Most Evangelicals claim to be “people of the book.” The first church I worked for in the late 70s had an advertising sign located at a member’s home on Route 15 that said, “The Blood, the Book, and the Blessed Hope.” Park in front of a local Catholic church or a mainline congregation and observe how few members carry their Bibles to church. Do the same at a local Independent Fundamentalist Baptist (IFB) and you will see that MOST members, including children, bring their (KJV) Bibles to church. Granted, after church, many of those Bibles will be returned to the front dash, back window, or underneath the seats of their automobiles. Some members “store” their Bibles in their car trunks — safe and secure, ready for the next Sunday.
What most members DON’T do is regularly read/study the Bible. In fact, most Evangelicals haven’t read the Bible through once, yet they are “people of the Book?” Sure, buddy, sure. Imagine if I said I was a follower and worshipper of Harry Potter, the greatest wizard of all time, yet when asked if I had read all seven books in the Harry Potter series, I reply, “I only read book one and book four.” How could I be a follower and worshipper of Harry Potter and not read all seven books? Yet, hundreds of millions of people claim to be Christians without ever reading the Bible from cover to cover. If the Bible is THE book above all other books, and different from them in every possible way as the inspired, inerrant, and infallible Word of God, why do most Christians rarely read the Bible, and fewer still read from table of contents through concordance? The Bible commands Christians to judge others by their fruit (good works). Based on countless surveys and studies, Evangelicals may claim to be “people of the Book, but they are largely ignorant of what it says. And that includes more than a few preachers who do little, if any, Bible reading/study outside of preparation for their sermons. Worse, some preachers don’t read or study the Bible for their sermons either. Instead, they buy books of sermons or rip off sermons preached by big-name preachers. There’s no time for the Word of God when you have golf matches to play, hunting trips to take, and conferences and meetings to attend.
As a former Evangelical preacher, I worked my ass off ministering to church members and community residents. But, I never sacrificed my reading and study of the Bible, typically spending twenty hours a week preparing my sermons and reading devotionally. I was always troubled by colleagues in the ministry who were lazy, indifferent to the needs of others, and spent more time on entertainment and “family time” than they did on the actual, God-ordained work of the ministry.
Here’s the most dangerous thing Evangelicals can do: READ THE BIBLE FROM COVER TO COVER. Take every book of the Bible as written. The Bible is not a univocal text. Careful readers of the Bible will quickly learn that it contradicts itself, justifies immoral behavior, and is littered with mistakes and errors. BY all means, consult interlinears, concordances, and other text tools, but avoid books written by Evangelical authors. Their goal is to indoctrinate and condition, rather than impart knowledge and understanding.
If Evangelicals truly become “people of the book,” it is likely they will stop being Evangelicals after reading and studying ALL OF THE BIBLE. Many of the Evangelicals-turned-atheists I know deconverted after reading the Bible. I encourage every Evangelical to read the Bible. Every book, every chapter, every verse, and every word. Don’t listen to your pastor. Remember, he has a job and salary to protect. Don’t rely on Evangelical apologists or devotional books. Use your mind, pondering what the text actually says. You will find that many Evangelical preachers play loose with the Biblical text, using it as proof for peculiar beliefs and dogmas. Have you ever heard your pastor claim that there are numerous prophecies about Jesus (the Messiah)? Most church members give a shout-out to Jesus without ever investigating whether their pastor’s claims are true. They aren’t.
To my Evangelical readers, I say, please read the Bible. All of it. I guarantee you that if you will do this, your life will dramatically change. Granted, you may become an agnostic or an atheist, but you will, at the very least, have truth on your side. You will no longer govern your lives based on what is uttered from the pulpit. You will no longer have a “borrowed” theology. Most preachers enter the ministry with a borrowed theology, and unless they do the necessary hard work in the study, they will never mature intellectually. And if they won’t do what’s necessary to be an educated man of God, their parishioners will remain stupid and ignorant too.
Bruce Gerencser, 68, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 47 years. He and his wife have six grown children and sixteen grandchildren. Bruce pastored Evangelical churches for twenty-five years in Ohio, Texas, and Michigan. Bruce left the ministry in 2005, and in 2008 he left Christianity. Bruce is now a humanist and an atheist.
