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.
Elizabeth Bryson, the wife of John Bryson, a prominent Evangelical pastor in Memphis and Acts 29 board member before he resigned and returned with his family to Harlan, Kentucky, has been charged with fourth-degree assault (child abuse) and second-degree strangulation.
The wife of a former, prominent Memphis, Tenn., pastor and former Acts 29 board member has been arrested and booked on charges of 4th degree assault (child abuse) and 2nd degree strangulation.
Elizabeth Bryson, 52, was arrested on April 11 by police in Harlan, Ky., according to a police report obtained by The Roys Report (TRR). The Bryson family had moved to Harlan from Memphis several months ago. The child abuse charge is a Class A misdemeanor, carrying a sentence of up to one year in prison. The strangulation charge is a Class D felony, carrying a potential penalty of one to five years in prison.
Bryson is the wife of John Bryson, who founded and for more than 20 years, pastored Fellowship Memphis, a prominent, ethnically diverse church in Memphis. Pastor Bryson resigned from the church last August, stating that he wanted to return to Harlan, where his extended family lives, for the sake of his kids.
Bryson also served on the board of the church planting organization Acts 29 but rolled off the board in 2016. Until last year, he also chaired the board of City Leadership, a nonprofit that seeks to recruit and develop talented leaders in Memphis.
According to the Harlan police report concerning Elizabeth Bryson, an officer received a call of a possible “domestic where the accused was intoxicated” at 1:30 a.m. last Tuesday. When police arrived at the Bryson home, they were met by two children, aged 14 and 15.
The children reportedly stated that their mother was drunk and had “attacked the 15 year (old), throwing and busting at TV, throwed an iPAD, and blueberries that the child was or had been eating.”
The children said the mother grabbed the 15-year-old “and began choking him in a headlock, pulling his hair and hitting him in multiple places including arms and back,” the report stated. It added that the 14-year-old helped get his mother off the 15-year-old.
The report added that when officers arrived, the mother was “upstairs in her bedroom with the door locked.” Officers knocked on the door multiple times with no answer “even after we announced police,” the report said.
One of the children gave police a door key, which officers used to enter the bedroom, the statement continued. At that point, Elizabeth Bryson responded to police, the statement said.
“She was ex-streamly (sic) intoxicated, had slurred speech, and staggering with a strong odor of alcoholic beverage,” the statement said. Bryson “denied hitting the child and kept saying they stole my car keys,” the statement added. It also noted that the latest incident “makes several times officers has been called to the residence over disturbances or domestics.”
Bruce Gerencser, 66, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 45 years. He and his wife have six grown children and thirteen grandchildren. Bruce pastored Evangelical churches for twenty-five years in Ohio, Texas, and Michigan. Bruce left the ministry in 2005, and in 2008 he left Christianity. Bruce is now a humanist and an atheist.
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.
Donny Raney, pastor of Okeechobee Missionary Baptist Church in Okeechobee, Florida, stands accused of having an inappropriate sexual relationship with a teen girl at the school where he worked.
A middle school coach and pastor from Okeechobee has been arrested on suspicion of a romantic relationship with an 18-year-old student at the high school, the county’s school district and sheriff’s office said Thursday.
Donny Raney, 36, was arrested Wednesday and faces a charge of offenses against a student by an authority figure. Raney was booked into the Okeechobee County jail. He has since posted bond and has been released.
The sheriff’s office said a detective received information on April 12 from a woman who said her daughter, a student at the high school, about concerns she was having a relationship with Raney, including video of him on her cellphone.
The school district said on Friday it was contacted by a detective regarding inappropriate conduct between an individual who has served as a baseball and basketball coach from Yearling Middle School and an 18-year-old student.
“Mr. Raney has been removed from all coaching activities and contact with students,” the school district said in a news release posted on Facebook. “The district has notified the Office of Professional Practices for further sanctions.”
During an interview with Raney on Wednesday, the detective “asked him how he knew (redacted), to which he replied through chaplaincy and seeing her around the last year. He explained that he helps with chapel services during sports at the High School. He has never been her actual coach.”
Raney is listed as a pastor at Okeechobee Missionary Baptist Church on its Facebook page (which is currently inactive).
The detective said he questioned Raney about the cellphone video, which was located on the phone, sent by him. Raney explained he had a physical relationship with her.
Normally, the fact that the girl was eighteen would mean that this was a consensual adult relationship. However, Raney is an authority figure in this teenager’s life, thus he was charged with a sex crime.
Bruce Gerencser, 66, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 45 years. He and his wife have six grown children and thirteen grandchildren. Bruce pastored Evangelical churches for twenty-five years in Ohio, Texas, and Michigan. Bruce left the ministry in 2005, and in 2008 he left Christianity. Bruce is now a humanist and an atheist.
Independent Fundamentalist Baptist (IFB) luminary Russell T. Anderson died yesterday. Over the course of his life, Anderson helped start, through his multi-million dollar contributions, seven IFB colleges and 1,300 churches. One of those colleges was Hyles-Anderson College in Crown Point, Indiana.
