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WWYD? What Would You Do?

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A Guest Post by Matilda

A friend and I are both deconverted Christian fundamentalists. We both wonder what we might do in the situation I’ll describe below. I’d love for the wonderful commentariat here, or our leader, Bruce Almighty, to give us some very clever — or witty — responses to this.

We live in a town that has the longest High Street in Wales. Like most High Streets, the main shopping streets in UK towns, it’s a sea of closed up shops these days. This one has only 30% of its shops still open. The city fathers have appointed a ‘czar’ to revitalise it. The local newspaper reported this and asked shop-owners how they are faring. They replied — badly. It’s unusual for anything Evangelical to be reported on in the UK. Still, prominence was given to the owner of the ‘Heavens Above’ Cafe on the High Street, whose picture had him smugly sporting a sweater with John14:6 on it. He claimed they were thriving and said, “We hold a monthly healing service and lots are healed.”

I commented that if this is so, why didn’t he and his fellow god-botherers travel two miles to our local large hospital and empty it and send patients to their cafe instead. Just think how wonderful our country would be if it didn’t have to finance the National Health Service (NHS). Patients could go along to ‘Heavens Above’ and, for the price of a sandwich and a coffee, get healed. My comment was up for about two hours, then it was deleted as ‘not adhering to community guidelines. ‘ So, apparently, lying-through-your-teeth for Jesus does adhere to them.

My friend has waited six months already for a major operation under our very overstretched NHS. She would love to go into ‘Heavens Above’ to challenge this arrogant assertion, but she can’t bring herself to give them any custom by even buying one coffee. But we’d both love to just go along and challenge their claim to miracles of healing and for them to explain to us why they aren’t down at that hospital.

Any witty repartee, any snarky put-downs, or irrefutable arguments that we could use would be most welcome. We’re open to suggestions from all you clever people! Help us out here!

Bruce Gerencser, 67, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 46 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.

UConn Star Jesus H. Christ Leads Team to Win in National Title Game

jesus basketball

Paige Bueckers credits God for the UConn women’s basketball team’s win over South Carolina in the national title game:

If I could say one thing, it would be to stand firm in who you are. There’s a lot of people who write you off, there’s a lot of narratives that could be trying to put you in a box, tell you ‘you got to do this,’ ‘you got to do that,’ ‘you got to more like this player,’ ‘you got to be more like that player.’

There’s people that doubt you because they think you’re doing it on your strength alone. We lean on God’s strength here. We’re for God’s power, for God’s purposes. We’re not doing this alone, and we have the village that we lean on.

This sort of thinking is common among college and professional athletes. Athletes raised in religious cultures that teach them that “without Jesus you can do nothing” typically give God/Jesus credit for their physical abilities and wins. I usually ignore such religious utterances, seeing them as the product of indoctrination and conditioning. Bueckers is an outstanding player because of two things: genetics (natural ability) and hard work. God has nothing to do with it.

If God was behind UConn’s win, that means he willed South Carolina’s loss. The latter naturally follows from the former. The same goes for Christians who credit God for healing them. Such statements imply that God is in control of everything. If God heals, it necessarily follows that God chooses NOT to heal.

Claims of God helping teams win ballgames trivialize Christianity; that God is more interested in the outcome of a basketball game than he is the suffering all around us. Woo! Hoo! Our team won! Praise Jesus! And what about the thousands of children who will die today from malnutrition, starvation, war, and disease? God says, “They should have played basketball for UConn.”

I’m sure Bueckers meant well, and that her pronouncements reflect her religious upbringing. However, I see no evidence for the claim that God helped UConn win their latest title.

Bruce Gerencser, 67, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 46 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.

Bruce’s Ten Hot Takes for April 9, 2025

hot takes

China (and Japan) can bankrupt the U.S. Government in short order by dumping the U.S. treasury bonds they own. These bonds help fund deficit government spending.

I’m convinced Donald Trump is a modern-day mad king. (Mad King” typically refers to a ruler, like King George III of England or King Aerys II Targaryen from A Song of Ice and Fire, who is known for periods of mental instability or erratic and often cruel behavior.)

Trump wants to show the world how mighty he is by having a massive military parade in Washington, D.C. on his birthday. Historically, it is authoritarian world leaders who hold military parades — Russia and North Korea come to mind.

Most Republican legislators aren’t interested in cutting the federal budget deficit. Trump raised the deficit during his first term, and he’s on course to raise it to record levels this term.

I am double-minded when it comes to the federal budget deficit. A balanced budget seems like a good idea, but in practice, it leads to pain and suffering for middle-class, working-class, and poor people. Millions of families live from paycheck to paycheck. Budget cuts necessary to balance the budget will bankrupt scores of Americans (and impossible if Congress is unwilling to make massive cuts to defense and security funding).

Ohio’s Republican legislators and Governor Mike DeWine have made it clear that they are anti-public education. Billions of dollars meant for public school budgets were cut from the latest two year budget, with some of this money going to pay for students to attend primarily religious schools.

