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Progressivism in the American religious context is an ongoing movement mostly within mainline Protestantism whose primary distinctives are questioning more traditional beliefs such as the infallibility/inerrancy of Scripture, the virgin birth, etc.
It also places a great deal of emphasis on corporal works of mercy such as feeding the poor, etc.
It really sprouted as a movement in the early 20th century.
Thanks, Mike. I could have used Wikipedia to begin with, but I like to hear what others have to say before I prejudiced myself.
Based on what is written there, it seems like a good direction for a Christian to go:
A priority of justice and care for the down-trodden are a recurrent theme in the Hebrew prophetic tradition inherited by Christianity.[8] This has been reflected in many later Christian traditions of service and ministry, and more recently in the United States of America through Christian involvement in political trends such as the Progressive Movement and the Social Gospel.[9]
Throughout the 20th century, a strand of progressive or liberal Christian thought outlined the values of a 'good society'. It stresses fairness, justice, responsibility, and compassion, and condemns the forms of governance that wage unjust war, rely on corruption for continued power, deprive the poor of facilities, or exclude particular racial or sexual groups from fair participation in national liberties.
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I find it strange that these Christian concepts of fairness, compassion, care for the poor---all what Jesus instructed, would be anathema to any Christian. I saw nothing about questioning virgin birth, but maybe some more extreme branches do that, like other fringe beliefs.
I don't see anything political about it, just doing/living how Jesus instructed.
Thanks, Mike. I could have used Wikipedia to begin with, but I like to hear what others have to say before I prejudiced myself.
Based on what is written there, it seems like a good direction for a Christian to go:
A priority of justice and care for the down-trodden are a recurrent theme in the Hebrew prophetic tradition inherited by Christianity.[8] This has been reflected in many later Christian traditions of service and ministry, and more recently in the United States of America through Christian involvement in political trends such as the Progressive Movement and the Social Gospel.[9]
Throughout the 20th century, a strand of progressive or liberal Christian thought outlined the values of a 'good society'. It stresses fairness, justice, responsibility, and compassion, and condemns the forms of governance that wage unjust war, rely on corruption for continued power, deprive the poor of facilities, or exclude particular racial or sexual groups from fair participation in national liberties.
______________________
I find it strange that these Christian concepts of fairness, compassion, care for the poor---all what Jesus instructed, would be anathema to any Christian. I saw nothing about questioning virgin birth, but maybe some more extreme branches do that, like other fringe beliefs.
I don't see anything political about it, just doing/living how Jesus instructed.
Charity is not the problem with Progressive Christianity. Progressive and conservative Christians alike do charity. The problem is Progressives water down scripture, to the point there is no Hell, there are many paths to God and scripture is man-made.
I call them Christian Democrats or visa vera. I understand it as the political views of the Dems placed in Christianity. There about or so on.
I'm sure someone will disagree!
Of course, because you are wrong.
I long attended a liberal, progressive church. There are a number of members of that church who believe in and live liberal, progressive Christianity but their politics are way over to the right. As a matter of fact, in the autumn of 2016, political differences began to pervade our parish community negatively, which had not happened before. Fortunately, our brilliant priest at the time used the lectionary one Sunday, which included a passage from Jeremiah addressing the Jews in exile in Babylon, to remind us that no matter what government we are under or whatever other external influences may arise, we are to keep living as Christians loving one another.
Mostly progressive Christianity would be a watered down spiritual belief, and when people engage if convicted would find themselves with a more fear of losing God, or giving spiritual authority to the devil and His hoards ...... Like leaning to the creation science or the Darwinism science may not be a spiritual dilemma with heaven, or having a Doctor and getting health help is not a big deal with God, but leaning to liberal against God could find the hand of God be far off .......... See progressive Christianity is a dead end with Heaven as God would be also in the program, where with the atheist, they are already NOT is the program with God ......... So with a true progressive Christianity would be more a tune to the fallen church then the true believers of Jesus Christ churches
That gets a bit tiresome, but for some reason it seems to make conservative Christians feel better to say it.
Actually, it is a far deeper, richer form of Christianity than the simple-mindedness of quoting scripture without thinking and pointing fingers and condemning others without exploring the hard questions of what it means to love one's neighbor and how far short we all fall from doing that.
Charity is not the problem with Progressive Christianity. Progressive and conservative Christians alike do charity. The problem is Progressives water down scripture, to the point there is no Hell, there are many paths to God and scripture is man-made.
That's not watering-down, it is facing reality and understanding that God is bigger and more complex than what men have written about in a book. It means we know we don't have all the answers, and that is what I think frightens fundamentalists most.
I always go back to The Good Samaritan, which exactly demonstrates the difference between fundamentalism and progressive spirituality. The fundamentalist priest and Levite followed the rules and left the man in the ditch. The Samaritan who took the chance that the written laws were not always valid in every context showed Christian love to the man in the ditch.
Charity is not the problem with Progressive Christianity. Progressive and conservative Christians alike do charity. The problem is Progressives water down scripture, to the point there is no Hell, there are many paths to God and scripture is man-made.
You must spread some Reputation around before giving it to jimmiej again.
Thanks, Mike. I could have used Wikipedia to begin with, but I like to hear what others have to say before I prejudiced myself.
Based on what is written there, it seems like a good direction for a Christian to go:
A priority of justice and care for the down-trodden are a recurrent theme in the Hebrew prophetic tradition inherited by Christianity.[8] This has been reflected in many later Christian traditions of service and ministry, and more recently in the United States of America through Christian involvement in political trends such as the Progressive Movement and the Social Gospel.[9]
Throughout the 20th century, a strand of progressive or liberal Christian thought outlined the values of a 'good society'. It stresses fairness, justice, responsibility, and compassion, and condemns the forms of governance that wage unjust war, rely on corruption for continued power, deprive the poor of facilities, or exclude particular racial or sexual groups from fair participation in national liberties.
______________________
I find it strange that these Christian concepts of fairness, compassion, care for the poor---all what Jesus instructed, would be anathema to any Christian. I saw nothing about questioning virgin birth, but maybe some more extreme branches do that, like other fringe beliefs.
I don't see anything political about it, just doing/living how Jesus instructed.
It seems to me that is the problem that Jesus was addressing as well as Paul - the need for law and order and the necessary struggle between the systems that get oppressive and traditional for their own sake and the needs of the people under their control which get abused
- there is a middle line which is hard to achieve in society
I long attended a liberal, progressive church. There are a number of members of that church who believe in and live liberal, progressive Christianity but their politics are way over to the right. As a matter of fact, in the autumn of 2016, political differences began to pervade our parish community negatively, which had not happened before. Fortunately, our brilliant priest at the time used the lectionary one Sunday, which included a passage from Jeremiah addressing the Jews in exile in Babylon, to remind us that no matter what government we are under or whatever other external influences may arise, we are to keep living as Christians loving one another.
Yep!
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