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.. your local one size fits all faith is THE faithwell, youre going to be in My heart is breaking and my head is spinning in light of the so-called deconstruction of Rhett and Links faith. 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. This implies that they are, in fact, deceiving people. Indeed they become: From the short exposure Ive had to the spiritual journey of Rhett and Link it seems they will produce even more love, joy, peace, gentleness, and kindness that Jesus says will come from those who are following him. Rhett seems really reluctant to talk about it, so Scarlett doesn't ask more questions. How would it affect their revenue streams and net worth to remain faithful Christians in todays cultural climate? (Tim Challies reviewed the book once upon a time.) 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. This is how we know what there is to know about Jesus. Rhett led off with his intellectual doubts and Link countered with an emotional appeal. She Leaves Once This Christian Brings Up This Topic. Do you want to read more articles like this? This implies that they are, in fact, deceiving people. Thats worse than a house of cards. Im reasonably certain that you dont burn in hell because you were intellectual curious and honest. Thomas, 31, wrote his chart-topping hit, "Die a Happy Man" a story about a man's need for nothing more in life than his woman's "crazy love"for and about his wife, Lauren (Gregory) Akins, 32. stand to lose if they didnt capitulate to culture on an issue like same-sex marriage? A Christians Response to the Deconstructed Faith of YouTubers Rhett and Link. I read books about it by people who didnt believe in it. Rhett and Link, extremely well-known YouTubers, recently posted videos talking about how they left the faith. Every bit helps, and is greatly appreciated. Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to trivialize this. Much of their appeal comes from their history together. Bingo! In fact, at the conclusion of Links talk, they both indicated theyll be setting this whole topic aside for a while in order to get their bearings. Of course not. 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. Its no wonder, then, that every time we turn around there is yet another deconversion story being proffered as the newest ex-evangelical smoking gun. It morphed into doubts surrounding biblical reliability, the historicity of the resurrection, and the general idea of hell and judgment. Why do Rhett and Link homeschool? This is why growth is stunted, why people abandon the faith: our church is too shallow for roots to dig deep. 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. 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. .What do you think happens after you die? One main issue discussed by them is the problem with LGBTQ and church. Secondly, I have been preparing to teach John 6 where Jesus says in several ways that God draws people to Jesus, He saves them, and He doesnt lose any of them. She articulates her argument well as she did in a recent debate with Lisa Gungor, (and Im more in the Gungor camp) so Childers article became my on ramp into the deconstruction stories of these YouTube celebrities who seemingly had gone astray. But as both Rhett and Link recounted, there was something brewing underneath the intellectual questions. This is what Ive been teaching them. 24:12). had a broader perspective on certain subjects it freed them to consider that Much to the chagrin of their critics who Certain? Its the people behind the arguments. Try the whole world. The LGBTQ agenda is the new master who takes no prisoners. When youve mixed with European Christians, Our cultural moment is a cauldron of information and celebrity worship in which the cult of personality can ferment and grow. Rhett and Link have grown their brand performing hilarious satirical songs and engaging in zany stunts such as duct-taping themselves together, playing wedgie-hangman, crushing glow sticks in a meat-grinder, and flinging bags of dog feces at one anothers faces. Which means the history matters. To paraphrase: Mammy sits by the door and hears nothing, only a low humming sound--Melanie convincing Rhett to bury Bonnie. It morphed into doubts surrounding biblical reliability, the historicity of the resurrection, and the general idea of hell and judgment. This is the effect the gospel has, and we should expect these types of reactions. Relocating with their families to Los Angeles around this time almost certainly made it easier for Rhett and Link to think through some of their questions, removed as they now were from the Christ-Haunted atmosphere of the Bible Belt. or that could they even still call 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. One can believe in a literal Adam OR that Adam is a metaphor and still follow Jesus. I imagine those types of responses will continue to roll in. Today that simple choice to follow Jesus and learn to engage Life through his Way comes with a whole lot of additional belief requirements. How would it affect their revenue streams and net worth to remain faithful Christians in todays cultural climate? 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. What am I gonna teach them now? 