131 | Transcendent Deconstruction - Part 5: The Transcendent Future
September 5, 2022
Minute of Transparency: Rounding Out My Deconstruction
Today's Topic: Transcendent Deconstruction - Part 5: The Transcendent Future
It all starts with a question
Walking through the Big Rocks
Wrapping things up
// 1. IT ALL STARTS WITH A QUESTION
I can't sugar coat this...
When it comes to the deconstruction process, and determining how far is too far, the real question you're trying to answer is this one:
Do I believe in God or not?
Now - you have some options here:
You can start with this question
Or, it can be the guiding question throughout your deconstruction process
Or it can be the question you answer for yourself in the end
Or it could be all of the above...
But don't fool yourself. This is the ultimate question. When you tear away all the fluff - when you deconstruct all the dumb stuff:
Stuff related to your denomination
Stuff related to the cult you find yourself in
Traditional religious beliefs that you can't find a Biblical foundation for
The cultural stuff you find to be abusive
After all that stuff - you're still going to be faced with this question: But do I still believe in God?
Why this question? Well, because it helps us answer the next three questions - the Big 3 Questions. As human beings, we find ourselves stuck on this little rock in the middle of nowhere. And most of us find comfort in being able to answer them:
Where did I come form?
Why am I here?
Where do I go when we die?
And, at the end of the day. Answering the God question helps determine the answers to these questions:
If I choose to believe in God - there are some pretty solid answers to the Big 3 Questions
If I reject God, I either need to accept the scientific explanation for our existence - or I'm left searching for my own explanation - which is a very lonely place to be
Now - as a Christian I'm obviously referring to a specific God - the God of the Bible.
The God that is at the heart of three major world religions:
Judaism
Islam
Christianity
Three religions that seem pretty different on the outside - and yet each grew out of a belief in the same God.
In my research this week I found that these are referred to as the Abrahamic Religions - because all three take root in the life of Abraham.
Abraham had two sons:
Ishmael - which led to the formation of the Islamic nation
Isaac - which led to the formation of the Israelite or Jewish nation
And eventually, Christianity grew out of Judaism - after Jesus came to Earth and divided Judaism into two camps:
Those who rejected Jesus and continued on as Jews
Those who accepted Jesus and joined The Way - which eventually became known as Christianity
Another crazy thing I found in my research this week is that a foundation exists that is attempting to bring all three together.
It probably isn't the only group - but it seems to be one of the loudest voices in that space.
It's called the Higher Committee of Human Fraternity.
Established in February of 2019
By Pope Francis, and His Eminence Ahmed Al-Tayeb Grand Imam of Al-Azhar
They established the committee, and drew up a document or charter for the group
Eventually Rabbi M. Bruce Lustig joined - completing the triad of Christianity/Islam/Judaism
Shortly after that - the committee announced that they would build a physical manifestation of the fraternity
This physical manifestation is called the Abrahamic Family House
A large campus in Abu Dhabi that contains three large concrete buildings:
A mosque
A synagogue
A church
One building for each of the Abrahamic religions
Since 2019 numerous leaders have joined the committee
And a lot of work has been done to advance peace and unity (or what they call "fraternity" around the world)
The Abrahamic Family House is supposed to be completed this year
And I believe it. I found the location in Google Maps and even though maps images are old - not showing you real time images - you can already see that the three buildings are there
Now, that was a tangent...but I find it fascinating.
Because when you add up the people involved in these three religions - you find that they make up over 55% of the worlds population
Throw out the 16% that report they don't have any religious or spiritual beliefs and that percentage goes up even more
To me that's significant
Especially when we go back to my question: Do I still believe in God?
Because at the end of the day - it pretty evenly split around the world
About half of the world's population believe in the God of Abraham
And half don't - either choosing to believe in multiple gods, believing that we have it within ourselves to transcend, or choosing to believe in nothing
So again, it sounds like that question is pretty important - right?
So that's where I'm at in my deconstruction process:
I know, that I know that I know I believe in God
It's what I believe to be true
It's what every one of my sense tells me
And it's what my conscience is telling me
Put all that together - and I can't deny it
So what does that mean then - when it comes to deconstruction?
