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Bruce’s Ten Hot Takes for May 21, 2025

hot takes

The United States spends over a trillion dollars per year on defense and security. MAGA Republicans are determined to gut the federal government, but military and security spending is exempt from cuts. We show what we consider important by how we spend our money.

Congress plans to ban deep fake porn. This troubles me greatly. If passed, I won’t be able to make graphics of President Trump fucking the American people.

Hey, MAGA fans, Robert Kennedy, Jr. wants you to swim in a bacteria laden river or lake to boost your immune system. Dive in and open your mouth wide, Americans. Time to cull the herd.

Republican and Democratic legislators alike want criminalize speech in opposition to the nation of Israel. Criticizing Israel’s genocidal war against the Palestinian people is labeled antisemitic. It’s evident that most politicians couldn’t define the difference between antisemitism and anti-zionism if their lives depended on it.

Millions of Palestinians are hungry or starving. What does President Trump talk about? Building a glitzy monument to excess in the West Bank. Spoken like a man who has never missed a meal a day in his life.

Am I the only one who is embarrassed every time King Stupid opens his mouth to speak? His crazy rants remind me of conversations among patients at a state mental hospital.

Four months into the Trump presidency, I’ve concluded that the President is a bully who loves to cause people to fear what might happen to them if they dare go against him. As a result, many law firms, corporations, politicians, and media companies have stopped speaking truth to power. And like most bullies, Trump will fold if people and companies stand their ground. Why so many business leaders and politicians don’t understand this is perplexing, to say the least.

It is clear, at least to me, that former President Joe Biden never should have run for reelection. Had Democrats understood this earlier, they could have had a real primary to choose a candidate to run against Trump. I have no doubt that Kamala Harris would not have won the primary.

Any thoughts about battling climate change are over. President Trump is doing everything he can to destroy the climate. My grandchildren will pay the price for Trump’s anti-climate, anti- environment agenda. Species are dying off, and that includes us.

It’s summertime. Time to attend ballgames and concerts. Last week, we heard A Girl Named Tom. This week, we plan to hear The Fray. Other concerts on the schedule include 1985 (an 80s cover band), Killer Queen (a Queen cover band), Buffalo Rose, and Redferrin (country). Also on the schedule are minor league and Cincinnati Reds baseball games, dirt track car races, and plays, dance recitals, and baseball/softball games. Other concerts will be added later once they are announced.

Bonus: Want a kitten? We have eight of them. Two of last year’s feral cats had a litter of four kittens each. We do what we can for the stray and feral cats who visit our yard. However, we already have four cats — all strays — so we cannot take any more in. I plan to talk to the humane society about establishing a trap/neuter/release program for our community. The cats aren’t to blame; the assholes who abandoned them are. Someone told me that I should stop feeding the cats, and then they will go elsewhere. True, but I firmly believe I have a moral obligation to do what I can for the cats. All the cats survived the winter thanks to the heated boxes we put out for them. On some cold nights, there would be 4-5 cats in the boxes. I still felt sorry for them, but I’m glad they survived the winter.

Bruce Gerencser, 67, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 46 years. He and his wife have six grown children and sixteen grandchildren. Bruce pastored Evangelical churches for twenty-five years in Ohio, Texas, and Michigan. Bruce left the ministry in 2005, and in 2008 he left Christianity. Bruce is now a humanist and an atheist.

Your comments are welcome and appreciated. All first-time comments are moderated. Please read the commenting rules before commenting.

You can email Bruce via the Contact Form.

The Lies Evangelical Preachers Tell About Deconstruction

liar

Scores of Evangelical Christians are questioning their beliefs, leading to what is commonly called “deconstruction.” Deconstruction is a process used to carefully examine beliefs and practices. Some people who deconstruct stay in their chosen belief system. Changes are made around the edges, belief-wise, but core doctrines remain unchanged. Others leave Evangelicalism, moving on to different sects and beliefs. Many people choose to reject religions, embracing spiritualism instead. And for others, deconstruction leads to a rejection of Christianity altogether. Many of these people become agnostics or atheists.

As more and more Evangelicals deconstruct, preachers take to their pulpits to “explain” why people deconstruct. More often than not, these preachers lie through their teeth as they give reasons for people deconstructing.

