You’d have to be oblivious not to notice the mass exodus from Christianity taking place in the last couple of decades, especially in the last couple of years. People who once claimed to hold faith dear are walking away. But the trend is not as random as it may appear. There is an interesting similarity that defines a huge majority of defectors.
If you follow the root of many so-called “deconversions,” there is often a common seed: aberrant sexuality. Self-proclaimed “followers of Jesus” run face-first into a “Thou shalt not” that challenges them at their secret core. And they have a decision to make, one with eternal consequences. But when the flesh is screaming for what it wants, eternity seems a small price to pay.
Many simply rewrite the Bible to include their particular vice, but the rest stare at the clear instruction and argue: “You mean to live as a Christian, I can’t spouse-swap? I can’t live in sexual immorality with my latest squeeze? But I’m same-sex attracted. I’m gender-confused. I have a stronger sex drive than my spouse. I want to play the field. I want to experiment. I'm bored…” So they wrestle with their options, sweat it out in prayer, and when God does not relent, they walk away from Him.
It’s nothing new. It’s the same lie Eve believed in the Garden: “Has God said…? But you have a right to do what you want.” And because that lie was so effective then, the Serpent has continued to use it, modernizing it to fit the times.
The god of this generation is sex, so he exploits those lusts as far as they will go. But lust doesn’t have a satiation point. It’s never quite enough. It’s never dark enough, dirty enough, exciting enough, fulfilling enough. It must go darker, more perverted, riskier to bring the same thrill. It’s a sip of water that promises a pool just ahead. And by the time the pool becomes a mirage, it’s too late.
The only safety harness for any of us who want to be faithful to the end is found in Galatians 2:20: “I am crucified with Christ…” Unless we continually crucify those lusts that demand more and more, any of us could easily become the next "deconversion story."
So the next time you hear of another professing Christian walking away from Christ, start digging. Trace the root. You may find the same old seed.
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