Date:   10/11/2004 1:48:00 PM ( 20 y ago)
Hits:   1,845
URL:   https://www.curezone.org/forums/fm.asp?i=689628

Here it goes...I put this together quickly, so I'm glad to hear it can be edited:

The reason for a Progressive Christianity Discussion Forum:
Many of us are unable to have discussions or debate on the Christianity Forum s, even though many of us are Christian. If our view is different, we are called "heathens, heretics, apostates, lost souls, demons, and in one case "swine." We are asked to go to the other religion forums, but when we do, THEY FOLLOW US THERE!!! and barge in on our discussions with proselytising, judgements, and cut and paste quotes from the bible. If they do not like our message, they attack the messenger....this has been the very predicable pattern.

We would like a place to discuss Jesus, our spiritual interests, new ideas, etc. with an open mind, and without the finger-pointing and being condemned to hell. "I wouldn't want to be in your shoes on judgement day."

And here is the description:

Progressive Christianity Support Forum (this is probably more information than you need, it can certainly be abridged)

This forum provides an opportunity to share, discuss, and grow in Spirit together. There is room in our polarized country for Christians like us, who don’t subscribe to any one-dogma-fits-all. Life it too short, sweet, and mysterious for us to be able to exhaustively "explain" anything much, let along explain everything with certainty.

The purpose of religion is to teach love, both for self and for others. Indeed, living in the state of self-love is "the Kingdom of heaven" that Jesus and other founding prophets talked about being "within you." When one has self-love and self-respect, one respects others, because one sees reflected in others the empathy, compassion and love one sees in oneself. This takes inner work, self-examination, and willingness to change. It is this insight that the founding prophets of all major religions have tried to convey to their followers. It is arriving at the point of living this ideal that has been, from the beginning of time, the goal of the sincere seeker and the true, undefiled religion.

The progressive Christian is a critical, analytical thinker as well as humble. One is open-minded and always ready to explore new ideas. The value of humility can not be emphasized enough, for one can't maintain an open mind in the absence of humility. This quality in turn will carry over into one’s relationships and social skills and all facets of one’s life will improve.

The progressive Christian is prophetic presence in the world, steadfastly proclaiming the radically inclusive love of God and faithfully working for the inclusion of and justice for all God's children, regardless of sexual orientation, gender, age, race, ethnicity, socio-economic status or religion. Progressive and moderate Christians lift their voices to affirm a radically inclusive gospel at a time when the name "Christian" has been seized and polluted by apostles of fear, mistrust, violence and division.

In an era where the loudest and most visible Christian voices are from fundamentalist and other Evangelical denominations and para-church organizations, progressives : 1) reach out to those for whom orgranized religion has proved ineffectual, irrelevant, or repressive. 2)see evangelism as an agent of justice and peace; 3)and support those who embrace the search, not the certainty.

What kind of people are attracted to Progressive Christianity?
Progressive Christianity casts a very broad tent. The invitation is that all people are welcome to participate in community without insisting that they become like us in order to be acceptable (including but not limited to): believers and agnostics, conventional Christians and questioning skeptics, women and men, those of all sexual orientations and gender identities, those of all races and cultures, those of all classes and abilities, those who hope for a better world and those who have lost hope. Most Progressives probably view religious belief as a process -- a searching for truth rather than establishing truth. Most are probably liberal Christians or post-Christians who stress justice and tolerance above creedal beliefs.
Included are people who are repelled by exclusivist beliefts. They reject the concept that only their branch of their religion has the entire monopoly on truth, and that all other spiritual paths are in error. Passing beyond biblical inerrancy, established creeds, and church dogma, they recognize "the fingerprints of human kind on all religious documents and symbols."

They value the search for truth, even though it can never be fully possessed. They view it as more important and challenging than the acceptance of those fixed beliefs found in the past by others and imbedded in church creeds.

Progressives are "chaos tolerant." They can handle a degree of disorder, uncertainly, and ambiguity in life and enjoy the search for tentative but satisfying answers to the most pressing problems of existence.

They believe that how we treat other people is more important than the specifics of what we believe about God, humanity and the rest of the universe.

And they have the ability to absorb rapid change in their beliefs, as they integrate findings social and physical sciences.

Why is Jesus a Liberal (and anarchist and revolutionary and pot-stirrer)?

Webster's dictionary defines a Liberal as one who is open minded, not strict in the observance of orthodox, traditional or established forms or ways. Jesus was a pluralist Liberal who taught that one need not conform to strict and orthodox views of God, religion, and life. He rejected greed, violence, the glorification of power, the amassing of wealth without social balance, and the personal judging of others, their lifestyles and beliefs.

Over and over again, He taught us to believe in and live a spiritual and ethical life based in our essential, inherent goodness. What Jesus promoted was succinct set of spiritual principals and a way of life based upon the of love, compassion, tolerance, and a strong belief in the importance in giving and of generosity to those in need.

Our common sense understanding of His lessons as philosophically and politically liberal is founded upon Jesus' own words, modern interpretations of Liberation Theology, and in the positive, loving and compassionate application of His teachings - from the many early Saints to Mother Theresa and Liberation Theology.

Certainly, Jesus brought a radically liberal theology to the orthodox believers of his time. Jesus IS a Liberal even today because now more than ever, His principals align with the very core of liberal beliefs.












