I have reverted this site back to using Jetpack to handle comments and subscriptions. I apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused.
Several months ago, I switched to using an email address from mail.com. Mail.com offers alias addresses, so I started using brucegerencser@atheist.com for contact form email. I responded to seventy-five or so emails with this address. Unfortunately, I have learned from Carolyn, my editor, and other readers that emails from me using this address ended up in their spam folders. Carolyn and I tried numerous “tricks” to fix this problem, but nothing worked. As a result, I have switched to a Gmail address for blog-related emails.
I plan to try to re-send the aforementioned emails. If you emailed me and never got a response, please send your email to me again. I’ve been blogging since 2007– fifteen years. I answer EVERY email I receive. Due to my declining health, I am hopelessly behind in answering emails. That said, I do eventually answer them. At times, I have been two to three months behind. There will be days when I get a bit of wind in my sails and I will answer a bunch of emails. Recently, I answered twenty-five emails over a forty-eight-hour period.
I have a Contact Page because I genuinely want to hear from readers. I pride myself on being open, honest, and accessible. This means, of course, that I am going to get emails from people I call Assholes for Jesus®. The reason I changed email addresses several months ago was due to one Evangelical man’s incessant harassment of me. I am trying to do a better job at recognizing such people and not using a real address to respond to them. Instead, I use an anonymous email service to reply to them.
As always, thank you for your love and support.
Bruce Gerencser, 66, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 45 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.
Connect with me on social media:
Your comments are welcome and appreciated. All first-time comments are moderated. Please read the commenting rules before commenting.
You can email Bruce via the Contact Form.
Share This Post On Social Media:
I plan on taking some time off in the near future. I would love to have you write a guest post for this site, if you are interested. In particular, I am interested in hearing from people who would like to share their deconversion stories. Maybe you have posted your story elsewhere. I am more than happy to share it here. Perhaps you have never put your story into words. This is your chance to have thousands of people read your story! Don’t worry about whether your story is “good” enough or grammatically correct. Carolyn, my editor, will whip your story into fine form.
Posts on other subjects are welcome too. This offer is also open to my Evangelical critics, people who want to set me straight or deconstruct my life. Please send all submissions via the Contact Page.
Thanks for your help!
Bruce Gerencser, 66, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 45 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.
Connect with me on social media:
Your comments are welcome and appreciated. All first-time comments are moderated. Please read the commenting rules before commenting.
You can email Bruce via the Contact Form.
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Updated January 1, 2022
Dear Evangelical,
Thank you for stopping by to read my blog. You probably came to this blog via a web search, Facebook, a link on another website, or a link in an email sent to you by someone asking if you had seen this blog. Whatever path you took to get to here, I want you know that I appreciate you taking time to read my blog.
Let me tell you a little about myself. Here’s the short story:
I am a sixty-four-year-old man who lives in rural Northwest Ohio. I have been married for forty-three years, have six grown children, and thirteen grandchildren. I was in the Christian church for fifty years, and for twenty-five of those years, I pastored Evangelical churches in Ohio, Michigan, and Texas. In 2005 I left the ministry, and in 2008 I left Christianity. I am now an atheist and a secular humanist.
If you want more details about my life, please read the ABOUT page. If you want to learn more about my journey from Evangelicalism to atheism, please check out the WHY page.
I have been blogging since 2007. Most Evangelicals who visit this blog fall under one of four categories:
- They have questions and doubts about Christianity and are seeking answers
- They are a former friend, family member, or member of a church I pastored
- They are curious about my life
- They want to let me know they are praying for me, or they want to evangelize me, correct me, preach to me, lambast me, quote Bible verses to me, tell me I am going to Hell, or tell me how wrong I am
If you have questions or doubts about Christianity and would like my help, I am more than happy to help you. Please send me an email via the Contact form and I will get back to you.
If you are a former friend, family member, or member of a church I pastored, I appreciate you reading my story. I know it must painful for you to read about my deconversion, but I hope you will do your best to try to understand my journey. I try to be open, honest, and transparent — character traits you at one time admired. If you are perplexed by the fact that I am now an atheist, I think you will find these posts helpful:
Dear Family, Friends, and Former Parishioners
Dear Ann, A Letter to My Fundamentalist Grandmother
Dear Bruce, A Letter to My Youth Pastor
From Evangelicalism to Atheism
If you are curious about my life, it is likely you have read a number of my posts. I appreciate you being willing to try to understand my journey. There are three posts I would like to point out to you that I think would be very helpful: Why I Stopped Believing, The Danger of Being in a Box and Why it All Makes Sense When You Are in a Box, and What I Found When I Left the Box. If you have any questions or need me to clarify something, please email me via the Contact form.
