Nineteen years ago, as a newly minted unbeliever, I shared my “testimony” on a well-known ex-Christian site. Initially, I found support from several congenial atheists who, upon seeing that I was still in the process of deconverting, gave me sound advice and answered my questions.
Soon, however, the “True Atheists” arrived, setting their sights on the inconsistencies in my “testimony.” They were savage in their attacks — however right they may have been — and I recoiled from their brutality, retreating to the rock I had previously crawled out from under.
I complained, “These people are no different from fundamentalist Baptist preachers.” Unbending, rigid, demanding conformity — all hallmarks of fundamentalist thinking — governed these atheist zealots every bit as much as they governed my former fundamentalist brethren. Fundamentalism is bad, regardless of where it is found, including atheism.
Over the past two decades, atheism has continued to have periodic problems with fundamentalism. Who can forget the Atheism+ period when some atheists demanded a commitment to social justice to be considered a “true atheist.” These atheists wanted humanistic values attached to the definition of what it means to be an atheist. I took the position then and still do today, that atheism is one thing and one thing only: the lack of belief in the existence of God. From there, atheists believe all sorts of things. The proponents of Atheism+ wanted a broader confession of “faith” than a simple confession that “Jesus” is Lord. Again, I saw fundamentalism.
Atheism+ caused a split of sorts, with proponents taking an “either you are with us or you are against us” approach. I ended up in the “against us” group, not because I disagreed with the call of Atheism+ to humanist ideals, but because of its attempt to redefine atheism. That some of the main proponents of Atheism+ acted like fire-breathing Independent Baptist preachers was troubling, but not surprising.
I eventually concluded that fundamentalism was an incurable disease that infects every aspect of the human experience, including atheism. All of us can be fundamentalists, including rational, skeptical freethinkers.
In recent days I’ve noticed another smoldering atheist fire fixing to erupt, stirred by a few atheists demanding “accountability” for a man known as an ally and asset of the atheist community, even though he not an atheist himself.
Dr. Dan McClellan is a Bible scholar. Countless atheists have been educated and helped by Dan’s TikTok and YouTube videos. Even though I have a Bible college education and was a pastor for twenty-five years, I still find Dan’s videos instructive (and entertaining).
According to several notable atheist content creators, Dan should not be supported by atheists. OMG! what did Dr. McClellan do? Are you ready? Dan’s “sin” is his membership in the Mormon church — a secret Dan has not kept from anyone willing to ask or do a bit of digging.
Dan focuses solely on Bible scholarship. His Mormon beliefs play no part in his interpretations of the Bible. I have watched hundreds of Dan’s videos. I’ve yet to see him stray from consensus-based scholarship. And when Dan, on occasion, veers off into minority views, he lets you know. Best I can tell, Dan has done a superb job of compartmentalizing his Mormon faith. While Dan has never explained the breadth and depth of his faith, his political beliefs suggest he is a progressive. He has more than a few beliefs that set him at odds with the conservative pronouncements of Mormon leaders.
It is the conservative bent of the Mormon church and Dan’s membership in that church that has riled up the newest atheist fundamentalists in our midst. These preachers of atheist purity cannot abideDr. McClellan being a go-to source for atheists. For God’s sake, he’s a tithing Mormon!
I have no doubt another fracture is on the horizon, all over a Bible scholar who just so happens to be a Mormon. It is fundamentalists who demand associational purity. That will be the case here. There will be blog posts written and videos created defending or condemning McClellan, the heretic. All this will accomplish is further disunion in a time when unity is needed.
There may come a day when Dan is no longer a Mormon. Honestly, I’m surprised Dan has not been excommunicated (I originally typed “executed) by the church. He has certainly said things that must irritate the heaven out of starched white shirt Mormon leaders in Salt Lake City. If that ever happens and Dan looks for a new place to hang his metaphorical hat, what will his experiences say to him about how individuals in the atheist community treated him?
We atheists, if we care about the future of atheism, know it’s important to put the best face possible on atheism before the world. Fundamentalist thinking and practice only retards progress. We are not so strong as a movement that we can afford to kill off our allies just because their beliefs are different from ours. Dan is an ally, and I’m going to treat him as such, regardless of our differences.
During the 1970s, I attended Midwestern Baptist College in Pontiac, Michigan. It was there that I met my partner, Polly. Started in the 1950s by Dr. Tom Malone, Midwestern was a school known for turning out preachers. Most women attending Midwestern were there to snag themselves a man. My partner was no exception. She believed she was called to be a pastor’s wife. I was studying to be a pastor, so I suppose you could say our divine callings matched and our marriage was made in Heaven — or something like that, anyway. (We celebrated forty-eight of marriage last July.) All we knew for sure was that God called us to build churches and evangelize the lost. Everything we were taught at Midwestern had these two things as their goal. We left Midwestern in 1979 and embarked on a twenty-five-year journey that took us to Evangelical churches in Ohio, Texas, and Michigan. Virtually everything we did was in fulfillment of God’s call upon our lives, yet, today, we are no longer Christians and it has been more than nineteen years since we darkened the doors of a church. What happened to us?
I cannot and will not speak for Polly, but I can say, for myself, that the Christian narrative no longer makes sense to me. I wrote about this in a post titled, The Michael Mock Rule: It Just Doesn’t Make Sense. Most readers know my story, so I won’t retell it here. New readers are encouraged to read the posts found on the WHY? page for more information about my life as a pastor and my subsequent deconversion. My story has been deconstructed by countless Evangelical zealots determined to invalidate my past. Try as they might, the fact remains that I once was a committed, devoted, sold-out follower of Jesus Christ; a man who hungered and thirsted after righteousness for his name’s sake; a man who believed every word of the Bible was true; a man who preached the Christian gospel to countless people. Them there are the facts, regardless of what my critics might say. I know what I know because I was there when it happened. Who better to know and tell my story than me? That said, I do ponder the question, Why am I Different From the My College Classmates? Some of them have moved beyond the Independent Fundamentalist Baptist (IFB) training they received at Midwestern, yet they still believe. Sadly, for most of my college classmates, their beliefs have changed very little, if at all, over the years. Many of them still attend or pastor IFB churches. Oh, they might agree with me about the crazy rules at Midwestern, (please see Thou Shalt Not Touch: The Six-Inch Rule) but their core theological beliefs are decidedly Fundamentalist. (Please see Are Evangelicals Fundamentalists?) Why do they still hang on to these beliefs and I don’t?
