‘I Want to Believe’: Matt Rife Opens Up About His Faith Struggles

Moved by his grandfather’s death, oft-raunchy comedian Matt Rife is exploring faith.

After admitting he has “never been a super religious person” and finds church “excruciatingly boring,” the 29-year-old celebrity told “History Hyenas” podcast hosts Yannis Papas and Chris Distefano he “want[s] to believe in God.”

Serious about exploring religion, the Netflix jokester said he was baptized “in a dude’s pool” in August. While Rife did not grow up in a Christian home, he said he decided to take the plunge after occasionally attending church services with friends.

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The impetus of his exploration, Rife said, was his grandfather’s death two years ago.

“I’ve never been a super religious person, but, when my grandpa passed away, something hit me that I was like, ‘I’ll never see this person again,’” he reflected. “So something has to exist. I skew Christian, so I started going to church a little bit more.”

Rife continued, “I hate church; I find it excruciatingly boring. But I want to believe in God, and it’s obviously a huge part of the process.”

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The “Natural Selection” comedian is undoubtedly rough around the edges, often sharing scandalous stories and reciting vulgar jokes, but his interest in Christianity seems authentic—and he’s hardly alone.

Distefano, a comedian, recommended Rife check out journalist-turned-apologist Lee Strobel’s best-selling book, “The Case for Christ,” in which the author details his conversion to Christianity, a divine result of his effort to disprove the existence of God.

To read the full story, visit our content partners at Faithwire.

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