If you came to my blog so you could let me know you are praying for me or you want to evangelize me, correct me, preach to me, lambast me, quote Bible verses to me, tell me I am going to Hell, or tell me how wrong I am, I want you to know that I am not interested in what you have to say. After fourteen years of being psychologically brutalized by people like you, I have zero interest in what you have to say. Based on years of experience, I know you are likely not interested in dialog or in understanding my point of view. In your mind, you already know all you need to know. You have read one, two, or five posts and are now ready to pass judgment. You are ready to leave the mother of all comments, and I am sure you will be peacock proud when you are done.
To save you some time, I have made up a form that should make your commenting easier. This information also applies to Evangelicals who are “led” to email me via the contact form.
Here’s the form that should make things simple for you:
Name: (Put in fake name because you are so fearless)
Email Address: (Put in fake email address because God knows who you are)
Reason for Contacting Bruce Gerencser (Check all that apply)
_____To tell him he is wrong
_____To preach at him
_____To quote Bible verses to him
_____To evangelize him
_____To tell him he doesn’t know anything about the Bible
_____To let him know God still loves him
_____To let him know I am praying for him
_____To tell him he never was a Christian
_____To tell him he is going to Hell
_____To tell him he is still saved and can never be un-saved
_____To tell him he was/is a false prophet
_____To tell him he was/is a wolf in sheep’s clothing
_____To tell him he is angry
_____To tell him he is bitter
_____To tell him his writing shows he has been hurt
_____To tell him he is fat
_____To tell him I hope he burns in Hell
_____To tell him that I am praying God will kill him
_____To tell him that he has a meaningless, empty life
_____To tell him he is going to die soon and then he will find out THE TRUTH!
_____To tell him that I know THE TRUTH about him!
Once you have completed the form, cut and paste it into your email or comment.
Please understand that the purpose of this blog is to help people who have doubts and questions about Christianity and to help and encourage people who have already left Christianity. Those who frequent this blog are like family to me, so I hope you will understand if I don’t let you fill-up the comment section with your trollish, abusive, argumentative, and judgmental comments.
Please don’t try to claim that you have a First Amendment right to say whatever you want on my blog. You don’t, and you know it. But I will make you an offer: I will allow you to say whatever you want in the comment section IF I can come to your church on Sunday and preach my atheistic beliefs. Deal? That’s what I thought . . .
Generally, I give Evangelicals one opportunity to say whatever they want. I know my writing constipates them, so I want to allow them one Fleet soft-tip enema to clear out their metaphorical bowel. Just one. Say what you think “God” wants you to say and move on. And 99% of the time, I will not post any other comments after the first one. For the 1% of Evangelicals who leave a decent, thoughtful comment, I am willing to continue approving their comments if they can abide by the comment policy:
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.
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.
The following type of comments will not be approved:
Preachy/sermonizing comment
Extensive Bible verse quoting comment
Evangelizing comment
I am praying for you comment
You are going to Hell comment
You never were saved comment
You never were a Christian comment
Any comment that is a personal attack
Any comment that is not on point with what the post is about
Any comment that denigrates abuse victims
Any comment that attacks LGBTQ people
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.
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 red 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.
Here’s one thing I have learned over the years: most Evangelical zealots will ignore the comment policy. They think they have a right to say anything they want because they think they speak for God. But, invoking the name of God carries no weight here. If God really wants to speak to me, I am sure he doesn’t need you to carry the message. God knows where I am and he can speak to me any time he wants. So far, God has not said a word. Either he is busy, mad at me, taking a shit, or doesn’t exist. I am going with the latter.
If my unwillingness to allow you to foul the comment section offends you, I encourage you to start your own blog. You can have your own blog in as little as five minutes (Blogger, WordPress, and Tumblr) and then you can rage against me and deconstruct my life all you want. Be aware that several people have, in the past, decided to do this and they have found it hard to faithfully and regularly deconstruct my life
Most of all, I hope you will consider what your words and actions say about you as a person and the God you say you serve. What in your behavior would draw me to Jesus and compel me to come back to the Christian religion? Thousands of Evangelical zealots have come before you. And in every case, if given enough space to expose who and what they are, they have proved to be poignant reminders of why I am glad I am no longer a Christian.
