The Life and Times of Bruce Gerencser

I Never Was a True Evangelical, Says Christian Zealot

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Bruce Gerencser

in

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peanut gallery
Email From the Peanut Gallery

Recently, a woman by the name of Julie G. Workman came to this site and viewed the post, Donald Trump’s Bible. Afterward, she sent me the following email:

Poorly written by an atheist that while he acted the part of an evangelical in the past, knows nothing of the true evangelical heart. Just said a prayer for he and his family, as I can truly not bear the thought of any soul spending eternity in the lake of fire.

I responded thusly:

Julie,

I will let you know how your ceiling prayer works out. Countless Evangelical zealots have voiced similar prayers, all to no avail. Too bad you don’t respect other people. You ignored my request on the contact page, choosing instead to tell me I never was a Christian, that I was a deceiver for 25 years, and that I am headed for the Lake of Fire. A proper response would have been to comment on the post in question. Instead, you chose to attack me personally. Do you think your words reflect well on Jesus and your religion? That’s a rhetorical question.

Bruce Gerencser, a sinner saved by reason

Much like exhibitionists, Evangelicals such as Julie just can’t help themselves.

Bruce Gerencser, 69, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 48 years. He and his wife have six grown children and thirteen 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.

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Comments

11 responses to “I Never Was a True Evangelical, Says Christian Zealot”

  1. Ami

    I’ve wondered lately why people just can’t mind their own fucking business?
    That’s a rhetorical question, too.
    The sanctimonious Julies of the world don’t even know how to find the boundary between their business and that of others.

    I had a Christian person say the other day that “Atheists sure are going to be surprised when they find out they’re wrong! Doesn’t that worry you?”

    When I said no, I was threatened with that proverbial lake, too.

    What would happen if atheists behaved like Julie, trying to show Christians the error of their ways and try to help them get their shit together before they make idiots of themselves?

    Reply
  2. BJW

    I mean, it’s too bad that their holy book doesn’t actually say anything in Matthew 22 about being kind and loving your neighbor as yourself. If it DID, then why, they would be hypocrites, right? (wink, wink)

    Reply
  3. Avatar
    ObstacleChick

    It’s always about hell, isn’t it? If Christianity really was “all that” why would there need to be a threat of everlasting torture in hell in order to gain converts? Does that even work in the modern world anymore?

    Reply
    1. Avatar
      Yulya Sevelova

      I often think about the fact that because of American Christianity being so unappealing and ugly for the most part, threats of Hell is all there is to work with. Why are so many churchgoers so damned neurotic ? When the kids that grow up in these kinds of churches get too big to beat on, they flee as soon as they can. That’s why it’s been noticed enough that books are now being written about the youth “jumping ship.” Did it ever occur to Julie, Jason, or others who defend the abuse, that crazy behavior and downright meanness is why people don’t want to hear your message or be among you in church ? Answer this question.

      Reply
  4. Avatar
    … Zoe ~

    Julie made it all about her. Poor poor Julie. You’re hurting me Bruce. OMG, I cannot “bear” it.

    Then she attacks your writing, your heart and makes sure she gets the family in there too.

    Julie thinks she’s right. I’m sure her God is so excited to spend eternity with her. Good times.

    Reply
  5. Brian Vanderlip

    Julie,you’ve been truly Trumped… I’m not going to tell you how very terrible you are because your belief system accomplishes that on a daily basis.

    Reply
  6. Avatar
    Karen the rock whisperer

    But, hey, Julie said a prayer for Bruce and his family, how kind of her! (If she actually did; I get the impression that these pious declarations about praying for someone might or might not involve actual prayer.) I wonder what she really thinks that prayer might accomplish.

    Growing up Catholic in the 60s/70s, there was very little emphasis on hell in my religious education. My liberal nuns were far more interested in teaching about social justice and our obligation, as children of God and followers of Jesus, to get out there and embrace caring for our fellow humans regardless of their religious beliefs. So this Evangelical emphasis on hell has always struck me as a distraction from living a Christian life.

    Of course, I am no longer a believer, at least in the supernatural. I still strongly believe in social justice, though I now extend to cover some rights that the Church doesn’t approve of.

    Reply
  7. Avatar
    Charles S. Oaxpatu

    I got one message from reading Julie’s letter to Bruce. Julie is terrified and scared out of her wits that people like Bruce (s true former IFB pastor with a popular public voice) actually exist. They are also terrified and scared out of their wits by people like me—liberal Christians who speak out boldly and publicly against the extremes and cruel-hearted wickedness of Christian Fundamentalism and Conservative Evangelicalism in the United States. Julie is going to be even more frightened when President Trump loses his bid for a second term as President of the United States on November 3, 2020.

    Franklin Graham is famous for saying that Donald Trump and the 2016 election were their last chance and final hope of the fundie belief system gaining ascendancy, power, and primacy in the United States. Fortunately for them—Trump won in 2016. However, that just temporarily delayed the inevitable.Trump is going to lose on November 3, 2020, and the U.S. Congress (both houses) will pass into Democratic Party hands. The following four or eight years will be spent demolishing Trump’s changes and those who supported him. The things Franklin Graham (and people like Julie) most fear shall begin in earnest on January 20, 2021. Perhaps then, some sanity and respect for facts (scientific and otherwise) can return to American faith perspectives—or at least bad ones will be in far less danger of being dictatorially imposed on people of faith and people of no faith.

    Strange thing Bruce. The people like Julie—-who seem to write to you so very often—-do not write to me. When I started the “Flee from Christian Fundamentalism” blog in May 2015, I figured thousands of Julies would be sending me “Youins is a goin ta Hayul” messages and long screeds/diatribes about how all fundies are right and everyone else is wrong—about everything. That has not been the case. Maybe my blog does not have the reach and high readership that yours does—-or maybe it makes a difference that you are a former IFB pastor—-an itch they cannot help but scratch.

    Have a pleasant day Bruce and folks—-love and blessings to all.

    Reply
  8. Avatar
    Trenton

    If Bruce was just acting the part, why on earth did he not move to Hollywood or New York. He surely is deserving a shelf with an Oscar, a Tony, and an Emmy for all those years he was just acting. Tre

    Reply
  9. Avatar
    Charles S. Oaxpatu

    I worry more about the ones who want to suppress the truth in “righteousness.” That was pretty pithy.

    Reply
  10. Avatar
    John Arthur

    Hi Julie,

    Why did you select the so-called hell idea from the bible? Why did you ignore the alleged statement of Jesus in Luke ch.6 from the Sermon on the Plain? You know the one where Jesus tells his disciples to love their enemies. Why did you ignore his statement that Christians are meant to be kind (compassionate) towards those they consider to be wicked or ungrateful just as their heavenly Father is alleged to be kind (compassionate towards such people)? But no! You decided to send a hell message. Isn’t this the height of hypocrisy?

    Have you considered the bible verse that says that God is love? Tell me how any loving person would ever burn someone in a so-called Lake of Fire with unspeakable torture and it be never ending pain and suffering? Have you visited a ‘burns unit’ in a major hospital recently? Tell me why everlasting punishment for finite ‘sins’ committed by finite people in finite time is just? Isn’t it unjust? Perhaps you need to rethink your views on Christianity and treat all persons (regardless of their views) with dignity. Why do you fail to respect those whose views differ from yours? Have you ever considered that your views might just be plain wrong?

    Peace and well-being to you.

    Reply

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