Hyles-Anderson posted the following statement:
We are saddened to announce the passing of our co-founder, Dr. Russell Anderson. He went to Heaven with his family by his side last evening at 7:34 p.m. Dr. Anderson and Dr. Jack Hyles were the best of friends and worked together to start Hyles-Anderson College in 1972. Dr. Anderson was a regular source of encouragement and support for Hyles-Anderson College.
Russell Anderson’s passion for souls was contagious. His dedication to training the next generation was evident. His generosity and true spirit of giving was unmatched. Dr. Anderson was a friend who will be greatly missed on this earth, but who was undoubtedly welcomed with a hero’s welcome at the doorway to Heaven.
Thank you, Dr. Anderson, for your love for Jesus, your friendship for decades, and your eternal investment in Hyles-Anderson College.
Please keep his family in your prayers at this time.
Anderson was hardcore IFB until the end. Part preacher, part businessman, he devoted his time, energy, and money to advancing the IFB cause.
Several readers have asked me to opine on Anderson. I really don’t know much about the man other than he was the money behind Hyles-Anderson College and several other IFB college institutions. That said, I did have one memorable interaction with him one Sunday in 1971 at Trinity Baptist Church in Findlay, Ohio.
Trinity Baptist is an IFB church. During the time I attended the church, it was pastored by Gene Millioni. Ron Johnson was the assistant pastor, and Bruce Turner was the youth pastor (please see Dear Bruce Turner). I was an active member of the youth group, though in 1971 I had yet to be saved and called to preach. That would happen in 1972. In 1971, I was a rebellious youth, focused on having fun, chasing girls, and hanging out with my friends. I wasn’t as rebellious as my non-IFB schoolmates, but, as my school friends will tell you, I had an ornery streak. They will likely tell you of the time in the fall of 1971 when I told Bob Bolander, a man in the church who was holding a youth group hayride at his rural home, to go fuck himself. 🙂 I had quite a sharp tongue, but Jesus delivered me from cursing when he saved me at a revival meeting in 1972. Seriously, I stopped swearing for decades after Jesus washed my mouth out with soap.
On the Sunday mentioned above, Russell Anderson was scheduled to preach. I was sitting in the far back of the church with several of my friends. There were folding chairs in the back of the auditorium, so I was as far away from the preaching as I could get. Sitting down the row from me and my friends was Ralph Ashcraft, a church deacon. Ralph was the father of a friend of mine named Rod. I don’t remember if Rod was sitting with me on that particular day. I suspect not. Most church teenagers tried to get as far away from their parents as they possibly could.
Anderson started preaching, and that was the signal for me and my equally restless friends to start horsing around. Somewhere in his sermon, I caught Anderson’s eye. He stopped his sermon and called me out, telling me that I needed to sit still and listen. This was common behavior from IFB preachers. They are known for publicly chastising and embarrassing congregants for not behaving in ways deemed appropriate by these so-called men of God during church services.
I sat up and paid attention for a few minutes, but boredom quickly returned, and I went back to horsing around with my friends. My behavior got Anderson’s attention again, and in classic bully fashion, he stopped his sermon, and called on one of the ushers to go sit with that redheaded boy in the back and straighten him out! Welp, “redheaded boy” told everyone, including my parents, that Bruce Gerencser was misbehaving. Ralph Ashcraft, jingling keys hanging from his belt, plopped down next to me, telling me to sit up and behave. Busted. 🙂 The next Sunday, and a few after, I was consigned to church hell — sitting next to my parents. Eventually, Mom and Dad allowed me to return to my wicked ways.
Bruce Gerencser, 66, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 45 years. He and his wife have six grown children and thirteen grandchildren. Bruce pastored Evangelical churches for twenty-five years in Ohio, Texas, and Michigan. Bruce left the ministry in 2005, and in 2008 he left Christianity. Bruce is now a humanist and an atheist.
In a country where Christianity is increasingly becoming irrelevant and unimportant, zealous Christians seek ways to remind Americans that their God is alive and well; that he still matters; that they still matter.
Twenty years ago, “God” gave Johnny Maxwell, the pastor of Nature’s Trail Church — an Evangelical church in Priceville, Alabama — a “vision” of erecting a 120-foot cross. Nature’s Trail Church advertises itself as the “Outdoorsman Family Church.”
Today, Maxwell’s “vision” became a reality. AL.com reports:
The Cross of North Alabama now stands, a glistening white symbol raised Thursday morning to its prominent perch near Decatur with one group’s mission of helping share the hope and love the Bible says is found in Jesus.
A crowd gathered to watch, perhaps 200 people or more who lined the site just off Alabama Highway 67 in Priceville with their cars and lawn chairs and armed with cellphone cameras to capture the moment. The raising of the cross began a minute or two after 10 a.m. and the head of the construction company that raised it declared the process complete about 30 minutes later.
It’s a striking structure, standing an attention-grabbing 120 feet tall a few yards off the busy highway in an otherwise rural area about two miles east of Interstate 65. And that’s the point.
Maxwell told reporters:
We want all Christians and all people who care about Jesus to know that they can come here. This is a good place to kneel and pray and have your time with God.
While Christians and churches are free to spend their money as they wish, I question whether the $300,000 spent to build and erect this cross could have been better spent on meeting the tangible needs of the people Jesus called “the least of these.” Outdoor spectacles such as this one are common, but to what end?
