Today, Lauren, an Evangelical woman from New York, left the following comment on the post titled How Evangelicalism Attempts to Supplant Family Relationships. Lauren read all of two posts on this site, the aforementioned article and the Comment Policy. My response to Lauren’s comment is indented and italicized.
Well…I’d “comment” but you are CENSORING comments…because silence always looks like “agreement”.
Lauren goes right for the jugular, accusing me of censoring comments. Evidently, if I don’t let Evangelicals run willy-nilly over the comment section I am censoring them.
It’s evident, at least to me, that either Lauren didn’t read the Comment Policy or she lacks basic reading comprehension skills.
I do not censor first-time comments. The Comment Policy states:
Evangelical commenters will be given one opportunity to say whatever they want. One, not two, three, or ten. Just one. Quote the Bible. Preach the sermon God has laid upon your heart. Put in a good word for Jesus. You have one opportunity to impress readers with your John Holmes-like Bible prowess.
Lauren could have put a good word in for Jesus or tried to evangelize me, but she decided, instead, to whine and complain about “censorship.” She used her one opportunity to preach the Good News to complain about the Comment Policy and attack my character. Good job, Lauren. I am sure God is proud of you.
You are a liar.
This is quite a claim by Lauren. What in the post she commented on is a lie? She provides no evidence for her claim, just a bald assertion meant to cause harm. Sorry, Lauren, I have been dealing with Assholes for Jesus® for fifteen years. You are a rank amateur compared to some of your fellow Christians.
And like it or not, I won’t pray FOR you…but I will talk to God ABOUT you.
This is a distinction without a difference. Maybe Lauren will let me know what the Bible God says about me. Better yet, why doesn’t God directly talk to me? He knows where I live. He even has my email address and text number. Why work through frail, mistaken middlemen such as Lauren?
Funny that you NEED to censor Scripture or evangelical comments…it’s like you think they might have some sort of power to them or you’d not be bothered by them. You actually give them much more validation by censoring them than by just ignoring them.
Lauren could have quoted as many Bible verses as she wished, but chose not to. That’s on her.
The rest of the relevant Comment Policy states:
The following types of comments will not be approved:
Preachy/sermonizing comment
Extensive Bible verse quoting comment
Evangelizing comment
I am praying for you comment
You are going to Hell comment
You never were saved comment
You never were a Christian comment
Any comment that is a personal attack
Any comment that is not on point with what the post is about
Any comment that denigrates abuse victims
Any comment that attacks LGBTQ people
As you can see, quoting Bible verses in comments is not banned, as long as the quotations are focused and reasonable. What I don’t want is a bunch of proof-texting or sermonizing. Remember, Lauren could have quoted the entire book of John in her first comment, but she chose not to. That’s all on her.
I don’t anticipate this comment will remain on your page.
Why? I approved it, as I do all first-time comments. It sounds like Lauren has a martyrs complex. The Evil Atheist Bruce Gerencser is keeping her from saying whatever she wants. This, of course, is not true.
My heart is broken for your brokenness and the deception your uncensored comments will cause.
Brokenness? Really? I’m quite whole, thank you very much — outside of a few loose screws and broken body. Once free from the shackles of Evangelicalism, I found freedom and wholeness.
No first-time comments are ever censored. NEVER! That said, commenting on this site is a privilege. The Comment Policy states:
The Life and Times of Bruce Gerencser is not a democracy where anyone has a right to say whatever they want. This is my personal blog and I reserve the right to approve or not approve any comment. When a comment or a commenter is abusive towards the community of people who read this blog, I reserve the right to ban the commenter.
If you can be respectful, decent, and thoughtful, your comment will always be approved. Unfortunately, there are many people — Evangelical/Fundamentalist Christians in particular — who have a hard time playing well with others. They often use a passive-aggressive approach towards me and the non-Christian people who frequent this blog. This kind of behavior will not be tolerated and will result in a permanent ban.
This blog is also not a place for hardcore atheists to preach the gospel of atheism. While I am an atheist, many of the people who read this blog are not. Frank, honest, open, and passionate discussion about religion, Christianity, and Evangelicalism is encouraged and welcome. However, I do expect atheists not to attack, badger, or denigrate people who still believe in God. If you are respectful, decent, and thoughtful, you will be fine.
Lauren seems to think that I should allow people to say whatever they want in the comments. That’s not going to happen — ever. The privilege of commenting on this site (after a first comment) must be earned. Play by the rules, and you can comment at will. We have developed a wonderful community over the years. One reason for this is that I don’t let Evangelicals shit all over the place. This is a private blog, my blog, no different from my home or automobile. I choose who I do or don’t let into my home or drive my car. I suspect Lauren does the same.
