Stupid Shit Heard In Church

by Chris Kratzer

Countless people are losing their faith in God, Jesus, Church, and Christianity. Many feel deeply damaged and led astray by their experiences within church and the Christian faith. The duplicity, the judgementalism, the allegiance to politics, and the bullying of the vulnerable and the different have isolated many. Every Sunday, it seems, there is a new chorus of condemnation, shame, and religious elitism. God is portrayed as a hating, violent, temperamental, murderous, codependent, and exclusive deity. The Christian faith is pimped as a performance-driven, privileged-laden, fear-focused, and conditional faith. In the hearts and minds of many, the religious-right has hijacked Jesus and made him into the mascot of their bigotry, discrimination, power, and greed. In his book, “Stupid Shit Heard In Church,” pastor and author Chris Kratzer boldly confronts the evils of much of modern Christianity and charts a new path of faith that rescues Jesus out of the claws of conservative Evangelicalism. Within essays of artistically crafted words wrapped in deep, revolutionary meaning, Chris gives powerful voice to the religiously oppressed; affirming and encouraging their value, inclusion, and worth. He unveils incredible, fresh new ways of understanding, believing, and living as a person of faith. As one reader declares, “This book is going to change the world!”

Genres: Nonfiction

292 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 19, 2021

Reviews

[Michael Donahoe · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a book. So clear and honest. It is written from an untraditional view on different topics in the Christian world today. I found the book interesting and easy to read. This book is really good if you are having questions about Christianity and some of the things you were taught from an early age. Be prepared to hear some views that will make you think and give you a different perspective on some traditional views and beliefs.

[Hayla · Rating 1 out of 5]

Promising title but in the end a huge disappointment.

There is no depth or insight to be found here. Unfortunately, this book reads as a temper tantrum from the author. In one chapter he’s actually “calling out” other progressive Christian pastors for not wanting to promote this book.

Based on this book, I’m not interested in anything else from this author.

[Mandi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really loved these messages! So powerful and relevant. It got a bit repetitive by the end, but so affirming. A must-read in my opinion.

[Paul Triller · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you can handle what sometimes seem to be rantings from a cross between Howard Stern and a Marine drill sergeant...read on.
This book is up close.... close enough where you get spittle on your face...but don't let the tone and language take away from the real message.
Do I agree with everything said? No.
But there is plenty of food for thought.

[Ken · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this!

Kratzer’s book, Stupid Shit Heard in Church, is a profound, truth-filled book that should go down in the history of the written English language as THE book that explained the demise of the conservative evangelical “Christian” church in America.

But you know it won’t.

This movement, which has corrupted the purpose of Jesus coming to us in the first place, will never stop until there are more voices like Kratzner in this country. Until that happens thousands more will give up living the life God has given them rather than fight against the Satan-spawned lies of this dehumanizing, God-debilitating movement that calls itself “Christian” but does not follow the teachings of Christ.

[Bob Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

My brother-in-law who was raised in the Methodist Church read some of Chris Kratzer’s posts that I shared on Facebook and was puzzled at why he stayed with the church so long. I told him that unless he was raised in a very conservative denomination like I was he would not fully understand the author’s convictions. If you grew up in a very conservative Baptist church like I did, but now believe that many things they taught were not truthful and you want to move on, this is the book for you. My former church taught too much hell and guilt and not enough love and forgiveness. I read this book. In chapter after chapter Chris helps you understand that what you were led to believe is not necessarily the way God intended it to be.

[JC · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author sounds like an Old Testament prophet, excoriating the chief priests and politicians of those ancient days. From other reviews it’s clear the power-hungry so-called “Christians” can sure dish it out but they can’t take it. Each of the essays is a focused critique, blunt and direct, zeroing in on the hypocrisy, anti-Christian core of the Republican Taliban of today. Good work! Pass it on!

[Kana Keller · Rating 3 out of 5]

A lot of interesting and insightful takes on things, most of which I agree with.
Wasn't fond of using male and female pronouns referring to God, but, as a SW major as well own experience, I can see where it could be helpful to some who have patriarchal trauma from church.

I wouldn't recommend it specifically, but if you're considering it, go ahead. It'll either piss you off or make you realize you're not alone. Or both.

[Susan Baranoff · Rating 5 out of 5]

Powerful! This book pretty much goes on every rant against the Evangelical White Nationalist Homophobic Racist MAGA Fascist Right that I could ever dream of. Thank you Chris Kratzer for finally saying it all out loud! I love that the AI voice chosen was female. I'm sorry the choice was for AI, it did screw a few things up.

52BookClub Summer 2023 Reading Challenge
Prompt # 4C: Road Trip Snacks to "Satisfy a Craving"

[Bobbi Kraft · Rating 2 out of 5]

Working out some sh*t

There was a lot I was excited about at the beginning but, by the end, it was obvious the author was working out their own sh*t. After 20+ years of preaching within a system of anger and hate, they continue to preach hate albeit against the haters. There are some amazing truths in the book but, sadly, I'm unable to recommend it because of all the hate.

[Steve Condrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

About time!

Sometimes things need to be said bluntly in order to be heard. The rot in the American church has been there all along and it is long past time we did something about it!

[John Hoselton · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is needed

I am grateful for a book like this that calls out conservative evangelicalism. Even if I don't agree with everything in this book, I am grateful that evangelicalism can be shown for what It is, and this is what this book does.

[Frances Supernaw · Rating 2 out of 5]

Anger and frustration displayed by the author about the evangelical church, and its present day MAGA political views, which I agree represents nothing of the teachings of Christ. I felt The negativity so outweighed any positive solutions. Would not recommend.

[Cassie Armstrong · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars, mainly because sometimes he refers to the racist, white, National evangelicalism as the Death Star that needs to get blown up. 🤣

[Meli · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was horrible. He sounds like an over grown toddler throwing a fit

[Susan W Corbran - Shafer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everything you need to hear and wish others would know.

[Casey · Rating 2 out of 5]

Excellent points. I would recommend reading if you would like to open your mind to people you may want to understand. However the author just seems mad. He is calling people out and it may be the right people, but he's doing it in a very hypocritical way.

[Alan Wilkerson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! Everyone should read this, especially the shit heads in our congress! Nuggets of truth in bite sized statements! Very few wasted words! Forces me to stop and think.... about everything!