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. But I dont think its the actual arguments themselves people have found so persuasive. Maybe the whole deconversion narrative is due for a bit of deconstruction. Before this week I did not, and now that I think about it, it explains A LOT. Rhett (a.k.a. Rhett, who makes up one half of the comedy duo Rhett & Link and co-hosts their hit YouTube talk show Good Mythical Morning, admits that while he is eager to "settle into the space we have,". But heres the thing; spiritual deconstruction is in many ways just spiritual puberty. Good Mythical Morning is the most watched daily show online, averaging 100 million views in a month. No one that I was in personal contact withpastors, Christian friends, elders in the churchnone of them disappointed me or let me down. This week, Faithwire managing editor Dan Andros discussed some of those concerns with editor Tr Goins-Phillips. Should Christians Embrace Evolution? Evolutionary theory doesnt have a sufficient cause for the universe coming into existence out of nothing. Goins-Phillips, in response, pointed out that Christianity has been around for 2,000 years and remains the worlds largest religion, so it has withstood challenges and investigations. It was a relationship. On the contrary, as he pointed out, being a straight white dude in an evangelical church kind of greased the rails for him. Are Rhett and Link still religious? 4:10). and Asian Christians, and Pacific Islander Christians you soon realize the Here are nine things you should know about revival and the history of revivals in America. He was the only one for me. They acknowledge that Christianity, The apostle Paul identifies his friend Demas as a fellow worker who was with him while imprisoned in Rome (Philem. That was the key for all of us, wasnt it? Yep. I laughed out loud when Rhett talked about engaging people on airplanes by spouting talking points from books byJosh MacDowell and Lee Strobel. Take Rhett, for example. often suggest the real reason is so they can succumb to a life of sin, I find I dont blame them. They began their career as engineers and ended up in the field of comedy. Now, the debate stops at Rhetts conclusions. The two This channel has made Rhett and Link the fourth highest-earning YouTube stars 3 while reaching audiences around the world. I never got a reply. (And Im a regular YouTube watcher)But then Rhett & Link appeared suddenly on my radar when their silo crossed over into mine. When he jumped the Christian ship, he didnt jump into another boat, but into a sea of uncertainty. His Christianity has been replaced with what he calls openness and curiosity. He describes how liberating its been to let go of the appetite for certainty. To the careful observer, its evident that Rhett has traded in one worldview for another: Christianity for postmodernity, with all its skepticism, denial of absolutes, and relativism. 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 . By naming several apologists such as Lee Strobel, Josh McDowell, Tim Keller, and Ravi Zacharias, he knocked the legs out from under their arguments. 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 Campus Crusade (now called Cru ). If youre younger than 30, you likely have a list of favorite YouTube channels that you follow. suggestion that their moving to Los Angeles was just the slippery slope to Then he skillfully planted a possible motive: money. 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.. This led to him jumping ship. Rhett & Link, best friends since 2 nd grade, currently host one of the most popular YouTube channels on the Internet, Good Mythical Morning. As an apologist, my knee-jerk reaction was also to grab my computer and start typing refutations with the force of a thousand suns. 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. 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. Catholics believe one can have lgbtq thoughts/ temptations, but not act on them. As the logic goes, a God who is not on board with the LGBTQ agenda is not a God worth serving. And, like he says toward the end of yesterdays talk by Link, the boat is real. They were also Christians, former missionaries, and Campus Crusade (now, When they each recorded videos walking fans through their spiritual-deconstruction stories in February, it shot through the internet like a bolt of lightning. He occasionally sends judgments to earth to remind us of this. Get resources, podcast episodes, and SWO updates sent directly to your inbox. 2. Then he skillfully planted a possible motive: money. I cant help but notice the similarities. With the help of the Holy Spirit, they became convinced that Christianity is true as they gazed deeply at Christs beauty. And we dont have to wait a week for the next episodein many cases theres a new upload every single day. No, these lads loved Jesus. They never talk about if it's morally wrong, but rather the person expressing who they think they are and who they think they love. Rhett & Link preempt their critics Our media fueled siloed communities dividing us in politics, religion, race, culture, and various interests meant I was totally oblivious to Rhett & Link despite their being YouTube comedy sensations with nearly 17 million subscribers. Of course, I had never looked at the evidence for evolution. When I was 11, I only had the opportunity to see Ricky Schroder once a week. 