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Stupid Things Evangelicals Say About the Dead Sea Scrolls

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dead sea scrolls

Late nights are rough on me. Want to talk to me? Message or call me during the night, and I will likely be up. Why? Pain. Sure, I take pain medications and use cannabis, but all these wonder drugs do is lessen my pain, improving my quality of life. Due to widespread pain, especially neuropathic pain in my legs, I can rarely sleep more than two hours at a time. My therapist has worked with me so I don’t get frustrated and angry when I can’t sleep. She encourages me to go with the flow and sleep when I can. So, my nighttimes are quite fragmented. Typically, when I can’t sleep, I either listen to YouTube videos or podcasts. Of late, I have been listening to a lot of atheist debate call-in shows. Christians (and Muslims and Jews) are encouraged to call in and give evidence for the existence of God or the truthfulness of the Bible. What astounds me the most is how little many Evangelicals understand what the Bible teaches. More often than not, they are ill-prepared to:

But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear: having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ. For it is better, if the will of God be so, that ye suffer for well doing, than for evil doing. (I Peter 3:15-17)

Lately, an Evangelical man named Stevie has been calling into these shows, making all sorts of unsupported claims about Christianity and the Bible. Recently, Stevie argued that all four gospels were written before the fall of Jerusalem in 70 CE, and the Dead Sea Scrolls contain New Testament verses. Really? New Testament verses in the Dead Sea Scrolls? Do tell.

Unfortunately, none of the hosts challenged Stevie’s assertion about the Dead Sea Scrolls. Had they been better versed on the Bible, they could have told Stevie that the Dead Sea Scrolls do NOT contain ANY verses from the New Testament.

Object? Here’s what the Christian site LOGOS has to say about this claim:

A few scholars early in the study of the Dead Sea Scrolls suggested that some very small Greek fragments from Qumran were copies of New Testament books, but this idea was quickly debunked as the full contents of the collection became known and the manuscripts were more closely studied. There were no Christian texts discovered at Qumran or elsewhere among the Dead Sea Scrolls, nor is there any direct evidence of contact between the Qumran community and the early Jesus movement. Nevertheless, the Dead Sea Scrolls provide important background information and textual parallels that have helped scholars understand the New Testament better in light of its first century A.D. Judean context.

So much for Stevie’s claim. This is why when we are interacting with Evangelical apologists we should ALWAYS ask them for evidence for their claims. Don’t let them get by with prooftexting and bullshitting. After all, Evangelicals are duty bound to give an answer to every man that asketh them a reason of the hope that is in them.

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.

You can email Bruce via the Contact Form.

Christians Say the Darnedest Things: Another Bad Response to Atheists From an Evangelical Apologist

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liar

Evangelical apologist Curt Blattman wrote:

You see the atheist must indeed lead a lonely life since he does not believe in a divine Creator. By definition they must believe that they have no soul and no immortality. Since they came into existence by chance, and not divine design, any meaning they find in life is but a by-product of random occurrences. Even the great mysteries of our universe that cause us to ponder just who we are and why we are here, are a closed corridor of thought, to those who place God as something that exists only in one’s imagination.

If the atheist can show that the disciples were lying and the whole Christian story is a fabrication, then he must conclude that he came into existence from nothing and when he dies he will go back to nothing. And somehow in between these two states of nothingness he is supposed to find meaning in life!

Since the atheist has no god to believe in he places himself as the supreme person in his universe and spends the rest of his life searching for a reason for his existence. Searching every pathway, every byway, overturning every stone, examining every philosophy, and experiencing every feeling, as he comes to the end of his journey, the answer he finds is that none exists!

….

 What does the life of an atheist offer its followers but a life of no meaning, no accountability, and no hope for a life to come. And in the last analysis if there is no God then the atheist can enjoy his sin since he doesn’t have to worry about being accountable to a holy God. Thus, he can do what is right in his own eyes. So, who would die for a lie? The Christian is betting his eternal destiny on Jesus. The atheist if he is right loses big time. My friends I know that Jesus is who He says He is because He transformed my life. Jesus is no lie – He is the way, the truth, and the life!

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.

You can email Bruce via the Contact Form.

Black Collar Crime: Evangelical Youth Pastor Shaun Hertlein Accused of Sex Crimes Involving Minors

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shaun hertlein

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.

Shaun Hertlein, a youth pastor at South Coast Church in Goleta, California and an assistant coach at Dos Pueblos High School in Goleta, stands accused of sending sexual images to a minor, communicating with a minor with the intent to commit specific crimes, and possession of obscene images of a child.