Over the weekend, I listened to a number of preachers attempting to explain why people deconstruct and leave their churches. Without exception, these so-called men of God lied about those leaving the faith. These preachers may be ignorant about deconstruction, but facts are but a Google search away. At best, these preachers are lazy. At worst, their objective is to smear the character of former believers, using former Christians as sermon illustrations or using them as a warning sign from God. I have critics who do this very thing by saying my health problems are a warning sign from God. “Look at what happened to Bruce Gerencser,” these preachers say. The problem with this line of stupidity is that my health problems predate my loss of faith. Any time I have a serious problem in my life, Evangelicals will claim that God is judging me for my alleged rebellion against the Almighty. How these Nostradamuses know their pronouncements are true is never stated. When I draw my last breath, you can count on these same critics taking to the Internet and their pulpits to say that I am now burning in Hell, facing the just consequences of having a doubting, questioning mind.

By far, the number one reason Evangelical preachers give for why people deconstruct is that the church has hurt them. While church hurt certainly plays a part in the deconversion process, I don’t know of anyone who says that “hurt” is the sole reason for walking away from Christianity. That said, Evangelical churches are known for shooting the wounded, sometimes causing mortal wounds. Go ahead and cross the preacher or disagree with him and see what happens. Go ahead and do or say something that the church’s power brokers (and every church has them) object to and see what happens. Oh wait, you know what will happen, because you have experienced it. Dare to walk your own path, expressing questions and doubts, and you will find yourself marginalized, ostracized, or excommunicated. Why would people want to remain in churches where they are treated as outsiders?

Another reason preachers use to explain why people deconstruct is that they secretly want to sin. Specifically, those who deconstruct want to commit licentious sexual immorality. Numerous critics of mine say that I left Evangelicalism because I am a closeted gay man. This, of course, is patently untrue. I don’t know of anyone who deconverted solely did so because they wanted to “sin.” Besides, the church has lots of “sinners” in its midst. The Black Collar Crime Series records the criminal behavior of over a thousand preachers — mostly Evangelicals who committed sex crimes. I have yet to read an article or hear a sermon about the problem Evangelicalism has with sexual misconduct. Why not focus on the “sin” within instead of judging, criticizing, and condemning those who are without?

Let me give you one more reason Evangelical preachers give for why people deconstruct. Preachers love to paint those who deconstruct as ignorant, superficial people; people who know very little about the Bible. This, of course, is patently untrue. Most of the people I know who deconverted spent countless hours re-examining their beliefs. What these preachers are most upset about is that the deconversion process exposes the shallowness of their preaching and calls into question what they teach and preach. Worse, it reveals that most Evangelical preachers are unable or unwilling to answer serious, challenging questions about Christianity and the Bible. When no suitable answers are forthcoming, people are told to just faith-it; that in time, God will soothe all doubts and answer all questions. People might have to wait until they die and enter the Pearly Gates, but all questions will one day be answered.

Most people deconvert because Evangelical Christianity no longer makes sense to them. Why are preachers afraid to admit that this is the primary reason people deconvert? To do so would call into question their ministry; their teaching, preaching, and way of life. Instead of serious introspection, preachers blame those who have lost their faith. (Please see The Michael Mock Rule: It Just Doesn’t Make Sense.)

If preachers truly want to know why people deconvert, I suggest that they actually talk to people who deconverted. Rarely does this happen. Most articles about deconversion are opinion pieces that lack any interviews with former Christians. Will preachers do this? Of course not. They have kingdoms and checkbooks to protect. I would love to be invited by local Evangelical churches to come share my journey from Evangelicalism to atheism. Surely, one former Christian’s testimony is no threat to the beliefs of others? Doesn’t the Bible say, “Greater is he that is in us, than he that is in the world?” I am no match for God, yet preachers fear that I will lead people astray if they ever hear from the horse’s mouth why I deconverted. Regardless, most Evangelicals have the Internet, and countless doubting/questioning Christians have contacted me for help. What reason do these people give for contacting me? Their pastors couldn’t or refused to answer their questions, or gave shallow, childish answers that they found unsatisfactory.

