As unbelievers, we reject the claim that the Bible is the Word of God. We reject the notion that the Bible is inerrant and infallible. To most unbelievers, the Bible is just one book among many, no different from countless other literary works.
Why, then, do Evangelicals think quoting Bible verses to unbelievers will somehow, some way lead them to faith in Jesus Christ? Think of all the commenters over the years who have flooded the comment section of this blog with cut and paste blocks of Scripture, thinking that these words will have some sort of magical power over us. Why do they do this?
Evangelicals are taught that the Bible is a supernatural text with a supernatural message given to them by a supernatural God. It is different from all other books because its words are straight from the mouth of God. Remember, God only wrote one book — the B-I-B-L-E. Preferably, the KJV.
Sunday after Sunday, Evangelical preachers indoctrinate and condition congregants in beliefs that prop up the false notion that the Bible is an inerrant, infallible text; that when they read or hear the Bible preached, they are hearing the very words of God. So, in their minds, it stands to reason then, that Evangelicals think the words of the Bible have supernatural power. And when they find out the words don’t have the desired salvific effect with the unwashed, uncircumcised Philistines of the world, who do they blame? Themselves? The Bible? Nope, blame rests solely on unbelievers. We are to blame for not hearing what Paul said we cannot hear or understand.
Just remember, unbelievers. It is always our fault.
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 light is shining bright on the Texans, but that light is really reflective of our guys’ belief in … our Lord and savior Jesus Christ. That’s what has driven our team, and I’m so proud of our guys and thankful to the Lord for allowing us to allow our lights to shine through Him. All praise and honor goes to Him.
Why are we in the position that we’re in? Why are we able to do what we do. That’s by God blessing us with this awesome opportunity to reach back and teach these young men, help these young men, but we have to stay grounded in the Word. We can get caught up in our work, a lot of long hours, a lot of long days, but you can’t forget what sustains us, and that’s Jesus Christ.
It’s been a blessing. It’s been a heck of a year. I thank God I can just go another week with my teammates. This is like a dream come true as a reminder of how close we are as a team. I think definitely God is at the forefront of our minds, and we play for an audience of One. Even when everything is going crazy, you can lock hands and have patience. I’m blessed enough to have a leader like DeMeco who is open with his faith.
The Texans play for an audience of one? Really? Think about all the pressing needs in the world today, yet the sovereign God of the Bible takes time out of his busy day as the manager of the universe to watch and control NFL games. Misplaced priorities, anyone? And what about the Christian players on losing teams? Doesn’t God care about them too? Can’t God root for the Packers and the Bears or the Steelers and the Ravens at the same time? How does God decide which teams get a W on any given Sunday?
Ryans would have us believe that Texan players are sustained by Jesus alone. No one seriously believes this. If they did, there would be no need for training or physical therapy. Jesus will sustain us! See ya next Sunday! That’s not how it works. Players spend virtually every waking hour preparing for the next game. Coaches do the same. It seems to me that the football enterprise is long on human instrumentality and short on Jesus. Lots of non-Christian players thrive in the NFL. No need of Jesus. They know where their strength and ability come from.
When the Texans lose their next game, what will Ryans and Stroud say then? Will Jesus be praised for the L? Of course not. He’s a winner, not like those losers, the Houston Texans. Meanwhile, children starve, a lunatic sits in the White House and Jesus is where? In a suite at an NFL game, busy rooting for his “chosen” team.
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 follow a number of Evangelical blogs, websites, and podcasts. Recently, several sites had articles detailing the “notable” Christians who died. You know the big-name, big-shot Christians who died in 2025. When these alleged giants of the faith died, both secular and religious sites ran articles detailing their greatness.
As I read these articles, I couldn’t help wonder if God was upset over these dead Christians getting all the praise and glory for his works. Remember, Christians are helpless and hopeless without Jesus; that in and of themselves they can do no good thing. Jesus himself said, “Without me ye can do nothing.” Paul later added that humans cannot even move or breathe apart from God. Thus, Christianity has historically taught that all praise, honor, and glory belong to Jesus alone. We humans are mere tools used by God to advance his kingdom. It is God who deserves a pat on the back when we do good works, not us.
