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April 2026
Happy Eastertide, Everyone!
I pray you had a wonderful time celebrating the resurrection of our Lord.
This year, my celebrations are particularly meaningful because it was this
month, thirty years ago, that I launched a little website called Come Let Us
Reason, where I wanted to engage people with thoughtful and convincing evidence
for the Christian faith. I believe it was April 16 when the site first went live
with a single article entitled “Answering an Atheist.” That article still
exists, and I’ve featured a link to it below.
Of course, since that
inauspicious beginning, I’ve had the opportunity to talk with tens of thousands
of Christians and answer many, many different questions, objections, and
difficulties concerning faith, religion, ethics, philosophy, science, culture,
and worldview. I’ve been blessed to be part of such an important ministry,
providing reasons for the hope we have in Jesus, as 1 Peter 3:15 commands. I aim
to give clear-headed and cogent responses to whatever challenges arise against
the faith once delivered to the saints.
What is fascinating to me, though, is
seeing how much the concerns of the times—and people’s questions—have changed
over three decades. Let’s look back at each era and see which issues garnered
the most attention.
1990s – Focus on the Bible
There are certain
“evergreen” objections that never change—questions of God’s existence, the
resurrection accounts, or supposed Bible contradictions. In the 1990s, the
reliability of the Bible received a lot of attention. I especially dug into
alleged discrepancies, showing that objectors often brought unstated assumptions
into their accusations.
I also compared the Bible to other faiths’ doctrines,
such as those of Jehovah’s Witnesses and Mormons, both of whom claim the Bible
Christians use is fallible or not understandable without their specific
interpretation. This was the bread-and-butter of apologetics at the time.
As
the internet was still a very new medium, Come Reason was one of the few sites
answering such questions online.
2000s – Rise of the New Atheists
The new
millennium brought many changes in how Christianity was discussed. One of the
most obvious shifts was the rise of Islam after the 9/11 attacks on the U.S.
Suddenly, understanding what had been a vague and unfamiliar religion for many
in the West became paramount.
This was quickly followed by Westerners
offering their own apologetic for Islam, promoting the idea that it was a
religion of peace. At the same time, Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code became a
runaway bestseller and was adapted into a Ron Howard/Tom Hanks blockbuster film.
This renewed focus on the New Testament canon and the so-called “lost Gospels.”
Then, in 2006, Wired Magazine ran a cover story on a burgeoning movement they
labeled “The New Atheism.” Subtitled “No Heaven, No Hell, Just Science,”
it profiled four rabid anti-Christians who were baptized with the moniker “the Four Horsemen of New Atheism”: Richard
Dawkins, Sam Harris, Daniel Dennett, and Christopher Hitchens.
From that point, objections to God, Christian morality, and
the relationship between science and faith took center stage. Evolution remained
a constant undercurrent in many of these discussions.
2010s – Sex, Race, and
Relationships
In the next decade, another shift took place. As LGBTQ+
advocates gained political ground—culminating in the 2015 Supreme Court
Obergefell decision—Christians wrestled more deeply with questions about
marriage, relationships, and even the definition of love.
We saw cases of
bakers sued for adhering to their convictions and faced difficult conversations
with friends and family members identifying as gay—something that seemed
increasingly common. Soon after, intersectionality, racism, and questions about
slavery moved to the forefront.
Early in the decade, moral relativism was
widespread, especially on college campuses. By the
middle of the decade, things were changing quickly.
The New Atheism faded almost as rapidly as it
appeared. Many began to recognize it as largely a
repackaging of old atheism—often with weaker
arguments and worse tempers.
During the late 2010s, Critical Theory
emerged as a dominant framework for evaluating culture. Yet it revealed an internal
tension: one cannot be a moral relativist if being an oppressor makes one objectively evil! By 2020, it escalated from violent talk to violent action in the riots we saw across the country.
2020’s – Transgenderisms, Algorithms, and Family Rhythms
In the past five years, we’ve seen yet another
shift. The LGBTQ+ lobby, drunk on their past victories,
sought to push the envelope even further
and tried to normalize transvestism and
transsexuality.
Given individuals with gender dysphonia had been historically a miniscule fraction of the broader society, such a campaign would’ve been a fool’s errand. But a new weapon was added to their arsenal in the form of ubiquitous connectivity and social media. No
longer is there a shared family computer. Now every pre-teen has a smartphone,
often turning to social media as a kind of digital confidant to whom they tell
all their secret fears. The groomers on these platforms
then push them to adopt such diagnoses.
At the same
time, Western societies are facing declining birth rates and growing uncertainty
about the future. Questions about family, identity, and whether our civilization will survive have become central concerns.
I’ve often remarked how, during our
Dare to Defend Conferences, the questions people ask during Q&A sessions track
closely with these cultural shifts.
Of course, none of these issues ever
disappear entirely. They evolve, fragment, and reappear in new forms. That’s why
people need clear, reliable, and accessible resources for all of them. And that’s
exactly why Come Reason exists.
One thing stands out over the past three
decades: our culture is becoming increasingly secular, and many are growing
disillusioned with it. A purely secular culture offers no ultimate hope.
No
matter what the future holds, I pray I can continue to serve faithfully in this
ministry and glorify our Lord through it.
MINISTRY UPDATE – Dare to Defend
Michigan
I’m excited to announce that our next Dare to Defend Conference will
be held September 25–26 in Kalamazoo, Michigan! The theme is Faith Founded on
Fact, and it will feature speakers including Dr. Tim McGrew, Dr. Doug Groothuis,
Dr. Bradley S. Belcher, Rob Bowman—and myself.
You can view topics and secure
early-bird tickets here:
https://www.daretodefend.com/
FINANCIAL UPDATE
Our Defenders Campaign
has launched, and I’m seeking faithful partners to help this ministry continue
equipping Christians to think clearly and engage culture effectively.
Consider what believers have faced over the past 30 years—it can be
overwhelming. I regularly hear from students struggling with professors or young
people questioning their faith. Your support as a Defender makes it possible for
me to provide the answers they need at critical moments.
Please consider
becoming a Defender today:
https://www.comereason.org/change
WHAT WAS YOUR BIGGEST CHALLENGE?
Looking back across these eras can bring up pivotal moments in our spiritual
journeys. I’d love to hear from you:
- What was your biggest challenge to the
faith?
- What issue impacted you most?
- How did you resolve it?
- How did
Come Reason help?
Simply reply to this email and share your story. And if
you’re struggling right now, let me know—I’d be honored to pray for you.
Until then, be blessed.
Lenny
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