I wrote this book assuming that most of my readers would be Christians and familiar with evangelicalism. If you aren’t, I’m delighted to have you read it—maybe it will help you see Christianity in a new light. Please forgive me if some references don’t quite make sense.
All the stories in this book are true to the best of my recollection. In some cases I changed nonessential details in order to obscure the identities of individuals.
My stories might give you the impression that I grew up in a legalistic church or a strict family. Nothing could be further from the truth. I grew up in a loving family and attended a great church. Granted, they were both a little quirky in their own way, but I couldn’t have asked for a better home or home church. The self-righteousness I struggle with springs from my own heart.
Finally, I didn’t write this book as a response to any other book or author (even the title was created well before I read a similarly titled book). Rather, I wrote this book to correct a large assortment of ideas and practices, some of which have been around since the early church. For that reason, and because I prize the unity of the body of Christ, I avoided naming specific books and authors I disagree with. If you’re dying to know, I’m sure you’ll be able to figure it out with a little research.