CREEDE HINSHAW: ‘Disbelief’ is often a product of exclusionary brand of faith

“I’m not a believer,” a friend told me, the words spoken emphatically and conclusively.

I was surprised to hear this, because I had known her to have been a faithful member of the church. Did she no long believe in the church? Did she no longer believe that Jesus was God’s son? Did she no longer believe in the power of prayer?

I have learned not to assume I understand what others are trying to say. Her comment could have meant any number of things, and so I asked her to explain further.

“I don’t believe in narrowness. I don’t believe that this is the only world that God loves or the God only loves some persons. I don’t believe the intolerant things I hear,” she replied. “I’m not having any part of that.”

What my friend did not believe in was the narrow, exclusivist brand of faith that is frequently displayed and flaunted. She did not believe in the most blatant and idolatrous merger of faith and nationalism. Her disbelief had little to do with doctrine.

After probing a little further I said, “I disagree with your self-assessment. I think you are a believer.”

She had allowed a highly public, very rigid expression of faith to convince her she had no belief. She had walked away from the church when it was a shoddy imitation of the church that bothered her.

What she had stopped believing in was intolerance.

What she had stopped believing in was hatefulness.

What she had stopped believing in was exclusivism.

What she had stopped believing in was the insistent demand of some sects to pound their version of truth into everybody, to force a person to walk a dark, convoluted, obscure path.

Those who come across so smug, so exclusionary and so self-righteous either do not know or do not care about the damage they are doing to other persons of faith and to the cause of Christ.

To my friend I cited the late Tim Keller (1950- 2023). A highly influential Presbyterian pastor in New York City, Keller attracted thousands of cynical, disbelieving New Yorkers to the church. Often he would say to them, “Describe the God you’ve rejected. Describe the God you don’t believe in. Maybe I don’t believe in that God either.”

Keller’s words opened wide, new horizons for countless discouraged persons.

Lutheran pastor Nadia Bolz-Weber, another groundbreaking preacher who has won to Christ and the church thousands of disaffected persons, said in a similar vein, “People don’t leave Christianity because they stop believing in the teachings of Jesus. People leave Christianity because they believe in the teachings of Jesus so much they can’t stomach being part of an institution that claims to be about that and clearly isn’t.”

What is it you don’t believe in? Is it possible you are kicking against the wrong goads? The love and mercy of God is far wider, deeper, and higher than we can ever imagine.