Introduction
My name is Steve Schroeder.
I’m the founder of NOSTR Fundraising, Smart Community Technologies, and DeCoy (Decentralized Customer Loyalty), as well as several other customer loyalty platforms.
For decades, I immersed myself in Christianity as a dedicated student and teacher. I attended multiple Bible colleges and seminaries, studied at universities, and pursued advanced work in apologetics and theology — including time in law school. I taught at major churches across Southern California and volunteered for nearly three years at North Point Church in Alpharetta, GA, and the Cumming branch in Cumming, GA, reporting back on what people actually understood or grasped from the messages. Most of the time, people did not recognize the theological significance of the message and were unaware of why so much hatred was directed toward Andy on social media by other pastors and leaders, who often forbade their congregations from even reading Andy Stanley's books. Although Andy was clear in his presentation, the extent of the theological shift — which he explained in depth in his book "Irresistible" and others — was largely overlooked by many. Many people were unaware of the hostility toward Andy and completely misunderstood and misrepresented him as a heretic when nothing could be further from the truth, with just an open-minded approach.
But then again, open-mindedness and Christianity do not always go hand in hand because, as nearly every seminary and Christian church worldwide teaches, the Bible is the Word of God — yet nobody truly knows what that means. Does it mean the Holy Spirit guides the pen of human writers so that every word is, in fact, from God's mouth? Does it mean the content is simply influenced by God rather than controlled by Him? Does it mean the entire collection is equally the Word of God, so that all parts must be obeyed literally? Who decides what that means? All this confusion arises from one word being used once in a completely different context. For any open-minded, intelligent person, these issues seem rooted in corruption and history, combined with the current mass exodus from Christian churches. These fears are real. Is it time for a new approach—or one that the founder of Christianity initially envisioned? Today’s Christian world often leaves no room for alternative opinions or beliefs. Many are taught, “if the Bible says it, that settles it,” as if the Bible as a whole is meant to be obeyed instead of used to educate, inform, and showcase Jesus the King as our example to follow. This results in numerous denominations, confusion, and chaos. Any pastor or leader suggesting otherwise faces attack and humiliation. That’s how many Christian leaders behave, having been so influenced by their seminary training, which is why seminaries are sometimes called “cemeteries.”
Christians are the main reason why people don’t follow Christ, with the church as a close second. We have completely lost our way.
This article is the result of years of study, real-world experience, and many long conversations with Grok, during which I provided him with raw material, and he helped me sharpen it. It is not AI-generated fluff — it is human truth, refined through honest back-and-forth.
If anything here stirs you, challenges you, or makes you angry in a productive way... good. I’m happy to explore more.
Don’t get your panties in a bundle. If what I’m saying is such heresy, get me on your podcast and humiliate me in person. The arguments are much stronger face-to-face than they are in this article. Fact-check me. Bring your best arguments.
Reach out to me on X (@NOSTRFundRaisng) or on NOSTR through Primal Steveroy333 or at mailto:
[email protected].
Let’s talk.
