Jon Steingard, the frontman for Christian rock band Hawk Nelson, has announced that he “no longer believes in God” — and as a result he’s now “ready to live.”
The Canadian made the shock revelation in a post on his Instagram feed, where he explained that he has struggled with parts of the bible and had fallen into a depression after having doubts over his religion.
He accompanied the post by stating, “I’ve been terrified to post this for a while – but it feels like it’s time for me to be honest.”
He further explained how he came by his recent decision, “After growing up in a Christian home, being a pastor’s kid, playing and singing in a Christian band, and having the word ‘Christian’ in front of most of the things in my life – I am now finding that I no longer believe in God.”
He confessed that it had taken several years for him to reach this conclusion. He also stated that he’d spoken to others who had grown up in the church and felt the same doubts but were also wary of being open about it; this encouraged him to speak up.
Steingard decided that now was the right time to admit his loss of faith, given that his band is currently sidelined because of the pandemic.
Jon Steingard says he’s determined to move on
In a follow-up post on Wednesday, the musician attempted to answer questions from his many fans. He also expressed his determination to move on to the next phase of his life.
He wrote: “Thank you for all your kindness. I don’t really know how to answer the question, ‘what now? which much certainty, other than to say, I’m ready to live. Openly. Honestly. Curiously. Deeply. That sounds like an adventure – and it’s one I’m ready for.”
Steingard says he now describes his current religious beliefs by saying he’s “agnostic,” which he defines as “a person who believes that nothing is known or can be known of the existence or nature of God.”
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