Every time I drive to Cincinnati, I pass by an Evangelical church in Dayton with a huge Jesus statute.
This big ass Jesus is called by locals, Big Butter Jesus. This Jesus is a replacement for the first Jesus who was struck by lightning and burned to the ground — a sure sign that God meant it when he said “no graven images.” 🙂
The Cross of North Alabama (CONA) is meant to be a place where Christians can come and pray. I thought God was omnipresent; that God is everywhere. Why do Christians need a $300,000 spot along the highway to pray? How about shooting a prayer up to Jesus on your way to caring for orphans and widows, feeding the hungry, visiting prisoners in jail, and providing for the homeless? You know, that stuff Jesus mentioned a few times in the Bible. Did Maxwell and his merry band of followers ever bother to ask, What Would Jesus Do? That’s a rhetorical question, by the way.
CONA is not just any old cross; according to Maxell, it’s a monument to hope. How is the cross a monument to hope? It is a 120-foot reminder of Roman cruelty. What’s hopeful about an itinerate preacher being nailed to an instrument of execution?
Five Bibles were placed in the foundation of the cross, including one from an Iraq veteran. Christians also wrote Bible verses on the metal substructure of the cross. Feel good stuff, to be sure, but nothing that will make a meaningful difference in the world. “We Love You, Lord” was spray painted on the interior structure of the CONA. Evidently, the sovereign Lord of the Universe — the God who knows our thoughts and sees everything we do — doesn’t know who loves him.
I suspect that if Jesus were alive today that he would not approve of the CONA. So much real need and suffering in the world, yet Christians continue to spend massive amounts of money on everything but. I took issue with such behavior back in my preaching days, and I still do today.
Jesus said in Matthew 6:19-21:
Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
While Christians will endlessly debate what Jesus meant, it seems clear to me that he was saying that how we spend our money and what we spend it on reflects what we truly value and believe. This is true for Christians and atheists alike.
Again, Maxwell and his friends are free to spend their money on whatever they want. Just remember, the world is watching.
Bruce Gerencser, 66, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 45 years. He and his wife have six grown children and thirteen grandchildren. Bruce pastored Evangelical churches for twenty-five years in Ohio, Texas, and Michigan. Bruce left the ministry in 2005, and in 2008 he left Christianity. Bruce is now a humanist and an atheist.
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.
Robert Gordon, a music teacher at First United Pentecostal Church in Security, Colorado, and a public school bus driver, was charged last week with sexual assault on a child by one in a position of trust, sexual assault on a child, unlawful sexual contact, and enticement of a child.
A former church music teacher accused of sexually assaulting a child may have more victims, according to arrest papers obtained by 11 News.
The papers listed a 17-year-old victim, along with the 14-year-old whose parents first brought the case to law enforcement’s attention.
As 11 News first reported last week, 58-year-old Robert Henry Gordon was arrested April 13, three days after the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office received a tip from those parents.
According to the arrest affidavit, the victim’s mother first noticed something wasn’t right when she saw her son using a cell phone in his bedroom — despite never owning one.
“The parents of the child, a 14-year-old male, found inappropriate text messages between their child and the suspect,” part of a news release from EPSO reads. “The parents reported their findings to the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office. An El Paso County Sheriff’s Office patrol deputy took the initial report and immediately forwarded the information to detectives. SVU detectives conducted further investigation. The child was interviewed by a certified forensic interviewer and evidence collected.”
The child told investigators Gordon gave him the phone, according to the arrest papers. The papers go on to say that the boy told law enforcement Gordon would use religion to justify their relationship.
The sheriff’s office said Gordon served as a music teacher at First United Pentecostal Church in Security and worked as a school bus driver in multiple districts, including Widefield School District 3.
….
Gordon remains in jail as of Monday night and is being held without bond. He is facing charges of sexual assault on a child by one in a position of trust, sexual assault on a child, unlawful sexual contact, and enticement of a child.
The arrest papers say Gordon’s criminal history includes similar charges dating back to the late 90s. He has pleaded guilty to some of these past charges and been acquitted on others.
Two new cases involving child sexual misconduct have been brought against Robert Gordon on the same day as his first court appearance for alleged sexual assault on a child in a third case.
Gordon, a 58-year-old church music teacher and former bus driver, was arrested April 13 on suspicion of sexual assault on a child by a person in a position of trust, sexual assault on a child, unlawful sexual contact and enticement of a child after an investigation by the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office.
On Thursday, two additional criminal cases were brought against Gordon. In one, Gordon faces one charge of enticing a child, and in the other, he faces alleged sexual exploitation of a child, enticement of a child and child abuse.
In the original case from last week, the parents of a 14-year-old boy reported finding inappropriate text messages earlier this month between their son and Gordon, a friend of the family, according to the arrest affidavit obtained by The Gazette.
The affidavit revealed that the victim spent most weekends at Gordon’s house, where the victim told investigators he engaged in sexual behaviors with either Gordon or another juvenile almost every weekend for around three years. He was 11 years old the first time he spent the night in Gordon’s bedroom and Gordon allegedly had sex with him.