The easy answer would be to call all of them stupid hillbillies, but that would be a cop-out. Many of my former classmates have wonderful families and ministerial careers. According to the theological and social standards of IFB Christianity, they are, in every way, successful. I have no doubt that many or even most of them are true-blue believers, completely and totally committed to IFB doctrine, thinking, and way of life. Yes, some of them now consider themselves garden-variety Evangelicals, but most of my classmates still believe the fundamentals taught to them by their pastors and their professors at Midwestern.
If I had to pick one reason for why my former classmates still believe, it is because they were taught to never, ever doubt the Bible and its teachings. All of them believe in some form of Biblical inerrancy, so the foundation of their lives is THUS SAITH THE LORD. Insulated from contrary or challenging thoughts, they see no reason to question their beliefs. Souls are lost, Hell is hot, and Jesus is coming soon. They have no time for doubting or questioning their beliefs. When Jesus comes again, they want to be found faithfully serving him, not reading Bart Ehrman’s latest book. For me, however, I reached a place in the late 1980s where I seriously questioned the doctrines I had been taught at Midwestern. I ultimately abandoned them and embraced Evangelical Calvinism. Calvinism allowed me to study theology and read books outside of the IFB rut. While the Calvinists I associated with were still quite Fundamentalist theologically and socially, they valued education and intellectual pursuit. Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on your perspective), the more I studied and read, the more questions and doubts I had. This is why people who knew me well told me that BOOKS were my problem, and what I needed to do is stop reading books and only read the Bible; the King James Bible. Of course, saying this to a book lover is akin to telling a cocaine addict to stop using drugs. I was addicted to intellectual pursuit, and I doggedly followed the path until it led me out of Evangelicalism, out of the Emergent church, out of progressive Christianity, and right on down the slippery slope to agnosticism/atheism and humanism. I ended up where I am today because I couldn’t stop my questions and doubts. I ended up where I am today because Christianity had no satisfactory answers for my questions. Oh, they had “answers” but I found them to be hollow, circular, and, at times, farcical; answers that might placate those within the Evangelical bubble, but unsatisfactory to anyone on the outside looking in.
There are days when I wish I could be like my former college classmates. I see much in their lives I admire. However, I am unwilling to forsake the meat and potatoes of intellectual and scientific inquiry for the pottage of Evangelical Christianity. I have read and studied too much to go back to the garlic and leeks of Egypt. I would rather be known as a Midwestern Baptist College-trained atheist than a coward who couldn’t face doubts and questions head-on. “One” may truly be the loneliest number, but I would rather stand alone for truth than embrace theological dogma. If Midwestern and Dr. Tom Malone taught me anything, it was the importance of standing for truth and principle and being willing to hold to your beliefs and convictions no matter what. So, in that regard, Midwestern played a crucial part in my deconversion from Christianity.
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.
Your comments are welcome and appreciated. All first-time comments are moderated. Please read the commenting rules before commenting.
The fool’s decision to say in his heart that there is no God, then, is an act of the will, not the intellect. Derek Kidner states, “The assertion, There is no God, is in fact treated in Scripture not as a sincere if misguided conviction, but as an irresponsible gesture of defiance.” Fools say there is no God because “they are corrupt” (Ps. 14:1).
This is a critical point with regard to atheism. Atheism is a moral choice of the will. James Spiegel states it well: “Atheism is not at all a consequence of intellectual doubt. Such doubts are mere symptoms of the root cause—moral rebellion. For the atheist, the missing ingredient is not evidence but obedience.”
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The presence of this general revelation of God in His creation explains why there is no reasoned, philosophical refutation of atheism in Scripture. The evidence is such that unbelief is inexcusable. Indeed, only a fool would reject this evidence.
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As Spiegel explains, “The ‘wickedness’ of the unbeliever works to ‘suppress’ what is manifest in nature.
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Every person is a created being who lives in a divinely created world, and that creation—both physical and in terms of the imago dei—makes it abundantly clear that a Creator exists. To reject the existence of God is to suppress the truth that is inherently known by every person as created in God’s image.
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Atheism is not the result of objective assessment of evidence, but of stubborn disobedience; it does not arise from the careful application of reason but from willful rebellion. Atheism is the suppression of truth by wickedness, the cognitive consequence of immorality. In short, it is sin that is the mother of unbelief.
Atheism is a denial of what atheists—and all persons—know is true. It is essentially an attempt at self-deception. Some, no doubt, have been more successful than others at deceiving themselves, but this is the biblical assessment of their atheism.
What are we to make, then, of the many philosophical, psychological, scientific, and historical arguments atheists consistently present to back their assertion that there is no God? The biblical perspective would suggest that the “skeptical objections are the atheists’ façade, a scholarly veneer masking the real causes of their unbelief—causes that are moral and psychological in nature.”17
So, here is the path to atheism. A person engages in immorality of one sort or another. He realizes by way of conscience or exposure to biblical truth that such conduct is morally wrong and an offense to the true God.
When confronted with the revelation of God in Jesus Christ and his written Word, a sinner can fall before God in repentance and faith or remain unrepentant and continue in rebellion against the Creator. The atheist not only has chosen the latter but also has chosen to justify his choice by proclaiming that God does not exist.