Watching a sporting event or music star interview and you will hear countless people give all the praise and glory for their exploits to Jesus. Without him, they couldn’t sing, run, punt, pass, or shoot. Forget genetics. Forget physical dispositions. Forget training and conditioning. Forget coaching. Forget parental involvement. The next time you watch gifted athletes ply their trade, remember it is all because of Jesus. In the grand scheme of things, the human is just a bit player in God’s cosmic play. When the annals of human history are written, they will only contain three words:God Did It! (With a footnote that says: Except the bad stuff. That’s on you, buddy.)
With these things in mind, it seems clear that praising the works of these “notable Christians” is an affront to God. Why? Because praising their works robs God of praise and honor that only belongs to him. However, as I read these articles about notable Christians who died in 2025, it seemed that a lot of these dead Christians were bigger than life; dare I say, bigger than Jesus?
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.
No one taught me as a child to save my first kiss for marriage. Kissing guys before marriage has become normalized. I was taught to save sex for marriage, thankfully.
Women, you must teach your children all of the Lord’s ways or culture will teach them culture’s depraved ways. God tells us in His Word: “Now concerning the things whereof ye wrote unto me: It is good for a man not to touch a woman. Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband.” (1 Corinthians 7:1,2)
Kissing is the first step to sexual intercourse. We all know this. It begins the “burning” process which God warns us that it is better to marry than to burn.
….
Teach your children that dating is ONLY for finding a suitable spouse. We didn’t allow our children to date until they were at least 18 years old. Before then, everything had to be done in groups or in our home. The first date should be something casual such as going out for coffee during the day. They need to begin asking the hard questions. Have them spend some time in your home so you and your husband can get to know them. If you have a close and loving relationship with your children, they will want your approval.
If they decide it is someone who they definitely are interested in maybe marrying, make sure they understand sexual purity and have strong boundaries in place. As they grow older, you do lose authority over them to enforce this, but you can be at peace knowing that you have done all that you can to give them Truth and a strong foundation. Pray diligently for them. They need to know the beauty of saving themselves completely for the wedding night.
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.
Today is the day. Soon we will drive from our home in Ney to Fort Wayne to attend a 1980s-focused concert at the Clyde Theater. I am in a lot of pain, so much so that if we had not already bought tickets, we would have stayed home. . .
After eating dinner at our favorite Chinese restaurant, we made our way over to the Clyde, arriving shortly before the gate opened. By this time, my body was screaming in pain, despite having already taken narcotic medications. “Such is life,” I told myself, knowing that pain is the high price I pay for admission.
The Clyde staffer who handles handicapped (ADA) seating already had three seats reserved for us at the front of the right loge section (our regular seats). By concert time, the venue was filled, ready for a wonderful night of ’80s rock and roll.
The show was everything we expected, and more. Two and half hours long, the concert took a toll on me physically. I can only imagine what the people sitting in back of us who watched me move back and front and side to side in my wheelchair trying to get comfortable must have thought. Throughout the night, I felt my partner’s hand on my leg, trying to comfort me in the midst of my suffering. A small gesture, but I appreciated it.
After the concert ended, we waited to leave the venue so we could avoid people cutting in front of me or banging into my wheelchair. Eventually, we made it to the lobby, only to find it crowded with people wanting to take a photo with the band.
My partner and our adult daughter with Down syndrome headed for the bathroom, as I sat there out of the way watching people, minding my own business. The girls returned from the bathroom. Finally . . . we are headed home. Soon I will feel the blessed heat of heated car seats on my body.
You, of course, knew none of these things. How could you? You and I don’t know each other. Outside of our common appreciation of ’80s rock music, we were total strangers. As we were walking away from the crowd, our daughter asked if she could have her picture taken with the band. I hesitated, wanting to get to the car as soon as possible . . . you know, the whole pain thing, right?