Well, like I said - not everyone will has the same world view I have. Many will keep on deconstructing and become agnostic, or atheist. For them - they just can't bring themselves to believe. And that's the journey they're on. It may not always be that way - but for now - that's the road they've walked and it's the world view they have.
But for me - there's a hard stop. I believe that God exists - so that's where my deconstruction process stops.
I've stripped everything away to that. And now I'm working to add back pieces that I understand, and can verify to be the truth. And if I can't verify something as truth - I have to leave it alone.
This is the whole conversation we had about the difference between deconstructing your religion and deconstructing your faith.
Some will deconstruct both. I've simply chosen to deconstruct the religion part.
In the first episode of The Deconstruction Zone Podcast - they explained something that I fully resonated with.
I believe it was Emily that made the statement: "We see deconstruction as running away from God - but you can also look at it as seeking who God actually is."
And for me - this is so true. When I started down the road of deconstruction I was actually fearful - like I was giving up on God in some way.
But the farther I got - the more I realized, that like Emily, I wasn't running away from God, I was literally trying to cut down some trees so I could see Him more clearly.
This is literally the DNA behind Transcend Human.
The mission statement: How we can rise above the human condition
The values: Truth, Transparency, Growth and Love
This was literally me documenting the deconstruction process I was starting.
Notice how I removed any reference to religion or denomination?
And simply chose the word "transcend" to describe the journey we're on to become better people?
That literally summarizes it for me.
Yes I believe in God. And I believe that Jesus was God on Earth. And that's all I need to know in order to figure out how to rise above the human condition.
I've stripped away all of the man-made fluff - and I'm trying to do the next right thing based on His example.
// 2. WALKING THROUGH THE BIG ROCKS
As I was working on this series - I knew I would need to have a conversation about some of the Big Rocks.
I use the term Big Rocks to define two things:
There are Big Rocks that lead us into the deconstruction process
There are Big Rocks that we need to make decisions on in order to reconstruct, or to maintain a belief in God
And for the sake of time I'm going to suggest that many of these are one and the same.
Things that lead us down the path of deconstruction, but then become the building blocks of our future world view.
Building blocks that go a long way in helping us wrap up our deconstruction journey.
So let's look at some of the big ones:
Do I believe in God?:
We just walked through this - so we won't spend time on it here
But just know that this is the most important question
When you start to wrestle with it - you will most likely enter the deconstruction process
And in order to get your feet back on solid ground you'll need to find your answer at some point
How do I view the Bible?:
The Bible is probably one of the biggest culprits when it comes to Christians deconstructing
Or maybe I should reword that...
The way Christians view the Bible is one of the biggest culprits...
Why? Two main reasons:
Because it exists: It's the book where God, Jesus, the history of the Earth and the projected end of all things are described. That in-and-of itself makes it a lightning rod. And as we see it creates debate, misinterpretation and unfortunately it has been used as a weapon by many in positions of power
Because of the way it was sold to us: For most of us the Bible was sold as the inerrant word of God. That it includes absolute truth. That there are no errors and that every single thing in it is important for us, right here and now
This definitely matches my story - my upbringing
I've had to come to terms with the fact that there are things in the Bible that don't make sense. There are contradictions and there are various literary techniques used. Techniques that can't be taken literally
I had to get to the place where I stopped viewing it as the end all be all - the thing that could be used to prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that I was right and someone else was wrong. And begin to use it as an additional resource - just one more thing that helps me navigate the world around me
So here's how I'm trying to view the Bible today:
There is something very special about the Bible. This book is different than every other book. And it's a difference we can't overlook. It's not a book one person could easily knock out. And it's not a book that could have just happened by accident. And there are hundreds if not thousands of examples throughout the book. Historical accounts that match other books, explanations for things science has only recently discovered. And then there are the predictions that came true. Just look at the predictions about Jesus: His birth, lineage, ministry and death. You'd sooner be struck by lightning, and win the lottery - than these prophecies coming true exactly the way they were described - and yet they did