The intellectual arguments denying God’s existence, then, are simply the justification for the moral choice to reject God and live free of moral restraints. E. Michael Jones says it succinctly:
“Those who commit evil will be troubled by its pangs, and in their trouble they have only two alternatives: they can either conform their actions to the moral law or conform the moral law to their actions. The former case calls for repentance, the latter rationalization.”
But is this pattern stated too simplistically? After all, can we really point in every case to some particular immoral act that led the atheist to rejection of God? In other words, does the Bible’s description match reality? First, there may not be any one specific moral failure that leads a person to atheism. It could be an accumulation of failures or simply a growing desire to be free to live immorally or at least without the restraints, disapproval, and threatened judgment of a living, holy God. Such thoughts and desires, of course, cannot be easily detected, but they are still immoral.
Second, while most atheists present their decision to reject belief in God in terms of intellect and reasoning, some are quite forthright and explicit in confirming that their journey began with immorality. For example, former Church of Christ minister John Loftus admits his turn to atheism began with an adulterous affair. Aldous Huxley stated, “We objected to the morality because it interfered with our sexual freedom.”
Regardless of what can be clearly observed in life, the Bible offers the only sure explanation for atheism. It is sin, disobedience, rebellion.
Sigh, I know. Same shit, new day. Everything said above can be summarized with two lies: Atheists suppress the truth in unrighteousness and desire to commit (sexual) immorality. Neither of these claims is true. Besides, as the Black Collar Crime Series clearly shows, the very clerics pontificating about atheist immorality have their own problems, not only with sexual immorality, but with sex crimes.
Shepherds Theological Seminary claims:
The Christian church has felt the attacks and the need to respond to atheists’ philosophical arguments. The church also has felt the heartache of formerly professing Christians renouncing the faith and proudly embracing atheism.
Who are examples of professing Christians who have renounced the faith and PROUDLY embraced atheism?
Just to name a few: Bart Compolo, son of Tony Compolo, prominent sociologist and representative of the evangelical left; Abraham Piper, son of the popular pastor-theologian John Piper; Ken Daniels, formerly a missionary with Wycliffe Bible Translators; Bruce Gerencser, a former pastor in the Baptist Bible Fellowship; and John Loftus, former pastor in the Church of Christ and graduate of Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. In addition to these are many others who have renounced Christianity but would fit better into the category of agnostic—one who says he or she does not or cannot know if there is a God. Much of what is said in this article will relate to agnostics as well.
No, I was never a pastor in the Baptist Bible Fellowship. Not sure where they got that from. Outside of that, I am pleased to be named with Bart Campolo, Abraham Piper, Ken Daniels, and John Loftus. Talk about a rogues’ gallery.
The author of this article lives in deliberate denial of why people, especially pastors and other church professionals, are deconstructing, and often leaving Evangelical Christianity altogether. Contrary to the aforementioned article, there are a plethora of reasons followers of Jesus embrace atheism/agnosticism. Rarely do people deconvert just so they can commit immorality. It is, at best, an exception to the rule. I know a lot of Evangelical-preachers-turned-atheists. Most of them left Christianity for intellectual reasons. This is a fact, as any cursory research will show. The folks as Shepherds Theological Seminary can’t bear to abide by such a thought, so they lie about why people actually deconvert. They can’t fathom someone leaving Evangelicalism for intellectual reasons, so they make up stories about why people deconvert. Perhaps those liars-for-Jesus might want to read what the Bible says about liars. They go where, exactly? The Lake of Fire. The same place the hypocrites at Shepherds Theological Seminary have consigned atheists. And as far as immorality is concerned, either the moralizers at Shepherds Theological Seminary aren’t paying attention to the rampant sexual sin in Evangelicalism or they have their own “secret” sins they are trying to hide by besmirching atheists. Classic “whataboutism,” I’d say. Look over there at those evil immoral atheists, all the while Evangelical preachers are fucking their secretaries, screwing church members, molesting children, and committing the very same immoral behaviors they say atheists are doing.
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.
Your comments are welcome and appreciated. All first-time comments are moderated. Please read the commenting rules before commenting.
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 libertarianfreewill. I’m more than happy to debate this issue with you, but youmust 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.
Your comments are welcome and appreciated. All first-time comments are moderated. Please read the commenting rules before commenting.
Here in the sunset years of my life, I have decided to embark on a world-changing endeavor; one that could transform our planet. I am starting a new, yet unnamed, religion; a religion for people who don’t like religion. Yes, sir, a religion for the billions of earthlings who have no interest in the religions cooked up by humans over the past 4,000 or so years. This new religion will be different: a human endeavor meant to make life better for all of us, even Evangelical Christians.
This project is a humorous, snarky — and slightly serious — attempt to show the world a better way. Here’s what I know so far about this earth-shattering, world-redefining religion. First, this will be a no-deity religion. Second, it will be (generally) built upon a foundation of secular humanism — the basic rules of the road for humanity. I have no doubt that some “Bruce” will creep in. I have plenty of thoughts about this project, and I am sure my beliefs will influence this project. The good news is that anyone can start their own religion. The Apostle Paul did, why can’t you? Joseph Smith did, creating Mormonism, the first American-made religion. Surely you can do the same if you don’t like the religion I’m starting. That is what is great about religion. It’s a paint-by-number painting without numbers. Paint away . . .
Here’s what I need from you: what would you like to see in a new religion? I will use data collected from readers to help shape this religion using AI. I have already performed a trial run on this project. Hilarious to say the least. Want to have some fun? Your input — serious or not — is appreciated. This is your opportunity to make a difference, or, at the very least, have some fun with likeminded people.
