The Life and Times of Bruce Gerencser

Letter to the Editor: JD Vance, Calls for the Restoration of Christendom

Written by

Bruce Gerencser

in

Dear Editor,

JD Vance is out and about preaching up his version of Christianity. Vance, a Roman Catholic, calls for a restoration of Western Civilization; alleging that liberals, humanists, socialists, and atheists want to destroy America. This is patently untrue. The issue at stake is a radical difference between worldviews.

Vance promotes not Christianity itself, but Christendom. Christendom vs. Christianity — the former all about restoring Western Civilization to what Vance considers its glory days.

Christendom is about power, not piety. The goal is coercion, not salvation. Christendom gave us imperialism, colonialism, empire, and war. Millions have died as the result of the West’s lust for world domination. Trump, Vance, Rubio, and Hegseth all think that the Christian deity and the United States are best buds; that this God gave his approval for America’s immoral wars. Or so we’re told.

Vance’s promotion of Christendom explains why he says there’s no such thing as the separation of church and state. In Vance’s view of the world, the United States is an explicitly Christian nation, divinely chosen and blessed by the triune Christian God, not just a nation of mainly people who self- identify as Christians.

Various streams of Christian nationalism all want one thing: a Christian nation governed by the laws of the Bible. This is nothing more than the Christian version of Muslim Sharia Law. Calling pluralism and multiculturalism evil, Christian nationalists want religious purity; or at the very least a culture dominated by Christianity and a society where unbelievers are grudgingly tolerated as long as they know their place.

I recently began my seventieth year of life. For the first time in my life, I no longer feel welcome in my own country. I’ve been told there’s no place for people like me: an unbelieving atheist, socialist, and pacifist. How dare I live according to my values and beliefs. Vance and his fellow Christians want a religious monoculture, one where everyone thinks, believes, and behaves the same way.

Vance’s wife is a Hindu. You would think he would respect his wife’s religious beliefs, but he does not. Before converting to Catholicism, Vance was an Evangelical — and it shows. Vance has publicly called on his wife to convert to Christianity. This is a reminder that Vance’s goal is restore Western Christianity to its former greatness. How much blood he is willing to shed to advance his cause remains to be seen.

Bruce Gerencser

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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Comments

6 responses to “Letter to the Editor: JD Vance, Calls for the Restoration of Christendom”

  1. Avatar
    John S.

    I believe Pope Leo, when he was still Robert Prevost, responded to something JD Vance said by stating, “JD Vance is wrong”. Later as Pope Leo, he had to correct JD about St Augustine’s views on the role of government, just war theory, etc.

    I cannot comment on JD’s spiritual journey from Evangelicalism to Catholicism, as that is somewhat my own journey. However, his public comments about his wife’s faith and his desire to convert her are IMO highly inappropriate. My wife and I do not share the same views on religion. I know what would be waiting on me when I came home if I made such comments- packed bags and changed locks.

    Maybe Pope Leo can impose an order of silence on JD (at least about all things Catholic) to teach him some humility. I don’t know if things still work that way but it’s a nice thought.

    I would much rather live in an enlightened secular democracy than a theocracy. One where folks can choose whether to practice a religion or not. Theocracies can change radically depending on who is in power. Iran and Saudi Arabia are good examples. I also wouldn’t want to live in a totalitarian state that was obviously antagonistic towards religion, either. Separation of Church and State means just that. The state gets involved when there is abuse and/or illegal activity, just like it would (or at least should) for any other private citizen or organization. I know this is very simplistic and other complex issues arise. We are not a Christian nation any more than we’re a Muslim nation, but admittedly Christianity has an effect on our popular culture. But so does Hollywood, and professional sports, both of which are subject to some form of government oversight.

    Reply
  2. Merle

    Frank Shaeffer, son of Evangelical icon Francis Shaeffer, has left the Evangelical faith and is quite emphatic in his warning that JD Vance should never become President. See https://frankschaeffer.substack.com/p/duty-to-warn-jd-vance-must-never .

    Reply
  3. Avatar
    Jeff Bishop

    Well that sums it up well Bruce.
    The President is a dishonorable, perverted crook.

    The Vice President is a religious fanatic right out of the dark ages, pre Renaissance.

    Hopefully Americans wake up and cast these disgusting criminals out of office while citizens still have the right to vote.

    Or not, but they are and will continue to lead us to perditions door.

    Reply
  4. Avatar
    ObstacleChick

    JD Vance has changed his persona as often as many of us change our underwear. He is an insecure little man who sounds like an arrogant little ass as defense against his own insecurities. I don’t mind people making changes in their lives, but it becomes abrasive and annoying when True Converts(TM) assert with absolute certainty that this new stage is The Truth. I’m glad Pope Leo has called out JD Vance’s ridiculousness. I think even the Catholic Church has backed off worldwide political domination.

    Reply
  5. Avatar
    Barbara Jackson

    As you said, theocracy causes wars just because 2 (or more) nations religions do not agree with each other. I would probably be burned at the stake in J. D. Vance’s America for being agnostic, not believing in an afterlife, having an education in physics and later Computer Information Systems, and working in what was then called Computer Information Systems for 30 years, and working with people of many different religions while being a computer programmer (as it was then called).

    Reply
  6. Avatar
    matilddaa

    ‘….. How much blood he is willing to shed to advance his cause remains to be seen.’ Zod forbid it should ever happen, but if a theocracy was ever established, I think a lot of the bloodshed would come from within and within the first few days – as its leaders fought like cats and dogs over the minutiae of Correct Doctrine, or who should be head honcho, or have papal-like authority over the others and much else. Put them in a room together for an hour, and some would not emerge alive! One of the most un-xtian church meetings I ever attended was about the choice of colour for the proposed new church carpets. It was almost vitriolic the grey party versus the beige party! Can’t see it being much different if the deplorable JD’s ‘christendom’ is ‘restored.’

    Reply

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