Repost from 2015. All spelling, grammar, and punctuation in the original.
What follows is a compilation of emails I received from God’s chosen people.
From Egginton:
____x To let him know God still loves him [from the post Dear Evangelical]
____x To tell him he is angry
____x To tell him he is bitter
____x To tell him his writing shows he has been hurt
Dear Bruce, your blog demonstrates that you have had your fill of religion. For someone who is an atheist you talk an awful lot about God though. You have an excellent capacity to question, which I find admirable (minus the sarcasm, but that is merely a result of 50 years of hurt from religious people who belong to “christianity”) I have no desire to re-convert you, plus I hate that word. I’ve had my fair share of hurt from mainly “christians”.I get that you a very angry person, you feel you’ve wasted part of your life, you hate the people who did that to you, you were made to feel the church was first and family and finance second. I can honestly say, those who told those lies will be severely judged and yet that is between them and their maker. Believer or non-believer, forgiveness is necessary, and you believe in atheism. Your hurt is so deep and anger so violent how do you expect to get rid of it? I can only say and I promise never to write to you again, and FYI, your synicsm does not shock me, and neither does it shock God, but you’ve missed the Power, the Dunamis of the Spirit. Have you ever experience the true Power? Satanist and occult practices experience real supernatural power (but it’s the other source) I know, cos I’ve got a friend who used to be in the occult and his experience from that is chilling.(Also look up Doreen Irvine) I come from a very open spiritual home too and you need to understand that the supernatural is VERY real. I just want to finish with this. You can try and rationalize and deny any spiritual entity you like, whether that is God, or anything else, but I have to say that there is a dimension beyond the mind, that we cannot prove it exists rationally but it does. Thank you for your time in reading this.
From Cynthia:
As a Christian, did you actually ever receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, evidenced by speaking in tongues as the Spirit gives the utterance?
From Daniel:
You realize the white Jesus pushed by America and the Catholics, the White Euro-Jesus, and the black Jesus pushed by black people, Afro-Jesus….is NOT God of course. That being said…
Sodomites are dead (John 6:23 “The wages of sin IS (IS being active/present condition) death. So those who live this abomination are dead and the country who supports their abomination and teaches thus to children is also spiritually dead.
America has a reckoning coming for its apostate abominations against God. We should expect thus since (Rev 13) declares that all the nations of the world shall serve the beast (Israel is no exception) So America regardless is on the road to hell.
From Noah:
Please don’t rip on my church!
From Noah again:
I go to THE CHURCH OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST! Don’t rip on my church!! You are only hurting yourself! You are talking about the kingdom of God!
Evelyn wrote:
This [prophecy about Donald Trump, the pussy-grabber] was a prophecy re/retired firefighter and given to his Dr Don Colbert I can’t believe you have the nerve to say it is your prophecy [I didn’t] …. if you are a man of God, you certainly are going down the wrong path. This prophecy has been out there for some time. It was initially thought to be for 2011 and then was for 2016. It was given to Dr Colbert back in 2011 or 2012. I guess I should just pray for you and not waste any more energy on someone of your character.
From Jeremy:
God Bless Bob Gray [retired pastor of Longview Baptist Temple]. Sometimes people need to be herded in the right direction, any Shepherd knows this!
From Angie:
You are hurt, and thats okay. God will heal those who want to be healed through him. Keep fighting, god is always with you no matter how much you hate him.
From Pastor Ebenezer Gummadi
Dear Most Beloved Bruce
I greet you in the wonderful name of Christ Jesus,
First of all I praise God for this wonderful Opportunity to share my ministry activities with you, we know these are the last days and Satan is doing his level best to crush down the children of God to destroy the kingdom of God. In the same time God’s Children are preceding forward with a determination to Collapse the walls of the enemy I sincerely acknowledge ourselves as one among them. We are Striving every our nerve to spread the kingdom of God In India. This is the reason why God save me from sin, Curse and eternal condemnation.
We have an energetic team of Pastors, evangelist; Youth members all are in Lord’s work. We reach rural and coastal areas. In a month we Visit number of villages. We arrange street meetings, Seminars and convention. Church planting is the main Activity of our Gospel work. We have no any connected with any organisation and we have no Support from anywhere outside.
We have an Orphanage in which we are looking after 40 children when we found them they were shelter less and away from comfort and parental love. We collect donations from our fellow Christians to meet their needs. We need some generous sponsors to take for these orphans. In fact their condition is very pathetic. Please remember them in your regular Prayers. Other than this we have social welfare and Relief and development activities such as leprosy Eradication food for widows and aged peoples, HIV, Health Centre, destitute peoples tailoring centre etc.
As I share all these Things please take a step to visit India once and see our ministry to support us and encourage us. I know we cannot do the ministry single-handed your co Operation and encouragement will enable us to do a lot of ministry. If God reveals you some things about my Ministry could you please share it with me? I may be knocking at your door at an odd time. But I have the Promise knock it shall be opened. If you could kindly hear my knock at your door, please make convenience be opened, you’re kind generous door for me. Kindly visit my place India.
I Whole-heartily invite you to India. I will arrange gospel meetings and pastors seminary. Please see my Ministry; if you feel I deserve your encouragement Please take a kind step to lift me up, because I have been in a desperate condition. I earnestly need your Kind interference into my ministry. I wish to have your leadership, and guidance. I will sincerely and honestly follow your instructions to develop my Ministry in India. We will have a banker that you suggest me. If you wish I am here ready to send you all the pictures of my ministry. It is just to impress you to have opinion to visit me. If you could once come I hope in the Lord there will be a lot of Improvement in our ministry. We will be able to operate new activities to attract people towards Jesus and make them commit their lives to Jesus. Please pray for us as we for you. I await your kind and favourable Response.
Yours ever in His eternal bonds.
Bruce Gerencser, 67, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 46 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.
Peanut Gallery, a group of people whose opinions are considered unimportant, a source of insignificant criticism, the cheap seats.
(Repost from 2015. Unedited, except for paragraph formatting.)
A reader named Wayne K sent me two emails, one with some questions I answered and another email objecting to a post I had written about his questions. (What Happened to the Churches I Pastored?)
Here’s Wayne K’s first email:
Hi Bruce,
Regarding the churches you pastored and started, do they still exist today or have they changed their names ? I could not find any of the church’s personal websites. Sorry if you feel I wasn’t trying hard enough. I don’t know what I missed as there are hundreds of ‘google’ links. Another question I have is, why did or what led your mother to commit suicide at 54 ? I have heard a few stories of suicide committed by various people and I am just curious to learn why.
Thanks
Wayne
PS: For your info, I currently do not have a personal website address and I do not live in the United States. I currently do not go to church and I am not an evangelical.
Here’s Wayne K’s second email:
Hi Bruce,
Since January, I have been visiting your blog at least twice a week to get to know you. While you did answer one of my questions, i was able to find some clues about your mother’s suicide from your blog- long after i received your email. In face to face conversations, if you didn’t want to answer my question about your mother’s suicide, you probably would tell me that you prefer not to discuss it, otherwise it would be considered rude not to answer me.
I noticed that you had posted my question on your blog dated March 5. My motive was that i was interested to know, not because i was nosy. Did you decide to post because i didn’t subscribe ?? Just guessing. No, i am not part of a group of tin hat Christians. I almost found this statement offensive. There is no need to assume or presume who I am. I am not interested in friendship with you. I do not doubt whatever and wherever the churches you pastored.
I had other questions for you that is not on your blog but after reading some of your recent posts, i didn’t think it was necessary any longer since i found your blogs disturbing and very negative. I am guessing that since you are a socialist, you are probably on social government assitance like most low life atheist drug addicts.
