They already know people are saying one of them led the other astray, as if we arentall being influenced by one person or another at any given time. 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. I dont blame them. I never got a reply. Thats humanism in a nutshell, and I feel the same way. When Scarlett was seen in Ashley's arms at the saw mill she knew. Our cultural moment is a cauldron of information and celebrity worship in which the cult of personality can ferment and grow. Where does that come from? As much as I felt undying love for Ricky Schroder, I knew little about him. 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. Im almost sure I said those same words at some point in my journey. your local one size fits all faith is THE faithwell, youre going to be in The joke first appeared in the episode called Odd . I Work for a Pastor with Low Emotional Intelligence, Split or Stay? I couldnt check his Instagram for updates every hour or tweet at him with the real possibility he might tweet back. Do you think you know more than all these other brilliant people before you? Of course that knife cuts both ways, although the people who say this never do see how it should undermine their own confidence, as well. Of course, I had never looked at the evidence for evolution. Right and wrong? With the help of the Holy Spirit, they became convinced that Christianity is true as they gazed deeply at Christs beauty. It doesnt really matter if it never reaches its destination. Rhett led off with his intellectual doubts and Link countered with an emotional appeal. To some, it smells like beauty and life; to others, it smells like death. Demas traded eternal hope for earthly treasure. Evolutionary theory doesnt have a sufficient cause for the universe coming into existence out of nothing. As I listened to them walking through their journeys I was surprised to see that we have covered much of the same terrain. Tokyo is a recurring joke on Good Mythical Morning. Its like trying on a different head just for a little while. But the same timeworn skepticism the church has interacted with since its inception is given a fresh dose of potency when delivered to a whole new generation by cool and funny guys whove become a fixture of their childhood. Can nothing make something? Contents 1 The Early Years 2 Career 3 Personal Life 4 Kids 5 Appearances 6 What Link Neal Doesn't Like 7 What Link Neal Does Like 8 Trivia 9 References had a broader perspective on certain subjects it freed them to consider that He cohosts the award-winning television program Way of the Master, which airs in 190 countries. Rhett (a.k.a. As the logic goes, a God who is not on board with the LGBTQ agenda is not a God worth serving. The youth-group kids left flustered and agitated by doubt mightve been entirely unperturbed had they heard those arguments from another source. They began their career as engineers and ended up in the field of comedy. No, we are the ones who learn to accept that on our best day, were still mostly grasping at straws. I imagine those types of responses will continue to roll in. Therefore, we also explored this topic f. I suppose Im still partially sympathetic toward the people whose job it is to make sense of these things on behalf of the church. With guest appearances on The TODAY Show, Live with Kelly, and The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, their stars have been rising for the past few years, swelling their net worth to an estimated $23 million. So Rhett got hung up on the way that one pair of chromosomes looks (okay?. Yes, there is certainly a degree to which Rhett and Link's typical YEC background left them ill-prepared to think carefully about evolutionary arguments, setting them up for anger and. SUBSCRIBE to Faithwires (free) YouTube channel. Watching people eat bugs and murderously hot peppers isnt really my thing, but its a different story for my kids. Listening to their podcast you hear the This brings us to the salient question. Now that they no longer need to outsource their morality to God they begin to take more responsibility for it themselves. They offer videos that present everything from video-game hacks to make-up tutorials to opinions about political and religious issues. Would Jack Black and Daniel Radcliffe guest star on their YouTube channel if they held to the biblical doctrine of marriage and homosexuality? For those who don't know, Rhett McLaughlin and Link Neal are a musical comedy duo who have built their YouTube show Good Mythical Morning into one of the biggest shows on the channel, with over 17 million subscribers. My advice to Rhett and Link (and borrowing from the Immortal words of Douglas Adams) is Dont Panic; across the Jordan River of spiritual deconstruction exists a promised Land of a deeper, richer, and more beautiful faith in Christ and his Way. Is Apologetics Helpful or Necessary in Evangelism? I mean we have little finite minds and we are trying to understand an infinite God. Questioning those beliefs meant friendships, family bonds, and the very fabric of their community were all threatened. By the way, Evolutionary theory doesnt have a sufficient cause for the universe coming into existence out of nothing. When youve mixed with European Christians, That was one of the hardest pills for me to swallow, too. Gone with the Wind as Bildungsroman or Why Did Rhett Butler Really Leave Scarlett O'Hara? It gives you purpose. I jumped into a sea of uncertainty. personally know that jettison God altogether during their deconstruction often become The song became the most-played country tune on the radio for six . Ill confess I havent watched a ton of their stuff, but thats mostly because I dont watch much YouTube at all. ). One article about Rhett and Link said, "they both felt a deep discomfort with biblical sexual ethics, which they perceived to oppress women and their LGBTQ+ friends.". stand to lose if they didnt capitulate to culture on an issue like same-sex marriage? Frank had gone to Shantytown with some members of the Ku Klux Klan to. Celebrity YouTubers Rhett McLaughlin and Link Neal have caused a few waves following their collective decision to abandon the Christian faith. Copyright 2023 The Gospel Coalition, INC. All Rights Reserved. and African Christians, and South American Christians, and Indian Christians, They like to call themselves "Internetainers." Charles Lincoln Neal and Rhett McLaughlin first met on the first day of first grade in Buies Creek, North Carolina, when they were held in class during recess as punishment for writing profanity on their desks. And then I was like [**fwip**] Im gonna take the bikini off. This implies that they are, in fact, deceiving people. Just like always, our biggest mistake was thatwe did as we were told. Rhett was careful to say he doesnt think these apologists are intentionally deceiving anyone. Thats what pushed us out, in the end. 