AMUSING, INTERESTING, OUTRAGEOUS, or PROFOUND

Absofrickinlutely.

My siblings and I were raised in a Christian family, attending a Christian church. The pastor’s sermons were generally “Love thy neighbor,” not hellfire and brimstone. In the turbulent ’60s and ’70s, he never railed against hippies or free love. Almost the opposite, the pastor made it clear that any church member who opposed the war in Vietnam would have the church’s full backing to declare themselves conscientious objectors.

My parents and most of the folks at our church were what I’d call genuine Christians — they liked that guy Jesus, studied what he’d said, and tried to live their lives within walking distance of what he’d taught. I’m sure some or most of the congregation got stinking drunk on Friday nights or slept around, but the hypocrisy wasn’t obvious, and the religion felt real.

Being raised in that church is why I still respect believers, though my own faith vanished long ago. Only hypocrites and charlatans and Republicans (but I repeat myself) could be bothered by someone like Bishop Mariann Budde.