Captain Cassidy is a pseudonym who operates a blog called Roll To Disbelieve on the Patheos website. She is an apostate who converted to Christianity as a teenager but who fell away from the faith but for reasons not exactly known. [1] When Hillsong’s Marty Sampson was reported to have said that he was losing his faith, Cassidy took it to mean that Sampson had left Christianity:
Another high-profile Christian has
flown the Jesus coop. Marty Sampson, a songwriter for the Christian band
Hillsong, recently announced his deconversion on his Instagram account. Today,
we’ll look at that announcement, and at the main reason he gave in it: the
stuff Christians don’t talk about. [2]
Marty Sampson later clarified that
he had not officially renounced Christianity, but that his faith was on
“incredibly shaky ground.” [3-5 That is not the same as actually falling away from the
faith.
I sure don’t wonder. None of
Christianity lines up with reality. The miracle claims don’t look like actual
miracles to anybody but those primed to see them that way. Prayer doesn’t
actually do anything in the real world for anybody–which is why Christians must tell
people they’re doing it. [6]
Granted that there is some fakery
and fraud that has taken place and should never take place, but this author has
known people who have experienced divine intervention in their lives and has
experienced miracles and divine intervention in his own life. The number of testimonies around the world of
miracles and supernatural intervention taking place in people’s lives is beyond
count and so far beyond count that no rational thinking person can ever say
beyond a shadow of doubt that miracles do not happen or that supernatural
powers do not interject themselves into the affairs of humanity.
And prayer does actually work Ms.
Cassidy. We may not always get the results we may be hoping for or in the
timely fashion we desire, but there is always a response. I have
witnessed it myself.
Supposedly-divine rescues from
disease, injury, or natural disasters only raise more (and more disturbing)
questions than they settle. [7]
Maybe for you Mr. Cassidy, but most
of the claims, upon investigation, cannot be refuted no matter how hard the
skeptics may try and though you may try to list examples of claims of divine
intervention that have been refuted, the number of hoaxes you will present will
be but a drop in the bucket in comparison to the countless divine intervention
claims that have neither been challenged nor refuted.
...he mentions something that likely
feels familiar to most people who’ve been involved in evangelicalism: the
Endtimes. He doesn’t use the E-word, but he talks about how he thought for sure
as a kid that Jesus would be returning to Earth around the time he turned 15.
Apparently this is common among evangelical kids. I converted in at 16 so I
can’t speak to that. But I can tell you that it didn’t even occur to me that
I’d ever reach 30 much less now-almost-50, before the world ended.
Anyway, when that didn’t happen and
life just kept going on, he had to go on with life as well–and subsequently
reconcile his earlier beliefs with the reality before him. In a very real way,
in that situation life starts to feel like the consolation prize instead of the
grandest and most amazing coincidence we could ever luck into
It sounds like Marty Sampson managed
to make an uneasy peace with that disappointment. (Oh, don’t I know that feel!)
That uneasy half-peace didn’t last.
Twelve years later, he announced via Instagram that he was done busting his
hump to make it all work. [8]
Marty Sampson, as he has clarified,
is not done yet. He is in the process of
looking for answers to those tough philosophical and intellectual objections to
the faith which have been plaguing him for some time and to which Hill Song has
apparently failed to provide satisfying answers to and not only Hillsong, but
many other churches as well.
And the faith challenging objections
that he listed had nothing to do with any doctrine about the end times. And Ms. Cassidy, have you not read that the
return of our Lord will take place, not a time when we are looking for Him or
even wanting him to return but a time that we are not expecting Him to return;
at a time when no one is really thinking about the end of the world. (Mt. 24:36-42)
Sounds like he, like so many of us,
wanted the truth so much that he chased it right out of Christianity. [9]
Again, his search for truth has not
lead him away from the Christian faith.
He is still trying to look for reasons and a means to hold on to his
faith. He wants more than just what he
views as being an emotional experience or a blind faith He wants a faith that is founded in reason and rationality. He wants genuine truth. It is up to fellow Christians to show Sampson
and others like Him that Christianity is not a blind faith, but it is a faith
founded in reason, logic, and whose God has and still provides many proofs and
evidences for His Gospel.
