Joe Rogan is an interesting character. His brash antics and colorful language paint a misleading picture of him. To anyone who’s followed his show for any length of time, it’s clear he is not an intellectual lightweight; he’s a really deep thinker. He reads broadly, is well-informed on a variety of issues, and is extremely intellectually curious.
Earlier in January, he had Christian apologist Wesley Huff on his show. Although I rarely listen to the “Joe Rogan Experience” these days, I can’t remember the last time he was this impressed with a guest. In a span of close to 3 hours, he said “wow” more times than I can count.
What was going on there?
Joe is not a Christian. But he’s not an atheist either
According to him, “science requires one miracle — the Big Bang.” The notion that the universe sprung into being out of nothing is absurd to him. As it should be! Regarding the biblical text, when they discussed the transmission of the Book of Isaiah, he described the whole process as a “miracle.” The fact that the oldest manuscript of Isaiah is virtually identical to the most modern one blew him away. He is not shy about identifying many phenomena as being miraculous in nature. While he never outright professes a belief in God, it’s clear he rejects atheism. The mysteries of the universe and creation itself are too much for him to ignore.
And yet, when Wes kept bringing up the evidence for Jesus’s resurrection, he couldn’t accept them. One of the most essential claims of Christianity is lost on him. Why is that?
I believe Jesus Himself can help us. In the parable of the rich man and Lazarus, Jesus says:
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“But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.’ And he said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ He said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead’” (Luke 16:29-31, ESV).
I’ll be honest, this story has always baffled me. What do you mean people won’t believe even if they see a dead person walking? That makes no sense. Yes, we’re naturally skeptical as human beings, but a miracle of that magnitude has to convince even the most ardent skeptic. Doubt has its breaking point, doesn’t it?
But that sentiment underestimates the extent of rebellion in the human heart. If you truly know yourself, you recognize just how deeply your worldview influences your way of thinking in the day-to-day.
Christian astrophysicist Jason Lisle used a funny illustration to demonstrate this:
Once upon a time, a young man believed he was dead.
For months, his friends and family tried desperately to convince him that this was not the case, but to no avail. Finally, at their wits end, they decided to take him to see the family doctor in hopes that he could offer some sort of medical counsel to help the young man come to his senses. After two unproductive hours of talking with the young man and reasoning with him using the latest medical journals, charts, and photos, the good doctor had an idea!
“Son, do dead men bleed?” He asked. The young man thought for a moment and then responded, “well, if a person is dead, there is no heartbeat to pump the blood and, therefore, no blood pressure to force the blood out of the body, so, no, dead men do not bleed.” Upon hearing this, the doctor took a needle and pricked the young man’s index finger. As the blood began to ooze from the small wound, the young man grabbed his finger and cried with great excitement:
“Well, what do you know! Dead men DO bleed after all!”
Truth is, the way to God is not paved by mere intellectual ascent. The reason is because the claims of Christianity are offensive. Jesus doesn’t merely call us to accept a checklist of scientific/historical facts — He asks us to die first: “Then Jesus told his disciples, ‘If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me’” (Matthew 16:24).
Yes, coherent arguments are absolutely necessary for faith to thrive, but they’re insufficient in engendering it. Ultimately, becoming a Christian requires a heart transplant. An entire worldview shift must happen in the heart and mind of a person before they can come to accept the claims of Christianity. This isn’t a popular stance, but I don’t believe the Bible gives us room to say otherwise.
Human beings are not neutral entities. They either worship the creator or they worship the creation (Romans 1). While Christianity is based on objective propositional truths, and accepting them is necessary to becoming a Christian, they are fundamentally insufficient. Conversion requires a total overhaul of the secular worldview within us. Not in part, but completely. Nothing besides a “new birth” (John 3:3) will do.
“No one can say ‘Jesus is Lord’ except in the Holy Spirit” (1 Corinthians 12:3)
The funny thing about my conversion story is that I logically accepted the historicity of Jesus’ resurrection four years before I was even converted! Much like Joe Rogan, I was never an atheist. I believed in a higher power of some kind, just like he does. And it made no difference. I was just as alienated from the Almighty as I’ve ever been. The chasm that separated me from Heaven was just as wide. It took a miracle to finally open my eyes to the reality of my sin and the glories of Christ.
Remember, Joe Rogan isn’t alone. Every unbeliever around you is in the same exact position — just as you’ve been in before you came to Christ.
Pray for them consistently. Pray God might open their eyes. And pray also for Joe Rogan. God is not done with him yet.
Daniel Vaida is Assistant Opinion Editor at The Christian Post in Washington, D.C.