I suspect nothing will stem the tide of people deconstructing. It is clear, at least to me, that Evangelical churches/pastors/colleges have no answers for those who are desperately trying to hold on to their faith. Most doubters and questioners don’t want to deconvert, but the more they read and study, the more they realize that Evangelicalism no longer has answers for them. And when answers aren’t forthcoming, people will look elsewhere.

Bruce Gerencser, 67, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 46 years. He and his wife have six grown children and sixteen grandchildren. Bruce pastored Evangelical churches for twenty-five years in Ohio, Texas, and Michigan. Bruce left the ministry in 2005, and in 2008 he left Christianity. Bruce is now a humanist and an atheist.

Your comments are welcome and appreciated. All first-time comments are moderated. Please read the commenting rules before commenting.

You can email Bruce via the Contact Form.

Why Can’t Atheists Keep Their Atheism to Themselves, Respecting the Beliefs of Others?

change your mind

On weekends, I typically listen to podcasts by content creators such as The Line (including Matt Dillahunty and Jimmy Snow), Paulogia, The Atheist Experience, Talk Heathen, Skeptic Generation, SciManDan, MisterDeity, Rationality Rules (Stephen Woodford), Gutsick Gibbon, Genetically Modified Skeptic, Allegedly Ian, Forrest Valkai, Dan McClellan, Bart Ehrman, Alex O’Connor, Religion for Breakfast, and Justin (The Deconstruction Zone).

Many of these programs are call-in shows that encourage Christians to call in and defend their faith or answer questions about various teachings of the Bible. The answers upchucked by many of these Evangelical zealots are usually shallow, contradictory, and, at times, heretical. These defenders of the faith attend church multiple times a week, hearing the Word of God taught and preached. Some of the people who call in are pastors, evangelists, missionaries, and college professors. Sadly, many of their arguments and explanations are just as bad as people with no Bible college or seminary training. Some of these preachers need to quit preaching and go back to college to get a real education. Of course, a “real” education can and does lead to a loss of faith.

It is not uncommon for those who call these shows to complain about all the atheist programming on YouTube and TikTok. “Can’t you just keep your beliefs to yourself? Why do you have to cause people to doubt (or lose) their faith? Of course, when I put the shoe on the other foot and apply the same standard to Evangelicals, they stupidly think that only atheists should keep their mouths shut; that Evangelicals are commanded by God to preach the gospel to the ends of the earth. However, what is good for the proverbial goose is good for the gander.

One apologist bitterly moaned and complained that atheists were using the Internet to target children. Guilty, as charged, though most social media providers have rules that prohibit young children from using their services. If your eight-year-old son is watching The Atheist Experience on Sundays, that’s on you, parents. Or you might question why your children are watching atheist programs like the ones mentioned above. If Christian children are watching atheist shows, it is a sign that they are not getting the answers they need from their parents, pastors, and churches. Children are Internet savvy. They know that the answers to their questions are a few clicks away. I have had numerous Christian teenagers and young adults contact me. I have had a few youthful readers send me questions to answer for a Christian school project of theirs. I always politely and honestly answer their questions, planting seeds that I hope will sprout and grow in time. I don’t press, push, or evangelize. I’m content to answer their questions, hoping that they develop rational, skeptical thinking skills.

I have been repeatedly asked over the years to stop publicly telling my story; that I was causing people to lose their faith. Here’s what I know: if the mere telling of my story directly causes Evangelical Christians to deconvert, their faith was on shallow ground to begin with. Many people already have one foot out the church door before they stumble upon my content. Regardless, I have no intention to stop telling my story or critiquing Evangelical Christianity.

Unlike many Evangelical churches, questions are always welcome on this site. I will do my best to answer them, and if I can’t, I will point questioners to authors and websites that can. More times than I can count, I have recommended readers read one or more books by Dr. Bart Ehrman. I know that doing so is the cure for Christian Fundamentalism and Bible inerrancy. Sadly, most people whom I recommend Ehrman to refuse to read his books. Why? Their pastors warned them about reading Bart’s books lest they lose their faith. It is a shallow faith, indeed, if one book can cause you to lose it. No single book caused me to deconvert. It took numerous books and podcasts to lead me out of the doors of the church. I suspect many of the readers of this blog will say the same thing.