There's a good chance that parts of the Bible weren't meant to be taken literally. By now, many have agreed that prophecy is one of those things. The visual depiction of dragons and beasts in the Book of Revelation are not literal - they represent other things. But I've become comfortable with this being true in other areas of the Bible as well. Even in stories we heard as children. It very well could be that some are true and others are fictitious stories meant to convey a principle or idea. For example, the story of Jonah and the whale. Now I'm not saying this isn't possible - because I believe God could have made if possible if He really wanted to. But does it have to be true? Could a story like this have been made up in order to get a point across? I don't know - but I'm learning to have an open mind - and not get so caught up in my Indoctrination
I'm learning that I will never fully understand the Bible. And that's ok. It doesn't mean I should throw it out. But it also means I'll never get all my questions answered this side of heaven. But this shouldn't scare us - because people do this all the time. Even scientists. I follow a guy on TikTok who explains the mysteries of the Great Pyramids. He has spent his entire life studying them. He knows a lot about them. But does he give it all up because the theories on how they came to be built contradict each other? No! Of course not! He keeps going - keeps studying and keeps learning new things every day. The same should go for us when we read the Bible
The Inability to Understand God:
This is one of the things I believe triggers people to deconstruct:
The concept of the Trinity - how God can be three different Beings, but at the same time - God is One Being
The mood swings of God:
How He is so angry, aggressive, demanding and brutal in the OT
But then when Jesus comes along in the NT it's all about love and community
God allowing bad things to happen to good people, innocent people and children
These are things that really get people confused
And I'm not going to lie. I have some of this figured out - but I still struggle with the God of the OT
It's hard to view the militant God that wiped out entire people groups as a loving, caring God
But this is one of the Big Rocks - one of the things we either need to come to an understanding about, or be ok with not knowing until He returns
Dealing with Christian Exclusivity:
This is another difficult thing for the Christian to carry
This idea that the only way to eternal life is through Jesus. In other words - you have to be a Christian in order to go to heaven
Think about the trauma this has caused throughout time:
The Crusades - where the Catholic Church demanded others believe as they did - or be killed
Christian Nationalism in this country - a group that is ramping up to do a very similar thing
This behavior creates polarization
It's us vs. them
But this isn't the Jesus way - He never forced people to believe in Him
He simply told them the good news, and asked them to come along for the ride
I think this is one of the biggest issues in the church today
People begin to deconstruct because of this exclusivity
Throw in the new political side of the faith and they move even faster
Because they can't see the love - it has been replaced with anger, control and coercion
Now, we know all Christianity is not Christian Nationalism
But the world can easily miss this fact - and get the two confused
Then they see the way large churches are imploding - due to the bad behavior of narcissistic leaders
And they want nothing to do with it
People inside Christianity are deconstructing, people outside are moving even farther away
This was a big part of my deconstruction journey:
As we've discussed - the Big Church thing, the megachurch formula, church as a business, people being left on the road behind the fast moving train
All of those things and more
So I had to get this figured out in my head
On the one hand I wanted nothing to do with it any more
But on the other hand - if I still believe in God and Jesus - I can't throw it all out
Because Jesus is about community - He's about people
And how are we going to have community, and be around people with some form of "church?"
Next is my shift away from the religion side of things - to the people side of things
Moving to a more "others-centric" view of the world
Moving away from the egocentrism we were taught in traditional Christianity and living in a capitalistic society
And becoming more and more "altruistic" - the way Jesus lived His life
And recently - I've even started to deconstruct the whole concept that a person can only enter heaven by believing in Jesus dying on the cross for their sins
This exclusivity, and narrow view of things is part of my Indoctrination
But one that I've never been comfortable with
And what I've landed on is a slightly modified version of this truth:
I've come to believe that what the Bible refers to as "Believing in Jesus" might be different for different people
For Christians living in the modern world with access to the Bible - this might be the way
But what about people in other countries?
People living in the Amazon Jungle?
People who grew up and the only thing they've ever heard is the teachings of Confucius? Or they grew up believing 100% in reincarnation?
Are these people just doomed? Because they didn't have the luxury of growing up in a Christian society?
I can't imagine that this is the case
Now some people will quote Matthew 24:14 in the Bible - and say that the gospel will eventually be preached to the entire world - then the end will come...
