David Hayward, aka "The Naked Pastor," is a comic illustrator and influencer from Canada, popular in deconstruction circles. His comics often mock evangelical faith and promote progressive Christianity. He posted the following comic on Facebook on July 6, 2026.
He noted that "One of my most significant realizations on my deconstruction journey was that the "God" in my mind is actually a projection of my own thoughts."
Let's start off by affirming Hayward's observation. Yes, as I grow older and experience change in my life, I will often view God through the lens of those changes. My lived experiences and my beliefs will often color my view of God, just as those things alter my perspective and worldview on any number of things. It is a very human thing to do.
But is it good? Simply, no. Not it is not......
I have changed my thoughts on God since I was a child. My thoughts on God are likely to change. But it is important to understand that God himself does not change. He is who he has always been. My perception might change, my understanding might change, but He does not change. His unchangeability is one of the most fundamental attributes of who he is.
This comic implies that God changes as I change. Specifically, in The Naked Pastor's theology, it means that God changes to suit my own needs, wants, and desires. In short, we make God into our own image, a mirror that reflects who we are and who we are changing into. So, for instance, if I were a trans man, then God also is trans, or at least, he affirms the identity I am claiming for myself. As I evolve, God also evolves. If I grow to accept and affirm the sinful parts of our culture as good and beautiful, then God must also do the same. We mirror ourselves onto God, and he becomes whatever I want him to be.
One of the best things about God is that he does not change. He is unchangeable. We cannot change him, nor can he change himself. Because he does not change his other attributes, which are just stunning and beautiful. One of the best verses about God's unchangeability is Malachi 3:6: "I the Lord do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed." Israel, in all their rebellion against God, deserved God's wrath. But God does not change. His faithfulness, mercy, and love toward Israel did not change. He remains steadfast toward them. So they are not consumed. He is the solid, unchangeable rock on whom we build the house of our faith and our lives.
His attitude toward sin does not change either. He always hates it. Whether or not I grow to accept it or even love it does not change how God feels about sin. When we imagine a God that affirms us in our sin, we are no longer worshipping the God of Abraham, Isaac, John the Baptist, Jesus, and the apostles. You are worshipping a mirror of yourself, a god made in your own image...not the unchangeable I AM.