Channel 12 reports:

A Goleta pastor who also coached high school students has been arrested on felony sex crime charges involving minors.

Shaun Donald Hertlein, 42, was taken into custody Friday, May 9, after Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s detectives served him with a warrant. Detectives began investigating Hertlein in April.

He faces charges including sending sexual images to a minor, communicating with a minor with the intent to commit specific crimes, and possession of obscene images of a child. His bail is set at $500,000.

Sheriff’s officials said Hertlein worked with children at a church in the 5800 block of Cathedral Oaks Road. Online videos list him as a pastor at South Coast Church at that same address. Social media posts also show his affiliation with the Santa Barbara Fellowship of Christian Athletes.

Superintendent Hilda Maldonado confirmed Hertlein is an assistant coach at Dos Pueblos High School in Goleta on Monday.

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.

You can email Bruce via the Contact Form.

Black Collar Crime: Evangelical Youth Pastor Ryan McElrath Sentenced to 21 Years in Prison for Sexual Misconduct with a Minor

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ryan mcelrath

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.

Earler this year, Ryan McElrath, a youth pastor at Fellowship Bible Church in Jackson, Tennessee, was accused of raping a seventeen-year-old church girl. McElrath pleaded guilty to sexual misconduct charges and was sentenced to 21 years in prison.

Channel 7 reported:

A Jackson youth pastor has been arrested on rape charges.

According to booking information from the Madison County jail, 39-year-old Ryan McElrath was booked into the jail around 5:48 p.m. on Tuesday.

Jackson Police Department’s online Police To Citizen resource shows that McElrath was arrested at a residence on Willow Green Drive, with charges listed as sexual battery by an authority figure, statutory rape, and statutory rape by an authority figure – forcible rape.

In a social media post made by Fellowship Bible Church prior to his arrest — which is no longer accessible — McElrath is described as a “high school pastor.” At the time of this report, the church also has several videos on their website where McElrath can be seen as a featured speaker.

McElrath also hosted a religion-based podcast with episodes ranging from October 2021 – November 2023. The podcast’s description states: “Here, at Fellowship Bible Church in Jackson, TN, we are starting our very first Family Podcast in which we are going to create space for families to have great conversations with their kids and have fun at the same time!”

A June 14, 2024 update stated:

A warrant has revealed additional details in the arrest of youth pastor Ryan McElrath. According to the warrant, on the morning of June 11, a man visited the Jackson Police Department to report a sexual assault against his daughter. The warrant states on May 31, 2024, McElrath engaged in sexual contact with a 17-year-old female victim at Fellowship Bible Church, located at 141 Pleasant Plains Road in Jackson. According to the warrant, McElrath met the victim in the high school area of the church for approximately 30 minutes. McElrath is expected to appear in Jackson City Court on June 26th at 9:30 a.m.

Fellowship Bible released the following statement:

Ryan McElrath is no longer employed at Fellowship due to criminal charges filed June 11. Within hours of the allegations, the matter was investigated, Ryan admitted to the violation, and was terminated. The church immediately supported the victim in reporting the allegations to local law enforcement, and notified parents and students. The church is cooperating fully with local authorities, and is engaging an external agency to audit church policies and procedures as well as provide guidance on continued care for the victim and the church. Our priority continues to be the privacy and well-being of the victim, the victim’s family, our students and their parents.

“As a church community we are absolutely devastated by this. And, as a parent, I share in our God’s outrage and grief when the innocent are harmed. We are acting in cooperation with law enforcement in caring for the victim and the victim’s family.”

Eugene Brandt, Lead Pastor Fellowship

After his sentencing, Channel 7 reported:

A former youth pastor in Jackson has been sentenced to prison for sex crimes involving a minor.

In June 2024, then 39-year-old Ryan McElrath, a former youth pastor at Fellowship Bible Church in Jackson, was booked into the Madison County jail on charges involving inappropriate sexual conduct with a minor.

A warrant revealed that the arrest stemmed from an alleged incident that took place at the church between McElrath and a 17-year-old female victim.

In February 2025, McElrath pled guilty to “use of a facility and means of interstate commerce to persuade, induce, entice a minor to engage in criminal sexual acts.” The plea agreement includes that McElrath will be placed on the national sex offender registry.

On June 6, 2025, McElrath was sentenced at the U.S. District Court in Jackson to 252 months (21 years) in federal custody and five years supervised release. He was also ordered to pay over $8,000 in restitution.

The court also recommended that McElrath be housed at a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility as close to Phoenix, Arizona as possible.

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.

You can email Bruce via the Contact Form.