In a way, he’s quite right.
Christians rarely talk about all the ways that their religion fails
to live up to its various claims and promises (and yes, threats).
I mean, they talk.
Really, all they do is freakin’ talk, at least when
they’re not trying to rip people’s rights and liberties away. They just don’t
talk about anything real or useful to folks with big questions. Such folks
won’t settle for words, words, words. [10]
That is not entirely true. There are more Christians who do address the
false claims that their faith has failed to live up to its promises than Marty
Sampson and Captain Cassidy both claim but at the same time, not enough are and
there have been volumes of books, periodicals, articles, and commentary pieces
written, documentaries, produced, seminars conducted, and speeches and sermons
given for the purpose of addressing Marty Sampson’s objections and to prove
that Christianity does live up to its promises. Unfortunately, many
professing Christians are not aware of the vast amount of those resources.
If anyone believes that Christianity
has failed to live up to what it has promised, that is because they have no
understanding of what Christianity does promise and all that we are told to
expect if we choose to embrace it. As
for its threats, what threats are you talking about? And for as for talking about things real and
useful, how would you define that Ms. Cassidy?
What are the real and useful things you want to see discussed in the
Church? And what rights and liberties has the Church attempted to rip away from
anyone? It has actually been the
opposite in most cases around the world.
But I do agree with one thing: People will not just settle for just
words. They want do want to see action
behind those words.
These works bash valid questions
around with the crude tools available in the Christian toolbox, smear any
people who don’t buy into the excuses on offer, copiously threaten their
consumers with Hell, and then declare victory. [11]
Their works do not bash valid
questions, but if there are any questions that are bashed, it is the foolish
questions that ridiculously mock and belittle like the ones posed by the likes
of Cassidy. As for the valid questions,
their works, with understanding, very thoughtfully examine them. Unfortunately, the majority of those
professing Christianity are not aware of ministries and organizations dedicated
to assisting people in providing a solid defense for their faith.
As for threatening people with Hell,
since when was a Pastor seen opening up a portal to the fires of Hell and
throwing the unrepentant sinner in there for all eternity? Since when were the
saints ever witnessed causing the earth to open up under the feet of the
scoffers, causing them to fall into a lake of lava?
All that Christians are told to do
is to warn of eternal damnation faced by those who reject the Gospel. They do not have the power to send anyone
there, but if people refuse to repent of their sins and let Jesus into their
lives, then they will find themselves in a place where God is not and that is
in Hell. It is not a place where you
want to be. But we are also commissioned
to tell everyone about how they can escape eternal damnation and that is
through Christ Jesus who takes away the sins that bring us under damnation in
the first place. But in order for people
to appreciate the good news of Christ, they have to understand the seriousness
and reality of the bad news of sin and the sentence of eternal damnation is the
end result of unrepentant sin. They need
to understand that a sinless God cannot allow sin in His presence which is why
unrepentant sinners cannot enter into His Kingdom. It is bad enough that planet earth is tainted
with the sin of man ever since Adam (Rom. 5:12, 8:19-22) and its results have been every morally
reprehensible behavior and every form of depravity imaginable, every kind of
grief and sorrow that there could be, every kind of suffering and hardship that
any person could be subject to, and a dying creation.
Whey would God ever let that into
His Kingdom? He cannot. And that is why sin separates us from God,
but in order for that separation can be lifted, repentance is required and trust
in the One who paid that required penalty for our sins is a must. There is no other way. No amount of good works will ever suffice
because even the good that we do can be corrupted by sinful motives, and even
the good deeds that we do out of goodwill are overridden by a disgusting and
dark thought, a covetous desire, a careless word, or behavior displeasing in
the sight of God.
That is why it is written that all
have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. (Rom. 3:23)
And because our good works cannot
save us, the only other way for the require penalty for our sins to be
satisfied without us having to pay that penalty, which would be for all
eternity, would be for the Creator to become a man so that He could pay that
penalty Himself and it was paid for us by Christ Jesus so that we who place our
trust in Him and repent of our sins would not have to pay that penalty but can
through Christ be saved and enter into the kingdom of God.
