Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Why I Still Talk to Jesus -- In Spite of Everything

Home
Politics and Religion
How to help former evangelicals navigate their way out of despair and towards meaningful action?

How to help former evangelicals navigate their way out of despair and towards meaningful action?

Last updated on: March 12, 2015 at 5:35 pm by Frank Schaeffer

How to help former evangelicals navigate their way out of despair and towards meaningful action? 2015-03-12T17:35:25-06:00 Frank Schaeffer

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Here’s a letter from one of my readers that asks: “Because you have your finger on the pulse of this movement of alienated former Christians to a more specific degree than any public figure I am currently aware of- I encourage you to ponder how you might be able to be a leader in helping former evangelicals navigate their way out of despair and towards meaningful action…”

So please read the letter, then go to my Facebook page and jump into this thread with your answer to the “How to” question on helping former evangelicals navigate their way out of despair and towards meaningful action.

Dear Frank,

I wanted you to know that your Thanksgiving message and choice to remain available was very touching. It is entirely possible that that action made it possible for at least one (and likely more) struggling soul to make it through the day and stay with the inherent suffering connected to feeling isolated rather than drowning it in addictive behavior. That was a profoundly loving act, and one (judging by the comments/conversations) that the Holy Spirit (or whatever it is we want to identify as the source of life giving energy) used for good. I am grateful to have had the benefit of friends and family this holiday season, but have not always had this comfort and am very attuned to those who are recently widowed, divorced, or feel estranged from the circles they would otherwise belong to. My hunch is that your journey has imprinted upon your soul a very diverse empathy for the disenfranchised.

I write to you because I have been carefully following your critique of mainstream evangelicalism. Most of what you say I agree with, having lived it myself. That said, I am struck by the sense of persistent alienation that recovering Christians are haunted by. They have left the illusions of an old and broken tradition but have lost a sense of meaning. But they have nothing to replace it with beyond a myopic sense of victimization. I say this, because I have certainly done more than my share of wallowing in despair.

The way out of despair, and back to purpose for me has been a reengagement with meaningful action. I may never again possess the theological certainty I once possessed, but I still have hands and feet and a mind that can be used for good. Because you have your finger on the pulse of this movement of alienated former Christians to a more specific degree than any public figure I am currently aware of- I encourage you to ponder how you might be able to be a leader in helping former evangelicals navigate their way out of despair and towards meaningful action. I am in process on how to make this a transition a reality- I don’t know yet, but I do know that I experience profound discomfort with the idea of closing my eyes to the suffering of the socially marginalized who exist outside of the evangelical concept of “us”. I want to act- but not just to satisfy my own sentiment- but rather in a life affirming fashion. I don’t want to let my disillusionment with legalism and hypocrisy congeal into despair.

I suspect that you may have some wisdom on this matter that many in my shoes would find very helpful. Thank you for your humility in revealing your own winding path and your extraordinary capacity of engaging with others suffering in a life affirming fashion.

The evangelical world will likely never stop judging you. But you are doing God’s work- I know that to be true.

With love and respect-
Katherine Bennett

Please Support My Blogging

I earn my living as a writer. I have a choice write more books and less blogging or ask you for help. If you value my blogging will you please consider helping me sustain myself and my family by making a voluntary payment to support my work? Scroll down and click the “Donate Now” button to make a secure donation using your PayPal account or debit/credit card. My writing has always been about faith not being a set of ridiculous beliefs, but a way of being. Will you help me bring other readers to that place?

As writer Angela Hart wrote: “We expect to pay for goods and services that have value, bring us pleasure, enrich our lives. The thoughtful content and reply posts by Frank Schaeffer represent the end product of education, individual experience, synthesis of thought, and the hard work of writing. We’ve grown accustomed to gobbling up others creative endeavor as if it were our entitlement. It is not.”

Please help me make room for honesty. For tenderness. For fury. For wonder. For hope. For mistakes. For paradox.

Will you help? For example: $5, $10, $25, $50 or $100 a year means I don’t have to blog less and write less but can concentrate on bringing a message of spirituality rooted in tolerance to thousands of people. Click this “Donate Now” button to make a secure one-time payment using your PayPal account or debit/credit card.

Please note: the company that processes these payments is Regina Orthodox Press.

Thanks for your consideration and contribution.

Frank Schaeffer is a writer. His latest book —WHY I AM AN ATHEIST WHO BELIEVES IN GOD: How to give love, create beauty and find peace

Available now on Amazon

Follow Frank on Twitter www.twitter.com/frank_schaeffer See Frank’s paintings http://www.frankschaefferart.com/ Follow Frank on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/frank.schaeffer.16 Contact Frank at http://www.frankschaeffer.com/

Previous Post

November 30, 2014

Is It Time to Dump the Word “Evangelical”?

Next Post

December 2, 2014 Something You'll NEVER See in 'Christianity Today' magazine: My Facebook Friends' Answers to This Question: "How to help former evangelicals navigate their way out of despair and towards meaningful action?"

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Art children Christmas family parenting political humor politics religion sex Uncategorized

Select a Month May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz