Hi Michael - sorry I missed this earlier. There's a lot to unpack in all this. I'll start by posing these questions:

- What is considered a "non-essential" belief when it comes to Christianity? For instance, I don't believe that it is essential to believe that Hell is a real place or that Jesus literally rose from the dead, but most Christians would call me a heretic for that. Who gets to decide what is an essential vs. non-essential belief, and why?

- You say God is the ultimate authority, which I don't disagree with,. So then, what qualifies a human to be an authority on God's word? Wouldn't that require them to be an authority on the mind of God? Can a woman be an authority on God's word? Can a gay person? Why or why not?

- If there is disagreement between Christian authority figures, then how does one determine who is correct? Is there an empirical test that can be performed to prove someone's Biblical claims as true or false, as you could a schoolteacher's or doctor's? And if there's no way to determine who is correct, then why should we be expected to follow Christian authorities' rules at all?

- If someone's belief requires them to act in a way that their neighbor protests as unloving, then what is the correct response? What if a Christian believes that it is "loving" to warn gay people that they are going to Hell, but this leads gay people to experience social stigmas, mental anguish, and physical threats? Is the Christian definition of love valid in that case? And if "loving" your neighbor can cause them harm, then what is the true definition of love?

I look forward to your response!