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. Around the time I was nursing a wounded ego for being stood up by the Ricky Schroder fan club, Neil Postman made a prediction in his 1985 book, Amusing Ourselves to Death. 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. So I think that I was primed to hear what they had to say with an open (but biblically-grounded) mind. Fast forward 35 years to a day replete with a global internet and smartphones, and Postmans words ring with the chill of prophetic accuracy. Christians today must be ready to provide a compelling defense for Christand even play some offenseas we demonstrate an alternative story to deconversion. All their YouTube Channels have a good amount of engagement, subscribers, and views as a result of their engaging content. Changed My Whole Entire Being: Ex-Strip Club Owner Born Again, Now Works to Help Victims of Sex Trafficking, UK Lawmakers Demand Stricter Pornography Laws to Combat Epidemic of Violence Against Women, Professor Reveals Why Asbury Revival Is Now Being Called Outpouring and What That Really Means, Christian Ex-Cop Fights Back After Resigning Over Social Media Post About Gods Design For Marriage, Researcher Warns Biblical Theism Is Much Closer to Extinction in America, Unveils Stunning Stats. Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 2:1416 that through his missionary work, Christ spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of himself. I love it. 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. One of the metaphors I like to use for my own personal spiritual deconstruction and reconstruction is that of a supermarket. 24:12). He feared that truth would be lost in a sea of irrelevance. Fast forward 35 years to a day replete with a global internet and smartphones, and Postmans words ring with the chill of prophetic accuracy. Good Mythical Morning Net worth- $30 Million. 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". The character is played by Mythical Crew member Jordan Morris, and is often portrayed as a creepy man who is obsessed with Rhett and hates Link. It may not be them but the have to obey the labels they are partnered with. But I dont think its the actual, people have found so persuasive. He further likens the endogenous retroviruses shared between humans and other ape descendants to a coffee stain that shows up in later versions of a manual, demonstrating an earlier common ancestor who must have experienced the original mutation/stain. Then he skillfully planted a possible motive: money. Most of my life I saw the one or two aisles of Evangelical / Charismatic Christianity I was raised with as the totality of the whole store. Which means the history matters. I guess my biggest frustration with what he is saying is that he is painting the picture that if you are a Christian you are not allowed to have any doubts, but if you arent a Christian then you dont have to believe in anything. He suggested that if all these apologists and theologians were to recant their stories and change their opinions, their livelihoods would be at stake. What am I gonna teach them now? Whether it's Rhett and Link, who used their platform to honestly discuss their deconstruction and deconversion; or Abraham Piper, son of influential pastor John Piper, who's publicly deconstructing evangelical Christianity on TikTok; or . And thats where Ive lived for about six years. How can two guys who make a living as YouTube personalities go from making possum corndogs one day to throwing 2,000 years of Christian history under the bus the next? Good Mythical Morning, hosted by Rhett &Link, is a morning daily talk show. With a successful career line as YouTubers, Rhett and Link have a net worth of $25 . In a church culture where those lines are increasingly blurred, their clarity is refreshing. But as both Rhett and Link recounted, there was something brewing underneath the intellectual questions. On the contrary, as he pointed out, being a straight white dude in an evangelical church kind of greased the rails for him. I remember my former Christian marriage therapist asking me point blank: What are you getting from this? I imagine those types of responses will continue to roll in. Just over a month ago in two hour+ podcast episodes, Rhett and Link told their stories about how they came to believe that Christianity wasn't true. Producer: Good Mythical Morning. So, if you want to listen to them you can do so without fear. Demas traded eternal hope for earthly treasure. 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 another's faces. 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. Here are nine things you should know about revival and the history of revivals in America. 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 said, If I dont have to believe [Christianity], then why would I? Link expressed, Why was I working so hard to make Christianity work for me if it wasnt even true? Aside from encountering intellectual stumbling blocks, it seems that, to YouTubes favorite pair, the gospel had begun to stink. Yep. I'm not saying that Rhett and Link walking away from the faith isn't a big deal . At some level, my therapist knew what everyone in his position knows: Once you start seriously considering the unthinkable about your faith, so many scary questions begin to plague you that it keeps you up at night. These apostles of unbelief are on a mission to help others deconstruct with the same evangelistic zeal they learned from their previous tribe. The youth-group kids left flustered and agitated by doubt mightve been entirely unperturbed had they heard those arguments from another source. It would appear that despite how destabilizing and difficult their deconstruction processes were, they no longer wanted Christianity to be true. To paraphrase: Mammy sits by the door and hears nothing, only a low humming sound--Melanie convincing Rhett to bury Bonnie. When he identified as a Christian he said that he had to have certainty, but now he is fine not having certainty. Its the. Heres the deal, we (at SWO) have gone back and forth on whether or not to address this. He was the only one for me. 