I appreciate your use of "often" in this sentence. The Methodist Church split over the slave issue and more recently the gay issue. Hate is often easier than love, which begins with empathy. Treat others the way you want to be treated. Period. I share your frustration with "religion."

Religion CAN be harmful to kids--especially the Christian nationalists, who have hijacked the Republican party of Lincoln, the Constitution, and the religion I grew up in, which was considered "weak" because it preached love. Many pastors & Christians are protesting. I share your frustration!

Wish I could edit the post---, "only smallpox" vaccines were readily available.

I couldn’t make sense of descendent adoration of slave-owning ancestors, so I wrote a book similar to your intriguing book— Robert E Lee and Me. It gave me the courage to ignore Southern judgements and look for an agent. Thanks for writing unapologetic nonfiction narratives about the Confederacy.