Megan and Grace Phelps-Roper were once the golden children of Westboro Baptist Church, that great banner-waving bastion of hatred, racism, homophobia, and misogyny. They are grandchildren of the founder, Fred Phelps. Megan, now 27 years old, was a vocal spokesperson for the church, and was considered a potential next leader for the church.

Yesterday, Megan announced that she and Grace left the organization and its message of hate. She and her sister started disengaging with the church and her family in the fall.

Last week, she went to church in the liberal stronghold of Park Slope, Brooklyn, with Jeff Chu, an editor from Fast Company. It was her first time at any church ...