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According to Evangelicals, the Bible is God’s supernatural Word. Written by men divinely inspired by God, the Bible is a perfect book, free of mistakes, errors, and contradictions. Of course, this is nonsense. A cursory reading of the Bible reveals all sorts of errors. Sure, Evangelicals cook up plenty of explanations for these errors, but some of their explanations leave a lot to be desired, bordering on farcical.
God could have imparted his Word to humankind by writing it himself. A perfect God would write a perfect book, yes? So why in the Hell did God choose to impart his Word in such a way that has resulted in thousands of years of argument, debate, and fighting? Why choose fallible, frail, contradictory men to write the Bible instead of doing it yourself? There are thousands of Christian sects, each believing that their interpretation of the Bible is true and all other interpretations are false.
Imagine how much better it would be if God wrote the Bible himself. Not that he inspired the writers, but that he wrote every word, including punctuation and versification. If God had done this, any misunderstanding would be ours. As things now stand, Christians can’t even agree on basic beliefs such as salvation, baptism, and communion. The Bible says, “one Lord, one faith, one baptism,” but history reveals many lords, many faiths, many baptisms.
God could publish an updated version of the Bible, one that does away with the passages that make him look bad. No incest, no genocide, no slavery, no rape. Rewrite the Bible, put it on Amazon, and sell millions of copies. This sure would clear up a lot of problems. Instead, we are left with an ancient religious text that has little relevance today.
Come on, God, get your act together. It’s time for you to update the greatest book never read.
Bruce Gerencser, 68, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 47 years. He and his wife have six grown children and sixteen grandchildren. Bruce pastored Evangelical churches for twenty-five years in Ohio, Texas, and Michigan. Bruce left the ministry in 2005, and in 2008 he left Christianity. Bruce is now a humanist and an atheist.
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According to Evangelical dogma, all human beings — past, present, and future — are born sinners; we are dead in trespasses and sins; we are the enemies of God. Two thousand years ago, God took on human flesh and came to earth in the body of Jesus. He was what theologians call a God-man; fully God, fully man. The problem, of course, is that if Jesus was fully God, he couldn’t sin, and if he was fully man, he couldn’t not sin.
Philippians 2:5-8 says:
Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
Hebrews 2:16-18 adds:
For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham. Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted.
Did Jesus become exactly like human beings? Could Jesus be tempted to sin, as in physically, literally tempted to commit any of the human behaviors Christians label sin?
The answer is no. Can God sin? No. Can God be tempted to sin? No, sin requires having a sin nature — one passed down by the first Adam. Did Jesus have a sin nature? Of course not. Many Evangelicals believe that the human sin nature is passed on through the semen of the father. Since Jesus’ mother was impregnated by the Holy Ghost, Jesus did not have a sin nature. Thus, it was impossible for Jesus to sin. Please see The Impeccability of Christ.) Not one time was it ever possible that Jesus could sin. To sin required Jesus to set aside his divine nature, which he did not do — ever. There was never a nanosecond that Jesus was not God (according to Trinitarianism).
According to James 1:14: every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. A human being is tempted when drawn away by his own lust and enticed. Did Jesus ever see an attractive woman walking down the streets of Jerusalem, and say to Peter, “Damn, she has a nice ass!” Not if he was the sinless son of God. There was no possibility of temptation for Jesus. There was never a time when Jesus would have whistled at this woman and said, “Hey, babe.” Jesus, according to Evangelicals, was perfect in every way, so there was never a possibility that he would have lusted after this woman. James 1:13 makes this point clear: “God cannot be tempted with evil.” Was there ever a moment in time when Jesus (God) was tempted with evil? No, if you believe what the Bible says.
Thus, when we read stories such as Jesus’ forty-day temptation by Satan, what we are reading is a fictional story, one that could not have happened. Jesus was God, Satan was not. There wasn’t a temptation presented by Satan that Jesus could have fallen for. The only way that Jesus could have sinned is if he set his godhead aside and fully became man. This, of course, did not happen, so this means Jesus was not, one time, tempted to sin.
How did your pastors and teachers explain this conundrum to you? Please share your thoughts in the comment section.