Here’s what I will do, I will offer Lauren ONE opportunity to write a guest post. She is free to say whatever she wants. Show why I am a “liar,” Lauren. Reveal why I am such a “bad” man. Write about what your “friend” told you about Bruce Gerencser. Defend Christianity. Prove the existence of the Bible God. Defend the inerrancy and infallibility of the Bible. Better yet, share your testimony. Just remember, readers will respond to what you write, as will I.
I will offer Lauren another deal. I will grant her the privilege to comment whenever and however she wants IF she arranges for me to speak at her church on a Sunday morning on the subject “Why I Am an Atheist.” Let’s see if Lauren is a woman of conviction. Surely, I should have the right to say whatever I want, whenever I want, wherever I want, and stopping me from doing so is “censorship,” right? Right? 🙂
I suspect my church’s size is far bigger attendance-wise than the church Lauren attends, so this would be a fair swap of platforms. 🙂 I have made this offer numerous times over the years. Not one Evangelical has taken me up on it. I wonder why?
BTW…I am a member of “The Family of God” and found your page looking for a logo…thanks for helping me find you so I can talk to my Friend about you.
Please let me know what your “Friend,” Hey-Zeus, has to say. He’s dead, you know. It will be quite a feat for you to get a response from a 2,000-year-old corpse.
Saved by Reason,
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.
Your blog really gets to these fundy types. Interesting. Your writing is like a depth charge that hits their their unacknowledged, unconscious insecurity and doubt about their religion and their way of life. What usually follows such a depth bomb is an irrational, emotional outburst like Lauren’s. When they get that defensive it’s pretty clear that they are insecure. By the way, Bruce, what is this “Family of God” she talks about? Is it a fundy sect or something else?
I really wish these fundie types wouldn’t come in blasting with both barrels. Fruitful conversations could be had if they didn’t imply you (and the rest of us) are people who deserve the wrath of God. What is her talking to her god about you going to be about? Is she going to ask God to smite you?
Yeah, that “I won’t pray FOR you but I will talk to God ABOUT you” bit smacks of some kind of implied threat, which is interesting in that it implies that God perhaps isn’t all-knowing — that maybe He won’t notice what Bruce is Getting Up To unless Lauren calls it to His attention. But boy howdy, once Laurn finishes tattling to God about him, Bruce is gonna be in Real Serious Trouble!
Clearly she doesn’t trust her Lord and Savior to take care of things on His own. And after reading that, I have some serious doubts about how much faith Lauren actually has.
Wanna bet that Lauren’s god agrees with Lauren’s opinions regardless of what those opinions actually are? 😀
Maybe Lauren would like to come over and read some at my blog after Bruce delivers the enema to her rear end. My readers are much fewer in number these days since Reverend John Pavlovitz shut down the comments section on his blog.
Lauren—be sure and read the Blog Policy and Contacts sections before you make any comments on my blog. I would also like to know whether you voted for Donald Trump—-and why? In addition, I would like to know why Mr. Trump’s good and close friend, Vladimir Putin, is such a wonderful person in the eyes of those who live in Heaven?
Lauren lives in New York where every member of the population knows all there is to know about every subject in the universe—-thus giving them the authority to boss me around and tell me exactly how I should organize and run my life. (That’s what they do to every person they see when they come south on vacation in summer.) Whereas, I am just a poor old southern hillbilly who was raised by poverty stricken parents living on the wrong side of the tracks in a small Tennessee town near the south edge of a mostly rural county. If I had been born and raised in New York, chances are I could have become a really smart and well-informed person like Lauren. What do y’all think? Am I right? Can Lauren set me straight with all of her geographically induced brilliance?
I’ve always lived a sheltered life in California. From a Catholic household that spent weekends and summers an hour and a half from home, so that I had no social life outside of school, to a state university where I struggled to make friends (being a serious introvert, and at the time quite shy as well) to marrying a classmate and then tossed into the insanely hard-working Silicon Valley engineering life. So, not the best person to comment on folks from New York.
But the military contractor I spent my first 11 years out of college working for (1981-1992), was headquartered in upstate New York. A couple of years into my employment, an engineering manager and I traveled there for a week, where other California engineers were already working, to fix problems in a system that was almost ready to be turned over to a customer. Ohmygosh, the culture clash. Local people, upon hearing our California accents, were rude to us where we stayed and ate. Local managers ridiculed all our findings, and the manager that I’d traveled with was mostly sent to keep them off the California engineers’ backs. Later I heard that they hated even the hours we kept in California, not understanding Silicon Valley traffic. They’d heard that we didn’t start work until 9 am, sometimes later. Nobody told them that we often didn’t leave work until 9 pm, and when someone did, they didn’t believe it. Nazareth never compared to California for being someplace no good could come from. (Sorry, Jesus.)
And so, I am sure–because I believe in people in general–that there are lots of folks in New York who don’t have bad attitudes about non-natives. I just didn’t get the opportunity to meet them. Now, being 62 and despising air travel, I probably never will.