You heard my daughter’s request. Instead of letting me handle the matter, you quickly inserted yourself into our discussion.
“Come on, Dad. Let her get her picture taken.”
“Uh, no, we really need to go.”
“It will just take a minute.”
By now, dozens of people were staring at me, listening to this woman’s increasingly loud voice.
Thoroughly embarrassed, I finally acquiesced, and Bethany quickly joined the band for a picture.
But, you couldn’t leave well enough alone, could you?
“Come on Mom and Dad, you get in the picture too.”
“No, that’s okay.”
“Come on, you will be glad you did.”
“no, I . . .”
But you were insistent, and not wanting to be embarrassed any further, I said, “Fine.”
My partner started pushing my wheelchair towards the picture set, only to have me tersely say, “PLEASE STOP.” It took several pleas for the motion forward to stop. The venue was loud with conversation, so my partner could not hear me initially.
“I will use my cane instead.”
And with that, I tried to get out of my wheelchair, falling partially forward. Eventually, I made it to the front, and joined the picture. You were so happy that I played your game. Innocent or not, you showed no regard for me as a person. You decided you knew what was best for me; that I would regret not having this picture taken. What I regret is not putting you in your place. I regret not schooling you on personal space and bodily autonomy. I know you meant well, but you hurt me anyway. All I wanted to do was exit the venue, get in the car, and turn on the heated seats. Put yourself in my shoes. Is that too much to ask?
Please do better.
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.
Every Christmas season, I receive a handful of emails from Evangelicals irritated and upset by the fact that I still celebrate Christmas — which is my favorite holiday. According to these warriors for Jesus, Christmas is a CHRISTIAN holiday; one that atheists, agnostics, and other non-Christians have no business celebrating. How dare I celebrate a holiday that ONLY belongs to them!
First, I can do whatever I want. Don’t like that I celebrate Christmas? Tough shit. Go concern yourself with something that matters.
Second, whatever Christmas may have been in the past, it is no longer primarily a Christian holiday today. Sadly, most Christians are ignorant about the history of Christmas. How many of them know that Christmas was, at one time, banned by Puritans — the godliest of godly people? Christmas has evolved over the years. Today, it is largely a secular holiday, sprinkled with myths about a virgin-born, sinless God-man. One can celebrate Christmas without all the religious baggage. Others enjoy a secular-religious mix of celebration.
Bruce, Jesus is THE reason for the season! Really? Do you want to put this notion to the test? If someone is a committed follower of Jesus, you would think that their yard and house Christmas decorations would reflect their devotion to their Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Take a drive around your community, paying attention to each home’s decorations. How many of them have solely religious decorations — say crosses, creches, or signs with Bible verses? Others may have a mixture of religious and secular decorations. And finally, some homes will only have secular decorations.
What you will find is that very few homes strictly have religious decorations. In my community most homes either have secular decorations or a mix of religious and secular decorations. Completely religious displays are far and few in between.
If it is hypocritical for an atheist such as myself to celebrate Christmas, what are we to make of Christians who have wholeheartedly embraced the secular aspects of Christmas? Talk about hypocritical. If Jesus really is the reason for the season, why didn’t most Christians get the memo?
Christmas is whatever you want it to be. Don’t let anyone tell you what you can or cannot do for the holiday. And if Christians push the issue with you, I suggest asking for Biblical evidence for their assertions about Christmas. Better yet, point out the numerous contradictions in Jesus’ birth narratives found in the gospels. Or, just smile and ignore them. Remember, you don’t owe anyone an explanation for how you live your life.
All praise be to Loki for this wonderful holiday season.
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.
Recently, I received the following email from a Christian man named William:
NOW THAT YOU HAVE RENOUNCED CHRISTIANITY DO YOU FEEL YOU OWE IT TO THE CHRISTIANS YOU PREACHED TO AN EXPLANATION – HENCE, YOUR BLOG? AND WHEN YOU WERE A PREACHER DID YOU “TRULY” BELIEVE(AT LEAST AT THAT POINT IN TIME) WHAT YOU WERE TELLING THEM? OR WERE THERE DOUBTS FORMING EVEN THEN?