Bruce Gerencser, 68, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 47 years. He and his wife have six grown children and sixteen grandchildren. Bruce pastored Evangelical churches for twenty-five years in Ohio, Texas, and Michigan. Bruce left the ministry in 2005, and in 2008 he left Christianity. Bruce is now a humanist and an atheist.
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Evangelicals will tell you that Jesus is part of the lineage of King David. The problem, of course, is that Jesus is not a blood relative of David. Remember, his father is the Holy Ghost. Joseph, Jesus’ earthly father, IS a blood relative of David, but since Joseph is not of his blood, Jesus is not an heir to the throne of David.
That’s just how it is, folks. I suppose one could argue that Mary conceived via in vitro fertilization; the Holy Ghost took sperm from Joseph and fertilized Mary’s egg or, as Evangelicals are wont to do, claim that the fertilization of Mary was a miracle (for which they provide no evidence).
Some Evangelicals argue that Jesus is linked to the lineage of David due to Mary, which is odd since bloodlines don’t typically include mothers. It seems to me that the best answer is that either Joseph got Mary pregnant before they were married, or Joseph adopted Jesus as his son after Mary got pregnant by an unnamed man.
How did you explain this obvious problem when you were an Evangelical Christian? Please share your thoughts in the comment section.
Bruce Gerencser, 68, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 47 years. He and his wife have six grown children and sixteen grandchildren. Bruce pastored Evangelical churches for twenty-five years in Ohio, Texas, and Michigan. Bruce left the ministry in 2005, and in 2008 he left Christianity. Bruce is now a humanist and an atheist.
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Forrest Valkai is a frequent guest on shows produced by The Line and the Atheist Community of Austin. Valkai is a biologist, and when it comes to explaining complex science to mere mortals, he does an outstanding job. However, when it comes to Christianity, Valkai often makes claims he can’t support, such as claiming that preachers are in the ministry for the money. I have yet to see a fellow host correct Valkai’s false assertion, so I assume they have similar sentiments.
Are preachers really in the ministry for the money? I am sure some are, but most preachers believe God has called them to preach, and while they certainly need money to provide for their needs, making money is not their first priority. Remove megachurch pastors from the mix, and most preachers pastor congregations of 60-90 people and are bi-vocational. Preachers work outside of the churches they pastor because the congregations don’t pay them enough for them to make ends meet.
Most of the preachers I knew either struggled to make ends meet, worked part-time outside of the church, or were on social security or government assistance. I was in the ministry for twenty-five years, pastoring rural/small town churches that ranged in attendance from 50 to over 200. I was a full-time pastor for every church I pastored, but not one of them paid me a living wage, with benefits. This forced me to work outside of the church. Later in my ministerial career, Polly went back to work, easing the financial pressures we had been under for years.
Did I know any money-grubbing preachers? Of course, I did. I knew a few lazy-ass preachers who were in the ministry for the money. When looking for a new church to pastor, how much the congregation paid was their first priority. Money never mattered to me. I preached and ministered to people whether they paid me or not, and that included preaching revival meetings that cost me more in expenses than the church paid me. I never complained, though, to be honest, there were times I should have been clearer with congregations regarding my financial needs. I quickly learned that if I didn’t say anything, no raises would be forthcoming. In retrospect, I should have appointed a group of members who were responsible for setting my salary and benefits. Sadly, I was always hesitant to talk about money, and because I never mentioned it, church members thought everything was fine.
Granted, some of the churches I pastored couldn’t pay me a decent salary, with benefits. That never stopped me from being their pastor, but there were times when I thought congregations were taking advantage of me. I remember one church in West Virginia that wanted me to be their pastor. They were sitting on thousands of dollars, yet when I asked them to pay my moving expenses, the church board said they could only pay half. I told them that the church would have to pay all of my moving expenses. They eventually agreed, but demanded that I only preach from the King James Bible. A King James-only family was outraged by my preaching from the English Standard Version (ESV). I declined, knowing that this KJV-only family would be trouble for me, and since the board wouldn’t stand up to them, I declined to be their pastor. They hired a retired pastor, instead; a man who wouldn’t rock the boat and would be happy with the meager salary the church paid.