Get ready for a marked uptick in farm bankruptcies. Trump’s tariffs, especially on China, will cause horrific harm to American families. In 2018, Trump’s tariffs harmed American farms. The President saved his ass by giving farmers billions in welfare payments. Most farmers vote Republican. I wonder if they are tired of all the “winning.”

Trump signed an executive order designed to bring back “beautiful” coal mining. The President couldn’t care less about the environment. He has rolled back countless environmental laws. His goal is to return the United States to the good old days of the 1950s (or the late 1920s) of rampant air, water, and land pollution.)

Trump sees himself as the greatest president ever. The President thinks his face should be carved on Mount Rushmore. History will show that he is one of the worst presidents, right down there with Herbert Hoover.

Chris Hayes said of Trump today, “You set the house on fire, watched it burn, and then lost your nerve and put it out. You now have a partially burned house. Great job.” Yep.

Bonus — It is clear the Trump and his administration don’t give a shit about working class/poor people. From cutting food stamps and Section 8 funding to the Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP), the message is clear: if you aren’t rich, you don’t matter.

Bruce Gerencser, 67, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 46 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.

Questions About the Black Collar Crime Series Answered

i have a question

The Black Collar Crime Series focuses on criminal misconduct—primarily sex crimes—by clergy members. Started in 2017, the series has more than 1,000 stories as of today.

Today, a reader sent me the following email:

I have some questions for you. When you submit story of someone being arrested and having charges against them, do you believe it is your responsibility to later report if the charges were proven and what the sentence is or if the charges were dropped. Do you believe in innocent until proven guilty or do you feel charges are enough for guilt to shame someone whether or not the court finds them guilty? I’m very curious on your thoughts about that.

Here’s my response:

When you submit story of someone being arrested and having charges against them, do you believe it is your responsibility to later report if the charges were proven and what the sentence is or if the charges were dropped?

Charges are rarely dropped. When they are, they are typically dropped because victims refuse to testify. This does not mean the perpetrator is innocent. All it does mean is that victims do not want to relive the horrors of the crimes perpetrated against them. Often, papers do not report what happens after a clergy member is arrested. I use Google Alerts to track these cases. I receive 100-250 alerts per day, many of which are duplicates or fake news.

I should note that just because a clergy person is found not guilty does not mean he or she is innocent. All it means is that the judge (in a bench trial) or a jury found the evidence insufficient to convict the perpetrator.

Yes, clerics are, on rare occasions, accused of crimes they did not do. Our legal system generally does a good job of separating guilt from innocence. Not perfect, but it is the best system we have. Keep in mind, far more acts of sexual misconduct go unreported than are prosecuted. Clerics often wield a lot of power and control. Victims know this. Fearing retribution, they often suffer in silence. That’s why some victims wait until they are adults to report their attacks and assaults.

Do you believe in innocent until proven guilty or do you feel charges are enough for guilt to shame someone whether or not the court finds them guilty?

Of course I believe in innocent until proven guilty. Every Black Collar Crime post starts with this disclaimer:

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.

I only know of a handful of preachers who were found not guilty. Many of them plead guilty, angling for reduced sentences. Since most of these crimes are sex related, prosecutors tend to take their time building a case against the alleged perpetrator. On occasion, prosecutors make mistakes. Our legal system is not infallible.

I rarely make personal comments about Black Collar Crime stories. I just report what credible newspapers and other institutions write. If I make a mistake, I promptly fix it. If someone is found innocent, if the alleged perpetrator asks, I will remove the story or add an addendum that shows they were found not guilty. The perpetrator must show proof of the not-guilty verdict.  

On occasion, lying preachers (and their supporters) will contact me, saying they are innocent or their charges have been dismissed. Not wanting anyone to be wrongly accused, I ask for evidence for their claim — news stories or court orders. More often than not, no evidence is forthcoming. Why? The offending preacher is a liar. hoping that I will remove the story about him so it will no longer show in search results.

It is impossible for me to keep up with the disposition of every case. If the disposition shows up in a Google Alert, I will update the relevant post. On occasion, readers such as Brocken will track down what happened to a specific preacher, and I update the post. The goal is to always report the most accurate information possible.

Bruce Gerencser, 67, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 46 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.

Why You Should NEVER Let Your Children Attend an Evangelical Church Without You

jesus-children

Sadly, many people think Evangelical churches and preachers are pillars of virtue — places and people who can be trusted to care for children. These people are typically unaware of the fact that the goal of Evangelicals is to evangelize children, using aggressive techniques, manipulation, indoctrination, and conditioning. Parents might think that these kind, thoughtful, loving Christians just want to be nice, but little do they know that their unsaved children are viewed as enemies of God and children of Satan. Little do they know that their “lost” children will be threatened with judgment and Hell if they don’t get saved.

