From Atheist to Jesus: Pedro García's Journey Through Doubt - Part 2From Atheist to Jesus: Pedro García's Journey Through Doubt - Part 2
Crossroads with Jenny Bushkell
Pedro García shares how years of listening to doubters and ex-Christians led him to ask whether people are really leaving because of Jesus or because of hurt and disappointment. The conversation gently addresses doubt, church wounds and fear of death, suggesting that honest questions can lead towards Jesus rather than away from him.
25:01•9 Jun 2026
From Atheist to Apologist: Pedro García on Doubt, Hurt and Jesus
Episode Overview
- Many people leave church because of hurt, hypocrisy or legalism, but rarely because of Jesus himself.
- Intellectual objections often act as protective walls around a heart that has been wounded.
- Church hurt can feel especially painful because people expect church to reflect heaven yet still encounter brokenness.
- There is a key difference between doubting away from Jesus and doubting towards him; bringing questions to Jesus can deepen relationship.
- Doubt is described as a common, long-standing part of Christian experience and not a sin, but a cry for greater closeness.
“Doubting is not sin. It’s a cry for a deeper relationship.”
How do people cope with the challenges of staying sober, doubting their faith, and feeling hurt by church all at once? This conversation with Christian apologist and former atheist Pedro García leans straight into those messy questions.
Jenny Bushkell chats with Pedro about why he titled his book *For Those Who Doubt: Is It Because of Jesus?* Pedro explains that after years of conversations with people leaving Christianity, he realised, “no one has ever told me I left Christianity because of Jesus.” Instead, he mostly heard about church hurt, hypocrisy, legalism, or politics. Pedro talks about how many people use “intellectual shielding” to protect a wounded heart.
Arguments about science, philosophy or theology often sit on top of very real pain. He suggests that much of deconstruction begins with hurt, not just ideas, and that church wounds cut deeper because church is where people hope to taste “heaven on earth.” The episode also touches on fear of death and how deeply it unsettles people.
Pedro calls common slogans like “life is short, enjoy it” a defence mechanism, insisting that death “doesn’t make any sense” if life is meant to last. For those wrestling with faith, Pedro points to biblical examples like John the Baptist and the rich young ruler, showing that doubt isn’t new or shameful. He draws a powerful distinction between doubting away from Jesus and doubting towards him, saying, “doubting is not sin.
It’s a cry for a deeper relationship.” This conversation is especially suited to people in recovery who feel burned by church, worried about their faith, or scared to voice hard questions. You’ll hear calm, honest talk about doubt, pain, and the quiet hope that you can bring every question straight to Jesus rather than walk away. Could your doubts be the start of a deeper relationship, rather than the end of one?
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