But in order for the good news of
redemption to be appreciated, the bad news of sin and the danger of eternal
damnation has to be given first and once those to whom that news is given can
endure the bad news, they are able to appreciate the good news of Christ. But if people are not first given the bad
news, then they will never really appreciate the good news and the result of
the failure of many churches to give the bad news before giving the good news
has been pews filled with unconverted souls every Sunday morning.
Christian leaders offer workshops,
sermons, and Bible studies claiming to dispel their warped version of defanged
doubt. Then, they announce they’ve defeated doubt with it. Why, any Christian
who needs to resolve their doubts can check out these resolutions for doubt,
and then they won’t doubt anymore!
And if Christians ever run into
someone expressing doubt, all they must do shove a book or video at the
doubter, and presto! They’ll be convinced! [12]
Defanged doubts? That sounds like an oxymoron. A defanged
doubt is a dispelled doubt and it just so happens that reasonable answers have
and do make a difference in solidifying faith, renewing faith, and even winning
souls, but they who devote themselves to providing the best case possible for
Christianity are well aware that in the end, it does come down to the attitude
of the heart which makes the final determination as to whether someone accepts
or rejects Christ.
Even worse, however, are the various
Christian leaders who insist that anybody feeling doubts that can’t be quenched
by these materials must be Jesus-ing wrong. [13]
I am not sure what Cassidy means by
this but Jesus is a person. He is not a
verb or an adjective. And if those
doubts are not quenched, it is because they are neither intellectually,
theologically, or philosophically based.
A hardened heart is then the source of those doubts and if those doubts
are to be quenched, the attitude of the heart has to be changed.
Yes. Doubters are obviously feeling
doubt because they didn’t choose the right flavor of Christianity out of many
thousands of contradictory, competing flavors. Or they’re sinful somehow or
wanting to rationalize some unapproved sex. [14]
Christianity only comes in one
flavor. It does not come in a variety of flavors. Any so-called
flavor of Christianity that is different than what was first presented, is not
Christianity and in order to understand that, one has to learn what the
doctrines of Christianity were that were first taught by Christ, preached by
the Apostles, and written down in the scriptures under the direction of the
Holy Spirit.
Apparently, Captain Cassidy despite
claiming to be a former Christian, does not appear to have a clue about what
Christianity really is and what it really represents thus making herself out to
be an ignoramous with her baseless and vague rhetoric.
But sadly, many professing
Christians themselves are not as well versed in the doctrines of their faith as
they ought to due to their neglecting of reading and studying the scriptures
for themselves and the failure of their leaders to teach all the doctrines pertaining
to their faith, how they apply to them, and equipping them with the knowledge
they need to solidify their faith and prepare them to withstand the objections
and arguments of the skeptics and to enable them to be better able to win over
and retain souls for the Lord.
And as for those who are looking for
a Christianity that affirms their sinful desires, they are not looking for the
Christianity that was founded upon Christ who calls us to repent of our sins,
but they are seeking a Christianity they can mold and shape according to their
preferences. They want to have Heaven
and yet cling to the darkness of their sin.
It does not work that way. It is
either one or the other and those who think that they can somehow have it both
ways are going to be sadly and tragically shocked and dismayed when Jesus shuts
them out of His Kingdom, saying to them, “I never knew you: Depart from me ye that work iniquity.” (Mt. 7:21-23)
Most of all, doubters have obviously
taken their eyes off Jesus. Perhaps they’re concentrating too much on the religion instead
of the imaginary relationship Maybe they pay too much
attention to bad Christians Or maybe they’ve just gotten all
complacent and spoiled with all the miracles they keep experiencing. [15]
If Christianity is just a religion
to professing adherents instead of an actual relationship with their Creator,
then they will be among the first expected to fall away. Was that all that Christianity was to you Cassidy,
just a religion? Because if it was just
a religion to you, no wonder you fell away.
You never really were one of us.
Therefore, doing the opposite of
those errors should fix the problem. Indeed, in the video linked above
Marty Sampson specifically mentions that notion several times. After his vast
disappointment with reaching the ripe old age of 16, his task became “keeping
Jesus as the focus of all that [life] stuff.”
