rdsaye

I'm of two minds about this.

 

I was born a Roman Catholic and i joined the Episcopal Church because it didn't seem to enforce belief on every little point like the Roman Church/Pope did. Now we're about to split over the homosexuality issue, and I wish there was a way to remain connected in our disagreement and to give things time to evolve, as they did with slavery, civil rights, etc. It's odd to me that the church did not split over slavery, civil rights, or abortion, but now this issue of S-E-X has everyone up in arms.

 

I'd love to have a progressive church, but it too would have to leave room for differences of opinion. For one thing, if I read Spong right, he doesn't believe in ANY physical intervention by God, and I do. On another chain of messages here, you can read about someone's reported healing; I do believe that God did this, but I know that others will not. So I'd want to see a new church that didn't just replace the absolute authority of Paul with the absolute authority of Spong, y'know?

 

Geographically, too, I'm at a disadvantage re new denominations because I live in Texas.

 

I think one problem we've had is that we haven't spoken out enough. We've let the media believe that "Christian" is synonymous with fundamentalist or conservative. We've let the word "Christian" come to be too closely identified with "bigot". If we could stand up and be counted more often, maybe we'd find that there are more of us right where we stand. When was the last (first?) time you saw the word "progressive Christian" in a mainstream newspaper article?

 

Incidentally, I'm rereading "Stealing Jesus" by Bruce Bawer, which I really like.

 

Tea

The yeast metaphor is one to think about, but mostly, this bread is not rising.

I hope people will come to realize that progressives are really very ordinary people. These folks I know in Birmingham are about as unthreatening as a bunch can be, and they all live within existing denominations. They are not the "other" in the same way that UUA and UCC seem to be.

Out here in the wrong-colored states it is a given that no democratic candidate from New England is going to do well in large parts of the country, especially someone from Mass. There is already a prejudice in place in the minds of a lot of people. It involves those two denominations with all other things from the northeast, the home of the dreaded Liberal. Unfortunately those of us in other places have to get around that prejudice by coming together more visibly and carving out more of a public identity.

I understand that another denomination might not work in Texas. It might not work in Atlanta, either. An idea then is to become involved in whatever progressive organizations are within your reach. Some of us in the wrong-colored states end up hanging with the Unitarians, even if it is not a good fit, for lack of a better one among the Christian churches. I told my UU minister once that if there were a non-trinitarian Christian denomination, like the Unitarians and the Universalists both used to be, that I would join it. There is not one; and it is like not being able to buy shoes that fit.

So, folks, if not a new denomination, what is Plan B?

They are spread thin. The question is whether they, or any of us, can be more effective scattered widely among the other churches or in a concentrated group.

As my first post let me think big.

I am ready to think about a new denomination. I am not satisfied with waiting on the current denominations to go through possible splits and possible transformations. Nor am I satisfied with individual/local emerging groups that speak to local concerns.

This suggestion is obviously not directed to those who are to some degree satisfied with their church alternatives or who see potential in working on anything less than a new denomination. However, I am wondering if anyone knows of others that are thinking big. If so please direct me to those persons.

David

David, I am with you, dude. Lots of people ask this question at some level, but to answer it out loud would break some kind of taboo. I think we are timid about splitting the Body of Christ, whatever you make of that, into smaller sections when it needs to think in bigger sections.

My theological "residence" is on a street, in my mental image, to the right of the Unitarians and the immediate left of the UCC. Lots of people meander through this space, but few have claimed territory. My BA was in Advertising from UGA's Journalism school, and I know a Market Position when I see it. It feels mercenary to think in those terms, but those terms well describe the need that you mention. This market position has not been taken, and whoever takes it will have a ready market share. I strongly believe that a new denomination is feasible, and that its formation may precipitate resolutions to the crises of belief within the mainstream denominations. It will be a fine omelet, but some eggs must be broken.

I too have felt that a lot of progressive types exist in small enclaves within even some mainstream churches. I bump into them at lectures put on by SPAFER (spafer.org ) in Birmingham. That's where you find a concentration of them. I am also involved with an "emerging group" of progressives in Atlanta in the form of Emergent Spirit (emergentspirit.org ). I told the founder when I first met him that my ultimate goal in getting involved with other progressives was in fact to help start a new denomination. I think a lot of people, if they really thought about it, would favor the idea.

If you are interested in a reading group, you might try what I did. I joined a Unitarian church and started one as part of the adult religious education program. Now we have two of them at my congregation. Other denominations might work as well, but UU's love reading and discussing things.

We have been outside of the usual range of the titles you have mentioned. We are finishing up Karen Armstrong's The Battle for God: A History of Fundamentalism. Previously we have been through Paul Tillich's The Courage to Be; Michael Schermer's How We Believe; The Gospel of Thomas; Dinty Moore, The Accidental Buddhist; Ken Wilber, A Brief History of Everything; and parts of Why Christianity Must Change or Die.

An online reading group might be a fine thing, but I really like having a live one as part of my pursuit of ultimate concerns. Give it a try