I sometimes read articles from mainstream conservative pastors and theologians. One of these is the famous Doug Wilson who blogs at Blog and Mablog. Well, recently he was attacked by a secular left feminist named Sarah Stankorb. I looked over her recent articles, and a pattern emerged about what she – and the women she writes about – think that Christianity is about.

Here’s an article entitled “These Evangelical Women Are Abandoning Trump and Their Churches”.

She talks about a woman named Katie Loveland, who leaves her church for the following reasons:

1. If a church allows a man to act like a fool towards women, then Christianity is false.
2. If a church allows a man who has passed a background check and holds a concealed carry permit to be armed so he can protect church members from attacks like this one, then Christianity is false.
3. If Christians support a politician who has a pro-life record of demonstrated achievements over a politician who promises to remove all state and local restrictions on abortion from conception to birth, then Christianity is false.

And another woman named Elaina Ramsey, and her reasons for rejecting Christianity:

1. If Christianity requires you to disagree with your gay and queer friends, then Christianity is false.
2. If Christians refuse to marry you because you’ve been raped, then Christianity is false.
3. If the Bible records (and condemns) the rape of Bathsheba by David, then Christianity is false.
4. If Christianity teaches that murdering humans is wrong, and science says that the unborn are human, then Christianity is false.

And more about another woman named Deirdre Sugiuchi, and her reasons for rejecting Christianity:

1. If your father claims to be a Christian and spanks you, then Christianity is false.
2. If you are sent to an abusive Christian reform school for being rebellious, then Christianity is false.
3. If Christianity feels anti-gay, anti-black or anti-woman, then Christianity is false.
4. If the United States opposes Al Qaeda for carrying out the 9/11 attack, then Christianity is false.

Are you seeing a pattern here?

It turns out that a lot of emotion-based people claimed to be Christians and were accepted as “Christian”, without any rational basis for believing it. And later on, when Christianity made them feel bad about being reckless and irresponsible, or when it loses them non-Christian friends, then they abandoned it. It’s not that they discovered that Christianity is illogical. It’s not that they discovered evidence to falsify Christian truth claims. Their stated reasons for leaving Christianity are entirely subjective. And none of the reasons do the work of falsifying core Christian truth claims, such as God’s existence, the inspiration of the Bible, or the historicity of the resurrection of Jesus.

Just to review, here are some of the reasons why authentic Christians believe in Christian theism:

• scientific evidence for the origin of the universe
• scientific evidence for cosmic fine-tuning
• scientific evidence for the origin of life
• scientific evidence for habitability
• scientific evidence for sudden origin of body plans
• scientific evidence for molecular machines
• scientific evidence for irreducible complexity
• the argument from consciousness
• the argument from objective morality
• the historicity of the resurrection of Jesus

These arguments – and many more like them – are defended by scholars in books published by top academic presses. But I see no evidence that emotion-based ex-Christians have ever read such books. Why would they? They aren’t interested in forming their worldview based on objective reality. They aren’t interested in constructing a life plan where their desire for happiness comes second to following Jesus.

People who abandon Christianity because of feelings or experiences have not “left Christianity”. They just stopped faking being Christians. They were never actually Christian in the first place. To be a Christian in the first place, you have to know that Christianity is true. People who accept the arguments for Christianity listed above have just as many disappointments with God, bad experiences with Christians, and bad experiences with churches as people who were guided by their emotions and experiences. 

In fact, I personally know women who grew up fatherless, or had defective parents, or other setbacks. They got themselves into a lot of trouble with churches and immoral men, and yet today, not only are they solid Christians, but they actually take the lead in gospel enterprises, such as apologetics. Why? Because for them, the objective truth of Christianity was more important than their subjective feelings and experiences.

The differences between Christians and non-Christians is that Christians overlook bad feelings, shame and rejection, because we know facts don’t care about our feelings. For real Christians, the normal Christian life requires bad feelings, disappointments, bad experiences and rejection by non-Christians. We actually read the Bible, and so we expect bad things to happen to us.

