Mumbles and rumblings ran through a large portion of the congregation and still more got up and walked out. One person shouted, “Preach the Gospel, not your opinion!”
I watched as several people left. I knew that what I was saying was not what they wanted to hear. I knew that it was antithetical to the beliefs they had held, most of them, for most of their lives. For most of my life, I had held those same beliefs. I had no intent to disrespect or attempt to challenge the teachings of the Bible. I only wanted people to understand that there are other interpretations that can be made, and that if they were to take the blinders off, even for a moment, they might come closer to seeing the whole picture. At that point, about 20 percent of the seats in the congregation were empty. I stood there
