AUSTIN, Texas — A false teacher and minister in Texas who says that He doesn’t believe in the literal resurrection of Christ recently mocked the gospel and those who told him that he is subsequently not a Christian, making fun of having an eternal destiny in Hell.

“Apparently, because I don’t believe in a literal resurrection, I’m not really Christian,” Jim Rigby of St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church in Austin, Texas wrote on social media on Dec. 25. “This unfortunately also means I won’t be going to Heaven with many of you.”

He had explained in a post two days prior, “I don’t literally believe the cadaver of Jesus got up again, but I do believe the resurrection actually happened when the disciples began to see ‘Christ’ in each other, and in everyone else as well.”

Rigby said that he asked one individual who took him to task for his unbelief why “instead of being a one time magic trick, the resurrection might not be understood as a poem about the whole life process.”

He stated that during the discussion, he was told that he does not understand the gospel, and thus provided mockery of the message.

“God loves us very much, but mindless obedience is VERY important to God. So God decided to barbecue us eternally for the mistakes of our ancestors,” Rigby wrote. “But God has a son named Jesus who asked God to abuse Him instead. And so God killed Jesus in our place. And we call this story the ‘good news.'”

“All that matters is that we admit that we are worthless trash, but that Jesus likes us anyway. Oh, and we have to LITERALLY believe Jesus’ corpse got up. … So, anyway, if you believe the ‘good news,’ your physical cadaver will get up too. Hopefully someone will remember where you are buried and come dig you up,” he scoffed.

Rigby, who supports homosexuality and evolutionary beliefs, proceeded to joke about being in Hell, “me to eternal torment with Gandhi and Socrates; you to an eternity sitting in worship services with televangelists and ethical monsters who happened to believe in the literal resurrection.”

“[P]lease go on and have a good time in heaven without me,” Rigby wrote. “I’ll try to keep down my screams of agony.”

Some supported the Presbyterian minister following his comments.

“Thanks for sharing this. Brilliant. I look forward to being in the wok of woe with all you other fools,” one commenter wrote.

But others expressed sadness at Rigby’s statements.

“What part of this author’s beliefs make him identify as ‘Christian?'” one man wrote. “And seriously, why take eternal suffering so lightly, as if in jest? Hard to separate the sadness, mockery and sarcasm in this bitter piece.”

1 Corinthians 15:12-16 reads, “Now if Christ be preached that He rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen: And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain. Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that He raised up Christ: whom He raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not. For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised: And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.”

Become a Christian News Network Supporter...

Dear Reader, has ChristianNews.net been of benefit and a blessing to you? For many years now, the Lord has seen fit to use this small news outlet as a strong influential resource in keeping Christians informed on current events from a Biblical worldview. With much compromise and many falsehoods in modern-day Christianity, we strive to bring you the news by keeping Christ and His word in focus. If you have benefited from our news coverage, please prayerfully consider becoming a Christian News supporter by clicking here to make a one-time or monthly donation to help keep the truth of God's word widely and freely published and distributed. May Christ continue to be exalted through this work!