Having a Crisis of Faith? Start Here.
If you think you may be having a crisis of faith, you should know that you’re not alone. Countless people have experienced it. And while it can feel very confusing and maybe scary, losing faith in God, or considering leaving your religion, is perfectly human.
It means that you are reflecting on your experience and not blindly following the established path. Ultimately, a crisis of faith can be a good thing: it’s an opportunity for you to check in with yourself and your faith.
In this article, we’ll look at common questions:
Are you having a crisis of faith?
Why do people have a crisis of faith?
What to do when having a crisis of faith?
Am I a bad Christian if I leave my religion?
What happens after a crisis of faith?
Are you having a crisis of faith?
If you are having a crisis of faith — or a crisis of religion — welcome to the club. According to one study, “more than fifty million Catholics in the United States have stopped practicing their faith over the past 30 years.” According to another, “one million Gen Z Christians are leaving the church every year.”
These people are not bad Christians. They are simply humans reflecting on the fact that the churches or religions they grew up in may not be for them.
Either way, a crisis of faith can shake your beliefs to the core. The idea of losing your religion, and what comes after, can be very difficult to consider.
In fact, losing faith in God has been known to cause depression. Personally, I think that’s because people don’t feel comfortable talking about their new feelings with their religious friends or family. That’s a separate problem all together.
But exploring your feelings, and your relationship with God or religion, is the best thing you can do. It may be hard, confusing or stressful. But it’s better to be true to yourself than to bottle up your emotions and swallow the stress.
In fact facing your fears and exploring your crisis of faith can be very cathartic. It can help clarify your feelings. You may find that you have a different, more personal relationship with God. You may decide that a different religion is better for you. Or you may realize that you’re no longer religious at all.
Why do people have a crisis of faith?
There are many reasons why people can experience a crisis of faith. For example, some people find it difficult to continue practicing a religion that is embroiled in scandal. The Catholic church admitted that its sexual abuse scandals are widespread problem, but it continues to cover up cases and reassign priests to other parishes to avoid taking responsibility. It’s hard to support a religion that operates that way.
Another time that it’s easy to lose faith in God is when bad things happen. Why do innocent people have to die in natural disasters? Why is there war, poverty, starvation — or global pandemics like Covid that killed over 7 million people worldwide? Sure, he works in mysterious ways, but what kind of God allows these things to happen to his followers?
You may also disagree with the church’s involvement with politics. For example, the church and religious politicians are trying to make abortion illegal in all 50 states. According to one study, 73% of White evangelical Protestants think abortion should be illegal in all or most cases. But 86% of religiously unaffiliated Americans say abortion should be legal in all or most cases. Why are religious Americans pushing their agenda to limit the rights of nonreligious Americans? That doesn’t seem right.
Personally, one thing I have trouble with is the Vatican’s tremendous wealth. Its treasury has billions of dollars while people around the world — even in Christian nations — are starving and sleeping on the streets. What would Jesus think of that?
What to do when having a crisis of faith?
If you are experiencing a crisis of faith, the hardest part can be telling your family or friends that you no longer want to attend church, or at least want to take a break while you explore your feelings.
If you need some ideas on how to handle that, here are some things to think about.
On a personal note, when I was losing my faith, I realized that it was not about abandoning my past. Leaving my religion was about evolving into the best version of myself — one that feels the most honest and true.
The best way for me to do that was by “dechurching.” Dechurching is a relatively new term that means leaving the church. It can be temporary or permanent, it’s up to you. By taking a break from the church, its culture and practices, I found it easier to really explore my spirituality on my own terms, and I’m glad I did.
When you live in a religious environment, the church is a part of everything. From regular worship services to saying grace around the table. It’s embedded in every tradition and custom.
For me, dechurching wasn’t about leaving religion behind, it was about taking the time and space I needed to explore how I really felt — without outside influence.
Am I a bad Christian if I leave my religion?
I often wondered if questioning my faith made me a bad Christian. But if you lose faith in God, or even belief in God, it’s not the end. If you want to remain spiritual, it can be the beginning of a deeper exploration of life’s mysteries.
Experiencing a crisis of religion can be a complex, emotional process. You can doubt yourself, and feel guilty and isolated. But each moment of reflection is like a stepping stone toward finding the truest version of yourself.
The only person who can judge your Christianity is you. If you decide to leave the church, return to the Church, take a break, or become a secular Christian who checks in once a year at Christmas (which is 100% OK), it’s a personal decision.
What happens after a crisis of faith?
That’s up to you. After a crisis of faith, some people enjoy the freedom that comes from leaving the church. Some people just need a break and return to the church.
Statistically, having a crisis of faith and dechurching tend to be a one-way street with people leaving the church for good, but it’s not a dead end.
A life without the confines and expectations of a rigid religion can be very freeing. You can explore your own ideas, check out other spiritualities, or just go with the flow.
Some people without religion, or a belief in a god, call themselves Atheists. Others don’t call themselves anything at all. If you are a Christian experiencing a crisis of faith and you’re not ready to call yourself anything other than a Christian, go for it. There are no rules.
Email me if you’re curious about Atheism, think you might be an Atheist, or just have a question. I’ll get back to you ask soon as I can! veryatheist@gmail.com