Hi Donald - Part of the disconnect here is that I personally do not accept religion as a legitimate identity. I view religions as tribes, and tribalism is very toxic, IMO. I feel that instead of saying "I am a Christian", one should say, "I espouse Christianity".

To say "I am" is to limit onself to a single track of thought and behavior. To say "I espouse" or "I accept" opens the door to accepting and believing in other things as well.