Gordon allegedly gave the victim gifts and money, and justified the alleged sexual abuse with a religious sermon about respecting elders, the affidavit said.
The affidavit referenced a 17-year-old who also spent weekends at Gordon’s house and may have also engaged in sexual activity with the victim in this case, according to the affidavit.
Gordon is due back in court on April 27 for official filing of charges in this case and is being held on no bond, court records show.
Gordon was the subject of a yearlong investigation in El Paso County that began in August 2011, according to previous reporting by The Gazette. A male victim reported he and Gordon allegedly had a sexual relationship in 2001 when the boy was around 12 years old. He was said to have met Gordon at a church in Security-Widefield.
In a 2011 interview with an El Paso County sheriff’s deputy during this investigation, “Mr. Gordon did admit to having a sexual relationship with (the victim). Mr Gordon said he was in his 30’s at the time and (the victim) would have been around 12 or 13 years old,” the affidavit said.
Of the eight total charges brought against Gordon in that case, four were dismissed by the district attorney and he was acquitted of the other four by a jury in 2014. He pleaded not guilty to six counts of sexual assault on a child by a person in a position of trust with a victim under the age of 15 and two counts of sexual assault on a child with a pattern of sexual abuse.
Around the time that alleged relationship would have been going on, a jury acquitted Gordon in a separate case in 2001 where he faced two counts of sexual assault on a child with force and sexual assault on a child by a person in a position of trust, court records show. Gordon was found not guilty of the charges in that case in February 2001.
According to the arrest affidavit in this case previously obtained by The Gazette, a 14-year-old boy accused Gordon of having sexual intercourse with him “quite a few” times while the boy slept over at Gordon’s house in 1996. The teen alleged that the first incident happened when he was 12 or 13, the warrant said.
Gordon was convicted of harboring a runaway child, a misdemeanor, in 1998, and was sentenced to a one-year unsupervised deferred sentence.
First United Pentecostal has made no public statement about Gordon’s arrest. Here’s what I want to know: did the church know about Gordon’s past? Did they run state and federal background checks on him? Did they contact his previous employers? Did they, did they, did they . . . the answer is likely no. It is clear that Gordon is a sexual predator. First United must be called on to account for allowing him to have ready access to church children.
Bruce Gerencser, 66, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 45 years. He and his wife have six grown children and thirteen grandchildren. Bruce pastored Evangelical churches for twenty-five years in Ohio, Texas, and Michigan. Bruce left the ministry in 2005, and in 2008 he left Christianity. Bruce is now a humanist and an atheist.
One Million Moms, an arm of the American Family Association, is outraged over the appearance of gay men in a Men’s Wearhouse advertisement. OMM sent out an email blast titled “Men’s Wearhouse Finds It Necessary to Flaunt an Alternative Lifestyle to Sell Their Clothes” to thousands of like-minded Fundamentalists and one not-like-minded atheist :), alerting them to the latest appearance of gay men in public. Here’s what homophobe extraordinaire, Monica Cole, had to say:
Men’s Wearhouse should be ashamed of attempting to normalize sin by featuring two gay men getting married in their 2023 “Love the way you look on your big day” commercial. It includes two men dressed in wedding attire, hand in hand after their ceremony, and emphasizes during the ad, “And we mean everybody.”
Obviously, this “Love the way you look” ad (with hashtag #LTWYL) promotes same-sex marriage to please a small percentage of customers while pushing away conservative customers. Not to mention, there is also a female dressed in a groomsman’s suit during this commercial.
Even though homosexuality is unnatural, this advertisement is pushing the LGBTQ agenda. Men’s Wearhouse is using public airwaves to subject families to decadent morals and values while belittling the sanctity of marriage. As an even greater concern, the controversial commercial is airing as early as 6:00 p.m., when children are likely watching television. It is not a retailer’s job to introduce so-called “social issues” like this to our children in a commercial. Men’s Wearhouse is glorifying sin, and no sin should be honored.
Millions of Americans strongly believe marriage should be between one man and one woman. But Men’s Wearhouse is taking sides instead of remaining neutral in the culture war. Men’s Wearhouse will hear from the left, so they need to hear from us as well. One day, we will answer for our actions or lack of them. So, we must remain diligent and stand up for Biblical values and truth. Repeatedly, Scripture says that homosexuality is wrong, and God will not tolerate this sinful nature (Romans 1:26-27).
OMM accuses Men’s Wearhouse of:
Normalizing sin by featuring two gay men getting married
Promoting same-sex marriage
Pushing away conservative Christians
Pushing the LGBTQ agenda
Using public airwaves to subject families to decadent morals and values
Introducing children to so-called “social issues”
Glorifying sin
Not being neutral in the “culture war”
OMM got all this from a TV ad. Here’s the thirty-second ad that has Cole and her fellow Evangelicals all upset:
By the way, half of the ad features heterosexual couples. And, shades of George Wallace, mixed-race couples!
Of all the things OMM could focus on, they choose to fix their righteous indignation on a 30-second clothing ad. I seriously doubt Men’s Wearhouse will pay any attention to their fake outrage. It’s 2023, ladies. LGBTQ people ain’t going away. All you are doing is making fools of yourselves and Christianity.
Bruce Gerencser, 66, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 45 years. He and his wife have six grown children and thirteen grandchildren. Bruce pastored Evangelical churches for twenty-five years in Ohio, Texas, and Michigan. Bruce left the ministry in 2005, and in 2008 he left Christianity. Bruce is now a humanist and an atheist.
For the United States to step forward as a defender of helpless countries matched its image in American high school history textbooks, but not its record in world affairs. It had opposed the Haitian revolution for independence from France at the start of the nineteenth century. It had instigated a war with Mexico and taken half of that country. It had pretended to help Cuba win freedom from Spain, and then planted itself in Cuba with a military base, investments, and rights of intervention. It had seized Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Guam, and fought a brutal war to subjugate the Filipinos. It had “opened” Japan to its trade with gunboats and threats. It had declared an Open Door Policy in China as a means of assuring that the United States would have opportunities equal to other imperial powers in exploiting China. It had sent troops to Peking with other nations, to assert Western supremacy in China, and kept them there for over thirty years.
While demanding an Open Door in China, it had insisted (with the Monroe Doctrine and many military interventions) on a Closed Door in Latin America—that is, closed to everyone but the United States. It had engineered a revolution against Colombia and created the “independent” state of Panama in order to build and control the Canal. It sent five thousand marines to Nicaragua in 1926 to counter a revolution, and kept a force there for seven years. It intervened in the Dominican Republic for the fourth time in 1916 and kept troops there for eight years. It intervened for the second time in Haiti in 1915 and kept troops there for nineteen years. Between 1900 and 1933, the United States intervened in Cuba four times, in Nicaragua twice, in Panama six times, in Guatemala once, in Honduras seven times. By 1924 the finances of half of the twenty Latin American states were being directed to some extent by the United States. By 1935, over half of U.S. steel and cotton exports were being sold in Latin America.
Just before World War I ended, in 1918, an American force of seven thousand landed at Vladivostok as part of an Allied intervention in Russia, and remained until early 1920. Five thousand more troops were landed at Archangel, another Russian port, also as part of an Allied expeditionary force, and stayed for almost a year. The State Department told Congress: “All these operations were to offset effects of the Bolshevik revolution in Russia.”
In short, if the entrance of the United States into World War II was (as so many Americans believed at the time, observing the Nazi invasions) to defend the principle of nonintervention in the affairs of other countries, the nation’s record cast doubt on its ability to uphold that principle.
Bruce Gerencser, 66, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 45 years. He and his wife have six grown children and thirteen grandchildren. Bruce pastored Evangelical churches for twenty-five years in Ohio, Texas, and Michigan. Bruce left the ministry in 2005, and in 2008 he left Christianity. Bruce is now a humanist and an atheist.
Fundamentalist Christian Jeff Maples believes ALL life matters, and it should be protected at ALL costs. Here’s what Maples said on The Dissenter website in 2019:
Critics have argued that reimplanting a fetus from an ectopic pregnancy is a procedure “not known to medical science” and would place obstetricians and gynecologists in a dire situation for not performing an “impossible procedure.” However, the bill does not require doctors to be successful in the procedure, rather take all measures at attempting to do so. This would, in effect, advance the science behind the practice making it more likely to save lives in the future. When dealing with human life, it is imperative that all measures be taken to preserve it — an unborn child deserves no less than a two-year-old child or an adult. That’s the whole point of the measure.
I wonder if Maples really believes all life matters. I wonder if he is a pacifist or anti-capital punishment? I wonder if Maples opposed President Trump’s barbaric immigration policies; policies that led to the deaths of adults and children alike? Something tells me he is not as pro-life as he says he is. Most Evangelicals are schizophrenic when it comes to matters of life and death. Typically, Evangelicals, and their counterparts in the Roman Catholic church, only think all life matters before birth. After birth, humans are on their own. Well, that is until it comes time to die. Then Evangelicals show up to protest and criminalize end-of-life attempts to lessen suffering and pain. Humans must suffer to the bitter end. According to Evangelicals and Catholics, euthanasia is humans playing God, and that must never happen. In their eyes, physician-assisted suicide is murder.
Maples believes that every effort should be made to preserve life. No matter the cost or the outcome, life must be preserved. I am sure that Maples believes his anti-death viewpoint is noble. It’s not. Maples and others like him see no qualitative difference between a fertilized egg and a thirteen-year-old; no difference between a thirteen-week-old fetus and its mother; no difference between a teenager with a full life ahead of her and a ninety-year-old man who is nearing death. Such thinking, of course, is absurd.
I do my best to have a consistent life ethic. That said, all life is not equal, nor should every effort be made to preserve life. There is a qualitative difference between a fertilized egg and its mother. The fertilized egg represents potential life. It cannot live outside of the womb. That’s why I support the unrestricted right to an abortion until viability. Once a fetus is viable, then the mother and medical professionals must consider its interests along with that of the mother. When it comes to choosing between the fetus and the mother, the choice, to me anyway, is clear: the mother. Granted, if the mother is gravely ill with cancer or some other terminal disease, then consideration should be given to saving the fetus. Such decisions are never easy, but one thing is for certain: we don’t need Evangelicals and Catholics, their God, or Republican politicians deciding what should be done.