Bruce, we live in a very deceptive and conspiracy driven world, and it appears to be getting worse. Most or all of the world’s problems are contributed by certain wealthy, influencial people in high places. Here are some of the following groups involved; Islamists, Hinduism, Roman Catholicism/Vatican, atheism, freemasons, satanists, luciferians, evolutionists and agnostics. Google “bohemian groves”, “freemasonry american dollar”, “911 inside job”, “cancer research fraud”, “fluoride deception” on and on I could list so much more. Also click on images for these keywords to view other websites. No conspiracy is a theory if it has been proven.
Furthermore, your blog is more than just shameful and unhelpful. It added to the world’s misery. It doesn’t contain any qualities of love or unity. While it indicates your hidden character, I would be ashamed to follow you or to honor you as the best blogger in Ohio.
Now be cautioned because there is a cultish group in America whose website called atruechurch(dot)info – they may add your name to a list of false teachers? – probably not. I dare you write about them. I would have to agree that you are telling lies and blogging false information about many things. These lies are coming from your own deluded mind. Therefore, I would strongly encourage you to go and do something more useful than spend your wasteful hours blogging and ridiculing the “minorities”. Leave them alone. You appear to be THE real threat.
Regarding the churches you gave me that no longer exist, that doesn’t indicate a high failure rate. Instead of explaining what I mean, let me analyse it this way; YOU are the failure because you didn’t know how to guide your so-called “church”. It appears that Your foundation was ‘fake’ and weak. When you build a house, you need proper foundation or it would collapse. Isn’t that logical Bruce !?? Now, you like to point fingers and blame others for the failures, don’t you ?! There are alot of people who have gone through many bad and worst experiences than you but didn’t start a blog like you and pointed fingers. They just moved on and tried to improve upon where they left off. But you seem to be worse off than when you started in your early years of church. That is a common thing I see among so called “ex-Christians”.
Many people are secretly not interested in your blog Bruce. And I am not interested to visit you either. You don’t sound friendly. I wouldn’t want you to give me advice when I need help or have inquiries about important matters.
Anyways, having much I could say, i am not interest in further correspondence with you.
Wayne K’s first email was quite civil, so I answered him. After doing so, I thought others might have the same question about the churches I pastored, so I wrote a post. Evidently, Wayne K thought the post was all about him. This is a common reaction to my writing. People read a post and think, HE IS WRITING ABOUT ME! Unless I mention someone by name, no one should assume I am writing just about them. I suspect the real issue is that my writing gets a little close to home and they don’t like it.
The next email is from a Kiwi named Kate:
Hi there bruce , i stumbled across your site …. somehow as you do . Yes i am a God fearing believer ,no that that is why i am writing to you.
i have never written to someone like this before, but somehow was very intrigued about your story. Many twists and turns in your life for what ever reason that seem to be quite clear to me reading your blog have lead you to were you are now.
One thing as i read your questions seems to be that your passionate about your family. And yet as a young man having such a large frame and most probably due to your illness do not seem to read health books. my question to you is if you are not going to be with your family in heaven why would you not want to be with them on this earth for as long as you can.
You yourself are writing a book and you have obviously spent countless hours reading studying why you don’t want to believe in god, and yet your passions the most important thing to you on this earth will get the very least of you because you are too busy telling people what you don’t want to do or believe in. i don’t speak to be viscous or negative. but what i know is that our health is crucial to your thinking.
If you are telling the truth that your family are your passion, get well and tell us how you did it and let that benefit some people. start by looking at your food. food is your first medicine. i know in America you can get everything under the sun with some fake name resembling food im not surprised most of you are unhealthy sick or dying.Go on a juice fast for 3-4 months and tell me your not feeling better !!!! or find some diet like the cohens diet. Or blow me over with a feather and jerf …. just eat real food, nothing that comes out of a packet cause its contaminated with goodness knows what.
Anyhow you could read all about it,and cure your self. i hope this doesn’t sound sarcastic it is not at all meant to. So be in health Bruce not in atheism cause theres no meaning to that. Just being alive has a meaning and im sure you matter to your family and they have a meaning to you … you said so yourself.
respectfully kate .otherwise know as a recovering hoshimotos sufferer, curing myself through diet and meaning……my three children my husband and life. its massive that word life !!!
Kate assumes I am NOT eating well. She is certain that me being overweight is because I spend all day eating Oreo cookies, ice cream, candy bars, and Pop Tarts. She is certain that I am killing myself with prepackaged food. How could she know this? Is she a mouse in the cupboard, watching what groceries we buy and observing Polly cook our meals? Of course not.
The food and diet police think that they have all the answers. Just do ______________and all will be well. Oh, if it is only that simple. These days, I find belligerent food Nazis more oppressive than the rankest of Fundamentalists. They are closed-minded, judgmental, unwilling, or unable to understand the complexity of the human body, diet, and the environment. They seek simple answers, quick fixes, and when they descend from the mountain top with the Ten Commandments of Atkins, Cohen, Dash, Weight Watchers, Orinish, TLC, Mayo Clinic, Mediterranean, Flexitarian, Jenny Craig, Volumetrics, Nutrisystem, Paleo, ad infinitum, they go about preaching their new-found gospel to fatties.
Of course, since I wrote this post in 2015, I lost one hundred pounds and watch my diet carefully, Why? Not that I got healthier. I have gastroparesis and exocrine pancreatic insufficiency. Trust me, these diseases are an effective weight loss program.
Peanut Gallery, a group of people whose opinions are considered unimportant, a source of insignificant criticism, the cheap seats.
Repost from 2015.
The first email purportedly comes from a man named James Barr. I say purportedly because people often use fake email addresses. Barr wrote:
Seems hard times have changed your focus. The Lord is very much alive. For one who was very much involved in the ministry,you have fallen away. God is faithful. Have you ever thought your health problems is God trying to get your attention? For one who saids he is an atheist, why would Bro Hyles even matter?
Ah yes, the “God is making you sick to get your attention” argument. Now, if I had been a picture of perfect health before I left the ministry and deconverted, this argument might carry some weight with me. However, my health problems started fourteen years before I left the ministry. Back then, I thought that God was testing me or making me stronger. Evidently, I failed the test or I was weak, because my health continued to decline. I was still a Christian in 2007 when I went through extensive testing to determine if I had Multiple Sclerosis. In fact, I was sick longer as a Christian than as an atheist.
As to the writer’s question, “why would Bro. Hyles matter”, the answer is simple. The Independent Fundamentalist Baptist (IFB) church movement continues to manipulate and hurt people and their families. My email inbox tells me that there are a lot of people who have been emotionally and mentally scarred by the abusive, controlling authoritarian beliefs and practices of IFB pastors. It is for these reasons I continue to write about Jack Hyles and the IFB church movement.
The last two emails come from a Canadian man. He used fake email address and names, so there is no way to know his name and gender, but based on the overall tenor of this writing, I suspect he is a man.
First email:
Hey Bruce,
Are you enjoying your rants, and posting fake names ? After reading through your blog, you sound like a hypocrite, not treating others as you have taught before. Right ? Our world has been made a more legalistic place. Have you got anymore rules you wanna add , fat nosed ? Your name and website has just begun to be exposed for all the world to see, laugh, and puke at you.
M.D.
Second email:
Hey,
Your blog has been voted the worst in USA, Canada & Mexico. Let me know if you would like to see the links.
Like showing the world what prestigious writer you are? blah blah blah blah blah
viszlát
Colin (your hu-animist too)
Not much I can say about these works of literary genius. They speak for themselves. I think I know who this is, but since I can’t know for sure, I won’t mention his name.
Bruce Gerencser, 67, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 46 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.
Comment: I wonder what the apostles and martyrs of the christian faith would day to you….? I feel sad that your convictions, after having “pastored” are so mushy. I do hope you get converted back someday. I feel sorry for your children and your blog followers. You Atheism is as inspiring as you “theism”. You should express yourself through a hobby rather than preaching your humanist void…I never write to people I encounter on the web, but I find your material disgusting, but I guess that ud fine with you anyway. May the void bless you.
