Several years ago, I received the following email from an Evangelical man named Brad:
You are an accuser of the brethren, and in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ who took the cross for sin, may you be ashamed of what you have done! You will pass away one day Bruce, as we all do, and you will stand before God. Struggling in faith is one thing, becoming an atheist, and then picking on disgraced Christian leaders is another, this behavior is, at the root, the way of satan. How can you not see that?
Yes Bruce, satan is real. But so is the Lord, and He is infinitely greater. I think the reason you pick on fallen Christians, is because deep down you feel a need to validate your decision to leave the faith. You know at some level you are wrong, and a mighty terrible judgement is at the end of this decision.
Being here on your blog, is making me so uncomfortable.
Well, Brad, I am not ashamed. It’s important to turn a bright light on what evil men of “God” do in darkness. Too bad you think it more important to defend these men instead of applauding any and every effort to expose predator preachers. Too bad you think I am “picking” on these “fallen” Christians instead of seeing the importance of exposing harmful, predatory behavior.
I agree with you on one thing, we will BOTH one day pass away. Unlike you, however, I fear neither God nor Satan. Both are Bronze Age fictions that have no power over me. Threatening me with God/judgment/Hell is akin to threatening me with Harry Potter casting a spell on me.
You wrongly believe you have the supernatural ability to read my mind and understand my motives. I, in fact, do not know I am wrong, nor do I think a “mighty, terrible judgment” awaits me at the end of my life. I write what I do primarily out of a sense of moral and ethical responsibility. Yes, I, at times, have a smug satisfaction when I reveal for all to see the hypocritical actions of men and women who purportedly speak for God — people who demand others live a certain way that they themselves cannot or will not live. Such moral/ethical hypocrisy deserves exposure, if for no other reason than to show that Evangelicals don’t practice what they preach, nor do they follow the teachings of the Bible. To such people, I say, Don’t tell me how to live, if you are unwilling to live in the same manner.
I am glad my writing makes you feel uncomfortable. My hope is that feeling this way will cause you to take a hard look at your beliefs and practices.
Bruce Gerencser, 67, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 46 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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RAT OWN! ??
Yep. I’m baffled by the idea that pointing out that these “disgraced Christian leaders” did awful things is the thing that needs to be criticized, rather than… y’know… the awful things that they did.
Bruce: “This pastor was arrested for grooming and having sex with an underage parishioner.”
Random Evangelical Twit: “And you will be damned to Everlastin’ Hellfire fer for pointin’ that out, sir!”
Yeah, way to focus on the problem there, Brad.
And he’s uncomfortable reading your blog. Well, sir, please take a second to close the window and stop reading.
Methinks the writings of Bruce Almighty are making Brad’s faith uncomfortable. 😀
Maybe it’s a positive that Brad is “uncomfortable.”
Brad, the brethren accuse themselves.
The brethren should be ashamed.
According to your belief-system, the brethren are the ones who should fear your “God” at the end of their lives.
How can you not see that the behaviour of the brethren is “at the root, the way of satan?” (According to your belief.)
This perhaps is at the root of your sense of being uncomfortable. The behaviour of the brethren is sickening.
Think of all those innocents who have been transgressed against by “the brethren.” And you threaten Bruce with hell?
Those victims of these so-called brethren, think of their pain, their anguish, some who have even lost their lives. Think of those whose bodies have been raped and fondled and who will spend their lives with the most horrible emotional, mental and physical pain and trauma one could imagine.
Be “uncomfortable” Brad. Yes, be uncomfortable.
Your brethren Brad, accuse themselves.
Newsflash, another fundy tells Bruce he will face everlasting judgment. End story.
Further evidence that fundies can’t refrain from threatening Bruce with hell/damnation/everlasting judgment.
If the brethren would stop committing heinous crimes, Bruce would stop exposing them.
Brad, I laughed out loud at your phrase ‘picking on’. That’s exactly what these despicable disgraced x-tian leaders did, they picked on, they preyed on the young and the vulnerable. What should make you uncomfortable, should make you hang your head in shame, is that victims and survivors of abuse are so disregarded by the likes of you. What’s that verse about millstones and the sea? These disgusting abusers are, in many cases serving prison sentences which will end. Unfortunately, survivors mostly serve lifelong sentences, their lives are impacted, ruined even for decades hence. Healing from abuse is not as trivial as healing from a cut finger however much shrieking at the ceiling (that’s prayer to you) x-tians do. Bear of little brain that I am, I can’t understand, if you feel uncomfortable here, why do you read this blog? It’s not compulsory.
I’ll confess something to you Bruce, “Black Collar Crime” is the least interesting part of your blog. But hey if it makes a fundamentalist “uncomfortable” you must be doing something right. (And of course I know why it is necessary.)
I recall a PBS documentary about a priest that molested young boys. What became clear to me is that the reason for the coverups is that what was at risk was the mystique of the clergy. The clergy (in the Catholic church, but more or less in all denominations) are seen as a viceroy for God. If the clergy are seen to be imperfect just like the rest of us the illusion is destroyed and *poof* there goes your God.
Your blog makes him feel uncomfortable? Why would he say that? Doesn’t he know he doesn’t have to read your stuff lol?
and, again, i say RAT OWN! 👍👍
Such a pleasure to read your heartfelt response to people so full of hatred that they are entirely convinced they love those they abuse. I think of you every day, Almighty Bruce, and wish you lighted Christmas trees that cannot be toppled and holiday love surrounded in family and the just-plain-joy of having gotten this far together. Thank-you for your blog work in the the every day. Eternal life is a crock of human greed gone awry but you, sir, are the real deal (and your wife, well, she’s the double-real deal!) Best to the Gerencser clan as we approach another Trumping of a New Year…
Such a pleasure to read your heartfelt response to people so full of hatred that they are entirely convinced they love those they abuse. I think of you every day, Almighty Bruce, and wish you lighted Christmas trees that cannot be toppled and holiday love surrounded in family and the just-plain-joy of having gotten this far together. Thank-you for your blog work in the the every day. Eternal life is a crock of human greed gone awry but you, sir, are the real deal (and your wife, well, she’s the double-real deal!) Best to the Gerencser clan as we approach another Trumping of a New Year…
Hey Brad, heres a thought: if this blog is making you uncomfortable, maybe you shouldn’t read it. Only a masochist would go out of their way to do something uncomfortable. Besides, there are thousands of other blogs you can read. Besides, I wasn’t aware that Bruce’s purpose on this earth was to make you comfortable. I also have come to realize that I don’t have to chase every barking dog out there.
If you have any sort of integrity at all, you will make somebody uncomfortable.
Brad sees something on the internet that makes him “uncomfortable”. He emails the writer of the blog, tells him he’s wrong and going to hell, and doesn’t like the fact that the writer points out crimes committed by religious people. Because those are the problems…..
Brad,the actions of the characters who wind up in Bruce’s blog, they are the ones who should make you uncomfortable ! You absolutely should NOT be comfortable with the status quo and all these victimizers running around preying on people and leaving traumatized for life. This in itself makes God look bad,you ever think about that ?? No ? Well,you should. None of these accusations are false. It’s not at all a case of ” accusers of the brethren.”