Many preachers are decent human beings; respectful, polite, and winsome. I may disagree with them about their theological and political beliefs, but I wouldn’t have a problem sharing a meal with them at a restaurant or a beer at a pub. I reject the notion posited by some anti-theists, that all preachers are evil.
And then there are other preachers — those who frequent social media or stand on street corners shouting at passersby, threatening them with judgment and Hell, or calling them names. I came of age in the Independent Fundamentalist Baptist (IFB) church movement, attended an IFB college, and pastored IFB churches. I attended numerous preacher’s conferences and meetings. Again, I knew preachers who were decent people, but I also knew way too many so-called men of God who were assholes for Jesus. These men loved to abuse people they disagreed with, both theologically and politically, with mockery and ridicule. Years ago, A group of men from our church and I were preaching outside the City Center in Columbus, Ohio. After an hour or so, a group of men from an area IFB church joined us. I didn’t know them, but one of the preachers I was with did. As we were getting ready to call it a day, several Mormon missionaries came by handing out literature. As they were walking away, several men from the other church started shouting at the Mormons: MORONS! MORONS! MORONS! Their behavior angered me, and I made sure that, in the future, our church had nothing to do with them.
I also remember attending a preacher’s conference at an IFB church outside of Columbus. One preacher spent forty-five minutes, not preaching the Bible, but attacking, mocking, and haranguing churches, Bible colleges, and preachers he disagreed with. (He later cut ties with me because he disagreed with me over a minor point of doctrine.) I wish I could say that this man was an outlier, but I saw more than a few preachers who thought preaching the Bible required them to attack, belittle, and disparage churches and preachers that didn’t align with their beliefs. When called out for their abusive preaching, these bullies for Jesus retort, “You don’t like hard preaching?” or “Did I step on your toes”? “Your problem is with God, brother, not me.”
Recently, I stumbled upon an article by a Fundamentalist preacher justifying mocking Christians and unbelievers he disagrees with. This man has a penchant for name-calling and attacking anyone and everyone who runs afoul of his Fundamentalist worldview. He’s not a person I would want to be around, and I can only imagine how he treats the people who call him pastor.
Evangelicals are big on Bible proof-texting. Proof texts are used to justify all sorts of beliefs and practices. The preacher who justified mocking Christians and unbelievers? He had a proof text he thinks covers his abusive behavior.
In 1 Kings 18, we find a story about the prophet Elijah challenging the prophets of Baal to a God duel. Each side would take a bullock and put it on a stack of wood, and then they would pray to their deity, asking him to send fire from Heaven and consume the bullock.
Baal’s prophets went first:
And they took the bullock which was given them, and they dressed it, and called on the name of Baal from morning even until noon, saying, O Baal, hear us. But there was no voice, nor any that answered. And they leaped upon the altar which was made.
And then it was Elijah’s turn, but before he prayed, he decided to mock Baal’s prophets:
And it came to pass at noon, that Elijah mocked them, and said, Cry aloud: for he is a god; either he is talking, or he is pursuing, or he is in a journey, or peradventure he sleepeth, and must be awaked.
Elijah mocked Baal’s followers, saying, maybe he’s busy talking, taking a shit, on vacation, or sleeping, and that’s why he can’t hear you.
And there ya have it, justification for treating people you disagree with like shit.
Thus saith the Lord, right? 🙂 Just remember, Evangelical preachers can use the Bible to justify almost anything.
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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The trend of fundamentalists to be rude and nasty does seem to be a common one. It’s ironic that they claim to speak of love, and of truth, and of compassion, yet display none of these qualities.
The ‘god said it, not me’ excuse is the favorite way christians rationalize their bigotry and hatred. With that excuse they are never responsible for any hateful comments, and any disagreement is an attack on their religion.
I tell my small g/kids when they forget to say please or thank you, ‘Courtesy costs nothing and conveys much.’
In the past I’ve replied to nasty, personally offensive fundy comments here and on other atheist blogs by saying, ‘So if I re-convert, will I have to post unpleasant, rude and obnoxious comments about other folk whom you want to charm into your faith and beliefs? You obviously believe it’s what your god, jesus and holy ghost require of you. No thanks.’
I always love how the fundamentalists all argue with each other. It’s like fighting over the same pile of sand. Ultimately, they upstage each other by leaving and forming a new “real” Christian church.
I also love how many of these new churches are dropping their denominations and naming themselves something that implies they are not the “assholes you’ve heard about”.
I agree that not all pastors are like this. I have a relative who despite being a Pentecostal pastor is very humble, kind and generous. His sermons mainly focus on non-judging of others. He detests the mega-church culture, insisting on maintaining a small church, pews, hymnals and all, in rural Kentucky. He isn’t perfect, but who is? I’m not an expert, but I’m certain Anti-theism can become its own version of a fundamentalist religion, too, with nasty disagreements, purity tests and divisions.
I really don’t care what your religion (or non-religion) is. I don’t care if you’re far right or far left politically. It’s a free country. I do, however, care if you’re an abusive, manipulative asshole.
It’s sad. Their behavior mirrors abusers. I guess these preachers can whip their congregations up enough to overlook the nasty mocking.