Several years ago, an Evangelical man from Birmingham, Alabama, left the following comment on the post, Things Christians Say: If the Lord Tarries:
Why do you people bother arguing and debating with this guy? He’s spiritually dead as a doornail and always has been. His 25 years in the pastorate was a complete sham. If you doubt that call the leadership staff at any of the churches and ask about his conduct. On top of multiple failed “ministries,” he has hopped from job to job and place to place (22 and 18, respectively). Don’t waste your time reading his blogs. His mind is darkened and his heart hardened by sin. He has nothing of substance to offer you. Above all else don’t make a donation and facilitate his folly.
This man did read a few more posts than the typical Evangelical asshole (9), so for that HSV Counseling gets a gold star beside his name. Atta boy, you sure put that atheist Bruce Gerencser in his place. Here’s what HSV wants readers to know:
- I am presently as spiritually dead as a “doornail (utterly devoid of life).”
- I have always been as spiritually dead as a “doornail.”
- The twenty-five years I spent pastoring Evangelical churches was a complete “sham.”
- The leadership at the churches I pastored will confirm that my work as their pastor was a “sham.”
- The churches I pastored were “failures.”
- I worked a lot of jobs and lived in a lot of places in my lifetime. This is another sign that proves I was a “failure.”
- People shouldn’t waste their time reading my writing. Why? My mind is darkened and my heart hardened by sin.
- I have nothing of substance to offer readers.
- And, most importantly, people shouldn’t make donations me, facilitating my folly.
I find it interesting that Evangelicals — who don’t know me — can read a few blog posts and then, angered, outraged, and butthurt about what I wrote, attempt to psychologically wound me by attacking my character. Years ago, such attacks were quite effective. So much so that I would often stop blogging for weeks and months on end. At the time, I thought, why won’t they just accept my story at face value? Why do they have to attack me personally instead of interacting with my writing? Why are they comfortable with lying about me and distorting the narrative of my life?
I am not sure that I can answer these questions, but I do know that how I respond to such people has changed. I no longer let their words harm me. Sure, much like everyone, I don’t like it when people personally attack me, malign my character, and, on occasion verbally assault my spouse, children, and readers of this blog. I know these Cowards for Jesus® hide safely behind their computer screens, smartphones, and tablets, never fearing the consequences of their un-Christian behavior.
When I have the opportunity, I will track them down and out them, giving a very public face to their hateful words. Years ago, an Evangelical man sent me numerous hateful emails and comments. I eventually figured out who he was. This Coward for Jesus® was using his work computer to email me. One day, while he was, once again, verbally assaulting me, I called the HR department at the company he worked for, informing them as to what this man was doing while on the clock — while accessing the Internet from his work computer. This man never sent me another email. He got my message loud and clear.
The same goes for James Tester, an IFB pastor who sent me a nasty email several years ago. Unfortunately, for Tester, he left enough breadcrumbs for me to track him down. (Please see IFB Pastor James Tester Sends Me a Message.) Now Tester has to live with the fact that when someone searches for “Pastor James Tester” on Google, the aforementioned post ranks fourth, right after his Facebook and Instagram pages. Do I find a bit of smug satisfaction when this happens? Yep, I sure do. There’s little more that I can do than publicize their “faith” for all to see.
Alas, for HSV Counseling — bclarkf150 — all my Google search returned was Herpes Simplex Virus Counseling. There’s a punch line there for readers who would like to make the connection.
I will continue to publicizes these kinds of emails and comments because I think it is important for people to see the ugly side of Evangelical Christianity. If nothing else, they remind us of one of the reasons we walked (ran) away from Christianity. It’s hard to argue for the moral and ethical superiority of Evangelicalism as long as Jesus-loving trolls attack and disparage the very people Jesus commands them to love.
Now, let me get back to counting all the donations I received today. Almost enough for me to buy a Lear Jet! All praise be to Loki!
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.
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Unfortunately, they think they can read your mind, but they can’t.
Are you going to take that Lear jet to Nova Scotia so you can see the total eclipse of the sun?
This post reminds me of another in which you say that Evangelicals lack curiosity. It’s not surprising, really, when you realize that curiosity and arrogance are mutually exclusive qualities. And, as the insults and diatribes you relay in this post (and “The King James Bear”) show us, if there’s any quality Evangelicals (and religious zealots in general) don’t lack, it’s arrogance.
Wow, HSV knows everything about you, Bruce! ((Sarcasm))
Minds lacking in creativity like to go directly to ad hominem attacks. It’s easier to attack and demean rather than to intellectually engage in an actual debate.
Sin is a word that is almost never used outside of a religious context. In normal conversation we say things are bad, or wrong, or evil, as a descriptor of extreme behaviour. All these are references to behaviour, however, and not to anything innate in anyone, though of course there may be patterns of behaviour in individuals that render them evil.
Sin is a word that was contrived as a way of wielding power over others. The very concept of sin as portrayed by your commenter is, itself, evil. Indeed he confuses even himself. He refers to your conduct in churches and hopping from church to church (seemingly without any personal knowledge of you) but then refers to your heart and mind being hardened and darkened by sin.
Ultimately we get one life. Even if you believe in an afterlife it’s surely only common sense to make the most of the one existence you can be absolutely certain of. Making up words to try and control behaviour doesn’t help.
Don’t you just love it when random people analyze your life and get it all wrong? If you get upset, all you do is give them the control they’re looking for. Ignoring them is probably best, but gentle ridicule makes you feel better.
Happy Labor Day, Bruce and Polly, everyone ! ( had more data woes) The IFB and the Southern person from Alabama hardly have any validity when it comes to matters like this, lol !