If you are anti-AI, please don’t. AI is a tool, and that’s how I plan to use it. If you think differently, fine, but I have spent countless hours trying to better understand artificial intelligence (AI) and how to ethically use it. I have lots of opinions on the matter, but I have no interest in having AI wars on my blog. When I one day receive the “mark of the beast,” you can tell me you were right. 🙂 Until then, spirited discussion is welcome. Anti-AI sermonizing is not.
This will be a longterm project; one which I hope to publish to its own website.
I look forward to reading your suggestions.
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.
Your comments are welcome and appreciated. All first-time comments are moderated. Please read the commenting rules before commenting.
Over the past twenty years, Evangelicals have spent vast amounts of time and energy trying to divine whether I was ever a Christian or I if am still a Christian. Their conclusions typically flow from their peculiar theological beliefs. Saved? Lost? Once saved, now lost? So many opinions about the state of my soul. You would think God would make sure these zealots and apologists are on the same page.
In this post, I want to address the claims made by those who believe once a person is saved they can never lose their salvation. God saved me at the age of fifteen at Trinity Baptist Church in Findlay, Ohio, and since that day I have been a born-again Christian — even if I don’t want to be. I’m in a no-divorce-for-any-reason marriage. No matter what I do or what God does, we are forever married. Even death cannot sever our marital bond. No matter what I say or do, I am still a Christian headed for Heaven after I die. While I find such claims absurd and downright stupid, many Evangelicals think otherwise, believing I will one day return to the fold or God will kill me early and take me to the Trump Hotel in the sky as some sort of punishment for being a “bad” Christian in this life.
Evangelicals tend to point to one or more of the following “proofs” for my continued salvation.
I capitalize God, Bible, Evangelical, Satan, etc., in my writing, and this is a subconscious sign that I am still a Christian.
The capitalization of these words is the result of fifty years in the Evangelical church, not because I am currently a Christian. In the case of the word “Evangelical” I capitalize it because it is, in my writing, anyway, a proper noun used to identify certain religious sects and believers, and not a generic word.
Even in my speech, when I say “I am” or “I’m,” I am showing that I still believe in the “I AM” — the God of the Christian Bible.
This claim is so absurd that I have nothing to say in response.
Even in my swearing, I profess that God is real.
God Dammit, Jesus H. Christ, J-E-S-U-S C-H-R-I-S-T. Hell, and other base utterances are proof that I still believe in God. Really? I mean, really? A better explanation is that I couldn’t swear for most of life. Under threats of God’s judgement, I refrained from swearing, choosing to use Baptist bywords instead. These days, instead of drinking the Bud Light of swearing, I choose to drink real, high alcohol content beer. No more crap, darn, freaking, or other bywords from me.
I talk about God all the time, and this shows I still think about and believe in the Christian deity.
I hate to break it to Evangelicals, but the only time God crosses my mind is when I am writing something for this site or giving an interview. Outside of that, God doesn’t enter my thoughts. I am more focused on living one more day; sometimes one more hour. The list of what matters to me continues to be pared down to what’s important: Polly, our six adult children and their significant others, our sixteen awesome grandchildren, and the friendships I have made over the years post-Jesus. While this blog deeply matters to me, I am aware that it is secondary to my family.
I was part of the Evangelical church for fifty of my almost sixty-nine years of life. How can I not write about that which played such a prominent part of my life? The difference is, of course, is that talking about God, Jesus, Christianity, and the Bible are intellectual exercises for me. That’s it. Sorry, but I am not “enlightened” when I read and study the Bible. I only use the Bible to advance the objective of this site: helping those who have questions and doubts about Christianity or who have already deconverted.
Silly stuff, right? This is what happens when Evangelicals refuse to accept my story at face value. Desperate to explain my storyline, they cook up stupid “proofs” for my continued salvation.
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.
Your comments are welcome and appreciated. All first-time comments are moderated. Please read the commenting rules before commenting.
What changes have you seen, if any, to the types of comment you receive to your posts over the many years you’ve been going? There’s been a huge advance in the quality of comment on dedicated atheist websites, where it’s more about taking the arguments and the evidence to apologists, but this is not really one of those sites, being more about the practical implications of being a nonbeliever living in a religious culture. Obviously there are the silly commenters like Revival Fires, but what about more general comments?
Blog comments have always been an important part of this site. Since December 2014, 53,000 comments have been left by readers. The stated goal of The Life and Times of Bruce Gerencser has been to provide help to those who have questions and doubts about Christianity and those who have already left Christianity. While some posts are outliers to this goal, for the most part, I have stayed true to my goal: helping others navigate having questions about or leaving primarily Evangelical Christianity.
Over the years, millions of people have stopped by this site. People come and go, often without a word about why. Most readers never comment or send me an email, so I am uncertain as to how my writing has been received by them. As far as commenters are concerned, I do wonder why certain people stop commenting. Did I piss them off? Maybe. I suspect that the real reason is they may have found my writing not as helpful as it once was, or they disagree with my progressive, liberal, socialist, pacifist politics. Nothing I can do about that. I’m not going to change my beliefs for the sake of readership numbers. While the Orange Menace, President Donald Trump, has certainly amped up my political writing in recent years, I don’t think anyone would say this is a political blog.
This blog was a deconstruction/ex-evangelical site long before these words came into popular, everyday use. The other day, I stumbled upon a three-year-old social media post about me. The writer, a Christian, wanted to know if anyone had heard of an atheist named Bruce Gerencser. He wondered why I wasn’t part of the atheist mainstream, suggesting I must have done something “bad” to be marginalized by atheists.
