Christian Singer Jon Steingard Is “Terrified” To Admit That He Does Not Believe In God Anymore
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Jon Steingard is the frontman for the Christian rock band Hawk Nelson. They produce some contemporary Christian music that is thoroughly enjoyed by members of the church. But now, the singer has made a new revelation about his belief in God that has some die-hard fans questioning his morals.
Steingard Has Been Wrestling With His Beliefs Since Childhood
In the lengthy Instagram post, Steingard explained that it has taken him years to come to this decision. He has been scared to speak his mind after being identified by the media as a Christian for years. He grew up in a very religious household and is the son of a pastor. His family went to church “as often as possible.” It was pretty much the most important thing they had going on in their lives. He said that his belief in God stemmed from the “shared belief” that his community had. For him, “praying in public always felt like some kind of weird performance art.” There was a ton of pressure to fit in with those around him.
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Steingard said that he has spoken to other Christians about this and most of them feel the same way but are afraid to speak up. In his Instagram post he spoke of these people who “fear losing everything if they’re open about it.” The reactions to his statement have been mixed with some fans thinking he will eventually find his way back to believing in God and others calling him brave for living his truth. One person wrote “I just have to wonder why you need to proclaim this publicly and shake possibly weaker Christians faith?” Another had a totally opposite reaction and said “Thanks for speaking your truth.”
Jon Steingard Explained What Will Happen To Christian Band Hawk Nelson
Steingard joined Hawk Nelson when he was just 20 years old. When he became the lead singer and songwriter for the band in 2012, he admits that he pushed for the band to be more outspoken about their Christian views. But in this time he began questioning different phrases or sayings in the Bible and felt like it wasn’t such a “perfect” book after all. With this, he recognizes that people have questions about whether or not the band is still together. After all, their last post on Instagram was in 2018 until a few days ago when they posted the following picture.
“The band isn’t playing shows or making new music at the moment and we’ve all found other work and careers to focus on for the time being,” Steingard confirmed. He had to make sure he had a second career to be able to provide for his family but knew that it could no longer be in Christian music. Steingard does not want fans to think he has been lying to them about his belief in God during his time with Hawk Nelson. He still did believe in God at the time.
What’s Next For Jon Steingard?
Steingard is voluntarily giving up his place in Christian music if it means he gets to speak his mind and live freely. He was scared of being alienated by his fans, friends and family if he went public with his realization. It led to struggles with depression. Steingard was in a “very dark place for a while” going through all of these thoughts in his head. He has yet to reveal what his new career path will be but fans are hoping he lends his voice to another musical genre.
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Jon Steingard thanked his family for all of their love and support even though he knows they are shocked by the fact that he no longer believes in God.