Black Collar Crime: Southern Baptist Pastor Allan Jones Sentenced for Child Porn Possession

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pastor allan jones

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.

Allan Jones, pastor of Lifeway Church in Indianapolis, Indiana, pleaded guilty to child pornogpraphy possession and will spend the next six months in jail.

WKRG-5 reports:

A former Baptist church pastor will spend six months in jail after pleading guilty to child pornography possession.

Allan Kyle Jones, 50, was arrested in August 2023 on multiple charges after explicit images of minors were found on his phone, according to officials. 

Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office deputies received a cyber tip from a company that monitors illegal online activity, prompting the investigation.

None of the children in the images seemed to be from the area, officials said at the time.

Jones pleaded guilty to one of the charges and received a 10-year sentence, split to serve six months in jail and three years of probation, plus various fines and court costs.

Jones was the pastor of Lifeway Community Church on Thompson Road.

Lagniappe adds:

The pastor of a Loxley church, which routinely hosted homeschool and youth fine arts activities, is being accused of possessing pornographic videos and photographs of young girls.

Allan Kyle Jones, 48, pastor of Lifeway Community Church in Loxley, is facing four criminal charges for possessing sexually explicit images. He was arrested Tuesday morning by the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO) and released several hours later on a $60,000 bond.

Cpt. Andre Reid with the Baldwin County Major Crimes Unit stated his office has been investigatingJones for several weeks after receiving a tip. He said detectives collected enough details to establish probable cause and obtained a warrant to search Jones’ cell phone.

“Mr. Jones has been charged with four counts of possession of obscene material containing the visual depiction of a person under 17 years of age. This investigation is still ongoing, and evidence is being analyzed,” he said.

Additional charges may be added once BCSO completes its investigation, Reid said.

A criminal complaint detailing Jones’ accusations was made public Thursday afternoon, Aug. 31. That document states Jones was arrested and charged after law enforcement officers confirmed the presence of images and video of “prepubescent” girls on his Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra cell phone.

The U.S. Sentencing Commission states prepubescent children are generally 13 years old or younger and lists sexual attraction to this age group among the criteria for pedophilia.

According to court filings, Jones had numerous explicit images of female minors and a 4-second video of a girl pulling down her pants. Those materials were reportedly downloaded on Aug. 25 and depict the girls showing their anus, vagina and breasts while they pose.

The state’s online court database lists Jones’ wife and mother as witnesses, in addition to a confidential source. It does not specify who made a report or how the witnesses are involved in the case. Fairhope attorney Patrick Prendergast is representing Jones.

“[Mr. Jones] maintains his innocence and looks forward to the facts coming out in court,” Prendergast said in a statement.

A preliminary hearing has been scheduled for Oct. 5.

According to state license records, Lifeway Community Church was formed in 2001. The church’s website states Jones has been the pastor since 2015. A home address on Jones’ booking sheet is identical to the church’s address; he reportedly lives in a residence on church property.

The church is listed as a member of the Baldwin Baptist Association, which serves area Southern Baptist churches. It’s the denomination’s policy for affiliated churches to autonomously govern themselves.

….

A review of Lifeway church’s online profiles and other pages suggests homeschool students would have been commonly present at the church building through various fine arts programs. A source who has attended homeschool events at Lifeway described the church as a hub for homeschool activities and said Jones had “entrenched” himself in the homeschool community. Authorities have given no indication Jones had inappropriate behavior with children at the church.

Various social media pages for Baldwin County homeschool families and events indicate workshops and events for homeschooled students were regularly hosted at Lifeway church.

One post promoting a homeschool expo stated, “The Jones family is always there to help anyone in need, especially our local homeschool community! Pastor Allen Jones is the pastor of Lifeway Community Church in Loxley. They have hosted many homeschool events at their church and have been so welcoming.”

Additionally, the church regularly hosted the Impact Youth Theater group and accommodated other homeschool-oriented fine arts organizations, such as choir and orchestra. Jones’ LinkedIn profile indicates he has professional acting experience and has participated in community theater productions.

It is currently unclear if Jones plans to continue to act as Lifeway’s pastor or if the conditions of his bond will prevent the church from holding youth events while his charges are pending.

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.

You can email Bruce via the Contact Form.

Black Collar Crime: Methodist Pastor Myron Chorbajian and His Wife Face Numerous Sex Crime Charges

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myron and kathleen chorbajian

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.

Myron Chorbajian, pastor of First Southern Methodist Church in Greenville, South Carolina and his wife, Kathleen, face ninety criminal charges, including child sexual abuse and attempted murder.