I have contented myself to stay in my lane. I am not a big self-promoter, so I am not going to contact an atheist (or Christian) site or podcast to sell myself to them. I’ve been blogging since 2007, first as a barely-hanging-on liberal-leaning Evangelical Christian, and then, after deconverting in 2008, as an atheist. Over the years, I have been interviewed by blogs, websites, magazines, newspapers, and appeared on numerous podcasts, which you can access here. From time to time, journalists contact me for information about Evangelicalism in general, and the Independent Fundamentalist Baptist (IFB) church movement. In all of this, I have not promoted myself one time. I rely on word of mouth and personal recommendations to spread the good news that “Bruce Gerencser Saves.” S&H Green Stamps (for older readers)? No, but I have helped “save” countless people from the clutches of Evangelical Christianity and other Fundamentalist religions. I know this because I hear from people thanking me for helping them deconstruct, deconvert, or move on to kinder, gentler forms of religious faith.
I have also been labeled a follower of Satan; an enemy of Christianity. Thousands of comments have been left by Evangelicals upset over something I wrote. The attacks, at times, have been brutal, so much so that I stopped blogging several times years ago. I have been blogging continuously now for almost thirteen years. On this iteration of my blog, I have written over 6,000 posts.
In the early days of this site, the comment section was flooded with comments from butthurt IFB adherents, including pastors, evangelists, and missionaries. These folks have largely stopped commenting, leading me to claim victory! 🙂 Not really. I suspect they either became bored, or, unable to successfully challenge my claims, moved on to easier targets for their sermons, proof-texts, and shallow, contradictory apologetics.
Geoff mentioned the evolving and improved content and comments on some atheist sites, and I agree with him. The online atheist community is changing. Out goes the old guard, and in comes a new batch of atheists to hopefully lead the community forward. Shows such as The Atheist Experience and Talk Heathen are mere shadows of what they once were; other sites such as Almost Ian, the DZ Debates (Justin), The Bible Guy, Mythvision, Harmonic Atheist, Jon Cohen, and the various shows on Jimmy Snow’s network, The Line, to name a few. Whether these content creators have long-term success remains to be seen.
I continue to wonder why so many atheist readers come and go. Do they get what they need from me and move on, or do they find my writing boring? I don’t know, outside of the fact that I know some atheists stopped frequenting this site because of what they perceived from me was an unwarranted friendliness towards religion. Some atheists have even suggested that I am a “secret Christian.” None of these claims is true, as the vitriol dumped on my head by God’s chosen ones surely shows.
I am not sure what more I can do to attract more commenters. Typically, the people who comment are regular, long-term readers, with a few new readers’ comments sprinkled in. Gone are the long running arguments and debates over this or that religious belief or practice. Why this is no longer the case remains unclear to me. The comment section has a friendlier tone these days, more like friends getting together on a Friday night at the local pub.Usually it’s bottom feeders such as Dr. David Tee, Revival Fires, and others who provide entertainment, but none of them is up to the task of cogently defending the “faith once delivered to the saints.” These folks are little more than monkeys who fling shit at those they disagree with. No real arguments or defenses of Christianity. Instead, they resort to personal attacks and character assassination. Such people are the price you pay for having a public blog.
Over the years, the comment policy has changed, moving from a wild, wild west format to more of a controlled environment where every commenter is given at least one opportunity to say whatever they want to me. Whether they get a second comment depends on how well they play with others. I am much more likely to ban or block someone today than I was years ago. After you have heard the same Bible nonsense and personal attacks over and over and over again, it’s easy to say to yourself “I don’t want to hear this drivel any more.”
Recently, I have thought about loosening up the comment policy, but I fear that doing so might run off commenters who prefer the walled garden approach I currently use. I know I can’t please everyone, but your thoughts on this matter would be helpful.
Here’s the comment policy that has been in effect for the past four years:
All commenters are expected to use a functioning email address. The use of a fake or non-functioning email address will result in your comment being deleted.
Pseudonyms are permitted. Please use the same pseudonym with every comment.
All first-time comments and comments with more than one HTML link are moderated.
Before commenting, please read the ABOUT page to acquaint yourself with my background. You might also want to read the Dear Evangelical page.
Evangelical commenters will be given one opportunity to say whatever they want. One, not two, three, or ten. Just one. Quote the Bible. Preach the sermon God has laid upon your heart. Put in a good word for Jesus. Deconstruct my life. Call me names, attack my family. You have one opportunity to impress readers with your John Holmes-like Bible prowess. After that, the following rules apply:
The following type of comments will not be approved after your first comment:
Any comment that is not on point with what the post is about
Any comment that denigrates or marginalizes abuse victims
Any comment that attacks LGBTQ people
Unsolicited medical advice of any kind (and I mean ANY)
Any comment that disparages my wife, children, or grandchildren
Please be advised that personal threats of violence or stalking will be reported to your service provider and law enforcement.
I write about issues that might not be child-friendly. Please be aware of this. I also use profanity from time to time, and I allow the use of profanity in the comment section. Any butt-hurt comment about language will be ignored, and if warranted, ridiculed.
The Life and Times of Bruce Gerencser is not a democracy where anyone has a right to say whatever they want. This is my personal blog and I reserve the right to approve or not approve any comment. When a comment or a commenter is abusive towards the community of people who read this blog, I reserve the right to ban the commenter.
If you can be respectful, decent, and thoughtful, your comment will always be approved. Unfortunately, there are many people — Evangelical/Fundamentalist Christians in particular — who have a hard time playing well with others. They often use a passive-aggressive approach towards me and the non-Christian people who frequent this blog. This kind of behavior will not be tolerated and will result in a permanent ban.
This blog is also not a place for hardcore atheists to preach the gospel of atheism. While I am an atheist, many of the people who read this blog are not. Frank, honest, open, and passionate discussion about religion, Christianity, and Evangelicalism is encouraged and welcome. However, I do expect atheists not to attack, badger, or denigrate people who still believe in God. If you are respectful, decent, and thoughtful, you will be fine.
My writing is direct and pointed and so is my response to comments. Please do not confuse my directness and pointedness with me attacking you or your religion. This is a grown-up blog, so crying that I offended you or “attacked” your religion will fall on deaf ears.