Bruce Gerencser, 67, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 46 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 2015, my friend Ian wrote a series of posts detailing his experiences in an Accelerated Christian Education (A.C.E.) school. You can read the series here. A.C.E. is a self-directed Fundamentalist Christian K-12 education program. Students use PACES (Curriculum booklets) to individually perform their schoolwork. There are no teachers per se — just monitors who make sure students complete their work.
A while back, I received several emails from a Fundamentalist Christian man named Jonathan “Jon” Slagill objecting to my use of the phrase “A.C.E. school.”
Jonathan: Hello, There are no “ACE” schools but one. It’s in Hendersonville, TN. There are thousands of home schools, church schools and such that use the curriculum. But the school you went to was NOT an “ACE school.”
Bruce: In Christian Fundamentalism, the phrase “A.C.E. school” almost always refers to an educational institution owned and operated by a church. I know of dozens of such schools.
You are straining at the gnat and swallowing the camel.
Be well.
Bruce Gerencser
P.S. The A.C.E. School series was not written by me.
Jonathan: No, I’m stating a fact. They do not recommend spanking at all. They used to, but that has changed as also has the public schools. I’m sorry you had a bad experience, but it’s not what you think it is. Please stop living in the past. It’s not healthy. Your friend, JON
Bruce: I know what I know. Believe what you will. And keep your fucking psychoanalysis to yourself. You know nothing about me. You didn’t even bother to read the series. I checked the server logs. You did a Google search, found the series, and emailed me one minute later.
Jonathan: Yep. I know you are a very bitter person. You hate God. You hate the school you attended and blame ACE. I don’t read poison. That’s what it is.
Bruce: Evidently, you can’t read. I DIDN’T write the A.C.E. series. I attended a public high school in the 70s.
Slagill did a Google search, read the post title, and emailed me one minute later. He refuses to read the series because it is “poison.” Without reading anything I personally wrote, he determined I had a bad experience at an A.C.E. school and I hate this school, even though I never attended the school. I also am a very bitter person who hates God. Jonathan must be clairvoyant.
Fundamentalists never cease to amaze me.
Slagill, by the way, is the lead graphic designer for, drum roll please, you guessed it, A.C.E. Slagill attended Pensacola Christian College for two years and graduated from Friends University — a Quaker institution. Several years ago, Slagill commented on a YouTube video titled, How I Became a Quaker. His comment will tell you everything you need to know about his brand of Christianity:
Fallowing [sic] the teachings of Jesus and having a born again experience is the only way to the Father. I graduated from Friends University but never got the Gospel. Fox was wrong. Fallow [sic] the teachings of JESUS. Only he has the power to save. Universalism is what this sounds like and it’s [sic] will lead to hell. WE are not gods.
Bruce Gerencser, 67, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 46 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.
It’s not hard to find out who I am. Sixty seconds with God — also known as Google — or any of the lesser search engine deities, will reveal everything you would ever want or need to know about Bruce Gerencser. Out of seven billion people on planet Earth, I am the only Bruce Gerencser. Ain’t I special, right? Anyone bothering to exercise a modicum of curiosity will quickly find out that I was part of the Evangelical church for fifty years; that I attended an Independent Fundamentalist Baptist (IFB) college and married the daughter of an IFB preacher; that I pastored Evangelical churches in Ohio, Texas, and Michigan for twenty-five years; that I left the ministry in 2005; that I left Christianity in 2008. Since 2008, I have worn the atheist moniker. I have not hidden who or what I am. Yet, countless Evangelicals who send me emails, contact me on social media, or comment on this blog are clueless about my background and journey from Evangelicalism to atheism. Having about as much curiosity as a smushed raccoon on an Ohio country road, these deliberately uninformed followers of Jesus say all sorts of things to me; absurd things, in light of my past and present unbelief. What follows is a brief Facebook discussion with one such person. (Please see Curiosity, A Missing Evangelical Trait.)
By way of background, the woman who contacted me on Facebook took issue with what I wrote about IFB evangelist and pastor CT Townsend. Townsend is the pastor of Victory Baptist Church in North Augusta, South Carolina. The woman who contacted me is a long-time member of Victory Baptist. You can read what I wrote about Townsend here:
VBC Member: If all you do is sit around talking about what others are or are doing or not doing….I believe you have missed the point of life.
Bruce: Well, it’s a good thing, then, that’s not all I am doing. As if you would know what I am doing since you don’t know me.
You might want to ponder this verse: “He that answereth a matter before he heareth it, it is folly and shame unto him” before sitting in judgment over people you have never met and know nothing about.
Now, let me get back to what I’m doing: photographing a high school basketball game.
VBC Member: But you don’t believe the Bible ? …. yet you quote scripture. I guess it works for when it suits you. So, let me remind you to be mindful of speaking against a man of God. I was just sending you a word to ponder. You are in my prayers.
Bruce:I’m reminding you that you are a hypocrite. As far as “speaking” against a man of God, (I have no idea which preacher you are talking about), preachers aren’t any different from the unwashed, uncircumcised Philistines of the “world.” I was a pastor for 25 years. I know what goes on behind closed doors; where the bodies are buried. Sorry, just because someone is a pastor doesn’t mean they deserve deference/respect. Such things are earned, in my book.
VBC Member: But, are you not doing the same things when you give your opinion of a man of God? In my opinion, if you do not believe in God and denounce him, then why do you care what any man of God does? Does that not make you the same as you say I am being? I read recently one of your blogs. I do not understand how you can speak such nonsense? That is just your opinion on how you perceive someone based on what you have been through. I truly believe that whatever it is that you have experienced while you were a pastor was very hurtful. Perhaps you feel let down by God or, the ministry. I do not believe that you really denounce everything to do with Christ. Because, in my opinion, you would not try so hard to tear down everything you once believed in. I believe when you watch a pastor preach you perhaps feel conviction, because deep down you know the truth they speak. So, the devil is able to discourage you reflect on others what you went through. My heart truly breaks for you. If you no longer want to believe in HIM, then be done with it. That is your choice, but you are trying too hard to attack others who believe in God. The God I am speaking of is the one who died on the cross to save us all. By doing that we were given a choice to accept HIM. God does not force us to believe in Him. I hope you remember no man is perfect but HIM. We are all human and we make mistakes and fail daily. That is why we as Christians need HIM. I was not meaning to attack you or put you down. I knew you would think I was judging you but, that is what you were doing in your blog post when speaking against my friend and pastor. I respectfully say to you, to be mindful in speaking against a man of God in such a way as you did. I am going to be praying for your heart to soften and heal from what hurt you. You have all the head knowledge and truly know the ins and outs of what may or may not be going on in churches. I pray that starting at this very moment as you read this that you are reminded of the goodness and love God has for you. I assure you my pastor/ friend has earned the favor of God and is humbled by what God has done for him and continues to do in his life. The devil wants nothing more than for you to denounce God and put down others who believe as you once did. God is a sovereign Savior. He knows all. My prayer for you is that you remember why you were called and once believed. I am so sorry that you were hurt. Take care and I wish you the best.
Bruce: Who, specifically, are you defending?
