Why I Left Christianity – Rhett McLaughlin
Get all sides of every story and be better informed at https://ground.news/AlexOC – subscribe for 40% off unlimited access.
For early, ad-free access to videos, and to support the channel, subscribe to my Substack: https://www.alexoconnor.com
To donate to my PayPal (thank you): http://www.paypal.me/cosmicskeptic
– VIDEO NOTES
Rhett McLaughlin is a comedian best known for creating the internet’s most-watched daily talk show, @GoodMythicalMorning, alongside Link Neal. The pair also host a weekly podcast, @earbiscuits.
– TIMESTAMPS
0:00 – Deciding to Talk About Religion
06:28 – Rhett’s Christian Activism in College
18:12 – Rhett’s Certainty That Christianity Was True
27:40 – Does Hell Exist?
30:48 – How Rhett’s Christianity Began to Crack
47:28 – How Evolution Shook Rhett’s Faith
54:51 – Jesus and the Resurrection
01:11:10 – Double Standards in Christian Apologetics
01:15:40 – How Rhett’s Deconstruction Impacted His Life
01:24:14 – Rhett’s Relationship to Christianity Today
01:42:38 – The Risks of Speaking Publicly on Theology
– CONNECT
My Website: https://www.alexoconnor.com
SOCIAL LINKS:
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/cosmicskeptic
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/cosmicskeptic
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/cosmicskeptic
TikTok: @CosmicSkeptic
The Within Reason Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/within-reason/id1458675168
– CONTACT
Business email: contact@alexoconnor.com
——————————————
@CosmicSkeptic
September 24, 2025 at 6:09 pm
Get all sides of every story and be better informed at https://ground.news/AlexOC – subscribe for 40% off unlimited access.
To support my work and get early, ad-free access to podcasts, subscribe to my Substack: https://www.alexoconnor.com
@zmc33
September 24, 2025 at 6:09 pm
oops, hu? bad idea.
@ogdirtyboy2563
September 24, 2025 at 6:09 pm
Rhett and Link conveniently left the faith because it was in their economic and social interest to do so at the time. If you listen to their "spiritual deconstructions" you can quite easily read between the lines. All glory to Christ for being a merciful and redemptive god, i hope these two come back to the faith. They should be welcomed with a fattened calf.
@education461
September 24, 2025 at 6:09 pm
The biggest sinners are those who follow religions because they do feel they are better than others. All christians think they are better than other people for sure. lol I have never met one who doesn't. They are so unhealthy!
@saskiascott8181
September 24, 2025 at 6:09 pm
It's so funny that I never heard of this guy before and now I have seen him on two completely unrelated shows in the space of about three days (the other one was critical where he smashed his narrative telephone episode).
@Bellius27
September 24, 2025 at 6:09 pm
"I prefer being naked too,,, especially with you"
@skinzqq9901
September 24, 2025 at 6:09 pm
If you’re watching this and wrestling with doubt—know you’re not alone. Many of us have struggled too. But don’t stop short of hearing from God Himself. Before you walk away, give the Bible an honest read. Not just pieces of it, but the story as a whole—from Genesis to Revelation it points to Jesus, who said, ‘Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest’ (Matthew 11:28). Doubts don’t scare Him. He welcomes honest seekers. If you’re struggling, don’t close the book—open it.
@reidroberts6130
September 24, 2025 at 6:09 pm
I once left a voicemail for (presumedly) Rhett and Link. It could be that it wasn't an official way to leave them a voicemail; it was in 2022 or 2023.
I wanted to explain what "the correct" type of Christianity was and, it's just ironic based on Rhett's concerns with his past pride of being correct.
I still believe that Jesus is the son of God who dies for our sins. I also still believe that Christians have imperfect theology, and I believe in the possibility for false teachers and false doctrine.
But I'm a lot less certain that I myself can correctly differentiate. More importantly, I think the main thing that matters as a Christian is that he died for our sins and believing and following Jesus is a life changing experience.
Rhett, I hope you one day believe it's true.
I do think predestination and free will are a very important and confusing discussion. However, I do believe it can be reconciled, and have faith that God is just. I do not believe he created any humans who were predestined for eternal damnation". I think that we have free will to choose to be in Christ, who is predestined for Heaven.
@notathome7998
September 24, 2025 at 6:09 pm
I don't work there anymore. I'm done believing in things somebody told me. I'll figure it out on my own from here.
