Dear Richard, the Evangelical Christian — Round Five

In 2023, Richard, an Evangelical Christian, sent me an email, to which I responded in the post Dear Richard, the Evangelical Christian. Richard did not respond to my post, either by commenting or sending me an email. In 2024, Richard sent me another email, Dear Richard, the Evangelical Christian — Round Two. In 2025, Richard sent me another email, Dear Richard, the Evangelical Christian — Round Three, followed up with yet another email in 2026.

Richard decided to go the extra mile to get me to join his religious club by sending me yet another email. My response follows.  (All spelling, grammar, and punctuation in the original.)

Greetings Bruce:

God is not intimidated by His human creation at all.  An all-powerful being could impose His will on us and cause us to be automatons that fell into lockstep with His every whim.  That never was His intent.  He wants us to follow Him because we love Him and choose to believe He has our highest good as His primary goal.  He likewise gives us the choice to have nothing to do with Him.

It’s evident you have not actually read all of the Bible if you think it teaches libertarian freewill. I’m more than happy to debate this issue with you, but you must use the comment section to do so. I’m not interested in carrying on a private discussion with you. By commenting, you will give other readers the opportunity to interact with you too.

If you are unwilling to do so, I will give you one opportunity to say whatever you want to say in a post. I will publish your “sermon” unedited. After that, we’re done. We’re not friends, nor would I want to be based on your insufferable behavior.

Your last e-mail seemed to express disappointment that I did not ask you any questions.  God asks Job lots of questions about a whole variety of subjects in Job 38-41.  If you really want to answer questions, go ahead and answer those questions.  It is obvious that Job suddenly realized how out of his depth he really was when God started to ask him about things that only God had the answers to.

First, the invitation was for readers to ask me questions. All you did is preach, as you currently do in this email.

Second, you make claims for which you provide no evidence. You speak of a deity you assume everyone believes exists. I don’t, so quoting Bible verses ain’t going do much in providing me evidence for the existence of the Christian deity.

Let me address an area that bothered you.I appealed to his sense of propriety and decency, but Richard was having none of that. Instead, he callously said, “Bruce, we all are sick and all of us are suffering from a terminal illness for which we will one day die.” No compassion, respect, or common courtesy. All that matters in Richard’s mind is where I will go after I die.”

As someone who has several chronic health conditions which undoubtedly cause distress and discomfort, you have come to the conclusion that I am hard-hearted and callous by my lack of sympathy.The conditions you currently face may very well someday converge to the point where your death occurs sooner rather than later. I am mindful of this, but you were spot on in that last sentence when you  stated “All that matters in Richard’s mind is where I will go after I die. Eternity has no end.It goes on forever.I am very much concerned about that part of you that continues to live on after your sojourn on this planet is concluded.

Claims, claims, claims, Richard, for which you provide no evidence.

You are concerned about my soul; I don’t have one. Do you have evidence that suggests otherwise? Of course not.

Jesus once said, ” For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?” Matthew 16:26 KJV

You have no idea if Jesus actually said this. Do you have evidence that says otherwise? Of course not.

Bruce, it is very easy to major on the minor instead of minor on what is major.

All of us have our own wants, needs, and desires. Who are you to tell me what is important or not important in my life?

[Masturbatory Bible quotes deleted]

In closing, let me touch on one final theme that you take exception to. You claim that Jesus is dead. If that is the case, how come nobody has been able to produce the body? That would totally destroy the claims that Jesus rose from the dead.

Richard, surely you are not this stupid. Right? Come on, Dude, think. Billions of people have lived and died on our planet. The overwhelming majority of their bodies are nowhere to be found. Why would it be any different for a Jewish criminal named Jesus H. Christ? If the basic Bible account is true, Jesus was executed with two other criminals. After death, Jesus ended up the same place as they did: an unmarked pit grave, never to be seen again.

[Deleted Evangelical lies about most of the apostles being martyred for Christ. This claim is patently untrue. Either Richard knows this and is lying, or he lacks a basic understanding of Christian church history.]

Bruce, I do not write you to put you on the spot in front of an audience. I have a genuine concern for you. Romans 5:8 says, “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. May God continue to lead and guide your steps aright!

I’m not concerned with that at all.

I don’t plan to further respond to you. There’s an offer on the table for you to write a post on a subject of your choosing, Feel free to preach away, knowing that this will be the last thing written by you published on this site.

Let’s see if you are respectful enough to honor my wishes. One and done, Richard. I can’t be clearer.

Bruce Gerencser, 69, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 48 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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