As someone who knows that he is on the short side of life, I don’t want the Jeff Maples of the world butting their noses into my end-of-life decisions or those of my family. I know how I want the end of my life to play out, as do my wife and children. I don’t want Christian Fundamentalists getting between me and my God. “Huh? Bruce, you don’t have a God.” Well, I do when it comes to this discussion. If Christians want to wallow in needless pain and suffering at the end of their lives — all so their mythical God will give them an “attaboy” — that’s fine by me. However, my triune God — humanism, science, and reason — doesn’t demand that I suffer unnecessarily; when it is my time to die it is okay for me to say, “No más.” I expect my doctors, Polly, and my six children to honor my wishes. I have seen far too many people endlessly and needlessly suffer, all so Jesus would be honored and their families would know that they fought to the end. I have watched countless dying people go through unnecessary, painful procedures and treatments, all so their spouses and children could rest easy knowing that every possible thing was done to preserve their life.
Sadly, many people ignorantly think that longevity of life is all that matters; that enduring surgery, chemotherapy, and/or radiation is worth it if it adds a few weeks or months at the end of their lives. Evangelicals speak of being ready to meet God. They sing songs about Heaven and preach sermons that suggest True Christians® yearn and long for eternal life in the sweet by and by. Yet, when it comes time to die, they are in no hurry to catch the next train to Glory.
Instead of focusing on the longevity of life, the focus should be on the quality of life. Sure, it is human nature to want to live as long as possible. But some things are worse than death. Often, the treatment is worse than a terminal disease. Personally, I would choose to live three months and then die, than to suffer the horrible side effects of end-of-life treatments that would often only add weeks or a few months to my life.
When it comes to dying, God is an unnecessary middleman. He and his Bible-sotted disciples get in the way of what is best for the sick and dying. Demanding that life be preserved at all costs only causes unnecessary pain and suffering. I know of Evangelical families who refused to let their dying loved ones die with dignity. You see, in their minds, all that matters is playing by God’s rules. All that matters is pleasing God. If their loved one has to suffer, so be it. God comes first. God mustn’t be offended, even if he prolongs the misery of the dying. Quite frankly, when it comes time for me to die, I don’t want religious zealots anywhere near me. I don’t need or want their prayers or admonitions. I want to be surrounded by my family. I want to hear them say, “Dad, it’s okay to let go.”
I have made my wishes known to my wife and children. Polly and I have spent a considerable amount of time talking about the various end-of-life scenarios; about what we want or don’t want to be done in the various circumstances we might face in the future. Both of us believe that quality of life is more important than extending life. We reject Jeff Maples’ notion that our lives should be preserved at all costs. We know that one day we will physically reach the end of the line. Hopefully, not anytime soon, but who knows (certainly not God), right? Better to have these discussions now than to have them under pressure or when one or both of us might not have the mental acuity to make rational choices.
I have specifically made plans to end my life when the quality of my life is such that I no longer want to live. I have talked to my counselor extensively about this. She is aware of my end-of-life plan. Of course, she encourages me to live, but she always knows that I am in decline physically; that it’s becoming harder for me to rise above my physical challenges. Most days, I am not suicidal, but I am acutely aware of what is happening to me physically. No cure or magical procedure is on the horizon, so I am “content” to face the limitations of mortality.
Not talking about death is not an option. Pretending we will live forever only leads to heartache when the lie is exposed. The moment we are born, we begin marching toward the finish line. While I would love to live to threescore and ten or fourscore, (Psalm 90:10) I know that’s unlikely. Probabilities come into play. All the positive thinking in the world won’t change the odds. I am grateful to have lived longer than my mom and dad. But it would be foolish of me to ignore the realities staring me in the face. Pretending that I am going to live to be a hundred helps whom, exactly? The Bible is right when it says, “Boast not thyself of to morrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.” (Proverbs 27:1) Solomon was spot on when he wrote:
Then I commended mirth, because a man hath no better thing under the sun, than to eat, and to drink, and to be merry: for that shall abide with him of his labour the days of his life, which God giveth him under the sun. (Ecclesiastes 8:15)
You have one life. There is no heaven or hell. There is no afterlife. You have one life, it’s yours, and what you do with it is what matters most. Love and forgive those who matter to you and ignore those who add nothing to your life. Life is too short to spend time trying to make nice with those who will never make nice with you. Determine who are the people in your life that matter and give your time and devotion to them. Live each and every day to its fullest. You never know when death might come calling. Don’t waste time trying to be a jack of all trades, master of none. Find one or two things you like to do and do them well. Too many people spend way too much time doing things they will never be good at.
Here’s the conclusion of the matter. It’s your life and you best get to living it. Someday, sooner than you think, it will be over. Don’t let your dying days be ones of regret over what might have been.
Do you think life should be preserved at all costs; that every effort should be made to preserve life? How do you come to terms with your mortality? Do you prefer longevity of life over quality of life? Please share your astute thoughts in the comment section. If you are so inclined, please share approximately how old you are. I am interested in how age affects our end-of-life viewpoints.
Bruce Gerencser, 66, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 45 years. He and his wife have six grown children and thirteen grandchildren. Bruce pastored Evangelical churches for twenty-five years in Ohio, Texas, and Michigan. Bruce left the ministry in 2005, and in 2008 he left Christianity. Bruce is now a humanist and an atheist.