Megachurch pastors and TV preachers deserve every bit of the criticism they receive. They have turned Christianity into a circus, a clown show. Some preachers makes millions of dollars from not only preaching, but from book and media sales. They also rake in loads of money holding conferences and revival meetings. But, these men and women do not represent most preachers, and atheists such as Forrest Valkai would do well to remember this. (And I know how much Valkai hates being painted with a broad brush.) By all means condemn and criticize their doctrine, but unless there’s evidence to the contrary, we should assume that most pastors are decent, hardworking clerics. I know I was, as were many of my colleagues in the ministry. I was dead wrong about what I believed and preached, but my motivations were pure. I sincerely wanted to help other people, and that desire remains to this day.
Bruce Gerencser, 68, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 47 years. He and his wife have six grown children and sixteen 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 years, I have received many emails and social media messages from Evangelical preachers, evangelists, missionaries, college professors, youth pastors, worship leaders, and everyday church members, thanking me for something I wrote that they found helpful. This is especially true for people affiliated with the Independent Fundamentalist Baptist (IFB) church movement.
I find it gratifying when someone tells me that my writing helped them. Often, something I wrote helps them to see the light or the errors of Fundamentalist Christianity. Typically, such people hang on to the Christian moniker, choosing, in their minds, not to throw the baby out with the bathwater. And this is the point where their praise of my writing turns into Fundamentalist judgmentalism they can’t seem to shake. You see, I may have helped them, but I am still headed for Hell because I am an atheist. Until they abandon the doctrine of eternal punishment, I will remain, in their eyes, a good man who is going to split Hell wide open after I die. Not because of how I lived my life, but for one reason alone: I have the wrong beliefs.
Bruce Gerencser, 68, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 47 years. He and his wife have six grown children and sixteen 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.
Was Jesus a man? Think about this for a moment. Jesus was allegedly conceived after the Holy Ghost impregnated a teen girl named Mary. It’s hard not to conclude that the Holy Ghost raped Mary, impregnating her without consent. Even if you disagree with this line of thinking, one thing is clear: Jesus didn’t have male DNA. One could argue that the Holy Ghost supernaturally fertilized Mary’s egg with male DNA, but many theologians claim that sin is passed on through the male seed, and Jesus was without sin, so no male DNA. This means, of course, that Jesus was not a man.
One could bizarrely argue that the Holy Ghost is male and he had sex with Mary, impregnating her. However, this means the Holy Ghost had sex with Jesus’ mother. Yuck. The third part of the Trinity had sex with the mother of the second part of the Trinity, and the first part of the Trinity, the Father approved. Talk about a sordid story.
The true story is much simpler. Joseph had sex with Mary before marriage. Nine months later, Jesus was born with the DNA of both his father and mother. First and second-century Christians would later debate the parental lineage of Jesus, eventually cooking up the Trinity and virgin birth. Not all Christians agreed, but they were labeled Gnostics or heretics — enemies of “True Christianity.”
Was Jesus a man? Please share your thoughts in the comment section.
Bruce Gerencser, 68, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 47 years. He and his wife have six grown children and sixteen 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.
Donald Trump claims to be a Christian, but his immoral, violent, misogynistic, racist, anti-Biblical behavior suggests otherwise. Anyone who says Trump is a Christian has no idea of what it means to be a follower of Jesus. It sickens me to watch Evangelical preachers fawn over Trump, ignoring his behavior, choosing, instead, to trade piety and morality for raw political power. No matter how badly Trump behaves, no matter how many lies he tells, many Evangelicals believe Trump has been chosen by God for such a time as ours.
Today, Trump stated in his press conference, God, I just want to say we love you, God. Gag me with a spoon. Trump doesn’t love God. His God-talk is all about pretense and manipulation. Evangelicals are so stupid that they cannot see that Trump is using them to advance his wicked agenda. Oh, he threw Evangelicals an abortion bone and let them play with toys at the White House, but the moment they are no longer of use, Trump will dump them like they are one of his wives.
I heard that Trump received a private message from a world leader after his press conference. It said:
Donald, if you love me, keep my commandments.
Jesus
Trump allegedly said to Pete Hegseth, “Who does this motherfucker think he is? I am President Donald Bigley Trump, the leader of the free world. I do what I want, when I want, how I want, and no one, not even this Jesus guy can stop me.”
Jesus replied with a one-sentence message, “Pride goeth before a fall, Donald.”
