Why the World "Misses" Jesus: My Take on Jordan Peterson, Atheism, and the Intellectualization of Faith
Faith Series
For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness.
-1 Corinthians 3:19 KJV
I recently watched a 90-minute video from the popular YouTube channel Jubilee. The setup was bold: Dr. Jordan Peterson seated in a sterile white room, engaging in a rapid-fire series of conversations with 20 self-proclaimed atheists. The structure was organized chaos—each person allowed a few moments to exchange ideas with Peterson before being replaced by the next. As I watched, I found myself both intrigued and unsettled. Not by what was said, but by what wasn't.
A year ago, I would have received this video with completely different eyes. I probably would have leaned into the debates, praised the intellectual rigor, and bookmarked a few soundbites for my own philosophical ammo. But something’s changed. Watching it now, as someone walking with Jesus, I couldn’t help but notice one glaring omission: the name Jesus barely came up. The term “Christian” was tossed around frequently—like a label or a school of thought—but the actual person of Jesus Christ? Practically invisible.
And that says a lot about the cultural moment we’re in…
Christianity Without Christ
This video was more than just a series of dialogues. It was a mirror to our world. A microcosm of how society has rebranded Christianity as a kind of moral philosophy, a way of being good, or at best, a set of ancient guidelines for civil behavior. You can almost hear the subtext: Believe in God, act nice, and keep your metaphysics to yourself.
Peterson, for all his brilliance, fell into this trap as well. He spoke about the idea of God, about sacrifice, about aligning oneself with responsibility, but not once did he mention the crucifixion. Not once did he center the message on the cross and the eternal sacrifice it represents, which is literally the hinge point of the Christian faith.
Why does this matter? Because without the cross, Christianity ceases to be Christianity. It becomes another self-help path. Another method for becoming more responsible, more articulate, more respectable. And while those are good things (by humanistic standards), they’re not salvific. They take the attention away from God and put it on self.
The Heart vs. The Brain
Reflecting, it was this kind of intellectual approach that kept me from Jesus for so long. I thought I needed to understand God before I could believe in Him. But that's not how faith works. In fact, that's the opposite of faith. As my Pastor points out quite a bit, that’s confirmation.
Just like I said in a recent YouTube short from my channel: You don’t have to understand the gift to accept it. A turning point in my life came when I was encouraged to accept Jesus’s sacrifice—even though it made no logical sense to me. The grace and love that flow from that act are so far beyond comprehension that trying to rationalize them can actually lead you AWAY from faith. Try too hard to intellectualize the cross and you’ll end up cynical, confused, or worse—convinced it’s nonsense.
Let’s zoom out for a second. Here’s the big picture:
"And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually." – Genesis 6:5 (KJV)
God demands perfection. But man, left to himself, can’t deliver that. So, God sent His only begotten Son to Earth. Jesus—fully God and fully man—carried the weight of all sin, past and future, and was crucified as payment for the debt we could never repay. That’s grace. That’s love. That’s the Gospel.
Try explaining that to someone who demands empirical proof before belief—you can’t. The cross doesn’t satisfy intellectual curiosity; it satisfies spiritual hunger. And that hunger is only recognized by the heart, not the brain. One moment from the Peterson video stands out: Jordan asks a participant, “What will convince you that God is real? What will it take?” She pauses—visibly caught off guard. That question stumps many atheists, not because it's complex, but because it reveals a deeper tension. Often, they struggle to articulate exactly what they’re looking for. And that hesitation feels like a leak—evidence of someone either deeply unsettled or unwilling to humble themselves.
The Spirit of This Age: Pride Masquerading as Logic
Another thing that stood out in the video? The vibe. Nearly all of the atheists were men—yet they didn’t embody masculinity. Most seemed effeminate, passive, almost angry. Perhaps even a little threatened or jealous of Dr. Peterson. There was a deep-rooted cynicism in their tone, a kind of jaded disdain for even the possibility of God (and/or Dr. Peterson’s presence).
