Okay. So this article, actually just a series of questions, began life after the words “progressive Christianity” have continued to pop up on the radar of blog reading. What does it mean?
Is it a *”moving forward,” an “advancing,” a “proceeding step by step”?
OR
Is it a *”favoring, advocating of…reform or improvement…in social or political matters”?
OR
Is it *”a disease advancing steadily in severity or extent”?
OR
Is it *”a tax that increases in rate as the amount taxed increases”?
OR
Is it a Christian group who has found a faulty translation of Scripture that they believe to be true?
OR
Is it a Christian group who has discovered a different interpretation of Scripture?
OR
Is it talking about a word in progress, like the grammar of becoming? becoming, growing, feeling, doing are progressive words in GRAMMAR.
OR
Is it in relation to Roosevelt and his promise to help Americans get out of the economic depression, supported by Socialist groups?
OR
Does it have to do with Christians who make use of the latest technology?
OR
Does it mean that the Christian is liberal?
OR
Does it mean that the Christian is making progress?
OR
Does it mean that the Christian is evolving from animalistic behaviors?
OR
Does it mean that Christianity needs to evolve?
OR
Does it mean that the Christian needs to look forward?
OR
Is it not definable in the way that feminists can’t agree on what feminism is and who a feminist is?
OR
Does it belong to the world view that the Pope warned the faithful about in his Syllabus (1864) to show what current Modern (1907) thought held as healthy trends (1937) were just the complete acceptance of all Christian errors, errors against reason, that would lead to World Wars and a Revolution (1950) on the Body (1968) because they thought denial of sin and error was an evolution in thought? Can faith and science (1986) go together? In other words, progressivism is nothing new. All the above are excellent reads, Sunday reading anyone?
Okay back to the main question…
Does it deny that sin is a reality?
If so, does it deny that Christ needed to die?
If so, does it say He was just a nice guy, like Buddha?
If so, does that mean He just gave us some more rules to have a good life?
If so, which rules pertain to us?
But if that’s the case, then don’t we want to be freed from those rules?
If so, do we want freedom to do what, for what?
Is Progressive Christianity none of the above?
Is it all of the above?
Some of the above?
I’m confused. I digress.
If you want to progress further in this document, please see the articles I have read recently. They may be of some interest, dear readers.
1. Can Pornography be an addiction? Are women being caught by this vice?
2. Is Atheism being paid for by wealthy politicians to make poorer countries beholden to their values just to have food? Isn’t that bribery, manipulation, or something? Why are the people who have more resources making those living in desperation sterilize their culture?
3. Does Crime decrease when judgment by God is an important reality? Please note, the article found on this site has some passive/aggressive statements, not from the blogger but from the article he quoted.
4. Is Homosexuality a result of sexual abuse? Could it be that psychology may be figuring out why homosexuality has become so prevalent, at least in women?
5. Is Facing Hell our greatest fear? Can Christian meditation help us move away from sin?
6. Can an Atheist have a Near Death Experience with Demons and be converted? Thank you to whomever posted the youtube videos about that. Sorry that I couldn’t find your blog again.
7. Is Euthanasia becoming an issue in other countries?
What does progress really mean?
Will you, dear article of questions, advance to the next level?
OR
Will you R.I. what P. from a literary disease, dear article?
A transgression, no wait, a digression, regression, progression…how about a gress?
Some people who call themselves progressive are actually just becoming more orthodox, closer to the True Teachings of the Church, compared to their parents. That does sound like progress to me.
Others who call themselves progressive are actually doing something that is not new–it is just a regurgitation of concepts that has already been tried and has failed–new name but the same error. Pick and choose what feels right. Not so much progress here.
Others have fallen into a conglomeration of errors–the synthesis of all errors–and “by rejecting conscience, have made a shipwreck of their faith” (1 Timothy 1:19). New Age-ish, but not new. All these errors have come and gone for the past 2,000 or so years. Oops!
Thoughts?
*All quoted definitions of “progress” were found in Macmillan Dictionary for Students
lamehousewife
The Progressive Catholics I have met fall into moral relativism. Think the doctrinal assessment done on the LCWR – they moved beyond Christ. They usually embrace radical feminism not excluding abortion being a justifiable action. Some I have met are convinced the Church is just another political party and can’t get to the truth. I think that is the key – till they want to start seeking truth on their own, they could careless what the Bishops say as they consider them just another opinion. As to homosexuality being common in abuse victims, that has been explored. I also wonder if some womens hormones are so messed up that some things are appealing to them.
Thank you for your reply…the LCWR? That’s nuns in the United States, right? When I was a kid, in the 80′s, I had a nun teaching us that it was okay to have an abortion. Ever since then, I have a hard time trusting nuns that don’t wear the habit. Many of them have fallen into so many errors. About the hormones, I have wondered that too. With all the chemicals we throw into our bodies, that seeps into the water, I wonder if that is affecting men too.