The fall of House Trump will one day come about. It remains to be seen what carnage and bloodshed will follow.
Indeed, we live in perilous times.
Bruce Gerencser, 68, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 47 years. He and his wife have six grown children and sixteen 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.
For those of us raised in the Independent Fundamentalist Baptist (IFB) church movement or other Fundamentalist sects, we are acutely aware of the subject of modesty. While IFB preachers will tell you that modesty applies to both men and women and boys and girls, most preaching on the subject applies to females, and not men. As a son of the IFB church movement, I heard numerous sermons on modesty, and once I became a pastor, I added my voice to the cacophony of holier-than-thou, sanctimonious preachers who felt duty-bound to regulate and control how female congregants dressed and looked
Sexually aware young women are told that they are gatekeepers in charge of protecting the virginity of hapless, weak, pathetic IFB boys and men. Unable to control their wants and desires, these horn dogs will run headlong into lust and fornication if young church women don’t cover themselves up and wear pastor-defined modest clothing. Young women are viewed as Jezebels or the harlot in Proverbs 7:
For at the window of my house I looked through my casement, And beheld among the simple ones, I discerned among the youths, a young man void of understanding, Passing through the street near her corner; and he went the way to her house, In the twilight, in the evening, in the black and dark night: And, behold, there met him a woman with the attire of an harlot, and subtil of heart. (She is loud and stubborn; her feet abide not in her house: Now is she without, now in the streets, and lieth in wait at every corner.) So she caught him, and kissed him, and with an impudent face said unto him, I have peace offerings with me; this day have I payed my vows. Therefore came I forth to meet thee, diligently to seek thy face, and I have found thee. I have decked my bed with coverings of tapestry, with carved works, with fine linen of Egypt. I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon. Come, let us take our fill of love until the morning: let us solace ourselves with loves. For the goodman is not at home, he is gone a long journey: He hath taken a bag of money with him, and will come home at the day appointed. With her much fair speech she caused him to yield, with the flattering of her lips she forced him. He goeth after her straightway, as an ox goeth to the slaughter, or as a fool to the correction of the stocks; Till a dart strike through his liver; as a bird hasteth to the snare, and knoweth not that it is for his life. Hearken unto me now therefore, O ye children, and attend to the words of my mouth. Let not thine heart decline to her ways, go not astray in her paths. For she hath cast down many wounded: yea, many strong men have been slain by her. Her house is the way to hell, going down to the chambers of death.
The woman in Proverbs 7 wore the attire (clothing) of a harlot. What, exactly, is the “attire of a harlot?” Just ask any IFB preacher and he will tell you in explicit detail what clothing is that of a whore. Note that this young man was allegedly forced by this woman to have sex with her. I seriously doubt that it took much “force” on the harlot’s part to get the young man to climb into her bed perfumed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.
When IFB preachers preach on this text, it is the harlot who always gets the blame for taking advantage of the young man. Never mind that he was a stupid boy who was out and about at the wrong time and place. One could argue that he was looking to score. Regardless, the whore is to blame because of how she dressed and behaved. Had she covered her body from her neck to the bottom of her knees and worn clothing that muted or obliterated her physical form, the young man likely would have kept on walking, IFB preachers say. Sure, preacher, sure. You evidently never heard the lesson that teaches, “A stiff prick has no conscience.” I seriously doubt that this IFB teen has much of a conscience, as he went after the woman as “an ox goeth to the slaughter, or as a fool to the correction of the stocks.”
ACE Modesty Cartoon
Nancy Campbell, a well-known Fundamentalist clothing monitor, recently published a post by a single 23-year-old woman named Hannah Hauenschild. Titled Modesty, Hauenschild wrote:
Do you want to dress attractively but struggle with immodesty? The honest answer (if you are a woman like I am) is yes. Meaning aesthetically pleasing, attractive is how we want to appear. Though this is not wrong, the reason for it often is a desire to be noticed. Dressing to attract attention is immodest. So how can you dress modestly and why is it important?
Modesty is viewing yourself properly and, as a result, behaving decorously. A virtue of the heart, modesty recognizes, “I am not the most important person in the world,” and determines “My attitude, actions, and appearance will befit who I truly am.”