Bruce Gerencser, 67, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 46 years. He and his wife have six grown children and sixteen grandchildren. Bruce pastored Evangelical churches for twenty-five years in Ohio, Texas, and Michigan. Bruce left the ministry in 2005, and in 2008 he left Christianity. Bruce is now a humanist and an atheist.

Your comments are welcome and appreciated. All first-time comments are moderated. Please read the commenting rules before commenting.

You can email Bruce via the Contact Form.

Black Collar Crime: Evangelical Bus Driver Tara Glan Accused of Sexually Assaulting Disabled Girl

tara glan

The Black Collar Crime Series relies on public news stories and publicly available information for its content. If any incorrect information is found, please contact Bruce Gerencser. Nothing in this post should be construed as an accusation of guilt. Those accused of crimes are innocent until proven guilty.

Tara Glan, a bus driver and youth leader for Ray of Hope Church in Taylor, Pennsylvania, stands accused of sexually assaulting a disabled girl.

The Times-Tribune reports:

Lackawanna County detectives charged a Scranton man Thursday with engaging in sexual activity with a mentally disabled woman while transporting her in a church van.

In April, the Lackawanna County district attorney’s office launched an investigation based on cyber tips from the National Center for Missing and Exploited children alleging Tara Glan had sex with a mentally disabled woman for about two years beginning when she was 16.

Glan was a van driver for the Ray of Hope Church in Taylor at the time of the alleged illegal sexual activity. He also ran church youth groups there, according to a criminal complaint.

The detectives say the woman was not capable of giving consent. The alleged abuse took place between July 2021 and July 2023, according to the criminal complaint.

Glan, 22, of 844 Madison Ave., is facing felony charges of rape of a disabled person, forcing a disabled person to perform oral sex and aggravated assault. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for 9 a.m. on May 21 before District Judge Paul Ware.

Investigators obtained a copy of the woman’s Independent Education Program plan, also known as an “IEP,” which indicated she had an intellectual disability rendering her incapable of consenting to sexual activity.

At 19, the woman still receives daily assistance and is under the supervision of others, officers said.

When interviewed, the woman said that, when she was 16, Glan was giving her a ride home in the church van when he pulled the vehicle over and told her to get in the backseat, and she complied.

When asked if she wanted to have sex, the victim told Glan “no,” according to the complaint.

The woman said Glan forced her to have sex even after she told him to stop. She also recalled Glan forcing her to perform oral sex on him.

The woman told police Glan had also assaulted her on New Year’s Eve at church, making her pull her pants down and forcing himself on her. When the woman told Glan he was hurting her, he stopped.

She said she had been alone with Glan at that event only because he had asked for her help in cleaning up the Sunday School classroom.

The woman estimated Glan had assaulted her about eight times.

She said she had stopped wanting to go to youth group but her mother forced her to go.

She told investigators Glan would give her a ride home from church in the van, dropping off all of the other riders before her and then sexually assaulting her.

On May 8, investigators interviewed Glan at Lackawanna County Prison. He admitted to having sex with the disabled woman at the church and in the church van.

Bruce Gerencser, 67, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 46 years. He and his wife have six grown children and sixteen grandchildren. Bruce pastored Evangelical churches for twenty-five years in Ohio, Texas, and Michigan. Bruce left the ministry in 2005, and in 2008 he left Christianity. Bruce is now a humanist and an atheist.

Your comments are welcome and appreciated. All first-time comments are moderated. Please read the commenting rules before commenting.

You can email Bruce via the Contact Form.

Black Collar Crime: Evangelical Pastor Yyersson David Solarte Basto Accused of Sexually Assaulting Underage Girls

Yersson-David-Solarte-Basto

The Black Collar Crime Series relies on public news stories and publicly available information for its content. If any incorrect information is found, please contact Bruce Gerencser. Nothing in this post should be construed as an accusation of guilt. Those accused of crimes are innocent until proven guilty.

Yyersson David Solarte Basto, pastor of Iglesia Pentecostal Unida Latinoamericana Pentecostal Church in Sanford, Florida, stands accused of sexually assaulting two underage church girls.

MSN reports:

Yyersson David Solarte Basto, 33, a former pastor at Iglesia Pentecostal Unida Latinoamericana Pentecostal Church in Sanford, Florida, is being held without bond following his extradition from Virginia. 