I wish you well.
A sinner saved by reason,
Bruce Gerencser, 66, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 45 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.
Connect with me on social media:
Your comments are welcome and appreciated. All first-time comments are moderated. Please read the commenting rules before commenting.
You can email Bruce via the Contact Form.
Share This Post On Social Media:
Updated January 1, 2022
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. 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. The following type of comments will not be approved:
- Preachy/sermonizing comment
- Extensive Bible verse quoting comment
- Evangelizing comment
- I am praying for you comment
- You are going to Hell comment
- You never were saved comment
- You never were a Christian comment
- Any comment that is a personal attack
- Any comment that is not on point with what the post is about
- Any comment that denigrates abuse victims
- Any comment that attacks LGBTQ people
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. 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 red 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.
Bruce Gerencser, 66, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 45 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.
Connect with me on social media:
Your comments are welcome and appreciated. All first-time comments are moderated. Please read the commenting rules before commenting.
You can email Bruce via the Contact Form.
Share This Post On Social Media:
Over the course of the calendar year, a handful of commenters end up on the banned (unable to comment) and/or blocked (unable to access this site) lists. It is my custom to clear all the email addresses and IP addresses from these lists at the end of each year. Thus, these misbehaving children once again have a chance to demonstrate that they can play well with others. And as sure as the sun comes up in the morning, their new commenting freedom will quickly land them on the banned and/or blocked lists yet again. That’s just the way it is for Christian Assholes. But, I want to give them an opportunity to show that they have repented and changed their ways. So . . . it’s 2022, who will be the first person banned and/or blocked? Shall we start a betting pool now?
Happy New Year!
Bruce Gerencser, 66, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 45 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.
Connect with me on social media:
Your comments are welcome and appreciated. All first-time comments are moderated. Please read the commenting rules before commenting.
You can email Bruce via the Contact Form.
Share This Post On Social Media:
What follows is a list of the top 25 domain referrers for 2021 (excluding search engines).
- facebook.com/
- infidel753.blogspot.com/
- t.co/
- patheos.com/
- crooksandliars.com/
- wordpress.com/
- reddit.com/
- clicky.com/
- theologyarchaeology.wordpress.com/
- pinterest.com/
- secularwings.wordpress.com/
- amimental.blogspot.com/
- flipboard.com/
- nagamakironin.blogspot.com/
- thewartburgwatch.com/
- thepathofguidance.wordpress.com/
- amimental.blogspot.com/
- mrhackman.blogspot.com/
- youtube.com/
- disq.us/
- preacherboysdoc.com/
- grandmageri422.me/
- baptistaccountability.org/
- thouarttheman.org/
- freejinger.org/
Bruce Gerencser, 66, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 45 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.
Connect with me on social media:
Your comments are welcome and appreciated. All first-time comments are moderated. Please read the commenting rules before commenting.
You can email Bruce via the Contact Form.
Share This Post On Social Media:
What follows is a list of the top 25 commenters in 2021.
- BJW
- ObstacleChick
- Yulya Sevelova
- MJ Lisbeth
- William
- Astreja
- Clubchadenfreude
- Sage
- Zoe
- Brian Vanderlip
- GeoffT
- Karen the Rock Whisperer
- Karuna Gal
- Matilda
- Thatotherjean
- Dale M
- Kel
- Troy
- Barbara L. Jackson
- Brocken
- Dave
- Emersonian
- Davie From Glasgow
- Darthtimon
- Michael Mock
Thank you to everyone who comments on this site.
Bruce Gerencser, 66, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 45 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.
Connect with me on social media:
Your comments are welcome and appreciated. All first-time comments are moderated. Please read the commenting rules before commenting.
You can email Bruce via the Contact Form.
Share This Post On Social Media:
What follows is a list of the top 50 posts read on this site in 2021.
- Fundamentalist Pastor Greg Locke Justifies Divorce From His Wife
- Southern Gospel Singer Kenny Bishop is Now a Gay United Church of Christ Pastor
- The Scandalous Life of Jack Hyles and Why it Still Matters
- Why I Hate Jesus
- Sexual Abuse in the Name of God: New Bethany Home for Girls
- Why?
- Bethel Redding: A Dangerous Evangelical Cult
- Will There be Any Women in Heaven? Hint, the Answer is No!
