I hope you’ve celebrated your courage and determination. I’ve never understood people who say they follow Jesus and the Bible, then specifically ignore the “judge not” and “love thy neighbor” cornerstones. It’s because of this that so many continue to leave traditional religion behind, myself included.

I love Jesus, but I refuse to worship with people who’ve decided they’re qualified to judge, condemn, and bar their doors to people who are different from them. Jesus’s message was based on love and acceptance of everyone, including those who were considered outcasts at the time. If someone can’t put that at the base of their religious practices, they’re missing the whole point, and they’ll eventually go the way of the dinosaurs, unable to adapt to unavoidable change.

Thank you for sharing this and for knowingly risking so much. Many blessings to you.