VBC Member: When I read your blog I had a different feeling about you. I saw deep hurt. My reaching out to you was not to bash you or disrespect you. My heart hurts for you. I didn’t feel the need to protect my Pastor’s heart or intentions because God knows his, mine, and yours and HE knows our intentions. I can say as a human being there have been times in my life I did not understand GOD myself or his plans concerning my life. So, I get why some people turn their backs on anything to do with GOD. I have had my dark days too. I am not defending my Pastor. I was more so trying to open up and tell you I get it and understand. I do not look down on you at all. I wanted to say, “ I understand and I am sorry. “ ….. we can not try and deflect on others our pain and disappointment. Religious beliefs or not what purpose does that really get us. Maybe, instant gratification but only last for so long.. How we live our life reflects our heart. Dr. R Larry Brown was my Pastor for 39 years. Now we have a wonderful new Pastor C.T. Townsend. I can not change your opinions or beliefs. I can pray for you. Because where others lash out because of your blog. I see a man that was deeply hurt and sad, and angry and bitter at the way things went while you were a pastor. Just maybe you have a right to those feelings and emotions. You are right Sir, I don’t know you. I have experienced hurt and all of the above. Maybe you are right there is no God or the Devil. So, when we die those who believe and are Christians have not lost a thing, but if it is all true how terrible would that be?
You can research a man all day and size them up. Sometimes, you can be right, but who are we to judge? You felt attacked and judged by me and was quick to quote the Bible or say it was not very Christian of me to do so. However, you claim you are an atheist just so you can tear down anything to do with other people’s faith. How are you different? No one is perfect I am certainly not. Let people believe what they want. In the end, we all will see who was right. I wish I could share my story with you but I don’t want to bore you or intrude on your time any longer. Just know this was not an attack on you or your character. I saw deeper than your blog post and felt compelled to reach out. I wish you the very best and hope you find that enter peace between you and God.
[end of Facebook discussion]
Most of what this woman writes I have heard countless times before. I am angry, bitter, or hurt. I am out to attack God and the Christian church. Deep down, I know what preachers such as CT Townsend are saying is the T-R-U-T-H! Gotta throw in Pascal’s Wager too. No email from a Fundamentalist Baptist is complete without them sharing some version of Blaise Pascal’s “what if” argument (even though most letter writers have never heard of Pascal’s Wager).
Instead of giving these comments the Bruce Gerencser Line-by-Line Evisceration Treatment®, I want to address the issues of judging others and whether preachers are exempt from judgment.
First, should Christians, or any of us, for that matter, judge other people? I love how this woman tells me I shouldn’t judge, yet her comments are filled with her judgments of me as a person and my past experiences. As a public figure, I know that people will judge me and write all sorts of things about my life — past and present. All I ask, as I did of this woman, is that people at least make an honest effort to get to know me. At the very least, I ask that they invest some time in reading the posts on the WHY? page and the information found on the ABOUT page. Maybe read Dear Jesus and Why I Hate Jesus too.
As far as the Bible saying we shouldn’t judge others, the Good Book doesn’t actually say that. Please read (Does the Bible Really Say “Thou Shalt Not Judge?”) Besides, even if the Bible DID say THOU SHALT NOT JUDGE as many Evangelicals allege, my experiences both in and outside of Christianity tell me that “Bible-believers” are some of the most judgmental people I know. In fact, many Evangelical preachers are top-shelf judgmental assholes.
This is what happens to people who condemn preachers: Another time, Elisha was on his way to Bethel and some little kids came out from the town and taunted him, “What’s up, old baldhead! Out of our way, skinhead!” Elisha turned, took one look at them, and cursed them in the name of God. Two bears charged out of the underbrush and knocked them about, ripping them limb from limb—forty-two children in all! (2 Kings 2:23,24, The Message)
Second, I want to address the notion that preachers are exempt from being judged by others. Twice, the woman tells me “to be mindful of speaking against a man of God.” Those of us raised in the Evangelical church know that what this woman writes is actually a passive-aggressive threat that says “God hurts, maims, and kills people who dare to speak against those he has chosen to be preachers. If you don’t stop speaking against CT Townsend, God is going to get you!” Boy, I am scared now! A Christian has sicced her God on me, and if I don’t stop writing against this or that preacher or True Christianity® in general, God is going to strike me dead. Well, here I am, bring it on, Jesus. Surely, even a hardcore Fundamentalist Baptist knows that threatening an atheist with judgment from God is a waste of time. Now, if this woman had threatened me with my wife holding a cast-iron skillet over my head, then I might quake in my boots. But, God; the Christian God; the Evangelical God; the IFB God; this woman’s God? I am not worried in the least. I am far more worried about a deranged Bible-thumper showing up at my house one day and killing me in the name of a dead man named Jesus than I am a mythical deity raining fire and brimstone on my head or afflicting me with Job-like boils and hemorrhoids.
Preachers are made of flesh and blood just like the rest of us. I can’t think of any reason I should defer judgment on their words and works. CT Townsend, in particular, lives a very public life. His actions and beliefs are not beyond scrutiny and judgment. Instead of hurling meaningless warnings of judgment my way, how about considering whether my observations and critiques have merit? As long as preachers such as Townsend say they speak for God and publicly judge and condemn the unwashed, uncircumcised Philistines of the “world” for their way of life, I plan on challenging them. As long as such men continue to demand that their peculiar brand of Christianity be given preferential treatment in the public square, and demand that government at every level follow, obey, and enforce the laws, precepts, and commands of the Bible, I will vociferously object. The day Evangelicals retreat to the privacy of their houses of worship and content themselves with personal piety, then, and only then, will I shutter this blog, having nothing more to say. Of course, that ain’t ever going to happen. The Evangelical goal remains what it has always been: to claim the United States for God. And that, my friend, must never happen. Once Evangelicals and their fellow Mormon and Catholic extremists gain the power of the state, freedoms will be lost and people will die. The unholy mixing of church and state always yields the same fruit, and as long as I am breathing, I plan to be on the battlefield with Roundup in hand, spraying every theocratic weed I see. Theocratic thinking, wherever it is found, is a disease that kills all that it touches. If I love my children and grandchildren and care about what the future holds for them, how can I be silent?
Bruce Gerencser, 67, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 46 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.
Why do you people bother arguing and debating with this guy? He’s spiritually dead as a doornail and always has been. His 25 years in the pastorate was a complete sham. If you doubt that call the leadership staff at any of the churches and ask about his conduct. On top of multiple failed “ministries,” he has hopped from job to job and place to place (22 and 18, respectively). Don’t waste your time reading his blogs. His mind is darkened and his heart hardened by sin. He has nothing of substance to offer you. Above all else don’t make a donation and facilitate his folly.
This man did read a few more posts than the typical Evangelical asshole (9), so for that HSV Counseling gets a gold star beside his name. Atta boy, you sure put that atheist Bruce Gerencser in his place. Here’s what HSV wants readers to know:
I am presently as spiritually dead as a “doornail (utterly devoid of life).”
I have always been as spiritually dead as a “doornail.”
The twenty-five years I spent pastoring Evangelical churches was a complete “sham.”
The leadership at the churches I pastored will confirm that my work as their pastor was a “sham.”
The churches I pastored were “failures.”
I worked a lot of jobs and lived in a lot of places in my lifetime. This is another sign that proves I was a “failure.”
People shouldn’t waste their time reading my writing. Why? My mind is darkened and my heart hardened by sin.
I have nothing of substance to offer readers.
And, most importantly, people shouldn’t make donations me, facilitating my folly.
I find it interesting that Evangelicals — who don’t know me — can read a few blog posts and then, angered, outraged, and butthurt about what I wrote, attempt to psychologically wound me by attacking my character. Years ago, such attacks were quite effective. So much so that I would often stop blogging for weeks and months on end. At the time, I thought, why won’t they just accept my story at face value? Why do they have to attack me personally instead of interacting with my writing? Why are they comfortable with lying about me and distorting the narrative of my life?
I am not sure that I can answer these questions, but I do know that how I respond to such people has changed. I no longer let their words harm me. Sure, much like everyone, I don’t like it when people personally attack me, malign my character, and, on occasion verbally assault my spouse, children, and readers of this blog. I know these Cowards for Jesus® hide safely behind their computer screens, smartphones, and tablets, never fearing the consequences of their un-Christian behavior.
