Do you see yourself as an insider or an outsider with regard to your faith? How do you see me? I went to church up until the time of a dramatic departure and never went back. Yet I never renounced my Jewish faith of origin. I spoke of new wine and new wineskins, and this is an enduring principle. I raise up prophets in times when change is necessary. They cannot be outsiders who have no credibility in the organization. Neither can they be insiders who are too firmly attached to the status quo to challenge it. The most effective change agents stand on the perimeter.

Is everyone special? Everyone would like to be, but if everyone is, then no one is. Something in the human heart cries out for a unique identity, and this you already have. The problem arises when you compare yours to others and use it to set you above and apart. The desire to be superior to the rest of humanity only causes you to be alienated and isolated from the rest of humanity. You are fearfully and wonderfully made and you can be grateful for this. Can you be just as grateful on behalf of everyone else for whom  the same is true? This is as special as you need to be.

Are you familiar with the idea of valid criticism? Obviously, you should have your facts straight if you take it upon yourself to offer criticism. If you are convinced of the truth of your assertions, does that make the criticism valid? Is it possible to use the truth for condemnation, and that those who do so are judgmental? Even in adversarial proceedings in a court the accused has the opportunity to offer exonerating or extenuating testimony on his own behalf. Is the true story complete without this?

You consider belief to be central to your faith, and you are right. Abraham believed God and it was reckoned unto him as righteousness. What do you think belief consists of? Is it assent to validity of the major doctrinal claims of your church? Yet none of these things existed for Abraham, so what did he believe? Do you see belief in terms of propositional truth? But for Abraham it was relational, even as you assert that your faith is a relationship with me. Can you expand your concept of belief to include the intangible connection that gives you life, as he did?