Kind, thoughtful Christians will often object when I reveal how I have been treated by Evangelical Christians since 2007. In their minds, they can’t fathom a Christian threatening to murder someone. Alas, deplorable conduct from Evangelicals is common; more common than polite, respectful behavior. Throw in the Evangelicals who take delight in threatening me with eternal punishment in Hell, and I’ve concluded that my writing either attracts the worst Christianity has to offer or this sort of behavior is normative.
Today, Daniel left the following comment:
I know you’re not lying, but you have seriously had “Christians” send you death threats? I’m sorry. That’s pathetic and vile. Jesus very clearly said if you hate someone in your heart it’s as if you committed murder. Wishing death on an atheist is totally opposite of what Jesus taught (I do believe His teachings myself). Can you expound on this or write an article about these threats? If you have not already.
I have had a few Evangelicals threaten to murder me. One man, an Independent Fundamentalist Baptist (IFB) from Detroit — 2 hours from my home — threatened to slit my throat. Others have prayed imprecatory prayers, asking God to physically and permanently silence me. And then there are the threats made against my family, including my thirty-five-year-old daughter with Down syndrome.
I have received thousands of emails, comments, and social media messages from Evangelical Christians. The majority of them were argumentative, belligerent, and hostile. Evidently, Colossians 3:12-17 NSRV is missing from their King James Bibles:
Therefore, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. Bear with one another and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other; just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; teach and admonish one another in all wisdom; and with gratitude in your hearts sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
These verses tell believers that they are to clothe themselves with certain behaviors. It seems to me a lot of Evangelicals are stark naked.
Here’s the thing: while their behavior is detestable, is it really much different from polite, smiling, Bible quoting Evangelicals who feel duty-bound to tell me and other non-believers that we are headed for Hell unless we get saved? While murdering me is bad, is not consigning me to endless torture and suffering in the Lake of Fire worse?
Even if I returned to Christianity, I would never attend an Evangelical congregation. The damage is done, and the behavior of too many of them is a poor reflection on Jesus. I have no interest in a religion that is known for what it is against, and is one of the most hated sects in America. The first people to object to this post will be Revival Fires and Dr. David Tee. Not surprising since they are known for abusing and attacking anyone and everyone who disagrees with them
Today, I received a long email from a Mennonite man near Somerset, Ohio. This man was a teen back in the days when I pastored Somerset Baptist Church. I befriended some of the Mennonite men who lived nearby. I found the lot of them to be good people. This man’s email reflected that goodness. It was polite and informative, a reminder of the common connections we once had. (Short Stories: Bruce and the Amish.) While a nice letter from an Evangelical man won’t convince me to return to Christianity, it does remind me that not every Christian is like Revival Fires and David Tee. I suspect the letter writer and his fellow Mennonites would condemn their behavior, as I have.
Bruce Gerencser, 68, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 47 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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Wait… they talk the talk but they don’t do the walk??
Say it ain’t so!!
As you know, I was raised Christian.
For 17 years, I was in church or at church-sponsored activities a couple times per week and twice more on Sunday. The people I encountered in those congregations who I’d think of as having traditional Christian qualities (kindness, charity, humility, non-judgmental) I can count on one hand the number of Christians who actually lived those beliefs and were an example of Christian values.
Later, as a young married adult, I tried church again, only to meet many more judgy and sanctimonious “Christian” people. Haven’t been to church in 40 years now. And have met MANY more people who identify as atheist or other who actually have more compassion, kindness, and charity in their hearts than all those so-called Christians combined.
When I’ve talked about this with others, our experiences are similar.
Make of that what you will.
i have received death threats from so-called “christians”, and i was never a pastor of a church…
yeah, i trained at a seminary, and was ordained, but i “converted” to hinduism shortly after i was ordained, and have been a happy hindu ever since.
but the fact that i know more about the bible than 95% of so-called “christians” out there, has put me on the list for some of them: they think of me as a threat to their comfortable little delusion…
which, i guess, i am, but only if they do things like threaten to kill me.
Good article, Bruce. If a Christian cannot be known for their kindness, then they are like the salt that has lost it’s savor. I know in these trying times it is difficult for anyone to be kind, particularly to someone who doesn’t share their values or beliefs. But I tend to look at a person’s behavior more than their beliefs. Show me your faith through your works. Of course a lot of evangelicals would say that our works don’t matter, only us Catholics think we can “earn our salvation”. Many times these folks use a twisted idea of sola fide to justify their jackassery to atheists, other religious believers, etc.
They don’t recognize the admonition in the Epistle of James to show your belief through good behavior towards others, particularly those in need. They usually explain these verses away, along with the many verses where Jesus in the Gospels teaches kindness towards one’s adversaries, and letting go of a hateful heart.
I read and write to you because I recognize a goodness within you that has come from years of your own life spent helping people. The Mennonite who wrote to you remembered your kindness as an evangelical Pastor. I would dare say that in some ways your religion left you as much as you left your religion. I fear that the voices of good and decent atheists like Ami described will be drown out in the future by the voices of those who not only hate religion but also hate those who follow religion, and correspondingly, I fear the religious folks will become even more dogmatic and violent in response. All I can do myself is try to live a good life towards others who know me and my religious belief. I think it is absolutely abhorrent that anyone, particularly someone who describes their self as a Christian would wish harm towards you and your family.
Wishing you well, as always Bruce.
Wow. That’s sad. Jesus never taught this. Jesus loves all and came to bring us eternal life. “Neither do I condemn you, go and sin no more,” He said.
Sadly, many have used Jesus to excuse their hatred. Sorry you have been threatened.
Thank you for explaining this.
Respectfully, Mr Gutierrez, please preface such comments with, ‘It is my personal belief that an ancient guy called jesus did/taught…..yadda yadda yadda’. I think all of us here know well the claims of the fictitous, misguided, muddled, genocidal, barbaric, contradictory book of rules that you get your beliefs from. Or just start with ‘I personally believe that jesus…yadda yadda yadda’. Otherwise you just come across to me personally as thinking you are ‘witnessing’ wonderfully to us lesser mortals, to us ignorant heathens. And sounding very ingratiating to Bruce as well.
Bruce: ” While murdering me is bad, is not consigning me to endless torture and suffering in the Lake of Fire worse?”
Zoe: As someone who has been threatened, online and by Christians on this side of the monitor, the answer is yes. And what causes many loving Christians discord, is the fact that, they have to deal with the so-called truth of the Lake of Fire and who it is that assigns that eternal condemnation to humans that don’t believe in the Biblical God.