When I have the opportunity, I will track them down and out them, giving a very public face to their hateful words. Years ago, an Evangelical man sent me numerous hateful emails and comments. I eventually figured out who he was. This Coward for Jesus® was using his work computer to email me. One day, while he was, once again, verbally assaulting me, I called the HR department at the company he worked for, informing them as to what this man was doing while on the clock — while accessing the Internet from his work computer. This man never sent me another email. He got my message loud and clear.
The same goes for James Tester, an IFB pastor who sent me a nasty email several years ago. Unfortunately, for Tester, he left enough breadcrumbs for me to track him down. (Please see IFB Pastor James Tester Sends Me a Message.) Now Tester has to live with the fact that when someone searches for “Pastor James Tester” on Google, the aforementioned post ranks fourth, right after his Facebook and Instagram pages. Do I find a bit of smug satisfaction when this happens? Yep, I sure do. There’s little more that I can do than publicize their “faith” for all to see.
Alas, for HSV Counseling — bclarkf150 — all my Google search returned was Herpes Simplex Virus Counseling. There’s a punch line there for readers who would like to make the connection.
I will continue to publicizes these kinds of emails and comments because I think it is important for people to see the ugly side of Evangelical Christianity. If nothing else, they remind us of one of the reasons we walked (ran) away from Christianity. It’s hard to argue for the moral and ethical superiority of Evangelicalism as long as Jesus-loving trolls attack and disparage the very people Jesus commands them to love.
Now, let me get back to counting all the donations I received today. Almost enough for me to buy a Lear Jet! All praise be to Loki!
Bruce Gerencser, 67, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 46 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.
I follow the KJV 1611 group on Facebook. Recently, the following meme was posted:
I decided to respond to the meme. Enjoy!😉 All spelling, grammar, punctuation, and bad arguments in the original.
Bruce: I studied the Bible and that’s why I’m an atheist. 😈 Indeed, the truth shall set you free!
KJV 1611: Bruce Gerencser “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:” – God
Tommy: Bruce Gerencser you did not study bc if you had you wouldn’t be an atheist..
Bruce: Tommy, I was an Evangelical Christian for fifty years, and a pastor for twenty-five years. So nice try, but no cigar.
Tommy: Bruce Gerencser yeh, so you page says .. that doesn’t mean you understood what you read.. hey, I’m not judging… Youre a grown man, you have free will. Which is proof that God is real.. if we were confined to just being science we would be bound to only to laws of physics.. no free will. But you tell yourself whatever you choose. Regardless, you know you shouldn’t deny God/Jesus Christ and def not the Holy Spirit. Please reconsider your position
Bruce: Tommy, where can I take the test?😂
Tommy: Bruce Gerencser just order your permits online like usual.🤣
Bruce: Tommy, we don’t have free will, so there goes your God.
Q: Bruce Gerencser .. so who made you become an atheist?🤔.. nobody but yourself= free will
Bruce: Tommy, sure. 😀😃
Tommy: Bruce Gerencser yep I made you make that response too 🤔🤣.. thank you for continually verifying that I am 100% correct.. Because it’s your continual free will to choose to respond Just as it’s my free will to continue to prove you wrong and it’s working perfectly!!
Bruce: Tommy, nope. I answered you because I’m preconditioned to answer dumb statements. I can’t help myself, it’s my nature.
More seriously, if you want to have a real discussion about free will contact me via my blog. I’m more than happy to explain my understanding of free will — both as a Christian and an atheist. I’ve much to say, but this isn’t the proper forum to do so. 🤣❤️
Tommy: Bruce Gerencser you obviously, YOU HAD A CHOICE TO RESPOND.. OR TO NOT RESPOND ,,, WHICH proves you did 1 or the other and that was your choice , nobody made you. . that is free will. God isnt going to make you choose him. Your choice to respond to me Your choice to except him. Please, stop arguing…m still yet a free choice..
Janie: Bruce Gerencser pitiful.
Bruce: Janie, thank you.😂
Emily: Bruce Gerencser Galatians 5:7-9 KJV Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth? This persuasion cometh $not of him that calleth you. A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump…… there’s still time for you to repent and turn back to Christ
Bruce: Emily, sadly, you fail to understand that quoting Bible verses to atheists doesn’t work.
Joseph: Bruce Gerencser Anyone approaching God must first believe that He is.
Joseph: If I didn’t believe that you’re real, it would follow the same logic that it doesn’t matter what your comment says, or what you write on here at all. you’re an AI and you’re not real. If I approach you with that mindset I would have the same mindset about you as you do about God.
Bruce: Joseph, I have no idea what you’re talking about.
Marcia: Bruce Gerencser facts, if you are not a child of God you can never understand his words. God spoke in parables so that they who belong to him can comprehend. You need to ask God for his wisdom and his spirit. Because without his spirit it profited nothing. If God doesn’t give you his understanding, then you just don’t belong to him. He created us all. But not everyone belongs to him. A fool says there’s no God.
Bruce: Marcia, good to know. Then there’s no need to preach the gospel to me, right? Or telling me to read the book of John, right? Or quoting Bible verses to me, right? You might want to tell your fellow believers that I’m deaf. 🤣🤣
Michael: “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap” (Galatians 6:7).
“[12] The wicked plots against the just, and gnashes at him with his teeth. [13] The Lord laughs at him, for He sees that his day is coming” (Psalm 37:12-13).
“And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment” (Hebrews 9:7).
“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad” (2 Corinthians 5:10).
“He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him—the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day” (John 12:48).
“He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him” (John 3:36).
“But unless you repent you will all likewise perish” (John 13:3).
“The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel” (Mark 1:15).
“[18] Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, [19] that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. [20] Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God” (2 Corinthians 5:18-20).
Mr. Gerencser, I’m pretty sure it’s likely you haven’t read the Bible in full, that is, cover to cover. Typically, those who profess to be Atheists, yet also claim to have read and studied the Bible, likely did not read a lick of it, or if they have, it was perhaps a few verses here or there; or what they ‘heard’ of the Bible from a third party who themselves don’t believe, and who claimed they too “read” the Bible.
I have encountered many Atheists in my day, and usually all they have to hear is the preaching of the Gospel message and they decide to remain an enemy of God in their unbelief, because their pride is offended by the conviction of the Gospel. And most often than not, these individuals wouldn’t even bother to read more of what they believe is an offense to them. So the claims of most Atheists of having ‘read’ the whole of the Bible is far more a stretch of the truth than they personally believe the Bible to be. If we are keeping totally 100% here.
I pray the Lord has mercy upon you and quickens your spirit that you might believe, call on the name of the Lord Jesus and be saved! But if you remain stubbornly hard of heart, and will not receive a love of the truth, then it is simply as my Lord Jesus says, “You are not of God”, you are not of the truth, therefore you cannot receive His words. And if this is the case for you, woe unto you. For Hell is real, my friend, and judgment IS coming! Only God knows whether you will ever believe or not, so I will lovingly say to you, my friend, be reconciled to God.
Repent of your sins! Turn from them and turn to God! Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, whom God the Father sent to die for yours, mines and the whole world’s sins. Put your faith in Him [alone] to give you forgiveness of your sins, redemption, and salvation!
Seek the Lord—NOW—while He may be found; and do not perish in your sins. For tomorrow is not promised to anyone. The life of men is but a vapor; like the grass that fades, or the glory of a flower that’s here today but gone tomorrow. Yet, if you repent and believe the Gospel of Christ, even though you die, you shall live!
“[16] For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. [17] For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved” (John 3:16-17).