They didn’t just not believe in God—they didn’t want to. That’s something deeper than reason; it’s willful rejection. And that, at its core, is what free will truly means: not just choosing actions but choosing belief. Belief in something you can’t see, can’t prove, can’t fully comprehend. Faith is a risk. And for many, it’s a risk they refuse to take—though they’re more than willing to argue about it.
This rejection isn’t new. It started with Lucifer himself. Second in command in Heaven—radiant, powerful, gifted. But it wasn’t enough. He didn’t want to serve God; he wanted to be God. And that’s the same lie he’s been selling ever since. Satan doesn’t tell people to worship him—he tells them to worship themselves. Why? Because faith requires humility. You have to admit that you’re not the master of your fate. That maybe, just maybe, there’s a God who created you and knows better than you. And in a culture obsessed with self-made identity and intellectual pride, that kind of surrender feels like defeat.
When Christianity Becomes a TED Talk
What Jubilee unintentionally highlighted is what happens when Christianity gets stripped of its supernatural core. You’re left with talking points. Values. Debate material. All worldly, seemingly tangible things. The faith becomes sanitized and safe enough to discuss without offense. But it also gets stripped of its power.
A Christianity that rarely—or never—mentions Jesus, never talks about the cross, and never confronts our sinful nature isn’t Christianity. It’s a TED Talk in religious drag. It might inspire. It might provoke. But it will never transform.
I don’t say that to throw shade at Dr. Peterson. He’s doing valuable work helping people take personal responsibility and find meaning in life. And he is much smarter than I’ll ever be. This is his MO: he’s become the intellectual with a strong conviction for morality rooted in God. But here’s the truth—no one gets saved by abstract ideals. People get saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ.
What I’ve Learned on the Other Side
Now, I don’t have a theology degree. And I don’t feel qualified to teach or preach. In fact, I often feel convicted even when I speak on matters of faith. My pastor, Johnny Chang, often warns about people trying to "teach" without truly being called to do so. And I hear that.
But here’s what I know: I’m experiencing change—and it’s coming in the form of repentance. The Greek word for “repent” is metanoia, which means “to change one’s mind.” And that’s exactly what’s happening to me. The Jesus I serve didn’t just give me good advice. He gave me a new heart. Not only am I undeserving of His salvation—I’m incapable of earning it. Because it’s not something we work for. It’s a gift. A divine gift of grace.
The Jubilee video is a case study in how the world loves to engage with Christianity—without ever encountering Christ. It becomes an intellectual exercise at best, and a pride-fueled performance at worst.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed by religion, confused by faith, or turned off by Christians who talk without love—let me encourage you to go straight to the source. Don’t just seek the idea of God. Seek the person of Jesus.
God sent His Son to live as a flesh-and-blood man not only to save us, but to walk among us—with us—experiencing life as we do. Jesus knows what pain feels like. He knows loneliness, existential dread, anger, sadness, and love—all from a human perspective. And yet, He is still fully God, which means no burden of yours is too heavy for Him to carry.
As Jesus Himself said: “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” — Matthew 11:28 (KJV)
Build a relationship with Him. Pray. Out loud or in your head (for me, out loud hits deeper). Talk to Him like He’s your Father. And if you don’t have a father, speak to Him like He’s someone you trust—a friend, a spouse, a mentor, a sibling. The point is to get praying, because that’s how you commune with God.
And if you don’t know how to pray? Ask Him. I’ve said more than once, “Father, show me how to pray properly.”
Do it as often as you can—walking to the bathroom at work, right when you wake up, before bed, before meals, while driving. And if you want to hear from Him? Open the Bible. That’s the Word. That’s Him speaking to us.
You don’t have to understand everything. You just have to receive what He did for you. Let that truth take root—not just in your head, but in your heart.
Because no debate, no philosophy, and no YouTube video will ever change your life the way Jesus can.
And I say that not from a pedestal—but from the trenches.
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— Aaron O’Shea
Versed-Well Founder, Owner, Proprietor
Duty. Diligence. Direction.