Lauren, plenty of people who read this blog quote the Bible, and Bruce does also, from time to time. So,what exactly is your point ? And what are you talking about when you make the claim that he’s ” a liar?”. Lying about what ?? One doesn’t have to be an atheist to read or subscribe.
Lauren, we would like to read your guest post if you have something you would like to share. Why don’t you pray on it and see if that’s something you come to the conclusion that you should do. Just saying Bruce is a liar without giving any supporting evidence doesn’t make sense to us – maybe you can explain.
so, first Lauren lies and then tries to pretend her best imaginary friend will “get” you.
What a delusional twit.
During my evangelical/fundamentalist/born-again days, anyone who was not a believer was a liar. It’s a way of saying, you have been deceived by Satan. In a way, it’s a way of directly addressing Satan. “You (Satan) are a liar.” The proclamation draws the line in the sand. It’s a literal statement. If you are not with us, you are against us. Us vs. Them.
The attempt at praying &/or having a talk with God about the unbeliever was literally, spiritual warfare. The belief that those who are filled with the Holy Spirit can fight the evil principalities on behalf of the unbeliever/liar. Rarely, as I recall, does this methodology involve leading by &/or with love. It’s a full-on hit the target bullseye. See if you believe you are dealing with a “liar” then you are dealing with Satan. It’s difficult to see a human being, say, Bruce, or Zoe as anyone other than a poor deceived waste. Though God supposedly died for all wretched worms, the spiritual warrior has no time to waste. They go in for the kill. After all, it is the only way to deal with Satan and his demons.
Sadly it seems, the case for dialogue is terminal.
I was very righteous until I was about 23 or so.
I talked to the imaginary sky guy about different acquaintances many times, mostly about how sinful they were and how they really needed Jesus. Sadly, I also spoke to many people about what they were doing ‘wrong’ and how, “I can’t help, but there is one who can!” And encouraged them to give their hearts to him.
Sure feel foolish now.
And like I was SUCH a busybody.
It’s no one’s fucking business how you (generic you) or I live our lives as long as we’re not harming anyone.
Lauren needs to fuck off.
Please note that this comment is actually from Tom/James/Joe/I Love Dick. He continues to find ways to comment. He’s a coward, afraid to use his real name and email address.
Amimental or whatever your name is,
You were never righteous.
You chose to reject Jesus Christ from day one.
There is NO righteousness apart from him.
You and many others are soon about to find out too late that the gospel is TRUE and you will be lost for eternity 😭
You have been told the truth you will not hear from me again and likely Lauren either.
God bless
Christian judgement. Very well done. I wonder why Jesus never mentioned this?
Tom/James/Joe/I Love Dick🍆🍆 promises “you will not hear from me again.” Anyone want to bet how long it takes for this “fine” 💩💩 Christian man to show us he’s a liar? Tom/James/Joe/I Love Dick🍆🍆 needs us to fuel his loathing and hatred of self. This site for him is like crack for a drug addict. Tom/James/Joe/I Love Dick🍆🍆, the addict, will never swear off crack. 😂😂
“Benjamin”. You and the savior you rode in on, Dude.
Fucking clueless pile of shit, aren’t ya?
Sorry, friends and non-friends alike, none of us is ever “righteous”. The Bible teaches us that we are all sinners. Those of us who don’t believe in the truth of the Bible, or any other holy book, will, if we’re honest, admit that we don’t always live up to our own values. They are two different ways of observing that we’re human.
So, it really boils down to, when we fail, do we get up and try again? Try to learn what distracted us from living our values that time, and studied how to patch the break? Apologized to people if we hurt them, made restitution when appropriate, and learned how not to make that mistake again? If you feel that making things right requires some religious observance, do you do it? I was raised Catholic, took the sacrament of Confession weekly until I went off to college and rethought my religious thinking, but I’d go in there, confess my sins, and part of getting right again with God was always an instruction to make it right with anyone I’d hurt. I have a hard time imagining that Catholics are the only Christians (yes they are, don’t start with me on this) who understand that apologizing and making things right is part of being restored to God.
I am an atheist. I honor all my fellow humans who try to live the value of loving our neighbors, recognize our failures, and do our best to make things right and do better next time, regardless of whether you feel it’s a mandate from a deity or simply how to be the best human you can be. There is much to be gained from non-performative humility and non-performative gratitude. If nothing else, they support our mental health.
People who complain about censorship should be reminded of the old adage, “My roof, my rules”. I actually think the one comment policy is extremely generous, rarely afforded on religious blogs, which typically disable comments or delete even polite comments that don’t fit their narrative. Reminds me of the recent problem with the Patheos blog. Originally an umbrella for every possible world view, new owners essentially changed rules making atheist criticism of religion against the TOS.