Call on Him! 🙂 <3
Bruce: Michael, I was an Evangelical Christian for fifty years. I pastored IFB, Southern Baptist, Christian Union, and Non-denominational churches in Ohio, Texas, and Michigan for twenty-five years. So, yes, I read the Bible — the KJV — cover to cover numerous times. All told, I spent 20,000 hours studying the Bible and preached 4,000+ sermons. I know, comprehend, and understand the Bible. If you doubt me, ask away. I’m confident I can pass with flying colors any Bible Knowledge Test you might give. 🤣❤️
Louwtjie: Bruce Gerencser sad to say this..but I question it…..were you ever born again. JOHN 3:3-5 Where you ever filled with the Hoky Spirit…did you ever confessed Jesus Christ as your Savior. ROM 10 :8-10…I don’t think so
Bruce: Louwtjie, yes, I was born again. Anyone who knew me at the time will testify of my faith in and commitment to Christ.
That I don’t fit in your peculiar theological box 📦 is your problem, not mine.
Bruce: Louwtjie, yes [were you ever born again], yes [were you ever filled with the Holy Spirit], and yes [did you ever confess Jesus Christ as your Savior]. Now what?
William: if your really a atheist??? you might have read the BIBLE, but study it is very different, you have my prayer that OUR FATHER will open your eyes to the real WORD of GOD [JESUS CHRIST] my opinion only
Bruce: William, yes I’m “really” an atheist — agnostic atheist, to be exact.
As pastor, I spent 20,000 hours studying the Bible and its attendant teachings. I preached expositionally. I committed myself to knowing the Word of God, not only for myself, but also for the people I pastored.
James: You cannot understand the bible unless the Holy Spirit gives you understanding, so if your not saved you have not the Holy Spirit indwelling you, therefore there is no understanding….
Bruce: James, yet numerous people quoted Bible verses to me in this thread. If I can’t “understand” it, why quote it to me? If the natural man cannot understand the things of God, preaching to me or quoting verses is worthless.
So, which shall it be?
Several other Fundamentalists commented but blocked me so I couldn’t retrieve their comments. Evidently, allowing an atheist to respond to a comment you made about him will give you demonic cooties.
Bruce Gerencser, 67, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 46 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.
Yesterday, I responded to an email from an Evangelical man I’ll call Fred Flintstone. The sender took great umbrage at me using his first name, so as not to upset him further, I have given him a pseudonym, Fred Flintstone. You can read Part One here.
Today, over the course of two hours, Fred sent me seventeen emails. Evidently, my response upset him. I don’t plan to respond to every one of his emails. Thoughtful readers will see that his emails speak for themselves; just seventeen more emails added to thousands of similar emails from Evangelicals I have received over the past seventeen years. I do, however, want to address several things mentioned by Fred, in the hope that by doing so, he will see that he has careened off the runway and crashed into a fuel truck, destroying whatever chance he might have had for putting in a good word for Jesus. Instead, he comes off as just another butthurt Evangelical who isn’t used to pushback.
First, the original article about Kenny Bishop was a defense of the man and his new path in life. I wrote:
Several days ago, I had a hankering for music from The Bishops. As I was listening, I thought, “I wonder where Kenny Bishop is today?”
….
Talk about finding the unexpected — a liberal, gay Kenny Bishop. I definitely didn’t see that one coming. That said, I am happy for Kenny and his husband Mason. While I am no longer a Christian, I know that Christianity needs more Kenny Bishops. I have no doubt Kenny was eviscerated for his repudiation of Evangelical orthodoxy and their hatred of LGBTQ people. I know first-hand how it feels to be cut a thousand times by people who once loved you, people who were your family, friends, and colleagues in the ministry. Kenny, it seems, has risen above the anger and judgment and made a new life for himself. I wish him nothing but the best. He will remain my all-time favorite southern gospel tenor singer. And better yet, he is an example for people who still believe in God, but want to free themselves from Evangelical bondage. For people of faith, there are kinder, gentler expressions of Christianity. As Kenny Bishop’s life shows, one can still meaningfully believe in the Christian God without being Evangelical. While I can’t follow such a path, I don’t condemn others who do.
Kenny is a United Church of Christ (UCC) pastor. The UCC is arguably the most liberal denomination in the United States. UCC theological and social beliefs are the polar opposite of the beliefs held by most Evangelicals. Would most Southern Baptist, Assembly of God, Church of God, other Evangelical sects, and nondenominational churches welcome Kenny into their congregations to sing or preach? Of course not. Evangelicalism is the primary driving force against societal acceptance of LGBTQ people. Kenny would not be permitted to be a member of most of these churches. Why? They consider him an apostate, a reprobate — whose behavior is an affront to the Evangelical God.
Second, Fred repeatedly complained that I didn’t answer his questions. What questions, exactly? His email contained all of one question mark, and even that sentence was as much a statement as it was a question.
Here’s Fred’s original email:
I read your Kenny Bishop piece. Kenny knew his lifestyle would not fit in Southern Gospel but he still finds way to serve. He believes as I do, savior above sin! Kenny’s still working. I don’t know how you become a Former Christian that is still moved by gospel music. The fact that it still moves you is a pretty good indication that there’s something still in you. The funny thing is Christians that claim they ain’t Christians anymore. That don’t work man! You can’t take that off like a shirt! You going to mess around and die and be pissed you in Heaven?
How many questions did you find?
Third, every Evangelical who emails me is served a page that says, in part:
If you are an Evangelical Christian, please read Dear Evangelical before sending me an email. If you have a pathological need to evangelize, spread the love of Jesus, or put a good word in for the man, the myth, the legend named Jesus, please don’t. The same goes for telling me your church/pastor/Jesus is awesome. I am also not interested in reading sermonettes, testimonials, Bible verses, or your deconstruction/psychological evaluation of my life. By all means, if you feel the need to set me straight, start your own blog.
If you email me anyway — and I know you will, since scores of Evangelicals have done just that, showing me no regard or respect — I reserve the right to make your message and name public. This blog is read by thousands of people every day, so keep that in mind when you email me whatever it is you think “God/Jesus/Holy Spirit” has laid upon your heart. Do you really want your ignorance put on display for thousands of people to see? Pause before hitting send. Ask yourself, “how will my email reflect on Jesus, Christianity, and my church?”
Fred has no justified reason for being upset that I used his first name in response to him, before changing it to Fred Flintstone. For the sake of future discussions, I will call myself Barney Rubble. 🙂
Fred threatens me with legal action, as if no one has ever tried that before with me. There’s nothing in my response to him that remotely breaks the law, and my editor, who is a lawyer, would tell me if I did. Fred might want to study up on things such as the First Amendment, Fair Use, and what is permitted in public discourse. I am a public figure, as is Kenny Bishop. U.S. law sets a high bar for slander, and I am confident I have not slandered anyone. My writing typically uses news articles, public documents, and websites to justify and bolster my posts. This blog primarily features my opinions about various religious or political subjects. People are free to read or not read what I write. If Fred wants to take me to task for what I have written, I suggest he start his own blog and type away. As a warning, let me say others have tried to methodically deconstruct my life. Every one of them eventually gave up. Successful blogging is hard work. Ninety-five percent of blogs are eventually abandoned. As you will see below, I have even offered Fred the opportunity to write a rebuttal post. Much as I did with Dr. David Tee, I am more than happy to give my critics the unedited space to respond to me.
Fourth, I have met the Bishops too. We attended two of their homecomings in Berea, Kentucky, and heard them several times in concerts over the years. One thing is for certain, neither Fred nor I know Kenny Bishop well. My goal was to encourage and support Kenny. Take a gander at the comments Jesus-loving Christians left on the original post and see my responses. They will tell you everything you need to know about my motivations.