The problem is that all those
materials that these leaders insist can resolve doubt, well, don’t
and can’t. [16]
Tell that to Lee Strobel who was an
atheist before coming to Christ by way of being presented with infallible
evidences that proved to him that the Gospel is true. The
Case For Christ tells that story. [17]
Tell that to J. Warner Wallace who
authored the book, Cold Case Christianity.
He himself was also a skeptic until
he applied his detective skills to determine whether or not the Gospel was
true. [18]
And tell that to Creation Ministry International’s Lita
Cosner, who, a skeptic herself, became a Christian due to the materials
presented to her by the ministry of which she is now a part.
The evidence in defense of
Christianity with which they were presented with obviously abolished all of
their doubts and skepticism. [19, 20]
There are many more names that could
be added to the three mentioned.
Instead, they offer plausible
excuses to Christians who just feel a little bothered by minor stuff (or want
some ammo in dealing with objections from heathens). If we call back to our
Faith Pool analogy, their faith pools still hold a lot of water; only a
little has drained away. They just need a quick top-up and they’ll be okay
again. [21]
And what would be considered “minor
stuff” in comparison to the major stuff?
As long as the water doesn’t drain
too quickly and from too many leaks at once, then any decently-skilled
manipulator can reel the doubter back. As a bonus, that topped-up Christian
will mistake the defeat of their own easy-to-defeat doubt for the same level of
doubt faced by someone like Marty Sampson, or me, or millions of other
ex-Christians. When these materials fail to answer those serious doubts, then
those more-easily-convinced Christians will naturally think that these
doubters must be hard-hearted.
Someone whose faith pool is draining
very quickly will not be satisfied with the excuses that settled out these
other Christians. Their involvement with Christianity began and continues for
very different reasons. The water feeding the faith pools of these other Christians
won’t–can’t–satisfy them. [22]
The easy-to-defeat doubts are no
different than the objections and doubts that Marty Sampson is currently
wrestling with. The problem is that
churches have failed to prepare themselves with answers to the many questions
asked and challenging arguments that they may be faced with. When faced with the hard questions and the
cleverly devised arguments, Christians may either ignore them and not confront
them, allow their faith to be overthrown by them, or face with confidence those
challenges head on and if they do not have the answers to them, devote
themselves to seeking them out.
If Marty Sampson is sincere in his
search for answers, I believe that the answers he finds will not lead him away
from Christianity but will renew and solidify his faith, but if the answers he
finds do not satisfy him, then there is something more at work within him than
just intellectual and philosophical struggles and that would be something
within him that has set itself at enmity with Christ.
If that is the case, then even the
most convincing evidences and the most reasonable answers to Sampson’s
objections will never satisfy him and that goes for others facing similar
struggles in their professed faith or have not yet come to Christ to due to
claimed intellectual, religious, and philosophical barriers because ultimately,
it does come down to a matter of the heart.
Everyone must choose a side at some point in their lives: To be on the side of God or on the side of
Satan.
I am becoming more and more
convinced that the only way for someone to remain Christian is to avoid caring
what reality has to say about it.
And millions upon millions of
decent-hearted Christians do exactly that.
They don’t douse themselves
in olive oil and pray for magical healing; instead, they go to the
doctor. Nor do they avoid purchasing insurance rather than trusting angels to
keep them out of car accidents–or for their god to Rapture them away before
death. They marry for love and compatibility rather than asking imaginary
friends in the sky for advice. They wouldn’t dream of entrusting their
children’s upbringing to authoritarian asshats with child-abuse fetishes. Even
if they believe that the Bible has anything authoritative to say about anything,
they live solidly in the real world.
How ignorant and foolish can Cassidy be? Of course Christians live in the real world. But Cassidy and others like her are the ones not living in the real world. She clearly does not know what faith is because if she did, she would understand that faith is trusting God for those things that we cannot accomplish or obtain in our own power or strength, trusting in Him for wisdom, knowledge, and understanding, and discernment that we otherwise would not have, trusting Him to either deliver us out of trouble that we cannot save ourselves from, or at the very least help us through the hard times that we do face. She would also understand that doctors and services like car insurance are but instruments of God’s provision and that when those things fail, that is when we begin witnessing the miracles happen; maybe not in the case of everyone, but at least in the case of some.