Church children are encouraged to invite their schoolmates, promising them fun, food, and fellowship. Most kids want to hang with their friends, so they say yes to attending church with their Evangelical classmates. As promised, churches dish out sumptuous helpings of food, fun, and fellowship. What churches are less inclined to make known is that children will also be exposed to adults trying to convert them. Fear and guilt are often used to coerce children into asking Jesus to save them. Once “saved,” the child typically becomes a member of the church. Often, children are baptized after getting saved. Sometimes, these baptisms take place without parental permission.

Recently, a Catholic grandchild of mine went to an Evangelical church for fun, food, and fellowship. This church (Compassion Church in Toledo, Ohio) is charismatic, so high emotional states are common. Can you imagine what happened next? My grandchild — who is in middle school — came home all excited about getting “saved.” Needless to say, Grandpa Bruce was pissed. If she had been older and had carefully examined the claims made by this church before getting saved, I would understand (while still being disappointed). However, this is not what happened. She was surrounded by friends and subjected to a high-emotion service/preaching/music and manipulation. It is not surprising she got “saved.” I hope that her salvation is temporary, and, in time, she will mature in her understanding of religion. I am not anti-religion. I am, however, adamantly opposed to religious coercion and manipulation.

Have you had a child or grandchild go to church and come home “saved?” Please share your experiences in the comment section.

Bruce Gerencser, 67, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 46 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.

Songs of Sacrilege: Your God (God’s Dick) by Laura Jane Grace

Laura Jane grace

This is the latest installment in the Songs of Sacrilege series, which I would like readers to help me with. If you know of a song that is irreverent toward religion, makes fun of religion, pokes fun at sincerely held religious beliefs, or challenges the firmly held religious beliefs of others, please send me an email.

Today’s Song of Sacrilege is Your God (God’s Dick) by Laura Jane Grace.

Video Link

Warning! Explicit lyrics

Lyrics

[Intro]
Does your god have a big fat dick?
Cause it feels like he’s fucking me
Are his balls filled with lightning?
Do they dangle like heaven’s keys?
Does your god have a big fat dick?
Cause it feels like he’s fucking me

[Chorus]
Does your god have a big fat dick?
Cause it feels like he’s fucking me
Are his balls filled with lightning?
Do they dangle like heaven’s keys?
Does your god have a big fat dick?
Cause it feels like he’s fucking me

[Verse 1]
Does his D go deep
So deep it puts an ass to sleep?
Who’s the 6 to his 9
And what are his other kinks?
If he grows all the trees
Does he taste every peach?
Is your god fucking you and fucking me?
I know creation must get lonely
After all he’s one and only
And his son was so well hung
I think the big man deserves one

[Chorus]
Does your god have a big fat dick?
Cause it feels like he’s fucking me
Are his balls filled with lightning?
Do they dangle like heaven’s keys?
Does your god have a big fat dick?
Cause it feels like he’s fucking me

[Verse 2]
When he whips out his meat
Does your world fall to its knees?
Does he shoot wads of honey
And cum twice on Easter Sunday?
What’s his favourite position?
Missionary? Magic bullet?
We all give him no lover
Just a hand and a mother
Can he cum a shotgun blast
And shoot salvation up your ass?
Does he chew cunt like bubblegum
And give blowjobs like a vacuum?

[Chorus]
Does your god have a big fat dick?
Cause it feels like he’s fucking me
Are his balls filled with lightning?
Do they dangle like heavens keys?
Does your god have a big fat dick?
Cause it feels like he’s fucking me
Does your god have a big fat dick?
CAUSE HE’S FUCKING YOU AND ME!

Bruce Gerencser, 67, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 46 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.

Trump Dump: Vice President J.D. Vance Uses Derogatory Word to Describe Chinese Workers

donald trump dump truck

This series, titled Trump Dump, features outlandish, untrue quotes from Donald Trump, MAGA supporters, and Right Wing media. If you come across a quote for this series, please send it to me with a link to the news story that contains the relevant quote.

We borrow money from Chinese peasants to buy the things those Chinese peasants manufacture.

— Vice President J.D. Vance, as reported by the Huffington Post

Bruce Gerencser, 67, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 46 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.

Trump Dump: Entire Sports Teams Are Turning “Trans,” Says Senator Tommy Tuberville

donald trump dump truck

This series, titled Trump Dump, features outlandish, untrue quotes from Donald Trump, MAGA supporters, and Right Wing media. If you come across a quote for this series, please send it to me with a link to the news story that contains the relevant quote.

Well, it’s the priority of the Democrats, the letter salad of LGBTQ groups, you can’t let one of them down. And the Democrats know that transgender boys and women’s sports is wrong, but they can’t abandon them because the rest of their group would probably say, if you’re not going to stand with us, we’re out of here for you, Democrats.

We have entire men’s teams across this country now that are turning trans. Women’s teams, they’re turning trans.

And that’s going to be a, uh, a situation where it’s going to pick up speed because these woke globalists are pushing these kids to say, if you can’t compete in men’s sports, let’s just transition and say, you’re a woman and, and, uh, participate in women’s sports.

–Senator Tommy Tuberville, as reported by Crooks & Liars

Bruce Gerencser, 67, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 46 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.