Finally, I’ll never understand Fred’s approach to me. What did he hope to accomplish by repeatedly swearing at me, calling me names, threatening my manhood, and trying to scare me with baseless threats of legal action? How does his behavior square with what Jesus said to his followers about treating their enemies? Or where can the Fruit of the Spirit be seen in Fred’s responses to me? Look, I am a big boy with thick skin. I can take abuse from God’s chosen ones all day long. However, as a man who was an Evangelical for fifty years, and a pastor for twenty-five years, I can tell you that this kind of behavior doesn’t do anything to advance the cause of Christ.
If Fred had questions, I would gladly answer them. But, slinging curse words and derogatory names my way will not elicit the desired response. Religious beliefs (or atheist beliefs, for that matter) are not off-limits on this site. Want respect? Behave respectfully.
Fred is free to comment on this post or any other post on this site. If he asks legitimate, thoughtful questions, I will gladly answer them. I don’t shy away from interaction with people who disagree with me.
Bruce
What follows are the emails I received today from Fred. They are in the order I received them. All spelling, grammar, and punctuation in the original.
Email 1
You wrote another blog to pick apart my questions to you! How can you claim not to be a Christian but take something I said in Praise of Kenny Bishop and turn me into an evangelical person that’s mad at somebody! Most Christians or professed Christians would simply tell you Kenny is going to Hell! Keep writing your one sided, hateful blogs in the hopes you’re changing people’s minds about Christianity! You’re leaving an online legacy of straight up stupidity! I simply said If you were saved, you are saved and saying you’re not does not matter to God! I said you’ll still go to Heaven and didn’t wish Hell on you! Yes I am a Christian but the hate filled type, that’s not me! You didn’t even answer any questions. You dodged them with all the anti religious rhetoric! You’re an online joke!
Email 2
Don’t have a damn thing to add to the religious debate. You try to embarrass people that try! As a blood bought child of God, Hell with You!
Email 3
Seriously though sir! You said ask questions and you’ll answer. You didn’t mention you’d write an another addition to your bullshit with someone’s name it! What I’m waiting for you do is include my last name in your Christian hate speech and I’ll sue you for slandering abs twisting my words and my name to fit your cluster Fucked agenda! Yea I’m Christian but don’t be calling me out on a online unless you want to be on a court docket line!
Email 4
I have no trouble standing against a Web Hoe who misrepresents me!
Email 5
As far as Kenny Bishop. He and his family and fellow Gospel Artists know why he left Southern Gospel music but they still love him and his family does too. I’ve Met Kenny, Mark and the Bishops on several occasions. Their story would match mine contrary to what a Web Hoe says! Savior over sin may have been wrong terminology for someone like you who has no comprehension of what a savior really is! You weren’t man enough to live up to it! You Quit! Kenny & I haven’t
Email 6
That’s the only reason I replied to piece as we called it but now since we know that you lie on your page about people you don’t personally know it looks more like a “Piece Of Shit!”
Email 7
That’s how evangelical I am dude! I’ll cuss you the fuck out in Jesus Name!
Email 8
Seriously. The language I use, the bad things I do, the bad things that other people do. That’s what your piece of shit page is! It’s a gossip rag and you put my name on it for asking questions that you request? I am from a family of attorneys. My niece specializes in the cyber parts of the law. So go ahead and include my last name on your rag page and you’ll see what it’s like to make a bullshit webpage end up putting you in a trailer park without wi fi!
Email 9
We grow up being asked to believe in things that don’t exist. Santa, Easter bunnies, tooth fairies so I can definitely completely understand how an unseen God can get thrown in that mix. Honestly I can’t put to one particular thing in this world that I can point to and say “There it is! There’s proof of God” except things that I’ve personally been through but then again for someone like you, everybody has a story. I don’t judge you based on your beliefs! That’s the beauty of Freedom! We are free to believe whatever we want! Don’t turn your non belief into making a public mockery of my belief. If we going public the I have an attorney for that! Amen
Email 10
I don’t care about the religious aspect of it anymore. If you want to put my name on your rag, talking about human beings personal sexuality then you need to be sued anyway!
Email 11
You’re not a reporter or a journalist. You’re a Keyboard Thug!
Email 12
Finally in closing let this sink in that twisted mind of yours! I sent you a private email. You chose to call me out in a very public way and totally distort and mocked me in addition to outing Kenny again too! Kenny probably wouldn’t tell you this but I will because we’re all individuals with opinions and I’m Me! You called me out so my response is Fuck You!
Email 13
And mess around never was a reference to you doing anything against your wife or doing anything wrong. You ask people to message you with questions brother. That implies that you do not object to dialogue with people with different views. That’s Cool. What is not cool is to take that discussion public and only show your views! You want to interview me? You want to know exactly where I stand? Do that and you’ll see although I’m not ashamed to be a Christian and you’re not a Christian, we probably still have more in common than not. You’ll never know because you’re content to run with Bullshit!
Email 14
And in your specific case, I don’t think he does but I hope God does in your situation feels the same as you and me. Ok we ain’t friends anymore? Go To Hell Then!
Email 15
Because you can literally see Anything online is very misleading. Celebrities would be in court forever if they went after everybody that spoke ill of them. I’m just an average every day person. I do believe in God but I do have non believer and gay family members and friends. I don’t try to be all holier than thou and force my belief system on them. If I’m asked questions I’ll answer but I don’t judge on the partying and stuff. If I’m around it. I’m involved! I don’t see my faith a list of rules and regulations at all. That’s religion. I am not involved. Not Guilty. I have a personal relationship with God. I’m not a preacher or teacher. I try to keep the 10 commandments and if that is the wrong approach then it at the very least keeps me out of a courthouse so I’ll roll with it!
Email 16
I hope you enjoy the rest of your weekend. Don’t automatically jump to conclusions on people based on 1 email. Some of us who claim Christ, Don’t claim some that call themselves Christians! We are not Hate. We Don’t discriminate. We know everyone has problems and habits but we do too, so we love anyway! A Christian that comes at you any other way is not always the real deal!
Email 17
That’s one thing you will never hear in a current Evangelical church. 10 commandments were the law of God passed down from Moses and backed up by Jesus. Evangelicals will add every sin known to man as to why you’re going to Hell but all I remember Jesus saying was keep my commandments or laws and love one another! You take the coolest Christian’s ever in me and Kenny to try to use as click bait to further your beliefs! Dude were the closest thing to your beliefs without crossing over!
After writing this post, Fred sent me sixteen more emails.
Email 18
I have said everything I feel and have been told to cover! You referred to me on an open website and totally turned it around for evil intent. I’ve given you plenty of Ammo to write Part 2 but you better entitle “Keep The Shirt On because it might be the last one you got when I see your 67 year old, old ass in court!”
Email 19
You trying to low key bash people on your website. Let’s go big and do a podcast! Come at me with all that atheistic I’ll make an example of you by one statement attitude! You’ll be the laughing stock getting cussed out by someone who is saved! I’m not Holy bro! I’m Holy Shit! He said that!
Email 20
You are used to dealing with Christians who have been almost programmed to act a certain way. I identify as a Christian who has morals, but I was raised by a 3 times a week church mom and a former military alcoholic dad. My childhood was always in the middle of raising Hell and Amazing Grace so somehow at 50 I have kept both close to my heart! I’ll call you out on some straight up Bullshit and pray it over later!
Email 21
See I have taken all day on a Sunday replying to your bullshit post because you obviously took the time to write it. I don’t give a shit about misspelled words or proper punctuation. I’m not the one posting about people’s private lives. How you did me was shitty on I’m banking on you to do it again and include my last name like you did Bishop! You wanna be an Atheist playing God online with people! I’ll show you someone that will hit back in a more public way than a website!