And I don't disagree - that with the Internet the Bible will be readily available to the entire world at some point in time
But I don't believe that means every person on the planet will read it, and be fully convinced about the Christian plan of salvation prior to the world ending
I've come to believe that Jesus dying on the cross was the plan - the plan for every human being past, present and future
But I believe that He works with every person on Earth, in whatever form or fashion He needs to in order to give them the opportunity a Bible thumping Christian has
What could this look like?
Maybe it's Jesus appearing Muslim people in dreams - and calling to them to believe in Him
Maybe it's the Holy Spirit working in the conscience of a person in the jungle - showing them that He exists and how to believe in Him
I don't know
But in each of these situations I believe God will do business with every person on Earth - to the point where they will have the choice to believe in Him - even if they never hear the story about Jesus and the cross
People in every nation, country, and even religion
So no - I don't believe that every road leads to heaven - when it comes to the world religions
But I do believe that every person, in every religion will have the knowledge necessary to choose God
I began thinking this way a while ago - and it actually brought the story of Jonah up again:
Here's the question...
Jonah went to the King of Nineveh and told him to stop doing the evil things they were doing
The king admitted they had been wrong in their behavior
The king told his entire country that they had been in the wrong - and asked every person to change
And because of their change of heart - God spared their entire civilization
Now - here's the question...
Were the people of Nineveh only saved on that day?
Or were they saved in a way for them to be in heaven?
Did they receive eternal life?
I don't know for sure
But what I do believe is that the people of Nineveh didn't become Jews, or Christians - they didn't start performing animal sacrifices for their sins and they didn't know that Jesus would come and die on a cross for their sins
Could it be that the Ninevites are an example of the way God will work with people who have never heard the truth?
Could it be that Jonah gave them the basics - and God did the rest? That God worked in their hearts and this interaction is what saved them?
Anyway - for me this was a big change in my thinking
And it helped me reconstruct on some level
Getting comfortable with science:
Growing up I was taught that it was us vs. them
Creation vs. Evolution
Religion vs. Science
I don't think it was my parents specifically - in fact my dad was a medical technologist - so much of what he did was predicated on a belief on the scientific method
But I got the idea somewhere - at church, in my Christian school
On some level I looked at science as a false religion - a group of people trying to answer the Big 3 Questions - just without God or the Bible
Now, a true scientist may not like me putting it in these terms
They would probably say, "No, science is a branch of knowledge or study dealing with a body of facts or truths systematically arranged and showing the operation of general laws. The systematic knowledge of the physical or material world gained through observation and experimentation."
Because that's the definition I found on dictionary.com
But at the end of the day - a scientist is working every single day to answer questions they have:
It might be questions like, "How can we save the Earth?" or "I wonder if there are other planets where life might be sustainable?"
Or it could be as simple as "I wonder if there is a way around gravity?"
But whatever the question is - many times it goes back to answering one of the Big 3 Questions
For example, just look at Darwin, among others, who slowly moved science away from the Christian community. The goal being to develop scientific explanations for the Big 3 Questions rather than spiritual, or religious ones.
Now, I don't know that this was Darwin's goal - but it was definitely the end result, or the byproduct of his work
Again, here are the Big 3 Questions:
Where did I come form?
Why am I here?
Where do I go when we die?
Darwin's theories answer these questions in scientific terms:
The Big Bang - the scientific explanation for the origin of our species (The Big Bang theory was actually put forth by Georges Lemaître - but Darwin's theory of evolution built off this concept)
Natural Selection & Survival of the Fittest - the scientific explanation for our purpose in life
Extinction Level Events - what science suggests could be the end of life on Earth - things like the planet being hit by a life-ending meteor, or the planet overheating or freezing in another ice age - things like that
But back to the whole us vs. them thing
What would it look like if this wasn't the case?
What would it look like to be comfortable with both? And incorporate them both into our world view?