“Bruce, your problem is that you lack contentment.” I was stunned when my counselor told me this in 2019. I had been seeing him for years. I wondered if it is time for a change. (I changed therapists in 2021.) His words seemed sharp and judgmental. I felt as if he was ignoring me as a person and making a character judgment instead. Weeks later, I was still talking about whether this judgment was correct. Polly would say, I’m sure, if asked, “Bruce, you are discontented over contentment.” 🙂 Maybe.
In November 2019, I wrote a post titled, Living with Unrelenting Chronic Pain: Just Another Day in Paradise. I intended to write about contentment then, but the post, as is often the case, went in a different direction from that which I had intended. As that Spirit moves, right? It’s impossible to determine if I am content without first understanding the primary issues that drive my life: chronic illness, chronic pain, loss of career, loss of faith, OCPD, and past emotional trauma. Pulling a singular event out of my life and rendering judgment based on that alone is sure to lead to a faulty conclusion. Think of all the clichés we use about understanding people: walk a mile in their shoes, see things through their eyes, judge not, lest you be judged. If we truly want to understand someone, we must take the time to see, listen, and observe — not something we do much of these days. We live in the social media era, a time when instant judgments are the norm. As a writer, I find it frustrating (and irritating) when people read a post or two and then sit in judgment of my life. In 2,000 or fewer words, I have, supposedly, told them all they need to know about Bruce Gerencser. Of course, I have done no such thing. Want to really get to know me? Sit down, pull up a chair, and let’s break bread together and talk. Truly understanding someone requires time, commitment, and effort. I have been married for forty-five years. It took years for Polly and me to really get to know each other. And even today, I wonder, do I really know all there is to know about my lover and friend? I doubt it.
Contentment. What does the word even mean? Happy? Satisfied? Complacent? How do I determine if I am content? Do I even want to be content? Is contentment a desirable human trait? What would the world look like if everyone were content? The Apostle Paul wrote spoke of contentment several times:
I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. (Philippians 4:11)
But godliness with contentment is great gain. (1 Timothy 6:6)
And having food and raiment let us be therewith content. (1 Timothy 6:8)
Be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave theeá, nor forsake thee. (Hebrews 13:5)
“Bruce, you are an atheist. What the Bible says is irrelevant.” Tell my mind that. These verses were pounded into my head by my pastors and Sunday school teachers, and then, as a pastor, I pounded them into the heads of congregants. Just because I say, “I’m an atheist,” doesn’t mean that decades of indoctrination and conditioning magically disappear. I spent most of my adult life trying to be the model of a “contented” Christian. Try as I might, I came up short.
My father was the epitome of “contentment.” Dad lived by the maxim qué seráserá (whatever will be, will be). He was passive and indifferent toward virtually everything. Dad and I were never close. It’s not that we had a bad relationship; it’s just that he treated his relationship with me the way he treated everything else.
I was much more like my mom. Passionate. Contrary. Opinionated. Everything mattered. It comes as no surprise that I am a perfectionist; that I struggle with obsessive-compulsive personality disorder; that I have high (and often unreasonable) expectations not only for myself, but for others. Ask my children about what they “fondly” call the Gerencser Work Ethic. Oh, the stories they could share. I am sure a few of you are thinking, “are you not admitting here that you are discontented?” Maybe, but I am not convinced that it’s as simple as that — as I shared with my counselor.
You see, I have always been a restless person. Does this mean that I am discontented? Or, perhaps, I am someone who needs a steady diet of new experiences. I bore easily. In my younger years, this resulted in me working a number of different jobs. My resume is quite diverse. The same could be said of the twenty-five years I spent in the ministry. I loved starting new churches. However, over time, these new churches would become old churches, and when that happened, I was ready to move on. I pastored a church in West Unity, Ohio for seven years. Awesome people. Not a problem in the world. Yet, I resigned and moved on. Why? I was bored. I was tired of the same routine Sunday after Sunday. It wasn’t the fault of the people I pastored. I was the one with a restless spirit. I was the one looking for matches and gasoline so I could start a new fire.
My counselor asked me if he could wave a magic wand over me and instantly make me content, would I want him to do so? I quickly replied, “Absolutely not.” I told him that instant contentment would rob me of my passion and drive. “What kind of writer would I be without restlessness and passion?” I asked. He replied, “ah yes, that which drives creatives.” If being content requires me to surrender my passion and drive, no thanks. I am not interested. Now, I can certainly see where I would be better off if I, at times, let go and let Loki. I have never been good at “be still and know that I am God.” I like being busy. I enjoy “doing.” One of the frustrating problems I face with having fibromyalgia, gastroparesis, and osteoarthritis is that I can no longer do the things I want to do. My “spirit” is willing, but my “flesh” is weak. Does this lead to discontentment? Maybe, but I am more inclined to think that the inability to do what I want leads to frustration and anger, not discontentment.