He was arrested on May 7 while on a family trip to Prince William County, Virginia, and returned to Seminole County, where he is now booked at the John E. Polk Correctional Facility. 

Basto is facing charges of sexual battery and lewd and lascivious molestation involving two underage girls, both of whom were members of his congregation.

….

The charges stem from incidents that allegedly occurred at the Ipul Pentecostal Church, where Basto was a trusted community leader. Investigators believe Basto used his authority and position in the church to develop inappropriate relationships with the victims and commit the alleged abuse. Following the accusations, he was immediately removed from his pastoral role.

Bruce Gerencser, 67, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 46 years. He and his wife have six grown children and sixteen grandchildren. Bruce pastored Evangelical churches for twenty-five years in Ohio, Texas, and Michigan. Bruce left the ministry in 2005, and in 2008 he left Christianity. Bruce is now a humanist and an atheist.

Your comments are welcome and appreciated. All first-time comments are moderated. Please read the commenting rules before commenting.

You can email Bruce via the Contact Form.

Black Collar Crime: Southern Baptist Church Volunteer Reagan Gray Sentenced to Probation for Sexually Assaulting a Minor

reagan gray

The Black Collar Crime Series relies on public news stories and publicly available information for its content. If any incorrect information is found, please contact Bruce Gerencser. Nothing in this post should be construed as an accusation of guilt. Those accused of crimes are innocent until proven guilty.

Reagan Gray, a volunteer and worship team member at Immanuel Baptist Church in Little Rock, Arkanas, and a public school teacher, recenty pleaded no contest to second-degree sexual assault. Gray was asoundingly sentenced to probation for her crimes. Worse, the judge refused to let the victim and his family provide impact statements to the court.

The Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reports:

Reagan Danielle Gray, a former middle school teacher and Immanuel Baptist Church praise team member, pleaded no contest Monday to second-degree sexual assault involving one of the congregation’s minors.

Originally charged with first-degree sexual assault, she accepted a plea agreement reducing the count and dismissing a separate count of fourth-degree sexual assault.

If the case had proceeded to trial, deputy prosecuting attorney Claire Maddox said the evidence would have shown that Gray had engaged in sexual contact with a minor while she was serving as a volunteer in the student ministry at Immanuel Baptist Church and that she had done so while holding “a position of trust or authority” over the minor.

After briefly questioning her, Sixth Judicial Circuit Court Judge LaTonya Honorable found her guilty, determining that Gray had “knowingly, intelligently and voluntarily” entered the no-contest plea.

She sentenced Gray to six years probation, assessed her $1,000 in fines plus court costs and ordered her to stay away from the victim.

Gray, 27, was also required to submit a DNA sample and to register as a sex offender. She’ll have to undergo random drug screens and drug treatment as deemed necessary by probations, the judge said.

Gray had been accused of sexually assaulting a high-school aged music ministry volunteer, beginning when he was 15 years old.

Prosecutors said the criminal conduct occurred from roughly Sept. 1, 2020, through May 31, 2021.

“Ms. Gray, let me say this. Keep in mind that actions that you do impact other people. Take this time to reflect on whatever decisions you made that landed you here and look for a way to repent, if you will, and change whatever course got you here,” Honorable said.

In a written statement afterwards, Prosecuting Attorney Will Jones said the conviction “ensures the defendant will be supervised by Arkansas Community Corrections, undergo a sex offender assessment and register as a sex offender, providing accountability and protection for the community.”

Gray’s attorney, John Ogles, declined to comment.

Immanuel, which was founded in 1892, has long been one of the state’s largest congregations and is affiliated with the 12.7-million-member Southern Baptist Convention, the nation’s largest Protestant denomination.

Monday, there were several longtime Immanuel members or leaders present at the courthouse, some showing support for Gray, others appearing to simply observe the proceedings.

Former Arkansas Court of Appeals Judge Beth Coulson, whose husband was a longtime Immanuel trustee, sat one row in front of Gray. At one point, she went into the hall and conferred with Gray’s defense attorney for roughly five minutes.

Coulson declined to comment.

In a written statement Monday afternoon, the victim’s parents addressed the abuse’s toll. Honorable had denied them the opportunity to do so in open court.