She obviously does not know what the
rapture is. If she did know what the
rapture is, she would understand that not everyone is going to live to see that
day but it is going to take place before God begins to pour His wrath out upon
an unbelieving world and the purpose of the rapture is to protect the saint
from the wrath of God because God does not subject His people to wrath.
She obviously doesn’t understand
that just as there is a God shaped vacuum in every person in which nothing else
can fill, in most people, God has also left a spouse-shaped vacuum that can
only be filled by a loving and devoted husband or wife and which can be filled
by no other person; not even a parent or child.
Christians have this spouse-shaped vacuum just like anyone else.
She should also know that it is an
event that is going to happen at a time unexpected. As for the slavery and genocide, when did the
Bible ever condone those things? And
when did Jesus ever command His followers to stone people?
And as for entrusting our children
to authority figures, we certainly would not entrust them to the likes of you
Ms. Cassidy because you have nothing to offer but hopelessness and
despair. And the real world is this: This life is only temporary. Eternity is forever. Where we spend eternity depends entirely upon
whether or not we align ourselves with our Creator or rebel against Him but if
we are to be redeemed, we must place our trust in the means of redemption that
He has provided us through Christ. We
cannot be redeemed by any other way.
But Cassidy lives in a fantasy world
where there is no eternity and where she can just do what she wants and mock
and blaspheme as much as she wants without being held accountable for it and
that when she dies, she simply ceases to exist.
But that fantasy will not keep her
from standing before his Maker to give an account for all that he has said and
done in this life. It will not save her
from the terrifying judgment that awaits her nor will she be able to plead ignorance
as an excuse. It is only when she
softens her heart to consider the truth of the Gospel and embrace it, will she
ever be saved from the eternal torment that otherwise awaits her.
Millions more
control-lusting toxic Christians go much the same route.
They joined up and remain in the
groups they’re in specifically because those groups allow them to live the way
they want. They don’t care about Jesus’ commands to love people or to give to
the poor till it hurts. They’re not interested in turning the other cheek or
forgiving seventy times seven. All they want out of Christianity is a big
cosmic permission slip to hurt people and feel superior–and maybe they also
want a little divine help that non-members can’t access.
This second group pretends very much
to care what the Bible “really” says about the stuff they’re doing. Mostly they
just borrow authority from it to get their permission slips. Even when
oodles of Bible scholars disagree with them, they “do the research” all
over again to come out with the shocking conclusion that Jesus, say,
totally wants them to harass gay people. [24]
While it is true that there have
been those within church leadership who have been corrupt, abused their
station, and have even committed things reprehensible that should not even be
found amongst the Church, his remarks are not representative of church
leadership as a whole.
The list of scandals that have taken
place within the church represent only a small percentage of church leadership
but the enemies of Christ would like to magnify the bad eggs amongst the body
of Christ so as to make it appear as though it represents the body of Christ as
a whole.
Most Christians create for themselves the god and ideology that
suits them best. As long as they ain’t hurting anybody, I don’t worry about
them. [25]
Sadly, I cannot argue with this
statement which represents more professing Christians than it should who seek a
Jesus that they can mold to their image and preferences and redefine what has
already been defined rather than submit themselves to the Jesus who has already
defined Himself, who He is, what is right and wrong and good and evil in His
sight.
But if someone gets involved in
Christianity because they 100% believe that a real live god is involved, and
they care more than anything else to hold beliefs based in reality alone,
then they are going to find themselves unable to accept the fake-resolutions
offered to settle defanged doubts.
Threats won’t cow them unless
the threats are credible. Insults won’t intimidate them because, well,
insults say a lot more about the people makin’ them than about the people
gettin’ them. Endless awful apologetics arguments will fall flat.
In fact, these manipulation
techniques will only make their doubts grow faster.
They don’t want permission slips.
Nor do they want a nice gauzy framework for living decent, compassionate lives.
They want the truth. Even if it’s scary, even if it’s hard to
digest, they want only what is real in their lives.
