Jack Blandiver says (30 Mar 14 - 05:36 AM): Hmmmm. Progressive Christianity sounds like an oxymoron to my ears, at least as far as the innumerable stripes of Christianity as manifest these last 2,000 years and still embodied in the monolithic absolutism of the Roman Catholic Church, and others... We're all pretty clear on what that sort of Christianity is all about, but the 'progressive' prefix makes it all kinda 'lite' somehow, and maybe a bit of an insult to all the countless thousands who've been ruthlessly persecuted for thinking outside the box of your church down the years - yeah!

Well, Jack, throughout history, religions have had some people who approach religion as doctrine, authority, and rules. Perhaps "conservative" is not an accurate term for them, but it's the term that's used nowadays.

And at the same time, they have those who approach religion in a benign, philosophical, and altruistic manner - tending to emphasize social justice issues, and not overly concerned with sexual morality. Perhaps "progressive" is not an accurate term for them, but it's the term that's used nowadays.

And yet there others who take the part of sheep, and follow the prevailing winds.

I would venture to say that all institutions function more-or-less the same way - an interesting mix of good, bad, and indifferent forces. Rarely will we find any organized group of human beings that is uniformly good or uniformly evil. They're all a mix - and the balance of the mix is constantly changing.

-Joe-

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Late Tuesday Night: Well, I had no Internet connection today, so I wrote this offline and now I see the thread is closed. Since I worked hard on it, I'm going to post it to an existing message of mine.

I guess I get drawn into posting in these threads when I see something that just seems unfair, especially when the preponderance of the discussion consists of putting down what others hold sacred. I really don't want to defend what I believe. Defending my beliefs puts me in a position where I don't want to be, because I don't pretend to have to have possession of the Truth. My faith life is a life of exploration, pondering the questions and mysteries of life. I believe the Truth lies not in one answer, but in a delicate balance of many answers and many perspectives.

I have a great deal of admiration and respect for Pete and for many other born-again Christians. They put their hearts into what they believe, and it makes a difference in their lives. Their dedication and their integrity is certainly admirable and inspiring. I have known conservative Jews and Muslims with this same dedication and integrity. I have also learned a great deal from atheists who look at life through a non-theistic perspective. They often come up with honest, profound answers that don't rely on platitudes or preconceptions. Their insights are often invaluable to me.

I suppose I'm more eclectic, fitting best into what are referred to as "mainline" Christians. I try to study every position I can come across, and learn from them all. Some may call me a "Cafeteria Catholic" because I adhere to no one ideology, but I prefer to see the truth wherever I find it - and most often, the answer is "both," or all of the above.

To my mind, my religious beliefs and traditions need satisfy only one person - me. I can't understand why people seem to think they have the right to tell me what a horrible person I am for believing this or not believing that. Or, for that matter, condemning me or my beliefs for what some other Catholic did. I acknowledge the Inquisition. I acknowledge the child molestation scandal. I didn't do it, and I didn't support it.

I went to a convention of 40,000 Catholics two weeks a ago, a gathering sponsored by the Archbishop of Los Angeles with the official blessing of Pope Francis. There were ultra-Catholics outside with newspapers and posters telling us what heretics we were. There were also born-again street preachers on the scene, telling us what sinners we were for being Catholics. We somehow didn't suit their particular ideology, so somehow we were terrible persons - despite the fact that we were Christians gathered to worship God. Now, there were 40,000 of us and maybe 15 protesters, so I guess we weren't all THAT bad. I know that for some people the main point of their religion is pointing out how horrible other people are for one thing or another, mostly for their beliefs or their sexual conduct. I feel bound to speak up when people do injustice or injury to others, but I don't see the private conduct of others is any of my business.

The one thing I can't stomach, is those people who live to tear others down. Very often, they seem to have no thinking of their own - they only seek to destroy the thinking of others. There's a lot of that going on here at Mudcat. It's disheartening, and it serves to prevent a civil and constructive exchange of ideas. The bullies and naysayers beat everybody into defensive positions, and then very little good can happen. If Messrs. Blandiver and Musket and Shaw think I have insulted them by criticizing their endless attacks, so be it. I don't wish to insult anyone, but I don't think it's right to attack nonaggressive people for what they hold sacred. If another one of these threads comes up, I'll paste this message there. I worked hard on it, and it's what I believe.

-Joe-