Who are you? You are a woman fearfully and wonderfully made and loved by God, which gives you worth and purpose. You do not need the attention, acceptance, or approval of anyone but God. Yet you, like all humans, are sinful. Your natural tendencies lead you astray from God’s plan for your life, which includes being modest.
Akin to humility and purity, modesty is a character quality that can be demonstrated by how you dress. It means denying your sinful nature that pridefully declares, “I can wear whatever I want,” and embracing clothing appropriate for your God-given femininity.
Traditionally, dresses and skirts beautifully distinguish women. In this age when gender confusion is lauded, I believe ladies should wear clothing that leaves no doubts about their feminineness.
….
1. Modest clothing does not reveal, emphasize, or draw attention to a woman’s private parts. Necklines then are neither deep nor wide, and they do not gap.
2. Modest clothing does not fit tightly, outlining a woman’s body.
3. Modest clothing completely covers the shoulders, knees, and everything in between – front, back, and sides.
If you are still unsure about an outfit being modest, ask yourself, “Does it draw attention away from my face?” A maxim of my mother’s is that nothing (clothing, make-up, etc.) should distract from the countenance.
Having learned what modesty and modest dressing is, we also need to know the reasons why dressing modestly is important.
….
Modest clothing honors God:
When Adam and Eve sinned by disobeying God’s command not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, they discovered they were naked and covered their most private parts (Genesis 3:7). They were not, however, clothed until God made them garments that hung from the shoulder (Genesis 3:21). Since the Fall God has communicated our nakedness should not be exposed (Exodus 20:26; Exodus 28; and Leviticus 18).
In Paul’s letter to Timothy, God specifically states: “I want women to adorn themselves with proper clothing, modestly and discreetly . . . as is proper for women making a claim to godliness” (I Timothy 2:9-10).
Modest clothing helps men to not sin:
Men are more sensitive to visual stimulation than women. When a man sees a woman dressed immodestly, his thoughts head in the wrong direction. Knowing this, we need to clothe ourselves carefully so that we are not stumbling blocks to men.
In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus describes the seriousness of provoking others to sin: “Whoever causes one of these little ones who believes in Me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a heavy millstone hung around his neck, and to be drowned in the depth of the sea. Woe to the world because of its stumbling blocks! For it is inevitable that stumbling blocks come; but woe to that man through whom the stumbling block comes” (Matthew 18:6-7, NASB).
Modest clothing hallows women:
Though only God can make people holy from the inside out, modest clothing does have a consecrative effect. It commands respect because it does not invite inappropriate attention. It sets women apart as worthy of honor rather than dishonor.
“Like a ring of gold in a swine’s snout is a beautiful woman who lacks discretion” (Proverbs 11:22, NASB).
“Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good, acceptable, and perfect” (Romans 12:1-2 NASB).
Outwardly expressed by dress and other behavior (like sitting with your knees together), modesty is a decision of the heart. Thus, it is possible to wear modest clothing, following all the principles listed above, and still be immodest. You must first clothe your heart with modesty as the Apostle Peter wrote in one of his letters:
“Your adornment must not be merely external – braiding the hair, and wearing gold jewelry, or putting on dresses; but let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God. For in this way in former times the holy women also, who hoped in God, used to adorn themselves . . .” (I Peter 3:3-5, NASB).
According to Hauenschild, girls, teens, and women should “completely cover their shoulders, knees, and everything in between – front, back, and sides.” Clothing should not be tight-fitting, nor should it emphasize their physical form. Why? So they don’t visually stimulate men and cause them to stumble. Toddlers first learning to walk stumble (and fall) quite a bit. Over time, they learn to walk without stumbling. Evidently, IFB teen boys and men are still toddlers, unable to keep from committing sexual sins once tempted by “inappropriately” dressed teen girls and women. Any exposed thighs or breasts (even cleavage) is sure to cause stirring in the loins of these “helpless boys and men. Why, if Sister Jan doesn’t cover herself up from head to toe, she will be leading boys and men to sin in thoughts and deeds.
While IFB preachers half-heartedly call on teen boys and men to be in control of their sexuality, the bulk of their preaching on modesty and premarital sex is addressed to the fairer sex. If teen girls and women keep their legs together and dress modestly, weak boys and men will be kept from masturbation, fornication, and adultery.
