My favorite thing about writing this column is reader responses. I read every email I receive, and although I can't respond to them all, they mean more to me than I can say. The encouragers keep me going. And the critics make me think.

I received one last week with a question that has prompted a new column in answer, in case there are others wondering the same thing. One reader, a male, wrote the following:

"In today's article, and in many others you have written, you speak about the harm that the Southern Baptist Church and similar evangelical organizations have caused in your life. However, I never hear why. I assume it's because of their superiority beliefs of man above woman, and that eventually caused strain in your marriage. I'm a lifetime Methodist and I never hear the man over woman superiority issue being preached. I wish you would tell me what it is that has harmed you or changed your mind about their teachings/beliefs. My daughter and son in law have three children and they are attending [a Fellowship Bible Church]. Some of the things I hear about their church concern me some. It is my understanding they have lots of Baptist doctrine in their church. I don't want her to go through what you went through, although I'm not really sure what it is you went through, but from the peripheral it doesn't sound good."

Telling this reader what has harmed me or changed my mind about the teaching of the Southern Baptist Church and similar evangelical organizations is not as easy as I wish it was. I am........

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