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. Thats why leaving it is so damned scary. 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. As an apologist, my knee-jerk reaction was also to grab my computer and start typing refutations with the force of a thousand suns. Sign up to get our newsletter your inbox every day. They acknowledge that Christianity means something. Its got a destination. Rhett even invokes the Apostle Peters response to Jesus when Jesus asks if he will leave him to which Peter responds, Where would I go?. Rhett and Link aren't going to church either way. They are known for their comic songs, viral commercials, skits and the daily show, Good Mythical Morning. One element of his deconstruction story thats particularly compelling to young people is his seemingly exhaustive knowledge of Christian apologetics. 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. The truth is that we have a personality-driven culture in which two comedians can persuade Christians to rethink their faith in just three hours of video. And, every time Rhett said, I know you are going to say _____________, I was thinking, Yeah, thats exactly what Id say.. News flash, these are all grounded in the Christian worldview that he is trying so hard to distance himself from. What does this obtain for you? I told him honestly that it could only lead to loss and pain, but that I didnt really have a choice. Cotton Candy Randy is known to whisper "sweet nothings" in people's ears, but in Rhett's house, where he had a fan going in his room as . And we dont have to wait a week for the next episodein many cases theres a new upload every single day. 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.. It gives you something to hold on to. YouTube is putting $ behind branding Rhett and Link as talk show hosts. Rhett seems really reluctant to talk about it, so Scarlett doesn't ask more questions. These are great questions that Christians have been asking for years. Anticipating pushback from those who say you have to trust Jesus over the noise of your own intellectual questions, Rhett reminds us you cannot separate an historical figure from actual history and still say youre talking about the same person. Please help us to continue to make our videos and movies available on YouTube free of charge. Were So Spoiled. And deal with them now, but dont exchange Christianity with doubts for an empty belief system made solely of doubts. That was the key for all of us, wasnt it? Actor Rupert Everett, who fell hard for her said: 'Her face had the illusion of beauty, but in fact it was wonky all over. What about the rest of the world? Blend that with Rhett and Links magnetic personalities, and its no wonder the faith of many Christians has been unsettled. 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.. As an apologist, my knee-jerk reaction was also to grab my computer and start typing refutations with the force of a thousand suns. admit in the podcast that moving to L.A. did free them of some constraints that Get resources, podcast episodes, and SWO updates sent directly to your inbox. I'm super disappointed but also not surprised. Why were so many people rattled and even persuaded by them? Did it also come from that pair of chromosomes? Im reasonably certain that you dont burn in hell because you were intellectual curious and honest. Rhett & Link, best friends since 2 nd grade, currently host one of the most popular YouTube channels on the Internet, Good Mythical Morning. In Book VIII, Chapter IV of Confessions, St. Augustine relates the conversion of a famed Roman rhetorician, Victorinus, whose public conversion caused great rejoicing. 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. Did you know that these entertaining goofballs were once evangelical Christians who specialized in student ministry? By Dawson Gaillard FOR about some the reason seasoned, as I aged sat in bricks a French dating Quarter back to patio the musing 1700's, about the seasoned, aged bricks dating back to the 1700's, I began to think of Gone with the Wind. We still believe the truth and the opinion of two YouTube comedians cannot change that. I was angry at the people who wrote the books. I read books about it by people who didnt believe in it. Both guys were raised in an environment that assumed Christianity as a part of the culture, and ultimately that did them a grave disservice. Francis Schaeffer once wrote about the fact that Christians need to have such a commitment to the truth that if it were proven to be false we would be the first to get out of line and join the rest of the world in their destruction. How is my marriage going to stay together? I hope in the future they will explore that question a bit more, as well as their differing orientations toward hopefulness for the future of our species. It still provides the stability and the community on which peoples lives depend. Deconstructing from certain Statements of Faith doesnt mean you have to jettison the Christian faith altogetherin fact for many of us, its put the focus back on Jesus and the fire back in our faith! Rhett and Links deconstruction journey frequently mentioned the struggle they felt as they began to hold long held beliefs to the fire. Its not like God was all of the sudden blindsided by the fact that people are struggling with their sexual orientation or that some people have gender dysphoria. They were also Christians, former missionaries, and Campus Crusade (now Cru) staff members. Rhett and Link already know theyll be accused of being arrogant. Because of that many former Christians suddenly and unceremoniously find themselves kicked outside the church wondering what just happened (with various levels of resentment and cynicism thrown in). Today, Rhett and Link have a net worth of $25 million as of 2021. With every hit of the like button, the personalities weve subscribed to have become our authorities for truth. Affiliate disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, we may earn commissions from qualifying purchases on Amazon.com. The same goes for apologetics in general, doesnt it? 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