Evidently, William must think I am deaf since he SHOUTED his message to me. That aside, Williams asked three questions:
DO YOU FEEL YOU OWE IT TO THE CHRISTIANS YOU PREACHED TO AN EXPLANATION?
WHEN YOU WERE A PREACHER DID YOU “TRULY” BELIEVE WHAT YOU WERE TELLING THEM?
WERE THERE DOUBTS FORMING EVEN THEN?
No, I don’t owe former congregants an explanation for my loss of faith. Why should I, any more than anyone else, owe people an explanation for the major decisions I have made in my life? I owe my partner, Polly, an explanation, and maybe my children, grandchildren, siblings, and close friends, but everyone else? I don’t owe them anything. That said, I have spent the past eighteen years explaining why I left Christianity. Anyone, including former church members, can easily read about and understand my story. Millions of words have been sacrificed in my attempt to share my past and present experiences. A quick search of this site will answer every question a person might have.
William asks if I “truly” believed what I was preaching to church members? Of course, I did. There’s nothing in my life that suggests I was anything other than a committed follower of Jesus. You will search in vain for someone who knew me at the time that would suggest otherwise. While I am now an atheist, at the time I believed the core tenets of Christianity and did my best to follow the teachings of the Bible.
Doubts? We all have them. Did I ever have doubts as an Evangelical preacher? Sure. The difference between then and now is how I handle doubts. As a Christian, I trusted God to make all things known to me at his appointed time, according to his perfect will for my life. Instead of trusting God, I now trust my intellect and the academic skills I have developed over the years. When doubts crop up, I try to resolve them. And when I can’t, I say a prayer to Loki and put the matter away until I have better knowledge and understanding. Doubt is very much a part of the human experience.
I hope I adequately answered William’s questions.
Saved by Reason,
Bruce Gerencser, 69, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 48 years. He and his wife have six grown children and thirteen grandchildren. Bruce pastored Evangelical churches for twenty-five years in Ohio, Texas, and Michigan. Bruce left the ministry in 2005, and in 2008 he left Christianity. Bruce is now a humanist and an atheist.
Your comments are welcome and appreciated. All first-time comments are moderated. Please read the commenting rules before commenting.
Merry Christmas. May you and yours have a blessed holiday season, regardless of how you celebrate Christmas. Our family Christmas was last Saturday. We had half as many people as we typically do thanks to COVID, the flu, a band trip to Florida, and a recent move by one of our sons to Florida. That said, we had a wonderful time.
Yesterday, our youngest daughter’s fiancé had a massive stroke and is in the ICU. They removed the breathing tube today, and he is able to talk a bit. All the damage is to his left side, and it remains to be seen whether he will make a full recovery. We hope he does. John, age 41, is a fine man, and he makes our daughter happy, so that’s enough for us.
Enjoy the season. I know it’s hard to do with the menace currently inhabiting the White House, but we must not let the Orange Menace (Satan for Christians) rob us of our happiness and joy. I know, easier said than done.
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 rarely mention how readers can financially support my work. I have a hard time asking for money. This goes back to my preaching days when I had an aversion to “begging” congregants to give money to the church. I never wanted to be a money-grubbing preacher. That said, it does cost me money to operate this site. I determined from the start that I would not beg readers for money; I would pay for running the site, and if I reached a place where I could no longer do so, I would stop blogging. Fortunately, year after year enough donations come in to pay site expenses and provide a little bit extra for me to make a payment two on my Lear Jet.
How to Make A Donation
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2025 is coming to a close, and I want to take a moment to thank everyone who financially supported me in 2025. Your continued support is greatly appreciated. You should have received a “thank you” email from me. If you didn’t, please let me know so I have an updated email address for you.
Most readers never make a contribution, and I don’t expect them to do so. That said, donations and monthly payments are always appreciated. While I am not getting rich off of this blog, donations do help, so I appreciate every dollar I receive.
Be well.
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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