That’s when Christians collide with
the wall of reality–and discover a whole new world behind it. [26]
Well here is one Christian who holds
to beliefs proven to be based in reality and the resolutions presented have
been satisfying enough to dispel any doubts that I have had. When I came to Christ, I was blessed to have
a Pastor who was able to answer the tough challenging questions with which I
was confronted and to be introduced early on in my walk with Christ to
materials and organizations who have shown themselves capable of proving the
faith to be a faith that is compatible with the facts; no manipulation involved
and though granted there are arguments in defense of the faith that do not
always ban out, most apologetics arguments made in favor of Christianity have
been solid.
Where I find the most manipulation
taking place is from those who seek to discredit and overthrow the faith by
whatever means they can and it is amongst that camp I find the facts being
manipulated, the arguments becoming more desperate, and who then resort to
attacks on character.
That is not to say that such does
not sometimes happen amongst professing Christians, but I find the enemies of
Christianity resorting to shameful underhanded tactics to advance their cause
more often than professing Christians do.
But I do agree with Cassidy about
one thing: Insults, mockery, and
belittling do, more often than not, say more about the person resorting to such
tactics than about the people to whom they are directed and this is what
Cassidy’s mockery and belittling of the faith says about her:
She is an ignorant fool who clearly
does not know what she is talking about.
She claims that she had once been a Christian, but after reading her
column commenting upon Marty Sampson’s alleged but not confirmed departure from
the faith, I am beginning to wonder if she is even telling the truth about
having once been a Christian.
How much of the Bible has she
actually read? How intently did she
actually study the scriptures? How regularly did she attend church? Did she actually really seek out answers to
dispel whatever doubts were assailing her professed faith? And if so, who did
she seek out for those answers?
That’s where I think Marty Sampson’s
ended up.
And I really hope that he continues
to chase the truth to wherever it leads him. It’s safer now than it ever has
been to wrestle with difficult doubts, ask those hard questions, and follow
wherever the answers lead–no thanks to toxic Christians themselves. [27]
Judging by the above, perhaps
Cassidy never really put in an honest effort to search for those answers to
whatever doubts she was struggling with.
Christians
frequently express anger and frustration when someone disbelieves their tall
tales or rejects their sales pitches. In response, they fling various
accusations at these doubters. [28]
Where is
the anger in the following statements made by Christians reacting to the news
of Marty Sampson’s faith being shaken by his expressed doubts?
“Worship
leaders need theological training. Marty Sampson of @Hillsong posting about leaving the
Christian faith breaks my heart. God loves Marty and will continue to pursue him. I pray this is not the end of
the story.” [29]
“When sound biblical theology is
neglected for an American, spiritualized, cultural friendly replacement,
exposure to that theology will naturally turn away a mind, heart & soul
that has never submitted to that eternal truth. In other words, the falling
away is the right response.
The good news is, by God's grace, he
and others still have an opportunity to believe in Christ through the truth of
the Gospel, be disciplined and trust fully in God's Word with the help of the
Spirit. We should pray that someone will talk alongside them and show them the
truth.” [30]
“This sad situation about this
person is a reminder the church & parents need to teach apologetics to
counter today's attacks on God's Word.” [31]
I do not see the anger that Cassidy
is talking about. Disappointment? Yes.
Anger and hate? No. Even Joshua Harris, when he announced his
departure from Christianity, said that despite the disappointment expressed by
fellow Christians, he still felt their love. [32]
A
“hard-hearted” person refuses to accept any old story, unlike the accusing
Christian. Sometimes they say instead “close-minded” It means exactly
the same thing but lacks the same Jesus-flavored oomph. The opposite, of
course, is “open-minded.” An open-minded person, in Christianese, happily
accepts whatever bizarre story or sales pitch someone offers them–as long as it
flatters them or fits in with their beliefs. If a Christian accuses you of
hard-heartedness, accept it as the compliment that it accidentally is. It means
you’re hard to manipulate. [33]
Harden hearts do produce closed minds and it is not necessarily
baseless accusation made against those who refuse to consider the massive amount
of evidence in favor of Christianity or the arguments made for it being a faith
compatible with reason and rationality.
That is a fact. It comes down to
a matter of choice. Do you want to
follow Christ or do you not?
And if you are called hard hearted, that is never a compliment that
should be accepted; that is the time when maybe you should examine the attitude
of your heart and if it the charge of a hardened heart is valid, then your
heart needs to be open to change because if not, it may cost you your very
soul.