Email 22
I know you don’t believe because you’ve never talked to anybody that believes but remained “Real!” If gay existed when I was growing up and when you grew up, I’m not at all shocked of it today! This ain’t new! You telling me God waited over 2000 to start picking specifically on gay people? That is also an Evangelical move to hide behind fairh to hate someone. You want to make masses believe your bullshit about people you don’t know just to make arguments against religion! I don’t come to you as religious! I didn’t come to you in disagreement about the existence of God. I made a comment about a good guy to you! You trying to pick apart every word as bad against you and Kenny! Pick apart Deez Nutz!
Email 23
So you basically got a guy that would sit down and have a drink with you and not be offended by anything you said to me in private but you chose to go public to mock me? Old Punk Ass Keyboard Thug with a website that looks like those fake ass magazines you used to see in grocery stores! Leave a Legacy Bro, not a Leech!
Email 24
I love dealing with highly intelligent people who think they have all the answers! Sometimes people aren’t questioning your beliefs or interested in arguing over religion. I was actually searching for bishops videos, clicked on your “Piece” of Shit and just gave Kenny some praise! I don’t know I had a 67 year old 1 sentence means an article Web Hoe who just waits on shit to jump on people. You jumped on the Christian in a Christian vs Atheists debate that will curse more than the Atheist! I don’t necessarily buy that salvation strips you of your rights to individuality, authentically being You! That’s the problem here man! Know your enemy before just picking unnecessary fights!
Email 25
I’m sure you love to argue with the intellectual seminary type but come down to the southern holding on by a thread sometimes people and see if you can persuade one of us to pussy out too!
Email 26
Goodnight! God Bless Hail Mary Hallelujer and all that. You yourself said you respected what Kenny did! How the fuck you going to jump on me for saying the same thing from my perspective?
Email 27
In total finality, you are a former pastor and I understand partly how you can have your beliefs change. You were a pastor on the front line. You saw firsthand how big of assholes church members are! I saw i also. I worked in a restaurant and the Sunday after church crowd were the shittiest whiners all week. I saw grown ass men still in church clothes make waitresses cry minutes after getting out of Sunday Meeting. I’m not naive or dumb. I never said you’re dead wrong or out of line for your beliefs. How did my short ass comment spark a whole new one sided post with accusations, inferences and speculation about somebody you don’t know? Webster would define you as an intelligent Dumbass.
Email I sent to Fred Flintstone:
Mr ********,
You seem to think I am interested in corresponding with you. I’m not. I’ve heard from countless people like you. I plan to put your responses into another post. Feel free to comment on the post or write a guest post detailing your grievances. Outside of that, I have no interest in hearing from you again.
I did change your name to Fred Flintstone. I hope that suits you.
Bruce Gerencser
Email 28
That is fine. I’ll respect your wishes and leave you alone. Fire away!
Email 29
I’ve unfortunately dealt with people like you before in my job in law enforcement. As long as I can lie, I’ll talk! If I’m called out on a lie, no comment! Post one post with my name on or in it and I’ll take your ass for the ride of your lifetime!
Email 30
And it’s Sgt ****** to People who hide behind screens
Email 31
I gave you credit for serving time on the front line as a pastor. You may have hit reverse but you did serve the time. I understand that you and your don’t believe anymore but I pray that if there happens to be an eternity then the work you honest to goodness put in is recognized and enough! It may be totally in the past but you’ve been there and done it! That’s way more than some do! Goodbye
Email 32
Sir I have read your page and bio. I see about your health issues. I won’t insult you with prayer but I’m sorry you have to deal with all that. Fire away at me but I’m leaving you alone. I don’t want to upset you. Be Well Sir!
If Fred sends me any more emails, I will post them here.
Bruce Gerencser, 67, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 46 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.
Recently, I received the following email from an Evangelical man named Fred Flinstone (not his real name). My response is indented and italicized. (All spelling, grammar, and punctuation in the original.)
I read your Kenny Bishop piece.
The piece Fred is referencing can be found here: Southern Gospel Singer Kenny Bishop is Now a Gay United Church of Christ Pastor. Bishop is the former heterosexual lead singer of the Southern Gospel group, The Bishops. Kenny went through a lot of personal turmoil in his life, left Evangelicalism, came out as gay, married a man, and is now a United Church of Christ pastor in Lexington, Kentucky. Kenny remains a committed Christian, but is far from his Evangelical roots.
Kenny knew his lifestyle would not fit in Southern Gospel but he still finds way to serve.
Kenny doesn’t have a “lifestyle” any more than heterosexual Fred does. We are who we are. Kenny has chosen a path in life that is best for him, and I applaud his willingness to live openly and authentically, even if I disagree with some of his religious beliefs.
Kenny shouldn’t have to find ways to serve. He should be accepted as he is, but that’s never going to happen with many Evangelicals. Their archaic, anti-human interpretations of select Bible verses keep them from being welcoming human beings. In their minds, God and their peculiar interpretations of the allegedly inerrant, infallible Word of God trump treating people decently and with respect. LGBTQ people are abominable sinners, reprobates who have crossed the line of no return. Much of the violent rhetoric against LGBTQ people is driven by Christians holding to Evangelical (or Mormon and conservative Catholic) beliefs.
Kenny is a gifted musician. That his music is no longer received or listened to by millions of Evangelicals is unfortunate.
He believes as I do, savior above sin! Kenny’s still working.
I guarantee you Bishop does not believe as Fred does, As far as putting Savior above sin, Bishop is a gay man married to another man. According to Evangelical orthodoxy, he has most certainly NOT put Savior above sin.
I don’t know how you become a Former Christian that is still moved by gospel music.
If you want to understand my journey from Evangelicalism to atheism, please read the posts found on the WHY? page. As readers will see in a moment, Fred’s “understander” is broken.
Being moved by music is psychological in nature. I spent fifty years listening to Christian music. It would be odd for me to not find the music familiar, even though I no longer believe what most of the lyrics say. I am moved by all sorts of music. We go to numerous concerts during the year, listening to everything from hard rock to country music. We are quite eclectic musically. Last night, we attended a concert featuring Thompson Square and Walker County. Both my partner and I were “moved” by some of the songs — sometimes to tears. Neither of us is Christian, so God was not the locus of our feelings. How we feel when we hear music is driven by numerous factors, none of which require a deity or a religion.
The fact that it still moves you is a pretty good indication that there’s something still in you.
Of course, there’s still “something” in me. I am a living, breathing, flesh-and-blood human being. Of course, Fred means something different. Maybe God is still living inside of me or the Holy Spirit is still speaking to me, and sometimes he uses Southern Gospel music to “speak” to me. Sure . . . 🙂
The funny thing is Christians that claim they ain’t Christians anymore. That don’t work man! You can’t take that off like a shirt! You going to mess around and die and be pissed you in Heaven?
Here we go . . . According to Fred, I am still a Christian; that once I put on the “shirt” I can never take it off. This is akin to you still being married after you are divorced. I am a former Christian. I once was saved, and now I am not. I categorically and resolutely reject the central claims of Christianity. Jesus was a man who lived and died, end of discussion.
No, Fred is upset that he can’t square my story and that of other deconverts with his theology. That’s his problem, not mine. Perhaps he should rethink his theology or, better yet, just accept the stories of others at face value. When a person tells me he is a Christian, I believe him. I wish Evangelicals would do the same.
I don’t plan on “messing around,” whatever the Hell that means. My “messing around” days stopped in the mid-1970s. I plan on living until I die, and then it is over for me, just like it was for Jesus, the Apostles, and billions of people before me. I am confident no Heaven or Hell awaits me. And if I end up in Heaven anyway, will I be pissed? Maybe. It depends on how many Fred Flinstones live next to me. If I must choose, I prefer Hell with my fellow heathens. Much better company, music, and food. And best of all, no prostrating myself day and night before a narcissistic deity. I do hear, however, that the weather is a bit warm. 🙂
Bruce Gerencser, 67, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 46 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.
