By now you have no doubt heard that Newsboys co-founder, George Perdikis, is now an atheist. This story is personal to me because the very first Christian CD I was given after becoming a Christian (I share my story here) was Newsboys – Going Public. It was helpful and encouraging to me on my own faith journey.
Turns out that famous atheist Richard Dawkins played a role in George’s de-conversion story. Here is how he summarizes his lack-of-faith journey in a guest post at Patheos:
I always felt uncomfortable with the strict rules imposed by Christianity. All I wanted to do was create and play rock and roll… and yet most of the attention I received was focused on how well I maintained the impossible standards of religion. I wanted my life to be measured by my music, not by my ability to resist temptation.
I left the band in 1990 and went back to Adelaide. There, I got married, taught guitar, played pubs and clubs, built homes, and had two beautiful daughters.
As I carved out a life for myself away from the church, I began my own voyage of inquiry into what I believed. My perceptions started to transform when I became interested in cosmology in 1992. I soon found myself fascinated by the works of Carl Sagan, Neil deGrasse Tyson, Lawrence Krauss, Brian Cox, and Richard Dawkins. I learned so much and was blown away by all the amazing scientific discoveries and facts. When my marriage dissolved in 2003, I turned my attention to human psychology. By 2007, I renounced Christianity once and for all and declared myself an atheist. (read the rest of the story here)
As I have shared before, belief is a complex web of personal, social, and intellectual issues. I don’t presume to know all of the factors involved or the hypocrisy he may have witnessed from Christians or the hurt involved in a marital relationship. I don’t know which rules he is talking about or if he truly heard someone explain the sweetness of the Gospel to him and that Christianity is not about “performing” so God would love and accept you. What makes me especially sad about this story is that George Perdikis didn’t have to choose between science and fascination with cosmology on the one hand and Christianity on the other.
I wonder if George also read prominent Oxford philosopher of science John Lennox (who happens to be a Christian theist)? Or explored how the scientific evidence points in the direction of God and the objections of the New Atheists have been responded to. To be sure, there are some well intended Christians who hold to a “God of the Gaps” approach–if we can’t explain it, God did it. But by no means does this represent the thoughtful, reasoned, and nuanced positions of many Christian philosophers and scientists today.
I wonder if George is aware that science is much more “at home” in the Christian worldview than it is in Atheism / Naturalism. In fact, here is how prominent Arizona State physicist Paul Davies put it:
“Science is based on the assumption that the universe is thoroughly rational and logical at all levels. Atheists claim that the laws [of nature] exist reasonlessly and that the universe is ultimately absurd. As a scientist, I find this hard to accept. There must be an unchanging rational ground in which the logical, orderly nature of the universe is rooted.”
When I hear of people who walk away from their faith it breaks my heart. I do not want to demonize George. I respect him as a person whom I believe is made in the image of God and for whom Jesus of Nazareth died on the cross and was raised again.
I hope George eventually discovers that his biggest questions are best explained with God rather than without him.
And that he can always come home to God in Jesus Christ. God’s invitation stands.
That’s good news.
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