That's the approach I've taken - and here's why:
I believe that God created science
So the more we know about science - the more we should see the true nature of God
Now, it's obvious that science can be used to disprove God - and disprove things found in the Bible
But there are simple explanations for these things:
A major one is confirmation bias. There are scientists who are out to prove that God doesn't exist. And if this is the lens for your work - the filter you run everything through - you'll see what you want to see. Similar to data. You've heard it said that you can make the data say whatever you want it to say. And we've seen this time and time again. Scientific studies proved that drinking wine was good for your heart. The study suggested it was the alcohol that helped make this true. Unfortunately - this was false. It was later found to be a chemical produced by the grapes that was good for the heart - so a glass of grape juice would have the same effect - without the damage the alcohol does to the body. Here's another one: Think back to the human skeletons that supposedly provided the missing link between animals and humans. For a while these were held up as proof of Darwin's theory. Until we found out that they were fake - they had been part of an elaborate hoax
Another explanation is that we could be wrong. There have been hundreds if not thousands of scientific theories that were eventually proven to be false. Now that isn't a bad thing - in fact we need this to happen in order to find theories that are true. But we can get so caught up in ourselves that we forget that we're fallible. A HUGE example of this is carbon dating. The science community will die on this hill - even though there are numerous studies that prove it to be questionable - and highly inaccurate
A final explanation is that there are just some things we'll never understand. This makes total sense if you hold the Christian view of God. If He is all knowing - and He created the Earth using mathematics, chemistry, physics and science. There's a good chance we humans that use 10% of their total brain capacity - will never fully understand it. But again, that's ok. We don't need to understand it all. Someday He will explain it all to us - and how cool will that be?!
Okay - we don't have time for more Big Rocks - though there are many we haven't touched on.
We'll leave it there for now...
// 3. WRAPPING THINGS UP
Hopefully this series has been educational - a data dump of all things deconstruction.
But hopefully it's been practical at the same time.
I've tried to use my story in a way that helps illustrate the Indoctrination-Enlightenment-Deconstruction Cycle.
Knowing of course that it isn't the end all be all story.
Everyone who goes through the deconstruction process will do it for different reasons and will come out in a different place than the next person.
Because we're all different - and we're all unique.
But to wrap things up - I want to address the title of this episode.
The Transcendent Future...
We've spent a lot of time looking at the past. And we've spent a lot of time working through the deconstruction process going on in the present.
But what does the future look like for those of us deconstructing?
What does it look like to come out on the other side?:
What have we stopped doing?
What have we started doing?
How do we view other people?
How do we view the world around us?
All important questions - questions I believe we need to ask ourselves as we move into this uncertain future.
Now, I'm going to throw out a hypothetical. Because I've never been very dogmatic about these sorts of things.
But let's just say that we're living at the very end of Earth's history. The End of Time. Hypothetically...
Now obviously - we can't just say that because of some natural disaster, or a global event that seems apocalyptic.
For example, after 9-11 many people jumped straight to that conclusion. We must be living in the end time because that was terrible.
And yet - here we are twenty years later...
But as Christians - we do believe that the Bible lists the things that will be going on at the end of time. And there do seem to be a lot of them happening right now.
And then - there is the 7000 Year Theory:
Which is mind boggling when you really look into it
Basically - the thought is this:
The Bible explains that God created the world in 6 days and rested on the 7th
This is where we get the 7 day week
The theory asks, "What if God is a geek - a science nerd - or a math nerd - and loves for everything to work out perfectly? For there to be order and complexity - even in the chaos that is the human condition?"
So they suggest the following
Bible scholars believe the Earth was created roughly 4000 years before Jesus came to Earth
Jesus was born and died - and that was roughly 2000 years ago
Put those together and we're up to roughly 6000 years
Next - the Bible describes this thing called the Millennium - which is to begin when Jesus returns
1000 years of rest with Him in heaven
We work for 6 days - and rest on the 7th
The Earth works for 6 groups of 1000 years - and rests on the 7th group of 1000 years
Crazy right? Like I said - hypothetical...
But what if it were true?
What does this have to do with deconstruction?
Let me tie it all together...
Now like we've said before - deconstruction isn't a new thing. In fact people have been deconstructing from things all through time.
We even talked about how God deconstructed between the OT and NT. Possibly as an example for us!