If you can play by these rules, I hope you will become a part of our community and join the discussion.
— end of comment policy
Do you see something in the comment policy that you think should be changed or done away with? Or is there something you would like to see added to policy? Please share your ideas with me in comment section.
In closing, I can’t help but note how my declining health has affected this site. I was once known as a prodigious blogger, writing several posts a day. Sadly, I can no longer put out like I once did — yes, there’s a sex joke lurking in that line. I have really struggled with this issue, wondering if it is time for me to stop writing. My friends, acquaintances, and family continue to encourage me to keep writing, but when you have multiple days when you can’t even get out of bed, it’s hard to find the energy and stamina to write a text message, let alone a blog post. That said, I still try. I still push myself, even when I want to curl up on the couch and be left alone My sleep is so disturbed these days, that I sleep when I can, usually in short one- to two-hour blocks. Yesterday, I never made it out of bed, spending the day fitfully sleeping while family gathered at our home to celebrate the best mother ever. I had slept for six hours straight, but that was due to only getting a total of five hours sleep over the previous three days. This, of course, has severely messed up my schedule, forcing me to live in the moment instead of on a schedule. I can’t say I have adapted well to my new reality. I’m too old for this shit, but no one asked me, so I take every day as it comes.
Suggestions are welcome. You know what to do!
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.
Your comments are welcome and appreciated. All first-time comments are moderated. Please read the commenting rules before commenting.
I don’t believe that it’s because people are admitting defeat when they don’t take the time to counter every single thing you believe and say on here.
Joel doesn’t think that when Evangelicals say “we are just going to have to agree to disagree” that they are admitting defeat; that I can’t expect Evangelicals to counter every single thing I believe or write. I don’t think I have ever demanded believers challenge every belief or post of mine. However, those who can and do should expect me to respond to their pronouncements. Those who know me know me know I rarely leave comments from apologists and zealots unchallenged. People come to this site for different reasons. Evangelicals looking for debate/argument/response will likely get a one from me. Their problem, of course, is that they always get more than they bargained for, mainly because they either don’t know who I am or they marginalize or ignore my ministerial experience. Thus when they pompously roll out this or that argument, they are surprised when I push back; surprised I know the Bible inside and out, often better than they do. Backed into a corner, apologists often surrender, saying, “we are just going to have to agree to disagree.”
I think alot of it has to do with the fact that you seem very set in your beliefs and that even if someone were to point out reasons for believing otherwise (huff, puff, run-on sentence!) in a thousand ways, it would still somehow not be enough.
I am an agnostic atheist. I am open to evidence for the Christian God. I am not set in my ways at all. So far, Evangelicals have repeatedly used lame, worn-out arguments for God, Christianity, and the Bible in their attempts to evangelize me. Or “Philbros” will show up with their fancy philosophical arguments, none of which lead from A GOD to THE GOD — the God of the Protestant Christian Bible.
No, the problem is that I am not “ignorant of their devices.” Evangelicals seem to forget that I was one of them for fifty years; that I was a pastor for twenty-five years. I’m not Joe Blow American who has never read the Bible through one time. I spent the prime of my life reading and studying the Bible, preaching 4,000 sermons. The issue, then, is that I likely know more about the Bible than they do; that I am well versed in EVERY argument used by Evangelicals to proselytize people.
God knows exactly what I need to believe in him, yet all he seems to send me are Evangelicals who think C.S. Lewis, Lee Strobel, William Lane Craig, Josh McDowell, Gary Habermas, and countless other authors who keep regurgitating the same, old apologetical arguments are giants in the faith. Sigh. (Please read Why I Use the Word “Sigh.”)
What I’m saying here, is that it looks like your will is set in one direction, and people honestly don’t have the free time or energy to begin at the very beginning, from start to finish, to go through everything point by point.
Then don’t bother to comment on this site. Don’t start what you can’t finish, my Mom told me a time or two. Granted, I don’t like to give in, but I’m an honorable man, willing to admit my misunderstanding or defeat. I can’t remember the last time I had a debate/discussion/argument with an Evangelical that has led to a satisfactory conclusion. Usually Evangelicals cower under my overwhelming charm, sexual attraction, and knowledge of all things Evangelicals (and I haven’t found conservative Catholics, Muslims, and Mormons to be much better).
Have I ever thrown in the towel? Sure. A writer must know “when to hold ’em (cards) and when to fold ’em.” Years ago, as my long- time readers will remember, I would argue and debate until blood was drawn. I finally realized that I needed to live for another day; hoping that I will have another opportunity to engage a believer sometime in the future.
I have dealt with many brutish, nasty commenters over the years; almost always Independent Fundamentalist Baptist (IFB) church members and pastors. These folks will not stop until they cause psychological harm. Unable to make cogent arguments for their beliefs, these so-called Christians turn to personal attacks and violence. Typically, I try to end such discussions before they reach this point.
As far as Philbros are concerned, I typically give them a short leash. I have noticed that Philbros don’t like talking about the Bible, so I try to get them to discuss the Bible as soon as I can. Often, they will cut and run when I force them to defend the Bible. If they refuse to move on from philosophical arguments, I typically draw the discussions to an end. No one that I know of has ever been brought to faith in Christ by philosophical arguments. Doesn’t the Bible say in Colossians 2:8, “Watch out that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental principles of the world, and not according to Christ?” Evidently, Philbros have never read this verse.
Joel has forgotten what the Bible says in 1 Peter 3:15
but in your hearts sanctify Christ as Lord. Always be ready to make your defense to anyone who demands from you an accounting for the hope that is in you.
Besides, alot of people aren’t into the whole debating thing to death in order to ” be right”, so they just decide to tip their hat politely, and give you your space. Hence, the ” we’ll just have to agree to disagree” and move on.
