The vast numbers of Christians who have left the church over the past couple of decades cannot simply be explained by ‘laziness’, some sort of motivation issue. That’s largely not what it is about.

Rather, I think the greater issue is about what people find themselves needing to do ethically and intellectually to stay in the church. In other words, it is not that they are not doing enough, but—on the contrary—that they have been very active. They have invested. They have participated. They have seen. They have thought. They have felt. They have experienced. And they have found themselves, in all good conscience—using brains, guts, social conscience, protective instinct, spiritual direction and common sense—unable to stay.