And just as an open minded person is one who happily accepts whatever
bizarre story or sales pitch someone offers them within the church, there are
plenty of open-minded people accepting whatever bizarre stories, conspiracy
theories, and sales pitches being put forth by the Christ-hating scholars,
academics, media and entertainment personalities, and antichrist
politicians. And they are
unquestioningly believing them, taking their poisoned bate hook, line, and
sinker.
About
living in the real world: And it drives their leaders out of their trees! Christian atheists
are actually a real thing, but most Christians use the term to viciously
insult their fellowChristians (sorry about the messiness of
that archive) for not Jesus-ing the right way. Some guy’s even written a
book on the topic. [34]
Actually, anyone clicking on the
link to the book Christian Atheist will
see that its author was not saying that there is such a thing as a
Christian Atheist as Captain Cassidy has claimed, but that the title is
actually a play on words to describe a professing Christian who lives contrary
to what he or she professes to believe in. That
just only goes to show just how dishonest Captain (Crap) Cassidy can be with
her sources. I bet she hasn’t even read
that book.
I confess that I haven't read it either, but I know enough about it to say that Cassidy's claims about it are full of crap.
End Notes:
1.
Captain Cassidy, “About,” Roll To Disbelieve; Patheos
2. Captain Cassidy, “Hillsong
Songwriter Marty Sampson Has Left the Jesus Building,”
Roll To Disbelieve; Patheos, August
10, 2019
3. Leah MarieAnn Klett,
Christian Post Reporter, "Hillsong worship leader clarifies he hasn't
renounced faith, but it's on incredibly shaky ground,'" Christian Post,
August 13, 2019
4. Staff writer, "I
haven't 'renounced' my faith but it's on 'incredibly shaky ground,' says Marty
Sampson,"
Christian Today, August 13, 2019
5. Jerry Rose Spaudo,
"Hillsong Worship Leader Clarifies That His Faith Is on 'Incredibly Shaky
Ground,'" Charisma ews, August 13, 2019
6. Captain Cassidy, “Hillsong
Songwriter Marty Sampson Has Left the Jesus Building,”
Roll To Disbelieve; Patheos, August
10, 2019
7. Ibid
8. Ibid
9. Ibid
10. Ibid
11. Ibid
12. Ibid
13. Ibid
14. Ibid
15. Ibid
16. Ibid
17. Lee Strobel, “The Case For
Christ,” Grand Rapids Michigan; Zondervan, 1998
18. “About the Author—J.
Warner Wallace,” Cold Case Christianity.com
19. "Response to 'gay
marriage' article objections; CMI shows questioner that Christian faith is
logical,"
Creation Ministries International,
February 6, 2004; reposted August 8, 2006
20. "Lita Cosner,"
Creation Ministries International
21. Captain Cassidy, “Hillsong
Songwriter Marty Sampson Has Left the Jesus Building,”
Roll To Disbelieve; Patheos, August
10, 2019
22. Ibid
23. Ibid
24. Ibid
25. Ibid
26. Ibid
27. Ibid
29. Lindsey
Elizabeth, "'I'm Genuinely Losing My Faith,': Hillsong Worship Leader
Rejects Christian Beliefs,"
Faithwire, August 12,
2019
30. Leah MarieAnn Klett, Christian Post Reporter, "Hillsong writer: 'I'm genuinely losing my faith,'"
Christian Post, August 12, 2019
https://www.christianpost.com/news/hillsong-writer-reveals-hes-no-longer-a-christian-im-genuinely-losing-my-faith.html
31. Ibid
32. Joshua Harris, "Joshua Harris Instagram Post," Instagram, July 26, 2019
33. Captain Cassidy, “Hillsong Songwriter Marty Sampson Has Left the Jesus Building,”
Roll To Disbelieve; Patheos, August
10, 2019
https://www.patheos.com/blogs/rolltodisbelieve/2019/08/10/hillsong-songwriter-marty-sampson-has-left-the-jesus-building/34. Ibid
Scripture references:
1. Matthew 24:36-42
2. Romans 3:23
3. Romans 5:12
4. Romans 8:19-22
5. Matthew 7:21-23
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