I am a closet non-Christian.

I used to be a Christian. I tried really hard to be a Christian. I still have most Christian morals, and all Christian guilt.

But I'm not a Christian.

Yesterday, I started coming out.

I got in a conversation with one of the new girls at work, Rebekah, about religion. She asked me if I went to church. I said I used to. She asked why I stopped.

And I told her.

I told her I don't believe in hell, or Satan, or that Jesus saved us from these things--even though I believe Jesus was a really cool guy that lived a long time ago and got martyred because people suck like that. I told her that the eradication of homophobia is one of my biggest "pet issues."

"Homo-what?"

I learned that her father is a "recovered homosexual" who runs a ministry to save people from their homosexual lifestyles.

And for the first time in my life, when confronted with a conservative Christian, I didn't back down, or euphemize what I believed.

And I wasn't sorry.

And she likes me anyway.