Inclusiveness of ADF

When I first joined ADF some 16 years ago, something that set them apart from other Pagan movements at the time was the emphasis on openness and inclusiveness. Most of the groups I had encountered at the time required very specific beliefs, by very specific people and were secretive, by invitation only. Things have changed today as we certainly have far more public groups around but the culture of inclusiveness is still what draws me to ADF as a church. When ADF was founded and as it grew, it has had the option to become a church, focused on one culture, such as being Irish Druid, or Norse, etc. Instead, we have had a culture of  celebrating what we have in common and learning from others based upon our differences. We are able to worship our different Gods, Ancestors, and Spirits of Land, based upon our similar practice of worship,  Ideas such as racism, sexism, condemnation of sexual orientation and other lifestyles, eugenics and are the antithesis of the ideals that make ADF special to most of us.  The ability to celebrate our differences without the need or desire for condemnation is very special to me and something I choose to practice in everyday life and something ADF has been a very big part of.