What do I tell them?

So when neurotypical people find out that I'm neurodivergent, they tend to ask if I have a special interest. And it's really hard to explain my special interest to people without sounding insane.

So with that I usually say something along the lines of a video game I really like or some color I really enjoy, but that's not even close to the truth. My special interest throughout my entire life has been Christianity and it's many denominations.

Not kidding. I don't believe in Christianity or any religion for that matter, but growing up in the Midwest I was surrounded by churches all the time and people talking about god and Jesus. I've always been interested in the history of these religions, the bible, and how it transformed from a religion to what is now the cult of America.

Like, Christianity is so far gone from its root in the American sense. When you actually read the bible, one from before the 20th century, you see that American Christians (usually Christian nationalists), have it wrong. Which is baffling to me.

I always want to know more about what caused the bible to be written in a historical sense and not the religious sense, I already know that story. I want to know how Christianity evolved over time, I want to know why Joseph Smith thought making an entire fanfic of the bible was a good idea and why he turned it into a legitimate religion when the LDS church is far from a normal religion.

It's so interesting to me, but when I tell people that this is my special interest, they get put off and think I'm fucking insane. They think I'm some Jesus freak who condemns anyone who doesn't follow Jesus' teachings, when I don't.

It's weird, can someone help me with a better way to explain that I don't follow the religions, I just really enjoy learning about them and how they got to where they are now.