Hawk Nelson: Former Christian rocker reveals he no longer believes in God

The former lead singer of a Christian rock band revealed that he no longer believed in God in an Instagram post.

Jon Steingard, the frontman for Christian rock band Hawk Nelson, revealed in a note posted to Instagram he was renouncing his faith.

"I've been terrified to post this for a while - but I feel like it's time for me to be honest. 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," Mr Steingard said.

Throughout the letter, Mr Steingard discusses growing up deeply engrossed in cultural Christianity and explains how over time his faith began to wane as he developed doubts about the nature and reality of God.

In the letter, Mr Steingard explains that his faith began to crumble when he began to question the veracity of the Bible. He recalls having a conversation with his father in law - also a pastor - about a passage in the Bible that troubled him.

"I was asking about a verse in 1 Timothy that seems really oppressive of women. It indicates that women shouldn't be in church leadership, shouldn't teach men, and shouldn't wear their hair in braids. To me, that seemed less like the message of the loving God that most Christians believe in now, and more like the ideas that would have been present in the culture at the time," he wrote. "...a male-dominated society where women were treated less like equals and more like property."

Mr Steingard said his father-in-law directed him to review the original Greek translations of the Bible's source material, suggesting that modern translations may have misrepresented the intent of the Biblical authors.

As a result, Mr Steingard concluded that if the modern translation cannot be trusted, neither can the original Greek writings. This revelation undermined his overall faith in God.

Other Christian musicians reached out to Mr Steingard in the comment section of his Instagram post, many offering their support to the singer.

Matt Hammitt, the former lead singer of Sanctus Real, said he had "nothing but love in my heart for you old friend," while Tenth Avenue North singer Mike Donehey offered his company anytime Mr Steingard wanted to talk.

"Man I love that you shared this. You know I'm always around to talk about our belief in God or lack thereof. Love you and always will," he said.

Mr Steingard appears to hold agnostic views now, saying he was "open to the idea that God is there" but that if there was a God, "he is very different than what I was taught."

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