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Lisa

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About Lisa

  • Birthday 09/11/1963

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    Berlin, Md
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    I am a former Roman Catholic. My husband and I have been seeking a new, progressive Christian community for about six years but have been unsuccessful. I am an avid reader of anything written by Jack Spong, Matthew Fox, and Marcus Borg as well as Karen Armstrong and Mary Daly.<br><br>I consider myself to be a progressive liberal in all areas of my life.

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  1. Dear mzmolly, You said: I just recently read Bishop Spong's book Saving the Bible from Fundamentalism and while much of it's technicality of the Bible overwhelmed me, the main message was not lost on me and was moved to tears at the last chapter ---finally feeling validated in my thoughts and beliefs. I agree with you about Bishop Spong's book Resucing the Bible from Fundamentalism. I just read Liberating the Gospels: Reading the Bible with Jewish Eyes. I really feel that this would be a great one to follow up with. My favorite quote from Spong was "my heart cannot worship what my mind does not understand". I have never had a problem having a relationship with God/Christ but to try to be inspired was continually frustrating when the weekly fundamentalist/literal message/Bible study just didn't make sense! Wow! I totally agree with this statement. I feel that many people sitting in church each week feel the same way but are afraid to admit their ideas or beliefs. So much of religion is based on guilt and fear. Where is the love and the reason? My frustration now is that there is not a church that I have found yet that feels comfortable....and why is that all these conservative evangelical churches have wonderfully inspiring and joyful music but the advertised liberal churches (episcopal / methodist) have music that sounds like a dirge! At least I have found this forum and others that are sustaining me. Thank you for being there for me! I too find the music to be unfullfilling. I was Roman Catholic and the one thing I really loved, especially when I was a child, was the Folk Mass. It usually included guitars, drums and good vocals and had modern lyrics that made some sense to a 20th century person! I have not found a church yet that I feel that I can be a part of as a member. I just emailed a church with a woman rector to inquire about their ministry. I am very upfront about where I am coming from. I will not waste my time by visiting, hoping and then being disapointed. My family and I have tried this many times... In the mean time, I belong to TCPC and to Spong's message boards/weekly essay site. If you want to join (there is a yearly, one time fee) go to www.bishopspong.org. It is truly a "God Send" in my life to have places to go to communicate with others on a similar journey. It isn't easy not being "in the mainstream" but I couldn't live any other way! Peace Lisa
  2. GWB's Theology of Empire includes, of course, the TV networks. CBS refuses to play a commercial during the Super Bowl that goes right to the heart of the truth about his presidency and its lasting detremental affects, especially on our worlds (not just America's) children, grandchildren... I believe that many native tribes have said that before you make a decision, think about the consequences of it to the 7th generation... To see the add click below... http://www.moveon.org/cbs/ad/ Peace Lisa
  3. 1) Do you consider yourself to be a progressive Christian? Why or why not? Yes I do because I do not believe in the traditional dogma that most mainline churches require...I would also call myself a seeker, willing to look outside Christianity also. 2) Where do you live? On the Delmarva Penninsula, about 7 miles inland from Ocean City Maryland. This is a very conservative area! 3) What do you do for a living? I am a librarian... 4) How did you find out about these boards? While searching for information about John Shelby Spong's speaking schedule I stumbled upon it. 5) What are you looking for as you post here? Other seekers, questioners, believers who feel that within Christianity there is still hope and meaning. I consider myself, at this point in my life, as Spong calls us a "believer in exile" as I have not found a place to worship in that even comes close to a progressive approach! 6) What on Earth do you think this icon means? Definitely a ninja 7) Tell us anything else you want to about yourself. I was raised a liberal Roman Catholic but left the church in 1996 because I could no longer listen every week to the priests going on and on about pro-life and anti birth control (anti woman, is the real issue) while the rest of the world starves, kills each other in wars or in family/community violences and other issues of faith that I disagree with. I could not longer call myself a Roman Catholic as I had lost all faith in the Church but not in the Christ of my understanding. This Jesus loves everyone, excepts everyone, creates no boundries and expects nothing but us to love one another! I read many books by various biblical scholars - I have read most of Spong's books, Elaine Pagels, Marcus Borg, Matt Fox, Karent Armstrong and right now I am starting a book by Michael Baigent, Richard Leigh and Henry Lincoln called Holy Blood, Holy Grail. This book was recommended to me by someone else who had read Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code and Angels and Demons. Dan Brown used this book for some of the theories brought up in both of these books. (theories about who Mary Magdalene really was in addition to some other "radical" ideas ) Anyway, that is all for now! Peace Lisa