WRDW reports:

New warrants released in the investigation into a Greenville County pastor and his wife reveal more allegations of disturbing abuse.

In May, Myron Chorbajian and Kathleen Chorbajian were arrested after a victim came forward about abuse that reportedly started in the 1980s. Initial reports from investigators detailed extensive child sexual abuse and animal killings.

Myron is the pastor of First Southern Methodist Church in Greenville. He and his wife reportedly adopted numerous children over the years.

The Chorbajians now face a combined 90 charges, including two attempted murder charges against Myron.

The Greenville County Sheriff’s Office released the new warrants in the case on Thursday, which contain graphic details. Some of the allegations are too disturbing to report.

The attempted murder charges stem from alleged incidents in the 1990s where, according to his arrest warrants, Myron cut off oxygen to victims by holding them underwater or placing his arms around the victim’s neck.

The  warrant says Kathleen “allowed her husband to force their children to smoke until they vomited.” A related warrant against Myron says it was “several packs of cigarettes.”

Myron also forced children to eat trash and feces, other warrants state.

A warrant says Myron killed a 6-year-old girl’s pet rabbit in front of her with an axe and forced the child to eat the rabbit.

To “prove the consequence of disobedience,” a warrant says Myron threw a child’s pet kitten into the running engine of a van.

Myron sexually abused a child on the victim’s 12th birthday, according to a warrant. He’s accused of committing child sex crimes both on his home couch and an office couch of his place of work at the time. During one of the sexual assaults, Myron is accused of restricting a child’s breathing until she passed out.

Kathleen is accused of handcuffing a child to the bed for days during one instance of abuse detailed in a warrant. She also reportedly slapped and struck children in the face with items causing bleeding.

A warrant says Myron took a victim to the woods, stripped her naked, and beat her with a stick “leaving long lasting bruises.” Kathleen knew about it, the warrant against her states.

The Chorbajians were denied bond again during a hearing on Tuesday and remain in the Greenville County Detention Center.

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.

You can email Bruce via the Contact Form.

Black Collar Crime: Evangelical Pastor Dominic Foor Accused of Sexually Abusing Teenagers

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dominic foor

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.

Dominic Foor, the former pastor of Pathway Apostolic Church, current pastor of New Direction Church, both in Columbus, Ohio and the operator Foor U Construction, stands accused of sexually abusing two teenagers.

WBNS-10 reports:

A 23-count indictment was filed against a central Ohio pastor who is accused of sexually abusing a teenager.

The indictment filed in the Pickaway County Court of Common Pleas states that 39-year-old Dominic Foor faces the following charges:

11 counts of sexual battery

Six counts of unlawful sexual conduct with a minor

Six counts of importuning

According to the indictment, the first incident reportedly happened at a home on Lockbourne Eastern Road in Ashville on Nov. 3, 2022, when the victim was 15 years old. The indictment also states that the incidents lasted through Nov. 26, 2024.

Captain Johnathan Strawser with the Pickaway County Sheriff’s Office said the original complaint was brought forward on Nov. 28, 2024, and it has been under investigation since.

Strawser added at the time of the incidents, Foor was a pastor at Pathway Apostolic Church in Columbus.

10TV reached out to the church, which stated that Foor had left his position in March. The church said he is currently serving as the pastor of New Direction Church on Parsons Avenue.

A judge set a $250,000 bond for Foor when he appeared in court on Tuesday.

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.

You can email Bruce via the Contact Form.

Sounds of Fundamentalism: Stupid Preacher Says Stupid Things, And Stupid Church Members Clap and Cheer

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John Amanchukwu

The Sounds of Fundamentalism is a series that I would like readers to help me with. If you know of a video clip that shows the crazy, cantankerous, or contradictory side of Evangelical Christianity, please send me an email with the name or link to the video. Please do not leave suggestions in the comment section.  Let’s have some fun!

Today’s Sound of Fundamentalism is a video clip of Evangelical preacher John Amanchukwu whipping up the crowd as he rails against LGBTQ people, effeminate boys, and drama clubs.

Video Link

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.

You can email Bruce via the Contact Form.

True or False? Happiness is the Lord

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happiness is the lord

For those of us raised in Evangelical churches, we are acutely familiar with a song titled Happiness is the Lord:

Happiness is to know the Saviour,
Living a life within His favour,
Having a change in my behaviour,
Happiness is the Lord.
Happiness is a new creation,
Jesus and me in close relation,
Having a part in His salvation,
Happiness is the Lord.

