[questioner]

Hey everyone! So I'm 15 years old and consider myself a progressive Christian. I hope to get to know you guys here!

Thanks!
-Brad

[billmc]

questioner, on Oct 18 2008, 04:57 PM, said:

Hey everyone! So I'm 15 years old and consider myself a progressive Christian. I hope to get to know you guys here!

Thanks!
-Brad

Welcome, Brad. We're glad you found us! I'm looking forward to getting to know you better!

If you don't mind sharing, we'd love to hear about your journey!

Regards,
Bill

[questioner]

Well, I was raised Southern Baptist and was very proud of being a southern Baptist..until September 2006 when I felt 'called' by God to the Catholic Church, I thought it would be great...since I was struggling with my sexuality...because I could become a Priest and never have to marry! Well my parents, being the Southern Baptists that they are, were opposed to my conversion so after a long period of debate, if you will, in September of 2007 I digressed...I just told my parents that I would become an Episcopal Priest (I really did and do want to be a Priest) I also knew that the Episcopal Church was 'progressive' in regards to sexuality (I didn't know HOW progressive!) so I thought i would read a 'biblical' defense of Homosexuality-I read some stuff on line (Soulforce, Faith in America, the MCC, and IntegrityUSA) but I wanted a book-that's when I saw the Sins of Scripture by John Shelby Spong, I thought it was a BIBLICAL (read: Orthodox) defense of Women's ordination, Homosexuality and some other stuff, so I got it...then I started reading it and saw how progressive christianity was Logical, and that's how I became a Progressive Christian...since then I've read Why Christianity must Change or die and I'm reading A New Christianity for a new world both by Spong, I'm also reading Reading the Bible again for the first time by Spong...and, well that's my story! (and interesting side note: I'm still not done with the Sins of Scripture! lol...i'm lazy!)

[billmc]

Thanks for sharing with us, Brad!

I applaud your desire to go into the ministry. As you probably know from some of Spong's books, many people are becoming members of "The Church Alumni Association" and are leaving the church instead of staying within it, encouraging it to progress. That is one thing I admire about Spong -- he stays in the church and calls for reform FROM WITHIN. He sets and example.

I'm in the middle of "A New Christianity for a New World" myself. Very much enjoying it. I appreciate that he is finally getting past deconstruction of what is wrong with the church and with theism and getting to HOW the church and our understandings of God can change, offering helpful suggestions for taking the next steps.

My own background is Southern Baptist/Bible Church/Pentecostal Holiness. So I, too, know a little of the paradigm of conservative, fundamentalist Christianity and the longing to find another interpretation. On one hand, I wish I had come to this point as young as you are (I'm now 49), but my journey is my own and nothing is truly wasted if we learn from it.

Again, thanks for sharing. We are a diverse bunch here on this forum. You'll discover that rather quickly. And we even have some good debates. But we hold a respect for one another here and realize that our love for one another binds us together rather than agreement about doctrine and creeds. Feel free to jump in wherever you like. We'd love your input!

[questioner]

Thanks wayfarer, I'm excited to get involved! I want to go into ministry because I do LOVE the CHurch and I love God and the Church is, for me, a Sacrament...Through it I come into contact with God.

[McKenna]

questioner, on Oct 18 2008, 05:57 PM, said:

Hey everyone! So I'm 15 years old and consider myself a progressive Christian. I hope to get to know you guys here!

Thanks!
-Brad

Hey Brad!

It's great to hear your story and see how enthusiatic you are! I'm a young'un (okay I'm no good with this Southern slang haha) myself. I'm a freshman in college, but I started searching at about your age as well, though I came from a very different background. TCPC is a great place for both debate and community, and I think it will really help you to explore your beliefs! Other great sites I'd recommend are beliefnet.com (just as a general resource) and religiousforums.com (a large forum with people of all faiths debating pretty much every religious question out there - it was a huge help to me when I first started searching!).

I hope you stick around!

Warmly,
McKenna

[questioner]

Thanks McKenna! I'm actually on bnet...are you?

[October's Autumn]

Welcome, officially!

I have a step-son who is almost 15. Please take good care of yourself as you go through the next few years on your way to legal adulthood. I was also raised by Conservative parents and struggled in my mid to late teen years with their beliefs, etc. (That was 24 years ago!) I can't stress how important what you are doing is, making your own beliefs yours. (Does that make sense?)

[questioner]

Thanks OA! And what you say does make sense!

[McKenna]

questioner, on Oct 23 2008, 08:31 PM, said:

Thanks McKenna! I'm actually on bnet...are you?

I think I have an account but I've never posted on the forums there. There can be some great discussions there though!

[questioner]

I love it...some really good people on it!