Thank you very much for writing this! I have to confess, that I can't understand much of what you write. The idea of torture and blood sacrifice fills me with horror rather than reverence. The concept of consuming the blood or body of Christ fills me with disgust, so I can't understand the reverence that people say they feel over something so horrible.

The idea of faith, believing things without evidence, is contrary to everything I've ever stood for — reason, facts, a struggle to understand the universe based on evidence.

To me, the cross is a symbol of torture and something to be abhorred rather than revered.

And of course, thoroughly knowing the history of Martin Luther and his church, so authoritarian and cruel, makes me want to back away in fear.

But most especially, growing up a mainstream Baptist, and and experiencing Christian cruelty constantly as a child and teenager, I just don't get the appeal of the religion, even if I had some reason to think that faith was valid and the Christianity is actually true. (Which, I've read far too much history to believe.)

But I don't say this to be offensive.

I mean, even if I'm certain that faith is superstitious nonsense, it's evidently important to a lot of people. I don't understand why, but I have to accept reality.

So I'm grateful for people like Bishop Budde, ELCA, and you, who work so hard to reform and revolutionize the religions you practice.

If I had my druthers, religion would go away, because I think it's ignorant and baseless.

But if religion has to exist, then I fervently hope that people like you prevail in changing what it has been over the centuries.

I grew up hated, despised, and cruelly treated by Christianity. So I'm rooting for you and people like you to purge the cruelty from the heart of the faith.

Thank you!