But there's no doubt that there is a wave of deconstruction happening right now. And it's happening at an alarming rate. To the point where people are leaving the church, starting their own churches and ultimately trying to figure out what's right and what's wrong.
And in this culture of deconstruction - I couldn't help but see a parallel in Bible Prophecy.
In the Book of Revelation:
Now, there is prophecy scattered throughout the Bible
However, the books of Daniel & Revelation fit very well together and offer a prophetic timeline that is incredible
Daniel documented civilizations like Babylon, Persia, Greece, Rome - all the way down to the Second Coming of Jesus
Then John came along and added even more detail to those prophecies
In the first three chapters of his book - John walks through 7 letters written to 7 churches
Theologians believe that these letters can be read in three distinct ways:
Church Specific: Each letter was written to that specific church, and the congregation attending at that time
Personal: Each letter is applicable to every church throughout time - and to every person throughout time
Prophetic: Each letter describes a period of time between Jesus death and the end of time. These are often referred to as the ages of the church
But it's the last one that I want to talk about - the prophetic explanation. This idea that each letter was written for a specific period of time in Earth's history.
So the obvious question is this: Which letter was written for us?
And that answer might scare you. Because it is fairly well recognized that 6 of the ages of the church have come and gone. Meaning we are living in the final church age.
The 7th, and final letter was written to the 7th church - the Church of Laodicea.
And here's what that letter contains:
Rev 3:15-17 offers a summary and a warning for those living at the end of time:
“I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth. Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked."
Rev 3:18-19 offers a solution:
"I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent."
Rev 3:20-21 offers a reward:
"Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne."
Now, like we said, hypothetically - if we're living in the last days - this is what is being asked of us.
God has analyzed the church and found that it's all business. We're having fun, enjoying our weekend services, building the brand, following our narcissistic leaders - but there's no passion in us. We're just spectators - watching a good show - comfortable with our lives because we have no need for the things God is offering.
So he asks us to deconstruct:
Sound familiar?
The solution is to refocus on things that matter
He mentions a few things:
Gold - which stands for the things we value - choosing God over worldly power, fame and wealth
White garments - refers to our thinking and behaving - choosing to do the right things even when it's not fashionable
Eye Salve - referring to our ability to understand the truth - basically He's calling is blind spiritually - and by putting eye salve on our eyes - they open - allowing us to see the truth
How crazy is that? To me the eye salve is the Enlightenment process. Coming out of the fog - realizing that we have been Indoctrinated to believe things that aren't true or helpful. And when we begin to deconstruct - we trade in worldly gold for eternal gold, and we change our clothes - choosing to wear clean clothes vs. the filthy rags we have on.
Could it be that the deconstruction movement we're seeing in the world today is nothing less than the Church of Laodicea opening its love letter from God?
Let's Land the Plane:
I can't begin to tell you how crazy this series was for me to write.
It was front of mind. It was felt need. And at the same time it was highly personal.
Because I'm smack dab in the middle of it all - deconstructing and reconstructing at the same time.
It's difficult, it's painful and it's scary at times.
But I couldn't shake the feeling that this is where we're at in the world. That there is a movement, an enlightenment, an awakening going on in the hearts and minds of people all over the world.
A movement out of the lukewarm slumber we've been in. And lighting a fire that will help us see the comfort we enjoy has led us away from our reliance on God.
I hope you enjoyed the series - and that you were able to find a nugget or two that can help you take your next step in your journey.
I love that I get to do this every week with you.
Here are a couple questions you can ask this week if you are deconstructing:
Have you answered the million dollar question?
Do you believe in God?
If so - how is this impacting your deconstruction process?
If not - same question?
What were the Big Rocks that pushed you into your deconstruction journey?
And where do you stand on those Big Rocks today?
Have you worked through these?
If not, what can you do this week to keep moving in that direction?
Have you ever seen yourself as a member of the Church of Laodicea?
If, hypothetically, we are living in the end times - what does that mean for us?
How does our deconstruction play into the things God put in His letter?
What should we start doing?
What should we stop doing?
And how on earth can we turn up the heat so we move from comfort to reliance on God?
Friends, thank you so much for being here.
Have a great week, and as always, keep Transcending Human!