“The criminal process has concluded and we’re grateful that our son has one less painful load to carry. We believed we would have the opportunity to give victim impact statements. While that didn’t happen, it’s important to note that Judge Honorable acknowledged the trauma inflicted on our son — something that stands in stark contrast to the silence of so many others,” they said.

“What’s difficult to reconcile is how many adults repeatedly failed him — people with power, responsibility, or influence who looked the other way. Institutions that protected themselves. Systems that made justice harder than it should have been,” they said.

In a Sept. 7, 2023, letter, Immanuel’s lead pastor at the time, Steven Smith, had informed his congregation about “physical contact” between Gray and a minor, but had downplayed the seriousness of the incident, saying he’d been told “by the police” that the “reported level of physical contact did not rise to the level of criminal assault or abuse.”

Days later, the church’s discipleship content director, Courtney Reissig, submitted her resignation, voicing concerns about the “lack of transparency, accountability, and handling” of an “abuse situation.”

In an interview in December 2023, Reissig said Smith had initially been reluctant to alert the congregation, had minimized the seriousness of the accusations and had withheld key details when he finally informed people.

The victim’s parents, who had been longtime Immanuel Baptist members, expressed disappointment Monday at the lack of support that had been extended once the abuse came to light.

“Some of those people were in the courtroom today. Given the opportunity to stand in court with the victim, those charged with teaching, leading and protecting our son once again chose to sit idly by,” they said.

“Their continued silence speaks volumes. Their actions — or lack of them — continue to make a hard road even harder.

….

“And the burden of that failure is a weight our son will carry for the rest of his life,” they said.

“Our son, at great personal cost, chose a difficult and uncomfortable path by bravely speaking up when others wouldn’t. We hope his courage has made it harder for the defendant to ever harm another child,” they said.

Even as the church was portraying Gray’s conduct as non-criminal, federal and local law enforcement officials were interviewing Immanuel staffers and others about the case.

….

Honorable questioned whether they were entitled to make any statements.

Prosecutors maintained that they had that right, citing Arkansas law.

Under AR Code § 16-90-1112 (a) (1) “(b)efore imposing sentence, the court shall permit the victim to present a victim-impact statement concerning the effects of the crime on the victim, the circumstances surrounding the crime, the manner in which the crime was perpetrated.”

The statement can be in writing or under oath at the sentencing proceedings. The law also requires the sentencing court to “consider the victim-impact statement along with other factors.”

“I understand the language that’s in the statute,” Honorable told prosecutors after they directed her to it. “But anytime I am determining what evidence comes in, I have to give deference to what’s relevant, and I still don’t understand what the relevance of their testimony is in a negotiated plea.”

Honorable said she would not proceed as planned unless they agreed to do so “without victim impact statements,” and cut off the deputy prosecuting attorney when she attempted to point the judge, again, to the relevant statute.

“Ms. Maddox, I’m not going to repeat my interpretation of the statute, and I’m not going to repeat the options,” Honorable said.

In December, the victim filed a lawsuit against the Little Rock congregation, accusing it of negligence, negligent hiring, negligent supervision and negligent retention. The suit also names the congregation’s insurance company and other unnamed defendants.

It also lists Smith as a defendant, saying he had “reasonable cause to suspect” child maltreatment had occurred but waited to report it to authorities despite being a mandatory reporter.

Bruce Gerencser, 67, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 46 years. He and his wife have six grown children and sixteen grandchildren. Bruce pastored Evangelical churches for twenty-five years in Ohio, Texas, and Michigan. Bruce left the ministry in 2005, and in 2008 he left Christianity. Bruce is now a humanist and an atheist.

Your comments are welcome and appreciated. All first-time comments are moderated. Please read the commenting rules before commenting.

You can email Bruce via the Contact Form.