Doubt everything, until all the evidence plays out. See you on the other side
@DravenothTheSecond
September 24, 2025 at 6:09 pm
I don't mean to come off as attacking anyone here but I have seen a lot of people hurt by Christianity and more specifically Calvinism.
Even more so I have seen people adopt it and become ignorant and bigoted along with completely losing their wonder/curiosity for the world.
just my experience; I know religion saves a lot of people I just have first hand account of it hurting more (albeit indirectly),
@nashuss9126
September 24, 2025 at 6:09 pm
Check out Islam people. The only true monotheistic religion that doesn't exploit people.
@iLikebeisbol
September 24, 2025 at 6:09 pm
my guess is this was when he did jubilee?
@Wonderdude63
September 24, 2025 at 6:09 pm
Never know Rhett was based, great discussion!
@filmeseverin
September 24, 2025 at 6:09 pm
To be humans means to use our rationality to realize not only that it is evil to be stupid but also that it is stupid to be evil. God will not force anyone to love perfection / to love Him. The unbelievers can remain as they wish, outside of the revealed truth (proven / reasoned through my messages).
Humans, with very few exceptions, have lost their merit of direct communication with God because each sin moves us away from God, from perfection.
Not all who ever lived on Earth had knowledge about the truth from those who deserved to have it revealed by Divinity and especially from Jesus Christ, the human form of Divinity. It has always been easy for any human to know what the useless suffering is and to never produce it (no need for the Creator to tell us this). That is why He expects us to strive to never do evil, especially to never do evil intentionally, to never cause useless suffering, any damage, to others and to ourselves.
Divinity keeps the 100% freedom here for us, the free will of any human, even in our prayers, as Jesus has said: "Therefore, I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they will be granted to you." Mark 11:24
That is why we have to learn our lesson here, to prove that we have understood that freedom must always be used only for good, never for evil.
All we can do to prove our righteousness, our love for goodness, justice, wisdom … for perfection / for Divinity can be done only while we are in the body here because, when we are outside of this body we are 100% under God's decisions (what will happen with us next, while heading to the Last Judgment). I felt that while I had my NDE at 18 years old.
@OGIkonen70280
September 24, 2025 at 6:09 pm
Look! It's a normal thinking human being! XD
@GreasyOaf
September 24, 2025 at 6:09 pm
so brave
@joelonsdale
September 24, 2025 at 6:09 pm
I've been flicking through the comments and I can see the Christian apologists have really been making a concerted effort to reclaim souls, spread the "good" word and rebalance the conversation 😅
@AUGIEBENDOGGIE1997
September 24, 2025 at 6:09 pm
I became an athiest at age 7. Time for the adults to catch up
@RichM.-lt9yt
September 24, 2025 at 6:09 pm
I left my religion when I went to Bible college as the good brainwashed person that I had been raised. With really reading, researching, asking questions that angered instructors. Your suppose to go along agree and just use the cherry picked things. I walked started looking for real enlightenment and truth I started growing. It was scary at first. Brainwashing is hard to walk away from
@nathaniellowe5100
September 24, 2025 at 6:09 pm
36:15 clearly you have never met a physicist. A scientist who follows his school, and thinks another school is bogus, is the most believable thing in the world! The war between biologists and proper science is an ancient one.
@bugg6597
September 24, 2025 at 6:09 pm
It was believed with the growth of science that religion would become a distant memory as man connected with the truth, reality. What a shame they were wrong, that even with scientific fact, people still say ‘nah’ and believe in magic. Where I come from, they’d toss someone in a mental ward if they publicly believed in magic and told people a fictional character was coming to save them or destroy the earth for those that don’t believe
@ratrotted
September 24, 2025 at 6:09 pm
What an amazing discussion. It's been a long time since I've been interested in GMM, and I sadly never knew how well spoken and well read Rhett is. I'm downright jealous of his maturity on the subject. I myself sometimes find it hard to be kind to believers due to… in all honesty, how annoying (see this comment section) and very frequently materially harmful many can be (see the state of the world). But I appreciate that Rhett is critical of the institution of religion while not being unkind to believers. I think looking inward and understanding the mechanics of religion should be expected of anyone faithful. Blind faith is encouraged for a reason- it benefits the church, not you!
Comments are closed.