In this episode of Humanize Me, Bart Campolo and John Wright talk about two recent deconversions from Christianity and a recent article by Faith Hill in The Atlantic which looks at the trajectory of secular ‘churches’ like Sunday Assembly and analyzes their declining numbers.
Joshua Harris’s well-known 1997 Christian book, I Kissed Dating Goodbye, shaped the relationships and sexual ethics of many of the young people who read it. In recent years, Harris has apologized for the impact of his book, which he now regards as largely negative. Earlier this summer, it emerged that Harris has separated from his wife and no longer considers himself a Christian.
Marty Sampson was a worship leader and singer-songwriter with Hillsong United, a band born at Hillsong church in Sydney that routinely topped the Christian charts worldwide. He recently wrote an Instagram post announcing the deconstruction of his faith.
Further reading
Secular churches rethink their sales pitch:
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2019/07/secular-churches-rethink-their-sales-pitch/594109/
Joshua Harris separates from wife, leaves Christianity:
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2019/07/29/joshua-harris-i-kissed-dating-goodbye-i-am-not-christian/1857934001/
Marty Sampson announces lost faith:
https://friendlyatheist.patheos.com/2019/08/12/famed-christian-songwriter-renounces-religion-im-genuinely-losing-my-faith/