Dear Jesus, Is It Ever Okay to Kill Infants?

herod killing children

Hey, Jesus,

You and your religion (Christianity) have a PR problem. Evangelicals claim that you wrote the Bible — remember, Jesus is God — so I conclude that you agree with and condone everything written in it. Your followers have cooked up all sorts of apologetical tricks to absolve you of culpability for the decidedly immoral behaviors attributed to you in the Bible. These fail, of course, because you are God, and as the sovereign God of the universe, you had and still have the power to change what happens on Earth and in the lives of its inhabitants. Again, apologists cook up all sorts of lame excuses for the violence and immorality attributed to you in the Bible, but the fact remains that you are God, and you have the power to change circumstances and outcomes. Your devoted followers claim humans have free will, making them culpable for what you commanded them to do. I have no doubt, Jesus, that if Abraham had murdered his son Isaac on your command, modern-day apologists would find ways to absolve you of all accountability. Awesome gig, Jesus. Much like the current American king, Donald Trump, you are free to issue executive orders without any concern for what might happen as a result of your orders.

Jesus, I heard countless stories in Sunday school about how much you love children. Countless American children have sung the song “Jesus Loves the Little Children”:

Jesus loves the little children,
All the children of the world.
Red and yellow, black and white,
All are precious in His sight,
Jesus loves the little children of the world.

I gotta wonder, Jesus, do you really love all the little children in the world? I have my doubts.

The book of Exodus records the Ten Plagues that you plagued Pharaoh and the Egyptians with. In Exodus 11:1-6, we find your tenth plague, Jesus. Do you remember what you did? I do:

The Lord said to Moses, “I will bring one more plague upon Pharaoh and upon Egypt; afterward, he will let you go from here; indeed, when he lets you go, he will drive you away. Tell the people that every man is to ask his neighbor and every woman is to ask her neighbor for objects of silver and gold.” The Lord gave the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians. Moreover, Moses himself was a man of great importance in the land of Egypt, in the sight of Pharaoh’s officials and in the sight of the people. Moses said, “Thus says the Lord, ‘About midnight I will go out through Egypt. Every firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sits on his throne to the firstborn of the female slave who is behind the handmill and all the firstborn of the livestock. Then there will be a loud cry throughout the whole land of Egypt, such as has never been or will ever be again.

According to the book you wrote, Jesus, you killed the firstborn of every family except those who killed animals and put their blood over the doorposts of their homes. Uncounted Egyptian firstborn children were killed, along with the firstborn of every female slave and the firstborn of the livestock. Geez, Jesus, what did the animals ever do to you?

Throughout the Bible, Jesus, we find stories of God — that’s you, in case you need to be reminded — commanding the Israelites to murder the children, babies, and fetuses of their enemies. Your chosen ones sure were bloodthirsty killers. Imagine if they had followed your command to love your enemies, Jesus? Explain to me, Jesus, all the bloodshed recorded in the Bible with your command to slaughter their enemies, including children.

Even your birth was celebrated by Herod killing all the male children under the age of two. Couldn’t you do anything about this, Jesus? Evangelicals say you know everything and are everywhere. They say you know the end from the beginning. Nothing escapes you, yet it seems you were AWOL when Herod slaughtered the innocent ones.

Even in the New Testament, Jesus, you are portrayed in the book of Revelation as a blood-thirsty deity. More slaughter, more deaths of innocent children, babies, and fetuses. From cover to cover, Jesus, you are portrayed as a deity who uses the murder of children to punish and judge offending adults and nations. This confuses me, Jesus. I thought you didn’t punish people for bad behavior toward others; that each of us is accountable for our own sins.

So, I ask you, Jesus, is it ever okay to kill children?

I await your response, Jesus. And while I am waiting, you might want to consider what to say about the genocide your chosen people are perpetrating on the Palestinian people. The Israelis have murdered thousands of children in the name of protecting and controlling the land the Bible says you gave them centuries ago.

I ask you again, Jesus, why?

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Bruce Gerencser, 67, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 46 years. He and his wife have six grown children and sixteen grandchildren. Bruce pastored Evangelical churches for twenty-five years in Ohio, Texas, and Michigan. Bruce left the ministry in 2005, and in 2008 he left Christianity. Bruce is now a humanist and an atheist.

Your comments are welcome and appreciated. All first-time comments are moderated. Please read the commenting rules before commenting.

You can email Bruce via the Contact Form.

Pete Rose Belongs in the Baseball Hall of Fame

pete rose head first slide

The Major League Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York, enshrines the greatest players of all time. Not upstanding citizens, pillars of morality, men of character. All that matters is what they did on the diamond. The Hall of Fame is littered with players who were not good human beings; men who would never be voted as Citizens of the Year.