Real joy is mine,
No matter if the teardrops start,
I’ve found a secret,
It’s Jesus in my heart.

Happiness is to be forgiven,
Living a life that’s worth the livin’,
Taking a trip that leads to Heaven,
Happiness is the Lord.

Real joy is mine,
No matter if the teardrops start,
I’ve found a secret,
It’s Jesus in my heart,
Jesus in my heart.
Happiness is to be forgiven,
Living a life that’s worth the livin’,
Taking a trip that leads to Heaven,
Happiness is the Lord,
Happiness is the Lord,
Happiness is the Lord.

If you dare, watch the following video. You will immediately have an earworm that you can’t get rid of.

Video Link

Released in 1972, Happiness is the Lord is a song that children sing over and over and over again in Evangelical churches. I was in ninth grade when this song came out, and it quickly became a hit among the church’s teens.

What is this song teaching children about happiness?

  • Happiness is Jesus
  • Happiness is living a life in Jesus’ favor
  • Happiness is changed behavior
  • Happiness is a new creation (in Christ)
  • Happiness is a close relationship with Jesus
  • Happiness is having a part in Jesus’ salvation
  • Happiness is to be forgiven
  • Happiness is living a life worth living
  • Happiness is a trip to Heaven

From their nursery years forward, Evangelical children are indoctrinated and conditioned to believe that happiness only comes through Jesus. Without Jesus, children live meaningless lives. Want a life worth living? Want to have your sins (and don’t worry, kids, we will tell you all the behaviors that are sins and affronts to Jesus) forgiven? Want to go to Heaven when you die? Who doesn’t, right? According to Evangelicals, Jesus is the answer to every one of these questions.

Of course, what naturally follows is the idea that without Jesus, you can’t be happy. Your life isn’t worth living, and when you die, you will go to Hell. When life is framed in this manner, is it any wonder that the majority of Evangelical children make salvation decisions by the time they are out of elementary school?

Is happiness possible without Jesus? Of course it is. People were happy for thousands of years before Jesus arrived on the scene, and countless people have been happy since then, all without believing in and worshipping a dead Jew.

Google defines happiness this way:

Happiness is a state of well-being and contentment, often described as experiencing joy, satisfaction, and fulfillment. It’s a subjective experience, meaning what brings happiness to one person might not be the same for another. Happiness can be found in both fleeting moments and overall life satisfaction.

Note that the definition doesn’t mention Jesus as the source of happiness. Millions of Evangelicals lustily sing Happiness is the Lord, but their lives reveal that these words mean little to them. I pastored lots of unhappy believers; people who sang Happiness is the Lord on Sundays, and lived miserable, unhappy lives the rest of the week.

I deconverted seventeen years ago. Did unhappiness overwhelm me after I divorced Jesus? Nope. What changed was the locus of my happiness. As a Christian, my happiness was rooted in Jesus. As an atheist, my happiness is found in the simple things of life: Polly, our six children, our sixteen grandchildren, and four cats. Lots of happiness to go around for the Gerencser family. I also find happiness in nature and observing the lives of others. We did some shopping tonight at the Aldi store in Auburn, Indiana. I was in a good mood, even though I was in a lot of pain. I chatted with several shoppers. One Amish woman (we have a large Amish community near where we live) was shopping with her teen daughters and a toddler. I watched as the toddler ran down the aisles, evading her older sisters. I briefly talked to the mother, commenting on her daughter’s energy. We both laughed, traded a few pleasantries, and continued shopping. You know what I felt in that moment? Happiness.

None of us needs God/Jesus to be happy. If you think you do, you have been indoctrinated and conditioned. Life is what you make it, and even in the midst of suffering and loss, happiness can be found. We bought some hot dogs for the feral/stray cats that frequent our yard. Tonight, there were four adult cats and five kittens at our back door. I cut up hot dogs and put them on the porch. It was every cat for herself. I was delighted to see the kittens eating solid food. Again, how did I feel? Happy. Later tonight, four coons that have been visiting us at night will make an appearance. Their antics provide loads of entertainment. How will I feel? Happy. Happy for the sake of being happy, and happy that the coons made to our yard without getting hit on the highway in front of our home.

None of us needs Jesus to find happiness. Even if you are a Christian, Jesus is not the sum of your happiness. Expand your horizons and embrace life. You will find all the happiness you will ever need.

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.

You can email Bruce via the Contact Form.

I Found a Picture of Revival Fires

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I “found” a picture of Revival Fire on the Internet today. RF a gay-hating, Obama-hating Evangelical man who leaves disgusting comments on this site, Enjoy. 🤣