Faith Matters for Dec. 3, 2011
Ex-pastor says search for truth led to atheism
The quest for truth turned Jerry DeWitt into an atheist after more than 25 years as a minister.
“I just studied and prayed and fasted my way out of the religious doctrines and superstitious that I had been given,” said DeWitt, who spent seven years as a senior pastor.
DeWitt, of DeRidder, will share the story of his spiritual journey during a meeting of Freethinkers set for 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Wednesday at the East Baton Rouge Parish Jones Creek Regional Library.
“In our culture, the word atheist has become such a curse word, especially in our part of the world, our little Southern end of the Bible Belt,” DeWitt said.
But Dewitt, 42, said he would consider himself as more of a secular humanist or even an agnostic.
“If someone would ask, ‘Are you an atheist?’ I’m going to say that I am. But it’s not the first word I chose to describe myself,” he said.
For most of his life, DeWitt considered himself an “old-line Pentecostal,” including the speaking in tongues. He joined the ministry at 17, did extensive evangelism and eventually pastored two churches in DeRidder and DeQuincy.
In the last five years, however, DeWitt said truth started to be revealed.
“I was the guy who kept studying and studying and studying, trying to find that secret verse, trying to find that secret key within the Scripture in order to try to understand what nobody else seemed to understand … To me, what that did was make me aware of some inconsistencies, some contradictions, some fallacies. … It opened my eyes to more than what I had intended to see,” he said.
DeWitt left his church two years ago but continued preaching. That became more challenging, he said.
“It’s been getting increasingly harder to frame a message in such a way that I would feel honest and that I would feel as if it was benefiting the congregation,” he said.
The breaking point came on May 3. A former church member and family friend called DeWitt around midnight after her brother was involved in a severe motorcycle accident.
“I could tell that she was calling for me to pray,” he said. “For whatever reason, I could not bring myself to pray for her right there on the phone. I could not do it. I pretended I didn’t know that’s what she was calling for.”
DeWitt said he was heart-broken when he got off the phone and started crying.
“I had wished that I had some type of magic formula or some type of supernatural connection that would make the words that I say have power and alleviate her brother’s suffering. But I just couldn’t, and it devastated me,” he said.
The next day, DeWitt started connecting on the Internet with other former and current ministers who shared his situation.
“It began to give me some insight into the situation and help me see that I was not alone, and it really encouraged me,” he said.
In a short time, DeWitt has become executive director of Recovering from Religion, a 2-year-old foundation in Kansas City, Mo. The foundation is dedicated to helping people leave their religion. He was also a graduate of The Clergy Project, a confidential online community for active and former clergy “who do not hold supernatural beliefs of their religious traditions.”
“For me and the people who I network with in particular, we have a mission and our mission is to help people like ourselves,” DeWitt said. “We’re not out to ‘de-convert’ anyone.
“We just realize that there are people who for whatever reason no longer believe what they once believed or what their denomination expects them to believe.”
‘Carving the Turkey’
Sometimes believers may feel like carved-up holiday turkeys, but they are far from it, Pastor Miriam C. McFarland said during her Thanksgiving Day message at Hightime Evangelistic Center in Baker.
“If anything, when it comes to birds, we’re not turkeys, we are eagles,” McFarland said. “Whenever we feel like carved-up turkeys and we are weary and we are weak, then it’s time to remember the scripture in Isaiah 40:29-31: ‘He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.’”
McFarland said there will be times when God does some cutting on us. She interchangeably used the metaphors of the turkey carved on Thanksgiving, the patient cut during surgery and the vine pruned by the gardener. Her message was based on John 15, which includes: “He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.”
“The skilled carving of the surgeon’s hands makes (patients) well or at least improves their quality of life and that is something to be grateful for. That is what our text is saying,” she said. “Every child of God, you will be cut on by his carving and loving hands.”
Surgeons cut to heal and so does God, McFarland said.
“It’s meant to make us more useful for the kingdom of God. When God carves on us, we always get better,” she said. “His skilled hands know precisely what areas need to be cut on all of us.”
Changed lives
Greg Laurie, a well-known evangelist and best-selling author, challenges Christians to radical living in his new book: “Let God Change Your Life” (David C. Cook Publishers).
Laurie stresses three main areas of Christian living: how to know God, embrace discipleship and making God known. Early on, Laurie shares his story of how God changed his life in high school after his own drug and alcohol problems.
“That day on my high school campus, as I eavesdropped on the Christians’ meeting, I knew there was a God out here. And when I heard that God could come and live inside me, give me meaning and purpose, remove my guilt and bring me to heaven when I die, it was an offer I couldn’t refuse.”
The 287-page book is basically a guide on discipleship and evangelism. Laurie talks about the commitment that comes with being a disciple and the importance of sharing the gospel and one’s own personal testimony.
In the chapter titled “Traits of a Disciple,” Laurie offers readers the marks of an effective disciple, including sharing their faith: “Are you ashamed to be identified with Jesus? The religious leaders of the first century realized they couldn’t stop Christians, because they had been with Jesus.”
Faith Matters runs every other Saturday in The Advocate. Reach Terry Robinson at (225) 388-0238 or trobinson@theadvocate.com.
- A person who has been with Jesus will know Scripture: “The Bible is the autobiography of God.”
- A person who has been with Jesus will be a person of prayer.
- A person who has been with Jesus will be persecuted: “And if you are a true believer, then persecution will not weaken you, but only strengthen you.”
ä ON THE INTERNET:
http://www.davidccook.com
Faith Matters runs every other Saturday in The Advocate. Reach Terry Robinson at (225) 388-0238 or trobinson@theadvocate.com.
The 287-page book is basically a guide on discipleship and evangelism. Laurie talks about the commitment that comes with being a disciple and the importance of sharing the gospel and one’s own personal testimony.
In the chapter titled “Traits of a Disciple,” Laurie offers readers the four marks of an effective disciple:
A person who has been with Jesus will share his or her faith: “Are you of the party of Christ? Are you ashamed to be identified with Jesus? The religious leaders of the first century realized they couldn’t stop Christians, because they had been with Jesus.”
A person who has been with Jesus will know Scripture: “The Bible is the autobiography of God.”
… You can read the writings or biographies of certain historical figures to learn about them, but God gave us His book, the Bible, so we can learn His story.”
A person who has been with Jesus will be a person of prayer: “After being released and told not to preach their message, Peter and John joined the other disciples. And what did they do? They held a prayer meeting (Acts 4:29), which gave them even more boldness.”
A person who has been with Jesus will be persecuted: “And if you are a true believer, then persecution will not weaken you, but only strengthen you. If you are not a true believer, then you will abandon what little faith you have.”
ä ON THE INTERNET:
http://www.davidccook.com
Faith Matters runs every other Saturday in The Advocate. Reach Terry Robinson at (225) 388-0238 or trobinson@theadvocate.com.