I’ll leave it to others to determine if I am content. I will leave it to the people who look at me and “read” my face, thinking my lack of a smile is a sure sign of discontentment; as if there couldn’t be any other explanation for my facial expressions — you know, such as chronic, unrelenting pain. Would it settle the contentment question if I tell people that I am generally happy; that I enjoy writing and spending time with Polly and our six children and thirteen grandchildren? I doubt it. Much like my counselor, people seize on anecdotal stories as evidence for their judgments of my life. I told my counselor about a visit to a new upscale pizza place in Defiance. I told him that the waitstaff left a lot to be desired, and our pizzas were burnt on the bottom (the restaurant uses a brick pizza oven). I told our server the pizzas were burnt. The manager gave us a 50 percent discount on our bill. My counselor seized on this story as a good example of my discontentment. Never mind the fact that I rarely complain about the quality of restaurant food. I just don’t do it. I am willing to give a place a pass; having managed restaurants myself. I know how things can get messed up. That said, I always wanted to know when an order didn’t meet customer expectations. No, customers are not always right. Some of them are idiots and assholes. But I couldn’t make things right if complaints never reach my ears.
Am I content? Probably not, but I sure as hell don’t want the kind of contentment preached by the Apostle Paul, modeled by my father, and suggested by my counselor. No thanks . . . I’ll take happiness with a slice of restlessness, and garnished with passion every time.
Bruce Gerencser, 66, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 45 years. He and his wife have six grown children and thirteen grandchildren. Bruce pastored Evangelical churches for twenty-five years in Ohio, Texas, and Michigan. Bruce left the ministry in 2005, and in 2008 he left Christianity. Bruce is now a humanist and an atheist.
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.
A conspiracy theorist at the center of controversy over a creationist theme park has been arrested for alleged sexual assault of a nine-year-old.
Christopher Link Jones, 55, was arrested late last month in Aiken, South Carolina, the Aiken Standard first reported. An arrest warrant shows Jones charged with criminal sexual conduct with a minor under 14. Jones was previously convicted of battery and lewd acts on children in California.
Jones’ California criminal record created rifts at Dinosaur Adventure Land, a creationist theme park where Jones is friends with head preacher Kent Hovind, and where Jones has been accused of sexually abusing a boy. Hovind and Jones have blamed the previous conviction on a plot to silence Jones for what he claims was his work with Infowars founder Alex Jones.
Hovind told The Daily Beast that Jones is still welcome at Dinosaur Adventure Land (DAL) despite the new charges.
“I’ve known Chris for many years,” Hovind told The Daily Beast. “He gets accused of things all the time, but everybody gets their day in court. I don’t know the details on that [the charges].”
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Former DAL residents previously told The Daily Beast they distanced themselves from Hovind after he allegedly arranged for Jones to share a bed with an 11-year-old boy whom Jones had brought to DAL in 2019. The boy, whom The Daily Beast is not naming, later told his mother that Jones had touched his genitals through a paper towel. Recordings from a 2021 meeting of DAL staff and residents, previously reported by The Daily Beast, show Hovind dismissing concerns about the incident.
“That’s Chris’s decision and the kid’s decision,” Hovind said during the 2021 meeting, when DAL residents raised concerns about Jones wrestling with the child, or sharing a bed with him. “How people here react to that is their decision. He’s got a right to wrestle with a kid if he wants and you’ve got a right to say ‘I’m not getting around Chris.’”
Reached for comment, the boy’s mother told The Daily Beast that Jones’ arrest in South Carolina last month was related to her son. The arrest warrant does not appear to relate directly to DAL (which is located in Alabama), but to an incident approximately two years before the DAL visit, when the boy was nine. The boy’s mother previously stated that Jones was her boss, and that he had sometimes looked after her son prior to the DAL trip.
Neither Jones nor his lawyer returned requests for comment on Jones’ arrest. Jones left jail last month on a $15,000 bond, court records show.
Jones was previously convicted on three charges of lewd acts on children, after he made three boys (ages nine, 11, and 12) play strip poker with him. He was also convicted of battery for spanking a naked seven-year-old boy.
He and Hovind have blamed the past cases on political persecution. Jones claims to have recorded undercover footage from Bohemian Grove, a campsite for the rich and powerful that has long been the subject of conspiracy theories. Jones claims he gave the footage to Infowars founder Alex Jones (no relation), prompting government forces to pursue sex crime charges against him.
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“He got a job there and video taped a bunch of stuff and they wanted him in prison,” Hovind said in a voicemail to a DAL resident who called to ask about Jones’ criminal past.
Neither Infowars nor an Alex Jones spokesperson returned requests for comment.
Reached by phone about Jones’ latest arrest, Hovind said it was not feasible to perform background checks on all DAL visitors. Even so, he said. “I would doubt he’s guilty.”
But Hovind doesn’t need to perform a background check; he’s already aware of Jones’ past conviction.
“Well even that doesn’t mean you’re guilty,” Hovind said. “How many people, later, convictions get overturned? Thousands of them. Sometimes 20 years, 50 years later.”
Bruce Gerencser, 66, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 45 years. He and his wife have six grown children and thirteen grandchildren. Bruce pastored Evangelical churches for twenty-five years in Ohio, Texas, and Michigan. Bruce left the ministry in 2005, and in 2008 he left Christianity. Bruce is now a humanist and an atheist.