LCWR is the Leadership of Catholic Women Religious. It was started, at the beckoning of the Holy See, after Vatican II in order to better communicate with the heads of the Religious groups here and world wide. This was before the internet/emails, instant communication. With the onset of the misinterpretation of the Vat II documents, if the Spirit moves you then it is deemed “good”, this group started to drift not only in their theology. John Paul II, in an answer to those faithful religious, formed another group – I forget the name, in the hopes those who were trying to be faithful to the magisterium would not have to endure the silliness of conference and other such platforms they used to promote some far out ideas. To these erring sisters, dialogue, which the Holy See has always been involved in, meant whatever the topic it was (women’s ordination/contraception/abortion) was still open. They have recently been given time to either get in line (the doctrinal assessment) or they will loose their voice at the table. Although they may still exist if they choose not to reform, they will be irrelevant. BTW, these sisters have paved the way in how other sisters who just have a few (2 or 3) can leave the Catholic Church and take property with them! The correction is 20 years in the making. They should not have been surprised if they had been paying attention. It is sad that some see the Bishops as celibate men, out of touch with their reality – they don’t care what they say. They haven’t followed it through that we could apply the same to them, as I do hope they are practicing chastity appropriate to their vocation! That is it in a nutshell and it seems we were taught by the same sisters.
On hormones, I do believe that it is affecting men also. I also believe some of this is born from our society too. The serious psychologist are finding that sexuality to a degree is fluid and can be shaped by thoughts/teaching etc. When you have 5th graders questioning their sexual identity it shouldn’t be surprising that some could be influenced in ways they should be. And to top it off, we have disconnected, as a society, children from marriage, they don’t see the purpose and larger picture of how it helps society – as children are our future. It is very self centered, self serving. Because some of these homosexuals were abused because of their orientation, false compassion has replaced any sort of common sense.and correction.
We’ve been given an array of errors to correct, eh? What a challenge our generation has been given! Thank you so much for participating. Your comments are very enlightening.
Progressive Christianity is a compromise on the biblical scriptures, making it possible for the 21st Century believer to be more tolerant of others, and more tolerant and accepting of sin in the process. Progressive Christianity is more open-minded. Of course, being open-minded to the point that one’s brains are falling out isn’t necessarily progress. (wink)
Good post, LH!
We’ll call it LBS…the Leaky Brain Syndrome:) On the serious side, I think some who are calling themselves “progressive” don’t actually intend the same things as other progressives…
I think you’re lumping progressive Christianity with liberal Christianity. The two, though not always mutually exclusive, are very, very different. Progressive Christianity encompasses a group of Christians who focus on social ethics such as caring for the poor, environmentalism, and strong right-to-life stances (many are staunchly pro-life, which for them includes the unborn, the living, and the elderly; I believe in Catholic circles this is known as a “seamless garment”). Many progressives hold the Bible as the center of their beliefs and derives their work from it above all else. A good example would be Jim Wallis, editor of Sojourners magazine. He takes an honest look at the Scriptures and questions political issues in their light, something we all ought to be doing. An even better example is Dorothy Day, cofounder of the Catholic Worker Movement.
Liberal Christianity, however, more refers to groups and individuals seeking to “modernize” the scriptures in light of philosophies and sciences developed in the Enlightenment, often leading to the development of new criticisms that, when applied to the Scriptures, can diminish them into mere metaphorical, ethical teachings, rather than real events that occurred with real people. Yes, most liberal Christians carry the same social concerns as progressive Christians do. However, it would be best to say that all liberals are progressive, but not all progressives are liberals.
Thank you for stopping by. I really appreciate your comments. After coming upon the words “progressive Christian,” I discovered that there are many different versions of what that means. In some instances, it sounded like there was a group of people calling themselves the Emergent Church, who also consider themselves progressive Christians–they think that they were meant to do it right for the first time without the nonsense of dogma, doctrine, etc… Then, there were ones who believe that a homosexual couple can have a marriage in the typical sense, that the Church is dying because it is not longer relevant. Then there were the ones who thought they had found a better translation of the Bible. Honestly, I became confused when I began to look it up. You seem to be in that first group of progressives (towards the end of my article) that is actually becoming more orthodox. Maybe?
I have read a biography on Dorothy Day. I enjoyed her personal letters, but felt like I was getting the version of Dorothy Day that the writer wanted her to be rather than what I think she was trying to be–a good Catholic. She became very discouraged at times because people would think she was doing things for political reasons, to encourage communism, or to be a great social worker, but I got the sense from her letters that this was not why she worked with and for the poor at all.
My intent was not to lump all progressives together because what I found is that there are many calling themselves “progressive,” but they don’t all use it for the same reason.
Thank you and God bless.
Every time I hear someone announce that they are a progressive, whether in regards to politics or religion, I ask the same question: “To what are you progressing?”
Many cannot answer that question without tripping all over themselves. Some can. At the very least someone should know to where they are going before they embark. “Progressive” has become a mindless catchphrase or yet another label used by too many on either side of the aisle.
I agree. To some, I think it sounds like a good word to be attached to because it kind of sounds like the person is updated, in tune, working toward better goals than others who are not with it or who don’t get it, or whatever…Needless to say, there are various reasons people use this term to describe themselves. Thank you for your input, JW…God bless…