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Here it goes...I put this together quickly, so I'm glad to hear it can be edited:

The reason for a Progressive Christianity Discussion Forum:
Many of us are unable to have discussions or debate on the Christianity Forum s, even though many of us are Christian. If our view is different, we are called "heathens, heretics, apostates, lost souls, demons, and in one case "swine." We are asked to go to the other religion forums, but when we do, THEY FOLLOW US THERE!!! and barge in on our discussions with proselytising, judgements, and cut and paste quotes from the bible. If they do not like our message, they attack the messenger....this has been the very predicable pattern.

We would like a place to discuss Jesus, our spiritual interests, new ideas, etc. with an open mind, and without the finger-pointing and being condemned to hell. "I wouldn't want to be in your shoes on judgement day."

What we would NOT like to see (for the Moderator's purposes):
No participation from fundamentalist thought, this is to be a discussion forum, not a debate....I love debate, but if we call it that, I feel we may be inviting the very same thing this purpose is trying to resolve. I have seen even the Atheist forums with the Fundamentalists on them, so I really don't know how this will work....oh, maybe we should call this the Progressive SUPPORT Forum. Then the rules would be different, wouldn't they? Ok, yes, the Progressive Christianity Support Form...

And here is the description:

Progressive Christianity Support Forum (this is probably more information than you need, it can certainly be abridged)

This forum provides an opportunity to share, discuss, and grow in Spirit together. There is room in our polarized country for Christians like us, who don’t subscribe to any one-dogma-fits-all. Life it too short, sweet, and mysterious for us to be able to exhaustively "explain" anything much, let along explain everything with certainty.

The purpose of religion is to teach love, both for self and for others. Indeed, living in the state of self-love is "the Kingdom of heaven" that Jesus and other founding prophets talked about being "within you." When one has self-love and self-respect, one respects others, because one sees reflected in others the empathy, compassion and love one sees in oneself. This takes inner work, self-examination, and willingness to change. It is this insight that the founding prophets of all major religions have tried to convey to their followers. It is arriving at the point of living this ideal that has been, from the beginning of time, the goal of the sincere seeker and the true, undefiled religion.

The progressive Christian is a critical, analytical thinker as well as humble. One is open-minded and always ready to explore new ideas. The value of humility can not be emphasized enough, for one can't maintain an open mind in the absence of humility. This quality in turn will carry over into one’s relationships and social skills and all facets of one’s life will improve.

The progressive Christian is prophetic presence in the world, steadfastly proclaiming the radically inclusive love of God and faithfully working for the inclusion of and justice for all God's children, regardless of sexual orientation, gender, age, race, ethnicity, socio-economic status or religion. Progressive and moderate Christians lift their voices to affirm a radically inclusive gospel at a time when the name "Christian" has been seized and polluted by apostles of fear, mistrust, violence and division.

In an era where the loudest and most visible Christian voices are from fundamentalist and other Evangelical denominations and para-church organizations, progressives : 1) reach out to those for whom orgranized religion has proved ineffectual, irrelevant, or repressive. 2)see evangelism as an agent of justice and peace; 3)and support those who embrace the search, not the certainty.

What kind of people are attracted to Progressive Christianity?
Progressive Christianity casts a very broad tent. The invitation is that all people are welcome to participate in community without insisting that they become like us in order to be acceptable (including but not limited to): believers and agnostics, conventional Christians and questioning skeptics, women and men, those of all sexual orientations and gender identities, those of all races and cultures, those of all classes and abilities, those who hope for a better world and those who have lost hope. Most Progressives probably view religious belief as a process -- a searching for truth rather than establishing truth. Most are probably liberal Christians or post-Christians who stress justice and tolerance above creedal beliefs.
Included are people who are repelled by exclusivist beliefts. They reject the concept that only their branch of their religion has the entire monopoly on truth, and that all other spiritual paths are in error. Passing beyond biblical inerrancy, established creeds, and church dogma, they recognize "the fingerprints of human kind on all religious documents and symbols."

They value the search for truth, even though it can never be fully possessed. They view it as more important and challenging than the acceptance of those fixed beliefs found in the past by others and imbedded in church creeds.

Progressives are "chaos tolerant." They can handle a degree of disorder, uncertainly, and ambiguity in life and enjoy the search for tentative but satisfying answers to the most pressing problems of existence.

They believe that how we treat other people is more important than the specifics of what we believe about God, humanity and the rest of the universe.

And they have the ability to absorb rapid change in their beliefs, as they integrate findings social and physical sciences.

Why is Jesus a Liberal?

Webster's dictionary defines a Liberal as one who is open minded, not strict in the observance of orthodox, traditional or established forms or ways. Jesus was a pluralist Liberal who taught that one need not conform to strict and orthodox views of God, religion, and life. He rejected greed, violence, the glorification of power, the amassing of wealth without social balance, and the personal judging of others, their lifestyles and beliefs.

Over and over again, He taught us to believe in and live a spiritual and ethical life based in our essential, inherent goodness. What Jesus promoted was succinct set of spiritual principals and a way of life based upon the of love, compassion, tolerance, and a strong belief in the importance in giving and of generosity to those in need.

Our common sense understanding of His lessons as philosophically and politically liberal is founded upon Jesus' own words, modern interpretations of Liberation Theology, and in the positive, loving and compassionate application of His teachings - from the many early Saints to Mother Theresa and Liberation Theology.

Certainly, Jesus brought a radically liberal theology to the orthodox believers of his time. Jesus IS a Liberal even today because now more than ever, His principals align with the very core of liberal beliefs.












 

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