again" (into the evangelical tradition) at 16 before later realizing the great suffering and destruction in the world couldn't outweigh his faith in Christ. He travels the country investigating the beliefs held by evangelical Christians, and--natch--even screens the related movie for evangelical students at Baylor.

[Doug Sullivan · Rating 3 out of 5]

For all his digging into the mind of Christianity, Marks starts and ends with his own presuppositions and preconceived notions. Having once had faith he claims to have lost, he writes as an insider of sorts in order to explain but not apologize for Christian traditions, beliefs and it's many quirks. But it is an interesting journey, albeit meandering and redundant. One senses this is more therapeutic for him than helpful to the reader.

[Nathan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perhaps the fairest skeptic's view of religion and faith that I've come across, if only because it comes from an author who grew up with an evangelical background, only to lose his faith when personally confronted with the depths of human cruelty. He treats his Bible-believing subjects with dignity and fairness, unlike many other books on religion written by non-believers.

[Peacegal · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a more scholarly look at the evangelical movement in America. Here's a book you can recommend when stronger condemnations of the religious side won't do. Although the author makes it clear he does not agree with many of their beliefs, he treats his subjects compassionately and with a level head.

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the few memoirs I've read recently that had a distinctive voice that I could really get. Some of it worked better than others, but overall, I thought this was a really interesting memoir. Highly recommended.

[RF · Rating 5 out of 5]

really thoughtful, a good read for those in the "evangelical" bubble... measured and not inflammatory

[Whoisjobe Pas Moi? · Rating 2 out of 5]

bleh. decent exploration but kinda pointless to have read.

[Brad Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very interesting and intriguing book. The main reason for "leving the faith" is the theodicy question. I was left wondering, "was faith left behind?" or "is John Marks faith changing and growing?"

[Kate · Rating 2 out of 5]

The narrative was incredibly disorganized. Lacked a real conclusion.

[Carl · Rating 3 out of 5]

a good honest book. has anyone else out there read this?!?

[Heather Yockey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Randomly picked up at the public library. Appreciated this author's balanced approach. Hadn't expected the thorough background of David Barton explained. Having heard him (DB) in my college chapel, I found those specific excerpts fascinating.