Why Doesn't Bart Believe in God?

Bart has written a new book on Revelation, titled "Armageddon - What the Bible Really Says about the End". In it, he examines the least-read and most-misunderstood book of the Bible. It will be out in late March, but you can pre-order here: https://bit.ly/armgddn. Pre-orders really help drive publicity, so if you're interested in the subject (and why wouldn't you be? It's The. End. Of. The. World!), get it now while it's hot!


Episode Outline:
0:00 Bart’s faith journey and deconversion from evangelical Christianity
0:56 Bart and Megan catch up on birthdays and Bart’s new book release day
2:16 Bart’s religious background: Episcopal upbringing, born-again experience, Moody, and Princeton
5:08 How studying contradictions in the Bible changed Bart’s view of scripture
7:31 What actually led Bart to leave Christianity
9:57 Teaching “the problem of suffering” and why it became decisive
14:26 Which explanations of suffering seemed most persuasive, and why they stopped working
17:55 Losing faith, losing church community, and filling the void afterward
22:11 What Bart means by calling himself both an agnostic and an atheist
25:27 Why Bart studies Christianity and the Bible even though he is no longer a believer
30:57 Why some Christians react so strongly to deconversion stories
36:08 Bart’s Weekly Update: Armageddon release week, readings, and interviews
37:55 Listener Q&A: remembering Jesus’ speeches, the Greek style of the New Testament, and the “Barthonomicon” joke
45:42 Final summary: suffering, faith, and why this life matters

Episode Description

A person’s reasons for deconversion from Christianity to agnosticism or atheism are something that many Christians speculate wildly about, misunderstand, or simply refuse to believe, but those reasons can be varied and complex. In this episode, Bart talks to Megan about why he deconverted, how he found meaning after religion, and why he does what he does.

Also watch these episodes:
Can the New Testament Possibly Be True?
Can the New Testament Possibly Be True?

Why the Doctrine of Inerrancy Contradicts the Gospels
Why the Doctrine of Inerrancy Contradicts the Gospels

Am I Going to Hell? What the New Testament Says About Death and the Afterlife
Am I Going to Hell? What the New Testament Says About Death and the Afterlife

In this episode, Megan asks Bart some personal questions:

-What impact did learning more about the bible have on your religious convictions?

-What truly prompted you to leave Christianity, and how long had you been wrestling with that problem before you realized that you couldn’t solve it?

-Was there a specific moment that led you to finally walk away, or was it more the culmination of years of thought and reflection?

-Did you find any of the solutions satisfying, or were they all lacking?

-What do you mean when you say you’re an agnostic atheist?

-Some people believe that the real reason you write all of these popular books, speak in public, run your blog and so on, is because you’re on a mission to deconvert the faithful. In the book “God’s Problem” you make the point of saying that you have no interest in deconverting anyone - so why do you do this work?