- The Official Independent Fundamentalist Baptist Rulebook
- Cindy Schaap, Daughter of Jack Hyles, Divorces Convicted Felon Jack Schaap
- Evangelicals and the Gay Closet: Is Ray Boltz Still a Christian?
- Emotionally Manipulating IFB Church Members through Music and Preaching Styles
- Do You Really Have to Ask if Bethel Redding is a Cult?
- Black Collar Crime: Evangelical Pastor Wayne Aarum Accused of Sexual Misconduct
- The Sounds of Fundamentalism: Duffy Strode, the Boy Preacher
- The Curse of Cain: Why Blacks Have Dark Skin
- IFB Preacher David Hyles’ Latest Sex Scandal
- It’s in the Bible: Who Won’t be in Heaven
- Contact
- Jack Hyles Gives Advice on How to Raise a Girl
- Dear Evangelical
- Evangelical Pastor Dean Curry Starts New Church After Being Fired Over Sexual Misconduct
- Good Baptist Boys Don’t Masturbate — Oh Yes, They Do!
- UPDATED: Serial Adulterer David Hyles Has Been Restored
- Why Evangelical Christian Robert Aaron Long Murdered Eight People in Georgia
- Black Collar Crime
- Is it a Sin for Women to Wear Pants?
- The Best Portrayal of American Evangelicalism I’ve Ever Seen
- The Ravi Zacharias Scandal and the Billy Graham Rule
- Dear Jesus
- God Says, Keep Those Thighs Covered, Ladies
- Why Pentecostals Speak in Tongues and Baptists Don’t
- Does the Bible Say “Thou Shalt Not Judge?”
- Breaking News: IFB Preacher Bob Gray, Sr. Admits to Driving Church Members
- Prophet Jeremiah Johnson: Dr. Tony Fauci is a Rat Who Must be Silenced
- Black Collar Crime: Evangelical Youth Pastor Sean Higgins Charged With Sex Crimes
- A Few Thoughts About Donald Trump and the Insurrection
- Sexual Abuse in the Name of God: New Bethany Home for Girls
- An Independent Fundamentalist Baptist Hate List
- Fear the Gnome, and Fairies Too
- Jim Elliff says, Avoid Bart Ehrman, He Could Cause You To Lose Your Faith!
- UPDATE: Black Collar Crime: Charges Against Methodist Pastor Stan Thompson Dismissed
- Evangelical Pastor John Piper Tells Christian Women to “Submit” to Domestic Abuse
- How Dare I Badmouth IFB Evangelist CT Townsend! Says Fundamentalist Christian
- Evangelical Pastor Matt Trewhella Defies Government Order to Close His Church
- Why I Stopped Believing
- Ron and Patti Williams, Hephzibah House and Schizophrenic Women
- The Sounds of Fundamentalism: Who in the Hell Do You Think You Are? by Mark Driscoll
- The Wayne Aarum Saga: Evangelical Woman Defends and Justifies Aarum’s Predatory Behavior
- Gone but Not Forgotten: Years Later San Antonio Calvinists Still Preaching Against Bruce Gerencser
Bruce Gerencser, 66, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 45 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.
Connect with me on social media:
Your comments are welcome and appreciated. All first-time comments are moderated. Please read the commenting rules before commenting.
You can email Bruce via the Contact Form.
Share This Post On Social Media:
I recently closed all my social media accounts. This will allow me to focus my attention on this site instead of dealing with multiple streams of comments and messages. If people want to comment on something I have written, they will have to do so here. Further, if people want to email me, they will have to do so through the Contact Form. My health continues to be the tail that wags the dog, so I’m being increasingly forced to focus on essentials, cutting out superfluous services and activities.
Thank you for your understanding.
Let me conclude this post with a bit of stupidity from Evangelical Christian John Fanortney (likely a fake name). You can read my previous post about Fanortney here.
Fanortney posted his last comment hours after I closed my YouTube account. If you close your YouTube account, your comments are deleted. Instead of recognizing and understanding this, Little Lord John Fanortney thinks I deleted my comments due to his withering exposure of my inconsistencies and leftist ideas. Sure, Johnny boy, sure. 🙂
Bruce Gerencser, 66, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 45 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.
Connect with me on social media:
Your comments are welcome and appreciated. All first-time comments are moderated. Please read the commenting rules before commenting.
You can email Bruce via the Contact Form.
