T im Sledge was a Southern Baptist preacher and writer for 35 years. His pioneering work in faith-based recovery ministries in the 80s and 90s ultimately guided participants in 20,000 Christian support groups across the U.S. The driving force behind Sledge’s ultimate rejection of Christianity was his long-term, up-close observations of church life. “After living and leading in the church for decades, I saw no consistent evidence of an ongoing supernatural presence—and I wanted to see that evidence with all that was in me.” Goodbye Jesus

By Tim Sledge ~ I ’ll bet the restrooms in heaven will be exceptionally clean. “Restrooms in heaven?” you ask. I can see the look on your face. You’ve never thought about this, have you? But it doesn’t take an exegetical expert to figure it out. The resurrected Jesus ate some fish, and the New Testament is big on a bodily resurrection when Jesus comes back. Besides, how could there not be eating in heaven? Based on the consumption of food I’ve witnessed at more pot luck dinners than I can count, Christians will be mighty disappointed if there’s no food up there. And who would disagree? What fun would heaven be with no hot pancakes, no hamburgers, and no ice cream. Can you imagine spending eternity wishing you could have one more hot chocolate chip cookie? Not only is it logical to expect to eat in heaven, it makes perfect sense to assume the food will be out of this world. I’m a little embarrassed to bring the next item up, and my wife would say I’m being crude, but i...

By Tim Sledge ~ H ow should ex-Christians relate to individuals who regard faith as more important than anything else? How you answer that question is up to you since no one is telling us what to do. However, if you’re interested, here are some principles that make sense to me. I can think of two extreme responses to persons devoted to faith: One option is to always defer to such individuals, to remain politely silent when they say things that insult, demean, or condemn those of us who don’t believe. On the other end of the response spectrum is the option to avail ourselves of every opportunity to tell people of faith that what they believe is imagined and idiotic. Rather than opting for either of these two extremes, I find it helpful to seek a balance of strength and kindness. Strength Each of us must recognize, build, and maintain our own inner core of strength. I spent decades listening to religious teachings telling me, over and over, that I was inherently weak and cou...

By Tim Sledge ~ The Christian faith is supposed to be supernatural. Experiencing a new birth through Jesus is supernatural. Being made a new person by having Jesus and the Holy Spirit living inside you is supernatural. Talking to the creator of the universe and believing he hears, answers, guides, and changes things is supernatural. Accepting the Bible’s teaching that we are surrounded by an unseen spiritual world involved in a spiritual battle is supernatural. Having faith that God will show you the special plan he has for your life is supernatural. Believing that everything happens for a reason is supernatural. After living and leading in the church for decades, I saw no consistent evidence of an ongoing supernatural presence—and I wanted to see that evidence with all that was in me. I found a rather simple test for the presence of supernatural power in church congregations. One of the predominant characteristics of any non-supernatural volunteer or...

By Tim Sledge ~ T oday, the only way I can see religious faith is through a rear-view mirror. I don't think any God is listening to any of us or is involved in our lives in any personal way. In Goodbye Jesus: An Evangelical Preacher’s Journey Beyond Faith, I shared my story of five decades of up-close involvement with churches, Christians, and ministers. I wrote of what it felt like to be a committed believer and a productive pastor. I did my best to journal my struggles and failures along with my accomplishments. But the heart of the story was my journey out of faith. The breaking point occurred when I decided that no supernatural source was needed to explain the way of life I had witnessed for decades in one church after another. It all made more sense when I understood that church—as impressive as it could be at times—is just one more human organization. The end of my faith was not far behind. It might seem surprising, but when my faith ended, I did not stop wanting to b...