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What are some of the predominant reasons that people leave this faith?

The biggest hit to a Christian-fundamental belief came in the mid-19th century with Charles Darwin and evolution. That was very difficult for Christians.

A lot of Christians pulled back and really became reactionary against any new scientific finding. That's what we find with young people. When they go off to college, they'll take science and philosophy courses, and there is no foundation of belief in these courses for the most part. That's what hits the hardest in the late teenage years and early 20s.

What else can cause doubts in the minds of believers?

You're reading through the Old Testament and you read about some of the plagues in Exodus. You think, Now, wait a minute. You take that very literally. And so how do you tie that in with your rationalistic, scientific worldviews? It is very difficult.

Lifestyle is also a real issue with people. How do we tie in scriptural teachings with who we are as individuals? It's not just homosexuality and extreme feminism and things like that. We all at one time or another—sometimes almost daily—live as practical Atheists. Would we behave the way we are behaving if we believed God, the God of the universe, were present at this very moment? Yet that's what we teach as Christians. We don't live like it.

The book begins with a case study of Billy Graham and Chuck Templeton. Tell us about the contrast between these two guys.

We have Billy Graham growing up in a very strong Christian family [and] Charles Templeton growing up in a very dysfunctional family. His father left when he was a child, never to return. His mother was often so in debt that they were hiding from the bill collectors behind the sofa.

He came to faith as a teenager and then went on into ministry without any real training. Later he did take seminary training and really sought God after he'd gone through some serious doubts. And yet he struggled with doubts to the very end of his life and actually walked away from faith. His autobiography is entitled A Farewell to God.

He since died. He had Alzheimer's. At the very end he said he would like to believe but he just could not believe in this personal God of the Bible who would allow a starving refugee woman to call out to God for rain when her baby was dying and there was no answer.

I think a lot of us struggle with that sort of thing, but we almost put a cap on what we can think about or what we can doubt about because we say if we step beyond that line, does that mean that we won't go over the edge? Chuck Templeton would say it's intellectual suicide if we don't explore the far reaches of doubt and unbelief.

Copyright © 2002 Christianity Today. Click for reprint information.

Visit DickStaub.com for audio and video of his radio program (4-7 p.m. PST), media reviews, and news on "where belief meets real life." The full text of this interview will be for sale on the website soon.

Earlier Dick Staub Interviews include:

Vishal Mangalwadi | The author and lecturer talks about how the Bible shaped India, Western democracy, and his life. (Oct. 22, 2002)

Dave Alan Johnson | The creator of Doc talks about balancing entertainment with spiritual depth and TV shows with evil plumbers. (Oct. 15, 2002)

Chuck Palahniuk | The author of Fight Club talks about his new book and the need to see culture not on a TV set but by talking to neighbors. (Oct. 8, 2002)

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October (Web-only) 2002, Vol. 46