Note: if you are relying on someone to act in a Christian way – say, as a marriage partner – then you’d better find out what kind of “Christian” they are, by asking them how they arrived at their beliefs. Do not marry a fake Christian who just reads romance novels and fiction. A person can’t determine the truth of Christianity by focusing on career, travel, entertainment, promiscuity, etc.

People like to throw around the word “fascism” a lot these days, without really understanding what it means. Let me explain what it means. Fascism occurs when a government uses its power to override the basic human rights of citizens. The right to free speech. The right of religious liberty. Etc. On Thursday, there was a story in the news that I think really gives a good example of fascism.

First, here’s the news from Clark County Today:

The Washington House has passed a bill allowing shelters to keep runaway juveniles from their parents to get an abortion and/or gender surgeries that include removing a girl’s breasts or uterus.

[…]Currently, if a runaway minor goes to a youth shelter, the organization must inform the parents or legal guardians within 24-72 hours. However, state law provides “compelling reasons” for them not to do so, including the belief that notifying the parents or legal guardians would subject the child to abuse or neglect.

[…]The bill does not state when or if the parents ever need to be notified of their child’s whereabouts.

Combined with HB 1469, which has passed in both chambers, the two policies would allow youth from other states to run away from home, go to a Washington youth shelter seeking an abortion or gender surgery, and the parents would not have to be notified. Also, none of the medical records related to any of those services could be obtained.

It’s the work of the feelings-oriented compassionate “don’t judge” crowd:

“I am speaking to youth across our nation, across our state, and our communities.” Rep. Tana Senn, D-Mercer Island. “I see you. I affirm you, that I hear you, that I love you. With this passage of the bill, we are saying Washington state does, too.”

[…]“Kids’ lives are literally at stake,” Rep. Nicole Macri, D-Seattle, told colleagues. “This bill is intended to keep them safe.”

Basically, if you try to parent your child in Washington state, the government will treat you like a child abuser, and take your child from you. Although you know enough to pay their salaries, you don’t know enough to raise your own child. Your child is the property of the state as much as the taxes they collect from you. You’re a slave. You have no autonomy. Your rulers know best how to spend your money, and how to regulate your religion, your morals, your home.

Republican state representative Jim Walsh has been sending out updates about the legislation, and he put out a statement Thursday night:

His government website says:

“Since the vote on SB 5599, I’ve been contacted by thousands of concerned Washingtonians about this attack on parents’ rights and families. Sponsors and supporters of this bill have overstepped the constitution and case law in promoting this policy, which would allow state bureaucrats to hide minor children from custodial parents and legal guardians. This bill is wrong—legally, ethically and morally.

“Among its many flaws, the bill assumes families that don’t ‘affirm’ a child’s short-term desires are being abusive. Wrong! Sometimes love requires parents to not affirm their child’s whims. Loving parents guide their children as they grow. Sometimes that means saying ‘no.’

“This is not the first policy approved this session that turns the power and machinery of state government against families. Lawmakers promoting these changes put wedges between children and their parents, grandparents and the people who love them.

“During floor debate, we heard the tired old cliche that ‘it takes a village to raise a child.’ That’s false. That notion has resulted in exploding crime rates, homelessness and rising teen suicide rates in Washington. Enough. Parents are the primary stakeholders in their children’s upbringing—not the government.”

SB 5599 was approved on a party-line vote of 57-39, 2 excused. The bill now heads to the Senate for a concurrence vote on the amended version of the bill.

Every single Republican voted against the bill. Every single Democrat voted for it.

The Democrat party, like all the other big government parties of the past, are aligned with fascism. They want to take control of the economy, abolish marriage, and educate children to love the government more than they love their parents.

What conservatism stands for is simple. Low taxes, free enterprise, marriage and family, human rights – including free speech and right to life, small government that is bound by a constitution which limits its power. Fascism cannot ever be a phenomenon of the political right. It is always a phenomenon of the political left. They want to take your money, and then use it to force you to live how they want you to live.