Dear Richard, the Evangelical Christian — Round Four

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 this year. I will attempt to respond to Richard again. (All spelling, grammar, and punctuation in the original.)

Richard wrote:

Greetings all:

Decades ago, I took a philosophy course which dealt with logic.  My professor was the son of a pastor, however, he had long since rejected the faith of his father and became a diehard atheist.  He somehow knew that I was a Christian and used to love to mock my faith in his class because he was convinced he was the “Enlightened One”! He had a PhD in Philosophy and I had no degree.

The video clip below reveals the superficiality of the atheistic worldview and exposes why it is the weakest of all worldviews!  Enjoy!

[Deleted, a link to an Answers in Genesis video about the “atheistic worldview.” If you have ten minutes to waste, you can watch How I Destroyed a PhD Atheist’s Worldview in Minutes here.]

Richard J.

Talk about a nothing burger. Richard wants me to know that he took a logic course in college. Okay? Not to be too unkind, but, “so what?” If Richard has a working knowledge of logic or philosophy, he doesn’t show it in his emails to me. Instead, he sends me a YouTube video link to a Fundamentalist Christian preacher’s “destruction of the atheistic worldview.” Does Richard seriously believe such superficial pablum will have any effect on me or the readers of this site? I doubt it, though he could be that delusional.

I briefly responded:

And your continued emails continue to reveal the superficiality of the Christian worldview and exposes why it is the weakest of all worldviews!

Checkmate, Christians. See how easy that was, Richard and Frances?

Do better, starting with commenting on my blog instead of sending me unwanted, unsolicited emails. You know I’m sick, so why do you continue to send me unwanted email? Do you really think anything you send me will lead me to faith in the dead Jesus?

Bruce

I know, a bit snarky. 🙂

Richard opined further:

Bruce, the last time I looked at your blog, you indicated that you would finally welcome questions, any questions.  The

last line of that blog before you signed your name said:

Quote I look forward to receiving your thoughtful comments and answering them Unquote

I sent you that video in the hope that it would show you the untenable state of the atheistic viewpoint. 

Dr. Calvin Smith came up with a better argument for God than any atheist I have ever heard who fails to believe in God.  Although my philosophy professor loved to mock me, I did not resent it.  I genuinely felt sorry for him.

Bruce, we all are sick and all of us are suffering from a terminal illness for which we will one day die.  Matter of fact, the college professor with the PhD I referenced in my e-mail is no longer with us.  I prayed for him for many years and I hope that he returned to the faith of his father before he died.  

The Jesus I know is alive Bruce.  Matthew 7:7-8 is true.  Put God to the test and be open to hearing from Him!

Sincerely,

Richard J.

Richard says that his email to me was justified because I asked for questions. He quotes me saying, “look forward to receiving your thoughtful comments and answering them.” See Bruce, you asked for it. What? Was my skirt too short? Never mind the context of the questions post. Richard took this as an opportunity to put a good word in for Jesus while irritating an atheist. Richard, of course, is lying about his motivations. How do I know this? Did you notice how many questions Richard asked me? Count them up. It won’t take long. Richard didn’t ask me any questions. All I see is Sunday school level preaching.

Does Richard really believe that an apologetics video from a young earth creationist ministry would show me the error of my atheistic ways and bring me to faith in Jesus Christ? Really? I am not low-hanging fruit. I am more than capable of turning away Evangelical arguments for Christianity and against atheism, which I would do if Richard bothered to make one. He doesn’t Richard, an Evangelical, confuses preaching and proof-texting with intellectual discussion. I know, I know, Richard has the Holy Ghost, and I don’t, but I think I can handle anything Richard throws my way.

Richard says that atheism is a “worldview.” It is not. Atheism is and shall always be a statement about the lack of evidence for the existence of God (s). It is secular humanism that informs the worldviews of many agnostics and atheists, not atheism itself.

Richard felt sorry for his logic professor from yesteryear. I suspect he feels the same for me. Richard feels sorry for anyone who doesn’t worship his dead Jesus. Again, so what? Someone I don’t know feels “sorry” for me.” OMG! Life as I know it is over!

I tried to ward off Richard by telling him, “You know I’m sick, so why do you continue to send me unwanted email?” 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. Heaven or Hell? Richard doesn’t care about how his preaching might be received. Richard is doing it for Jesus AND that fancy mansion in Heaven he thinks he will receive after death. Richard goes on to passively-aggressively remind me that the professor with a Ph.D. is now dead . . .hint, hint, where to you think he is now, Bruce? Geez, another day, another threat of eternal damnation. What will I ever do? What time is the game on? 🙂

Richard says he knows his personal vending machine Jesus is A-L-I-V-E! He knows this how, exactly? Richard provides no evidence for this claim, yet he expects me to take his word for it. Sure, buddy.

Every time a Christian tells me to seek God, pray, or “test” him, I immediately do so — without success. Richard suggests that if I will put Jesus to the “test” — whatever the Hell the “test” is — he might save my soul. God is all-powerful and all-knowing. Doesn’t he know exactly what it will take to save me? I don’t need to “test” Jesus. My ears and eyes are wide open. If God doesn’t know what to do, I suggest he contact Richard. He knows what it will take to bring me into the fold.

Saved by Reason,

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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