Wait a minute. Who is it that comments on my site? Evangelicals. Am I forcing them to comment? Of course not. No, the issue here is that Evangelicals are used to being the king of the hill. They are used to dominating theological arguments. However, since the Internet came into being, their arguments are openly challenged and repudiated. Not used to ass-whippings, Evangelical apologists tend to get angry, claim I’m being mean to them, or they run off to social media or their blogs to whine about that evil atheist Bruce Gerencser.
Isn’t that what you say you want? To just be left alone to do your own thing without people arguing with you?
Yet, they don’t leave me alone, Joel. Thousands of comments, emails, and social media messages later, I can tell you that scores of Evangelicals have no intention of leaving me alone or agreeing to disagree.
if I write something, I hope people will read it. And if they read it, I hope they will comment. And . . . if they comment, they should expect people to respond to them. That’s how blogs work.
It’s not admitting defeat at all. People have reasons for believing that go much deeper than emotional experience.
Keep telling yourself that, Joel. You sound a lot like Donald Trump, who still refuses to admit he lost the 2020 election. Rare is the Evangelical who will actually engage my writing or read any of the books I suggest to them. You see, they aren’t interested in discussion or debate. Filled with the Holy Ghost, Evangelicals stop by this site to rebuke, condemn, and evangelize. When I won’t let Evangelicals have their way with me, they typically run to the house of faith, lose their tempers, or serve up the “agree to disagree” excuse.
Personal experiences are not evidence for anything, Joel. Surely, you know this. I have no way of knowing whether someone’s personal experience is true. I live in a world where evidence and facts matter. I want to believe as many true things as possible. When a believer shares his testimony with me, it will not do what he thinks it will. How could I possibly know if he is telling the truth? Anyone who has ever attended an Evangelical testimony meeting knows that lying/exaggeration is expected. I’ve heard countless testimonies over the years, including more than few that were exaggerations or bald-faced lies.
“There are more things in heaven and earth that are dreamt of in one’s imagination.”
Says who? Gawd, I sure hope some of my dreams never come true. I could end up divorced and in prison. 🙂 As far as Heaven is concerned, such a place does not exist. I have seen no compelling evidence for the existence of Heaven (or Hell). My days on this earth are short. I am confident that nothing awaits me after death. Evangelicals talk a great line, but when it comes to the afterlife, I have found their arguments or proof texts sorely lacking. I am content to live in the here and now, knowing that I will one day soon be no more. That’s life. I can’t imagine what Evangelicals could say that would ever convince me to return to the “one true faith.” By all means try, but it’s been years since I have heard a new argument for core Evangelical beliefs and practices. Instead, all I get is warmed-over arguments and proof texts. I enjoy the back and forth with Evangelicals, but they are delusional if they think I will ever return to the fold. Been there, done that . . . I want a refund.
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.
Your comments are welcome and appreciated. All first-time comments are moderated. Please read the commenting rules before commenting.
How do you afford to feed all those cats? Does the SPCA help out?
First, we do not receive help feeding the cats from anyone, including the Humane Society. There are several non-kill cat shelters in our area, but they are over-capacity. So, for the past twenty years, we have fed every stray/feral cat that has frequented our backyard. We have also fed wandering indoor cats, raccoons, possums, skunks, deer, squirrels, and a plethora of birds, including hawks and woodpeckers.
Second, we feel we have a moral duty to care for the “least of these.” We also have four inside cats that were once stay/feral cats. We have cared for countless animals — domesticated and wild — over the years. This year (so far), only one cat, Fluffy — a longhaired black cat –has had kittens. Two of her young’uns died not long after birth. Currently, we have a six-week-old black kitten hanging out with the big cats. The kitten should be weaned in about two weeks, though I noticed he/she was eating dry food today.
Third, the Bible says that “where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” We spent fifty years of our lives giving thousands of dollars to “God.” We learned that he had a poor rate of return. Many of us have discretionary income. We choose to spend this money in a variety of ways. I am not inclined to question how people spend their money. Each to their own, right? I remember when we bought our first new car. We have largely driven older cars, and in our early years, we drove automobiles best described as clunkers and rust buckets. I did all our repair work, which gave me plenty to do over the years. Now that I am a broken-down crippled man, I am forced to pay for mechanical services. I miss the days of leaning over the front of a car, working on it as my pants slide down, revealing the Grand Canyon. The good old days, I suppose.
We have purchased four new cars over the past twenty years. Our latest vehicle is a 2020 Ford Edge, with 120,000 miles. We don’t plan to buy another new car, hoping this car will be our last one before we die. Of course that could quickly change if I get a hankering for another car, even though I can no longer drive. I drove for the last time in 2020. My nerve pain and reaction times are such that I am no longer a safe to driver.
Bruce, you pivoted from cats to cars. What gives? Hang on, I’m planning to land this plane soon. 🙂 After we bought our first new car, I mentioned it on this site. Several readers decided to lecture me about the cost effectiveness of buying a new car; that we were being wasteful with our money. This angered me, but I said little. I learned long ago that one man’s junk is another man’s treasure. For my partner and I, having driven cars that embarrassed our kids when we picked them up for school, we were thrilled to own a car that wasn’t always a threat to break down or have a flat tire. Simply put, we bought new cars because we wanted to. Isn’t that the reason any of us do the things we do?
We feed and care for cats because it is important for us to do so. If we don’t care for these abandoned animals, who will? It’s a matter of morality, for us. How could we in good conscience leave a cat (or cats) begging at our back door for food and water? We cannot and will not turn them away. In caring for cats and wildlife, we are teaching our grandchildren to be kind to animals, even spiders, snakes, and ants. Two weeks ago, I awoke to Bethany wanting to tell me what she proudly did a few moments before. Somehow, a snake slithered into our utility room. Instead of hollering DAD! Bethany picked the snake up and put it outside. Way to go girl, though I would like to have seen it to make sure it wasn’t poisonous.