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. Frank had gone to Shantytown with some members of the Ku Klux Klan to. It doesnt really matter if it never reaches its destination. Spotify have songs removed so you will buy them. For Rhett, it started with questions relating to science, the age of the earth, and evolution. Chances are also good that one of them isGood Mythical Morning featuring Link Neal and Rhett McLaughlin. 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. This brings us to the salient question. When I discovered that there were many other aisles in the supermarket that contained delicious spiritual food I was at first nervous and suspicious. The REAL Reason Why Rhett and Link Fell Away from Christianity Ray Comfort Founder & CEO, Living Waters Rhett and Link, extremely well-known YouTubers, recently posted videos talking about how they left the faith. 1) Deconstructing Statements of Faith is not the same as Deconstructing Faith itself When Jesus called his disciples he simply said, "Follow Me". So you "offline mode" it. Should we avoid it? 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. 1:24; Col. 4:14). 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. Once you've listened to that track a certain number of times, it's clear that you don't own it but would like to. Would. Its stable. As you listen to Rhett, he says that there were basically two things that converged to lead him away from the faith. For Rhett, it started with questions relating to science, the age of the earth, and evolution. This is something Jesus himself said would happenand it will continue to happen until he returns (Matt. 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. Demas traded eternal hope for earthly treasure. He was basically telling MY story, along with the stories of a hundred people I know who went through the same thought processes and the same emotional struggles. 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. These are great questions that Christians have been asking for years. Rhett echoed that hes more interested in what happens during his life on earth. We were in conversation. Good Mythical Morning Net worth- $30 Million. It was time to stop just reading Christian answers to everything and go a level deeper, looking next at the answers to the Christian answers. 4K Followers. He is still living as if he has value, that there is a purpose to his life and the lives of his family, that there is a standard of morality that people should follow, and that it matters how someone chooses to live their lives. This was so convenient because the gift card is digital and gets sent right to your email! 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. Fast forward 35 years to a day replete with a global internet and smartphones, and Postmans words ring with the chill of prophetic accuracy. Aug 05, 2012 12:57PM. 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. How could so much of the history of Israel be made up? Home of #GMM, Rhett and Link, and everything else #Mythical @rhettmc @linkneal @mythicalstore @mythicalchef With the precision of a gifted lawyer, he laid out roadblocks to the objections he knew would follow his statements. On Feb. 22, the Rhett & Link's Mythical Entertainment agreed to buy Smosh in a deal that would unite two long-running YouTube channels. Really good analogy. And furthermore, who wants to embrace uncertainty? The comment sections of their, pages reveal that their stories inspired many atheists and touched the hearts of some folks who experienced similar deconversion journeys, describing the videos as beautiful, candid, and vulnerable.. I kind of saw Christianity as this boat in a very stormy sea. The comment sections of their Reddit, Facebook, and YouTube pages reveal that their stories inspired many atheists and touched the hearts of some folks who experienced similar deconversion journeys, describing the videos as beautiful, candid, and vulnerable.. All their YouTube Channels have a good amount of engagement, subscribers, and views as a result of their engaging content. While Rhett and Link spend some time talking about their post-Christian lives in the deconstruction episodes, they devote the lion's share of the time to looking back on the life and belief. Rhett and Link have never punched each other in the face. Maybe YouTube said "we want to get behind you and do such and such but it has to be about Rhett and Link, not random crew members". That, though, didnt ease their concerns over how much emphasis Rhett and Link seem to be putting on their feelings. I mean really loved Jesus! The younger generation is even more open about questioning their faith and leaving Christianity behind. What about the rest of the world? And the question that Ive gotten from some people who are close to me, who love me. 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. Christy Neal: Link's wife. Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 2:1416 that through his missionary work, Christ spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of himself. They decided to go get vasectomies together and filmed the experience for a video . As an apologist, my knee-jerk reaction was also to grab my computer and start typing refutations with the force of a thousand suns. Rhett and Melanie eat:" {Mammy} could distinguish nothing except the clatter of silver on china, and the muffled soft tones of Melanie's voice." Rhett then goes to bed. And I want to say that because Ive noticed that when I tell my story, often people kind of conclude that I was never a true Christian. 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