I am often asked if I have ever lusted after a woman, both as a single and married man. Of course I have. Lust (sexual desire) is a normal part of our existence — both men and women. We are sexual beings who desire not only to procreate but also to fulfill our desires. And as most of us know, sexual desire is a powerful force, one that can, and does, result in bad behavior if not checked and controlled. As a man, I am, without exception, responsible for my sexuality.
Have I ever felt desire for someone other than my partner? Yes, and so has Polly. You see, women are sexual beings too; beings tired of the lie that only men are visually driven. All of us are responsible for our sexuality. Polly and I have a “look but don’t touch” policy. We are deeply in love and committed to each other. That said, we know and understand each other’s nature. I recently told my sixteen-year-old grandson about why Muhammad Ali carried a matchstick with him. Ali’s wife told him it was okay to look as long as he didn’t touch. The matchstick was a reminder that he would burn in Hell if he touched another woman.
Sexual want, need, and desire are very much a part of the human experience. How we behave is on us, and not someone deemed dressed inappropriately by an IFB preacher. And that’s not to say that women (and men) don’t dress in ways that are sexually suggestive. They do, but it’s up to us to control how we respond in such circumstances. You can enjoy the view and move on, or, if tempted, avert your eyes and walk away. Or maybe you are looking for someone to date or marry. What first attracts you to someone? Their looks. I learned over time that Polly had a lot of traits that I found appealing, but it was her shapely, comely body, dark hair, and beauty that attracted me to her. While looks are never enough to build a lasting relationship, most relationships start with mutual physical (and sexual) attraction.
Did you grow up in an IFB church? Did your pastor preach on modesty? Did he single out teen girls and women? Please share your thoughts in the comment section.
Bruce Gerencser, 68, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 47 years. He and his wife have six grown children and sixteen 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 Black Collar Crime Series relies on public news stories and publicly available information for its content. If any incorrect information is found, please contact Bruce Gerencser. Nothing in this post should be construed as an accusation of guilt. Those accused of crimes are innocent until proven guilty.
Joshua Dice, a teacher at Calvary Christian Academy in Middleburg, Florida, stands accused of soliciting and traveling to meet a minor for sex. Calvary Christian is a ministry of Calvary Baptist Church, pastored by Ken Pledger. Pledger is a graduate of Midwestern Baptist College. He attended Midwestern with my partner’s father. (This is the same school Polly and I attended.) Calvary Baptist is an Independent Fundamentalist Baptist (IFB) congregation. This is the second teacher at Calvary Christian to be arrested for sex crimes. In 2022, Caitlin Rose Crum was arrested on charges of producing child porn and sexual assault.
An Orange Park man was arrested on Wednesday after being accused of soliciting and traveling to meet a minor for sex, according to the Clay County Sheriff’s Office.
Joshua Dice, 34, a now-former teacher at Calvary Christian Academy in Middleburg, was arrested around 12:40 p.m. after deputies found his car parked near a gym on Blanding Boulevard, according to his arrest report.
The arrest report states detectives asked Dice what had happened, but his response was redacted from the report.
News4JAX reached out to Calvary Christian Academy, and Pastor Ken Pledger responded with a statement saying in part that Dice was fired immediately after his arrest.
“We were informed that Mr. Josh Dice was arrested on June 11, 2025, on serious charges. These charges are unrelated to the activities of Calvary Baptist Church or Calvary Christian Academy. We are fully cooperating with law enforcement regarding this matter. Mr. Josh Dice’s role at Calvary Baptist Church and his position at Calvary Christian Academy were terminated immediately following his arrest. He no longer has any affiliation with these ministries. Our highest priority is the safety and well-being of our members and students. Calvary Baptist Church and Calvary Christian Academy maintain a strict policy of zero tolerance for abuse.”
Pastor Ken Pledger
Dice is facing three charges, including traveling to meet a minor, using a two-way communication device to facilitate a felony, and soliciting a child for unlawful sexual conduct using computer services or devices.
Caitlin Rose Crum was accused of having a sexual relationship with a child, who was one of her students.
Bruce Gerencser, 68, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 47 years. He and his wife have six grown children and sixteen 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.