By all accounts, Pete Rose — who played for both the Cincinnati Reds and the Philadelphia Phillies (and briefly for the Montreal Expos) — had deep, glaring character flaws. He was a man, after all, who received a lifetime ban from baseball for betting on games — never mind the fact that he always wagered for the Reds to win. Betting was and still is banned in Major League Baseball.

Baseball writers (reporters) vote for who will be in the Hall of Fame. Notably self-righteous and puritanical, these writers have kept otherwise worthy players out of the Hall for no other reason than they violated said writers’ personal moral codes. As a result, players such as Rose, Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa, Roger Clemens, and others are not in the Hall of Fame. It is inexcusable to keep these men from the recognition they deserve, if the standard is what players do on the field. And it is.

Pete Rose played 24 years, with a lifetime batting average of .303 and an on-base percentage (OBP) of .375. Rose, due to the length of his career, had more games (3562), at-bats (14,053), and hits (4,256) than any other player who played the game. Rose played more than 150 games (out of a 162-game schedule) 17 years out of his 24 year career. Named Charlie Hustle for his unrelenting, aggressive play, Rose was a player countless future ball players would emulate. And it is for these reasons alone that Rose should be a first ballot Hall of Famer.

Until recently, Rose was ineligible for the Hall of Fame. Numerous pleas to various baseball commissioners were ignored until Rose’s recent death. Rob Manfred, MLB’s current commissioner, recently lifted Rose’s ban, thus making him eligible for the Hall of Fame. That Manfred waited until Rose was dead before making this decision was a callous act of cowardice. Sure, it’s great that Rose is now eligible for the Hall, but it would have been nice to see Rose standing on the field at Great American Ballpark again, taking in the thunderous applause and cheers from fans recognizing his entrance into the Hall of Fame. Just tonight, the Reds celebrated Pete Rose Night. The stadium was packed as fans celebrated, not the man, but the baseball player. Tears welled up in my eyes as I reflected on all the great memories Rose provided me over the years as a diehard Reds fan. Regardless of his character flaws — and there were many — I will always remember Pete Rose.

It’s up to the baseball writers now to vote Rose into the Hall of Fame. Will they do the right thing? That remains to be seen.

Bruce Gerencser, 67, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 46 years. He and his wife have six grown children and sixteen grandchildren. Bruce pastored Evangelical churches for twenty-five years in Ohio, Texas, and Michigan. Bruce left the ministry in 2005, and in 2008 he left Christianity. Bruce is now a humanist and an atheist.

Your comments are welcome and appreciated. All first-time comments are moderated. Please read the commenting rules before commenting.

You can email Bruce via the Contact Form.

Sounds of Fundamentalism: Honorary Doctorate Better Than an Earned Doctorate, Says Jesse Duplantis

jesse duplantis

The Sounds of Fundamentalism is a series that I would like readers to help me with. If you know of a video clip that shows the crazy, cantankerous, or contradictory side of Evangelical Christianity, please send me an email with the name or link to the video. Please do not leave suggestions in the comment section.  Let’s have some fun!

According to Evangelical con artist Jesse Duplantis, receving an honory doctorate is better than putting in the hard work necessary to earn a doctorate from an accredited institution. Duplantis, ever a liar for Jesus, said all he has to do is think something and God gives it to him. And that’s exactly what happened. Duplaintis had a thought about how nice it would be to have a doctorate from Oral Roberts University, and sure enough Oral, who said he saw an 800 foot Jesus, granted him an honorary doctorate in 2007.

Listen as Duplantis ‘splains why his doctorate from Oral Roberts is superior to the doctor you spent 7-10 years of your life earning.

Video Link

Please read IFB Doctorates: Doctor, Doctor, Doctor, Everyone’s a Doctor for my take on honoray doctorates.

Bruce Gerencser, 67, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 46 years. He and his wife have six grown children and sixteen grandchildren. Bruce pastored Evangelical churches for twenty-five years in Ohio, Texas, and Michigan. Bruce left the ministry in 2005, and in 2008 he left Christianity. Bruce is now a humanist and an atheist.

Your comments are welcome and appreciated. All first-time comments are moderated. Please read the commenting rules before commenting.

You can email Bruce via the Contact Form.