Many preachers are decent human beings; respectful, polite, and winsome. I may disagree with them about their theological and political beliefs, but I wouldn’t have a problem sharing a meal with them at a restaurant or a beer at a pub. I reject the notion posited by some anti-theists, that all preachers are evil.
And then there are other preachers — those who frequent social media or stand on street corners shouting at passersby, threatening them with judgment and Hell, or calling them names. I came of age in the Independent Fundamentalist Baptist (IFB) church movement, attended an IFB college, and pastored IFB churches. I attended numerous preacher’s conferences and meetings. Again, I knew preachers who were decent people, but I also knew way too many so-called men of God who were assholes for Jesus. These men loved to abuse people they disagreed with, both theologically and politically, with mockery and ridicule. Years ago, A group of men from our church and I were preaching outside the City Center in Columbus, Ohio. After an hour or so, a group of men from an area IFB church joined us. I didn’t know them, but one of the preachers I was with did. As we were getting ready to call it a day, several Mormon missionaries came by handing out literature. As they were walking away, several men from the other church started shouting at the Mormons: MORONS! MORONS! MORONS! Their behavior angered me, and I made sure that, in the future, our church had nothing to do with them.
I also remember attending a preacher’s conference at an IFB church outside of Columbus. One preacher spent forty-five minutes, not preaching the Bible, but attacking, mocking, and haranguing churches, Bible colleges, and preachers he disagreed with. (He later cut ties with me because he disagreed with me over a minor point of doctrine.) I wish I could say that this man was an outlier, but I saw more than a few preachers who thought preaching the Bible required them to attack, belittle, and disparage churches and preachers that didn’t align with their beliefs. When called out for their abusive preaching, these bullies for Jesus retort, “You don’t like hard preaching?” or “Did I step on your toes”? “Your problem is with God, brother, not me.”
Recently, I stumbled upon an article by a Fundamentalist preacher justifying mocking Christians and unbelievers he disagrees with. This man has a penchant for name-calling and attacking anyone and everyone who runs afoul of his Fundamentalist worldview. He’s not a person I would want to be around, and I can only imagine how he treats the people who call him pastor.
Evangelicals are big on Bible proof-texting. Proof texts are used to justify all sorts of beliefs and practices. The preacher who justified mocking Christians and unbelievers? He had a proof text he thinks covers his abusive behavior.
In 1 Kings 18, we find a story about the prophet Elijah challenging the prophets of Baal to a God duel. Each side would take a bullock and put it on a stack of wood, and then they would pray to their deity, asking him to send fire from Heaven and consume the bullock.
Baal’s prophets went first:
And they took the bullock which was given them, and they dressed it, and called on the name of Baal from morning even until noon, saying, O Baal, hear us. But there was no voice, nor any that answered. And they leaped upon the altar which was made.
And then it was Elijah’s turn, but before he prayed, he decided to mock Baal’s prophets:
And it came to pass at noon, that Elijah mocked them, and said, Cry aloud: for he is a god; either he is talking, or he is pursuing, or he is in a journey, or peradventure he sleepeth, and must be awaked.
Elijah mocked Baal’s followers, saying, maybe he’s busy talking, taking a shit, on vacation, or sleeping, and that’s why he can’t hear you.
And there ya have it, justification for treating people you disagree with like shit.
Thus saith the Lord, right? 🙂 Just remember, Evangelical preachers can use the Bible to justify almost anything.
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.
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