Introduction
The prevailing pattern of change in the religious landscape of North America is religious disaffiliation, particularly by people who say they were raised Christian but who have stopped identifying with any religion in adulthood.[1] It is estimated that 35% of U.S. adults have switched religions since childhood, leading to net gains for the unaffiliated population and net losses for the Christian population.[2]
I am one of those who ‘switched’ out of Christianity, no longer affiliated with any religious tradition…a ‘none’ (those who identify as atheist, agnostic, or “nothing in particular” when asked about their religious affiliation, often choosing “None” or “None of the above” in surveys). After growing up in a conservative Protestant Christian family, my adult life was one of searching for More in Christianity, longing for love and a connection with the Divine that was never fully satisfied—and after fifty years I’d had enough. So, I quit religion…until I found a group of other ‘nones’ who introduced me to a Bigger Picture, connection with the Divine through my soul, a life of expansion into limitless freedom to be me and hope for the future.
I share my journey in the pages of this book to let you know that there is a path forward after you ‘switch’. As a retired psychologist and queer person, I know the depression and anxiety, the frustration and hopelessness that can originate in the dogmas of most Christian theologies. I have created and lived a path of escaping those old beliefs and of finding joy in Christ Consciousness, the consciousness of the Garden of Eden before the Fall, or Heaven here on earth.
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…On my quest, I realized that it is not Christianity itself that led to the suffering and pain I experienced in those first decades. No, it is the dark, often fear-based religious dogmas and doctrines that have suffocated and drowned out the light and joy of the true Christian message. The truth is…it is always, only, ever about connection with our soul, with Divine Love.
Somehow, I always knew there was More…I just didn’t know how to get there. Choosing to follow my soul led to leaps of faith, but what did I have to lose? What I thought I knew about God wasn’t working. My journey was messy, but eventually I began to open to the limitless possibilities of a new way of life in Christ Consciousness…to experience my moments in the higher consciousness of joy, love, peace, gratitude, laughter, abundance, freedom, unity and satisfaction I had been craving. To love myself and be loved by others just as I am. To know that all is well when it looks like my world is crashing down around me. Knowing and experiencing life as Jesus taught from Christ Consciousness (not the dogma) is gradually bringing heaven here to earth within me…and throughout the world.
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After I finished writing the first draft of this book, I stopped to feel into what I had written. The nudge came from Evan, my youngest brother, who volunteered to read and edit the rough draft. His comments from the perspective of having grown up in our family and our brand of Christianity, with his own experiences and memories, helped me understand what I am asking of you, the reader. I am inviting you to take leaps of faith with me into the unknown as I began to escape from Christian dogma and find out More about who I really am…
As I read through early editors’ comments, I was hit with a wave of anxiety – some stories I shared were very personal. Maybe they were too personal, too intimate. What would you, the reader, think of my life choices…the experiences that I myself as a Christian had judged to be ‘sinful’ or just plain stupid? As I felt the fear, I reminded myself that writing this book was also a leap of faith, not knowing what I was going to write when I started.
Now I know that it was my soul, that spark of Divine Love within me, that was calling. Igniting and fueling my desire to become the Sacred Fire of Love. Inviting me to discover my truth, the truth that would satisfy my longing, finally set me free from old programming, and offer hope for the future. That was all I needed to continue my quest—to follow that constant desire for connection with Divine Love…all I needed to share the truth of my stories as I opened to More. And I trust that as you read this book, your soul will awaken to the promise of More in your life, too.
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In Breaking Free into Joy, you will read stories from the dark nights of my soul and the highs of experiencing the joy of living as a soul in Christ Consciousness. I do not claim to be a theologian or that this book is a scholarly theological treatise. The higher perspectives that I mention in this book are mine…you may not resonate with them, and my own understanding may shift as I open to even more of the Bigger Picture in Christ Consciousness. It is an account of my personal journey in Protestant Christianity and spirituality—of how Christian dogmas and doctrines affected my experiences and understanding as a psychologist and a queer (LGBTQ+) person. It is an invitation to begin a dialogue among Christians as Martin Luther invited the Christian (Catholic) church in the 16th century into dialogue which led to the Protestant Reformation. And it is a call to join me on a path to escape the old, find More, transform yourself and your reality, and enjoy a revitalized hope in the Divine plan for freedom.
I have found hope in the midst of hopelessness, help in the midst of helplessness,
calm in the midst of mind-numbing anxiety, compassion in the midst of
depression and despair. There is more laughter, love, joy and compassion available
in every experience as I continue to let go of my old Christian programming
and open to higher truths in Christ Consciousness.
[1] Hackett, Conrad, Marcin Stonawski, Yunping Tong, Stephanie Kramer, Anne Fengyan Shi and Dalia Fahmy. 2025. “How the Global Religious Landscape Changed From 2010 to 2020.” Pew Research Center.
[2] Smith, Gregory, Alan Cooperman, Becka Alper, Besheer Mohamed, Chip Rotolo, Patricia Tevington, Justin Nortey, Asta Kallo, Jeff Diamant and Dalia Fahmy. 2025. “Decline of Christianity in the U.S. Has Slowed, May Have Leveled Off.” Pew Research Center.