C.T. Townsend is an Independent Fundamentalist Baptist evangelist and pastor. Townsend is the pastor of Victory Baptist Church in North Augusta, South Carolina. I have previously written about Townsend:
- Emotionally Manipulating IFB Church Members through Music and Preaching Styles
- You Better be Mindful of Speaking Against a “Man of God”
- How Dare I Badmouth IFB Evangelist CT Townsend! Says Fundamentalist Christian
- How Dare I Talk Smack About IFB Evangelist C.T. Townsend
As I stated previously:
In the eyes of some of Townsend’s followers, he is a demigod, a man of God who must be defended at all costs. As I showed in my previous posts, some of Townsend’s devotees are vitriolic and hateful. Townsend likely knows about my writing. My posts show up first page in Google Search [when you search for “Evangelist CT Townsend”.] I suspect that this why my posts about him attract so much attention from loving, kind devotees of his. Townsend has made no effort to stop his attack dogs, so I assume he is okay with their defenses of his preacher virginity.
Yesterday, a follower of Townsend named Calvin Lewis left the following comment on the post How Dare I Talk Smack About IFB Evangelist C.T. Townsend. My response is indented and italicized.
I don’t care who you are really, but you are dead wrong in you ideology of The preachers that preach the truth. The truth hurts and people run from the truth especially when it may take away their pleasures of sin.
Calvin, is Proverbs 18:13 in your Bible? If not, let me remind you of what God’s word says about your comment: Answering before listeningis both stupid and rude. You read all of one post on this site before you commented. You made no effort to learn anything about me, and as a result, you come off as ignorant, ill-informed, and downright hilarious. The least you could have done is read the ABOUT page or the WHY? page. Instead, you decided to fire away at someone you know nothing about.
See AlsoMore Facts About the Burlington RevivalHow Dare I Badmouth IFB Evangelist CT Townsend! Says Fundamentalist ChristianBut God: Changes EverythingAnother C.T. Townsend Fan Defends Their Man and Calls into Question My WritingI get it, you are butt-hurt over me saying negative things about the man, the myth, the legend, C.T. Townsend. You think Townsend is a God-called, Holy Ghost anointed man of God, a foot-stomping, Devil-chasing, hellfire-and-brimstone truth-teller. You love the fact that Townsend beats people over the head with the sin stick. You enjoy the abuse, having been taught that such treatment is God-ordained and good for you. “I am beating you because I love you, says the abusive parent to their child. Townsend is the parent in this story.
You Mr Bruce And folks like you are why people will not ever know the truth and the good news….
You are unaware that I was in the Christian church for fifty years, attended an IFB Bible college, and pastored Evangelical churches for twenty-five years. All told, I preached over 4,000 sermons. I know almost everything one can know about Evangelical “truth” and the “good news” (Christian gospel). Would you like to quiz me on my knowledge of these things?
Now that I am on the other side of the Christian-atheist divide, I continue to preach “truth,” albeit a truth rooted in reason, skepticism, humanism, and intellectual inquiry. I challenge you to step outside of what you think you know and entertain the thought that you might be wrong. For example, I assume you believe the Bible is inspired, inerrant, and infallible. Are you sure the Bible is what you and C.T. Townsend claim it is? I encourage you to check out books written by Dr. Bart Ehrman, a New Testament scholar and professor at the University of North Carolina. You can find a list of his books here. If you are a seeker of “truth,” as you say, you will find Ehrman’s books enlightening and informative.
I wish you well in living your “it’s ok world” and follow TV preachers such as Joel ( smiley ) Osteen and lead people to believe everyone is going to heaven with no repercussions …..
I am not sure what you mean by an “it’s okay world.” I assume you mean a world where certain human behaviors deemed sinful by you and Townsend are considered “okay.” I suspect you are upset over abortion, same-sex marriage, LGBTQ rights, Pride Month — and all the other culture war hot button issues that Evangelicals find offensive.
I support equal rights and dignity for all, Calvin, even you. Unlike you, I am not obsessed with the private sexual lives of others. What consenting adults do in the privacy of their bedrooms is no one’s business — including yours. Why are Evangelicals so vexed by the behavior of the unwashed, uncircumcised Philistines of the world? Especially since we know God’s chosen ones live lives quite similar to those of the heathens they condemn. Countless “great men of God” have been exposed as fornicators, adulterers, and child molesters. (Please see the Black Collar Crime Series.) These men, to the man, were preachers of “truth” and the “good news.” Please explain this fact to me, Calvin.
I busted a gut, as did my godless ex-preacher’s wife, when you suggested I was a follower of Joel Osteen. I have never been a fan of Osteen. I preached against him back in the day, and today I view him as a modern-day Elmer Gantry — a smiling, smooth-talking con man.
You seem to be really upset over too many people getting into Heaven. Can’t have that right? If everyone goes to Heaven after they die, that means your beliefs and salvation experience didn’t matter; that you weren’t special, after all. You need there to be a Hell to justify your harmful beliefs and practices. If there’s no Hell, why live a holy life, right? If there’s no Hell, you might as well get drunk, watch p*rn, have sex with your neighbor (man or woman), and follow your heart’s every desire. Is the threat of Hell the only reason you treat others with respect (except for Evangelical-preachers-turned-atheists, it seems), love your neighbors, love your family, and generally treat others kindly? In other words, you are only a good person because God threatened you with judgment and Hell if you don’t worship him and follow his commands (no matter how harmful and silly they are).
As an atheist and a humanist, I live the way I do because I desire what’s best for myself and others. I am motivated by love and kindness, no God needed. No Heaven, no Hell, just this life, Calvin. I try to be a good person because I want a better today, tomorrow, and future. I have six children and thirteen grandchildren. I have been married for almost forty-three years — my family matters to me. I want them to have safe, prosperous, and happy lives. Again, no God needed.
You are Sad..I will pray for you and those that are lost and think like you.
I assume you are using the word “sad” in a colloquial sense: worthless, a piece of sh*t, disappointing, a joke. Had you bothered to read my autobiographical writing, you would have learned I indeed have reasons to be “sad.” I have battled depression most of my adult life — both with and after Jesus. I have gastroparesis, fibromyalgia, and osteoarthritis. I live with unrelenting pain, and must use a cane or wheelchair to get around. I have plenty of reasons to feel “sad.” Not that you give a sh*t about my suffering, Calvin. All that matters to you is defending C.T. Townsend’s honor. Or maybe what you meant by the word sad is “small ass dick” — though I am not certain how you would know the size of my penis. Having you been spying on me?
I was a born-again Christian for almost fifty years, Calvin. I assume you believe in once-saved-always-saved. If so, how dare you say that I am “lost.” According to your theology, I am still a Christian, and there’s literally nothing I can say, write, or do to lose my salvation. If you object, are you saying that salvation is dependent, not on Jesus, but right beliefs? Even here, I had the right beliefs for five decades. Does one lose their salvation when they stop believing the “right” things?
Please do pray for me. You need the practice.
Saved by Reason,
Bruce Gerencser, 66, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 45 years. He and his wife have six grown children and thirteen grandchildren. Bruce pastored Evangelical churches for twenty-five years in Ohio, Texas, and Michigan. Bruce left the ministry in 2005, and in 2008 he left Christianity. Bruce is now a humanist and an atheist.
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