I’ve often wondered about the conservative pushback against marijuana since I first tried it. In 2012, Washington and Colorado became the first states to legalize recreational marijuana. At the time I was in high school and had no strong opinion about it. Every year it seems more and more attitudes are changing in favor of legal marijuana, including mine.

With the United Kingdom’s heightened assault on transgender rights, more people than ever are looking at so-called “first world” countries’ stances on human rights. It isn’t just the richest nations, though — Iran’s revolution has also sparked many TikTok videos, blog posts and real-life conversations, though many have pointed out there are fewer news articles than there perhaps should be.

I was recently asked what sparked my deconstructing journey. For many Christians who are happy with the way they believe, the seemingly new trend to deconstruct faith is perturbing. Where does it come from? Why can’t people be content with the way they were raised, or with the messages coming from pulpits across the country week after week? 

When power is viewed as an all-or-nothing game of brute force, losing even the slightest ground feels like gut-wrenching defeat.