Yes, it requires a financial commitment from us to care for our backyard friends, but we are more than willing to pay for their feeding and care. It feels good to look out the back door as see “our” cats; happy and thriving, despite the assholes who left them to their own devices. If we had homeless humans camping in our yard, we would care for them too. You see, we may be godless, degenerate sinners, but we love and care for both animals and humans. No need for God. All one needs is kindness and compassion.
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.
Your comments are welcome and appreciated. All first-time comments are moderated. Please read the commenting rules before commenting.
Why have you stayed on the topic of God/Jesus for so long? It seems like you’ve never really fully left Jesus. At least, thats what it seems like.
This seems more like an accusation than it does a question, but I will assume good faith, and answer accordingly.
I have spent my entire life talking and writing about God, Jesus, the Bible, and Christianity. In 2007, I started blogging, and the following year I deconverted, walking away from Evangelical Christianity after fifty years.
Joel seems to think I should have stopped talking about Jesus after I left Christianity; that since I am no longer a Christian, I have nothing meaningful to say about the faith once delivered to the saints. Let’s suppose I spent my life as a career military officer. General Bruce, I like the ring of that. After a long career in the Army, I retired. Would anyone expect me not to talk about the military or my service any more? Would I be expected to “move on”? Of course not.
So it is with me. Christianity made a deep, lasting impression on me, especially Evangelicalism and the Independent Fundamentalist Baptist (IFB) church movement. It is what I know. I can’t excise the first fifty years of my life. Sorry, but that’s not how life works.
What I have to share is a lived life, and I suspect that’s what upsets Evangelicals so much. I lived, practiced and believed the teachings of the Bible — fallibly, yet sincerely. There was nothing in my life that suggested I was anything but a committed follower of Jesus. Yet, I did insult to the spirit of grace and trampled under my feet the blood of the covenant. I spit in the face of Jesus, rejecting his atoning work on the cross.
It is this rejection of faith many Evangelicals can’t or won’t understand. How dare I reject he who has made such differences in their lives. How dare I reject that which they devote their lives to. How dare I live without being constrained by the teachings of the Bible. And it is my defiance that pisses off so many Evangelicals, so much so that they turn to violence and character assassination. Just today, a local Evangelical man named Daniel Gray wrote a letter to the editor of the Defiance Crescent-News, saying that I never was a pastor; that he can’t find anyone who says I was a pastor anywhere. (I pastored three local churches in Montpelier, Fayette, and West Unity, respectively.) This, of course, is an unadulterated lie. This same man said several years ago that that I was being investigated by the State of Ohio for performing “illegal” weddings. This, too, was an ugly lie.
Rare is the Evangelical that can accept me on my own terms. Because they can’t make my story fit in their peculiar religious box, they reject what I say out of hand. Yet, millions of readers over the past twenty years have thought differently. They value my writing, though in dark, depressed moments I wonder why. They find encouragement and help from my words, even though they don’t always agree with me. More than a few people thank me for being instrumental in their deconversions.
And this upsets many Evangelicals. Not only did I deconvert, I am leading other people down a path that leads to Hell. Why can’t I just mind my own business, and move on? Of course, lost on these folks is the fact that they, themselves, do not mind their own business. They routinely evangelize and proselytize, whether non-Christians want to hear it or not. Believing they have a mandate from God, Evangelicals fan out across the Internet, putting a word in for Jesus (or Trump) everywhere they go.
And that’s fine. You know, that First Amendment thing. Evangelicals are free to witness and preach, both privately and publicly. Why should it not be the same for non-Christians, especially atheists?
Joel has been reading my blog for some time, yet he fails to understand why I do what I do. That’s not my fault. My motivations are clear to anyone who is paying attention.
Evangelicalism is not neutral. As one of the largest sects in the United States , Evangelicalism has a lot of influence on our culture. None of us can escape this influence. Our current president, arguably the worst ever, was put into office by Evangelical voters. Evangelicals now hold some of the highest, most important political offices in the land. And what are they doing with this power? They are using it to take back America for God. They are using it to enshrine Christianity as the state’s official religion. Worse, they are the people primarily behind Project 2025.
And dare we ignore who has been behind the raging culture wars for the past forty-plus years? Evangelical Christians. As as father of six children and grandfather to sixteen grandchildren, do I not have a vested interest in their future, especially when I see the United States running headlong into fascism, Christian Nationalism, and an Evangelical form of theocracy? Silence is not an option for me, nor is it for many of the people who read this blog.
So, to Joel’s false claim that I have never left Jesus, with a British accent I say, poppycock. There can be no question, except for the deliberately blind, that I am no longer a Christian; that the reason I continue to share my story and critique Evangelical Christianity is because it is a threat to social progress and the future of the United States.
I intend to “stay on the topic of God/Jesus” for as long as Evangelicals drag the dead carcass of Jesus into the public square, touting him as some sort of panacea for the ills of society. I intend to stay the course as long as Evangelicals publicly promote irrational beliefs, especially when demanding everyone believe as they do under threat of eternal fire and brimstone.
When the Joels of the world retire to their houses of worship to incessantly talk about God/Jesus/Bible/Sin/Salvation, I will shutter this blog. Until then, I intend to speak my mind, as is the right of every American—though fascist Donald Trump, with Evangelical approval, is trying to limit the free speech of those who disagree with him.
This is a battle of worldviews; a battle for the soul of our country. As long as Evangelicals demand Christianity be the state’s religion and the Bible the law of the land, they should expect pushback from me.
Unless Joel and his merry band of Evangelicals intends to cede the battlefield, I intend to stand my ground—even when I can no longer physically stand.
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.
Your comments are welcome and appreciated. All first-time comments are moderated. Please read the commenting rules before commenting.
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