  4. Lindalou, UU stands for Unitarian Universalist. Most UU fellowships or churches are very liberal and do not adhere to any doctrine or theology. Most are welcoming of all people, regardlous of their faith or lack of faith. They do have principles and ideals that they follow but no creeds. Some UU groups can be lead by a minister. Others are Lay lead. Some are very spiritual while others can be very "heady" and more humanist. We have 2 UU groups in our area. One is almost an hour away. The other is about 25 minutes from where we live. We attended this group for about 2 years but they tend to be very heady, and less spiritual. We have yet to find a church or fellowship. We have been searching for a long time. I've come to the conclusion that, living where we live, we will not find what we are looking for. Once our children are grown (which won't be long) my husband and I may relocate to a more urban area. This will definitely help in our search. Lisa
  5. I have enjoyed reading everyones responses to my initial post. To comment... John Spong and Matt Fox, among others, have inspired me and instilled in me the desire to not accept the same old, same old, so to speak. I can no longer try to fit myself (round peg) into a something that I no longer believe (square hole). I guess that I am searching for that round hole that I can fit into. I have to say that, being around some very good 12 step programs have also contributed to my spiritual growth. I have "come to believe" many things that are more about spirit and connection to a Higher Power than doctrine and theology. I too have attended many, many different Christian churches as well as UU. I have not felt a connection in any of them as they all seem to have one foot in the literal interpretation of the Bible and doctrine and the other kind of just not to sure of where to step next...even those churches that had a "liberal" leader still lived in a world that I no longer belong too. I believe that God is the Ground of all Being and that Ground is the creation from which all life and love springs forth...I believe that Jesus connected to this reality in a way that average people cannot or will not...I believe that there is no where to go but back to God...I believe that death is only a doorway into a new beginning...totally different from the reality that I am now experiencing. I believe that most, if not all RELIGION is/was designed to relieve the "angst" of non-being (Spong) and that those in positions of power use and have used this "angst" to control us all - through politics, religion and economics. Because I have come to believe these things, how can I (round peg) ever think that I could possibily squeeze myself, once again, into that square? I need to grow - a round peg and a flexible round hole... This is a spiritual dilema that my not have a one size fits all answer. Any thoughts?
  6. BrotherRog I think the article is so true! Thanks for posting it. I don't trust those people who claim to be Christians and then invoke violence and hatred as a means to an end, as GWB has done and is still doing... Question... Why is it that so many people who claim to be followers of Christ or claim to be religious think GWB/Arnold? and other men like them are righteous dudes that tell the truth, are honorable and will do right by the people that they represent. Is it that people are so fearfuly these days that they desire to follow those "cowboy" types to protect them? The voices of women are especially silenced at this time. The voices of dissent and of peace and justice and the oppressed are silenced. The voices of reason and love are silenced. People have traded in all of these because they are afraid. They believe the right-wing message spiked with the drum beat of fear - that we are all going to die unless we follow these "fearless" , "powerful", God supported leaders. Rome fell. So to will GWB, Arnold, Ashcroft, Cheney etc. Have no fear... Peace Lisa :-)
  7. Just wanted to post something about my frustration with finding a progressive/liberal Christian church. My husband and I left the Roman Catholic church about 7 years ago and we've been searching ever since. We have been to everything from UU to Methodist to Episcopal... We live in a rural area on the Delmarva Pennisula. It is a conservative area, politically as well as spiritually. We really like where the Episcopal church is headed on many issues but we haven't found one near us that has a progressive/liberal rector/leader. Any advice or ideas on what to do?
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