mystictrek

Christianity sure does carry a lot of baggage with it now that we have been a force on this planet for almost 2000 years. Sometimes I think that the only hope for this shrinking planet is a new spiritual synthesis of all the great wisdom traditions. When I say that, do I stop being a Christian. Should I become a Unitarian? I just can't let go of the rituals and the great theology of Christianity at its best. I can sure let go of the worst and there is a lot of that these days as Pat Robertson reveals daily for a global audience. Why won't Disney elimate that show? But I digress. I use the term "The New Church for the New Age" (see my website - below) trying to promote a synthesis of Christian ideas with New Age ideas. Something new is emerging and maybe we shouldn't call it Christianity any more.

It has one, it just isn't aware that it does. Which is nothing against dogs, most people don't know it either. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> But then, again, maybe they do know. Gracie is demanding a walk right now. Maybe she is reminding me of the great Zen teaching: When sitting, sit. When walking, walk. Above all, don't wobble. Dogs don't wobble. Or do they? I believe the correct answer about dogs having Buddha nature is: "Mu" which means Yes or No or Maybe/Maybe not. Can't be too sure about these things!!

I would think so. They both embraced Buddhism more than any other wisdom tradition.

I really like a lot of New Thought concepts and I believe they are very compatible with Progressive Christianity. I will take wisdom from anywhere I can find it and NT offers wisdom and lots of it as far as I am concerned. I stick with progressive mainline congregations because I find that they are more concerned with social issues than NT congregations. NT is too individualistic IMO. The 2 candles on the communion table (as we Calvinists call it) have symbolized the 2 natures of Christ since ancient times: divine and human. For me, it's not much of a stretch to say that the 2 candles also stand for the 2 natures of our humanity, human and divine. St. Paul says Christ is "the first born fruits of the new humanity." Jesus says his followers will accomplish a lot more miracles. I believe we have a divine nature and a human nature and it's a mystery which NT partially explains as do the earlier forms of Christianity and the emerging forms of Christianity to use Borg's terminology. St. Paul again: "We see through a glass dimly."

I have a very good EO priest friend. I am going to see how he responds! But not by email. I want to be there and see his response!

YES! Welcome. I just began a political string here called Politics Usa and a different opinion would be great. No one here would say that a PC has to be a Democrat or even a Liberal on all issues. We try to be open. We try to learn. Many of your beliefs are close to mine and a few are not. That's OK. Are you familiar with the Perennial Philosophy which is closely linked to mysticism? PP advocates claim there are underlying truths common to all religions. Aldous Huxley wrote a book named THE PERENNIAL PHILOSOPHY in the 40s. It is still quite relevant and inspirational and practical. So is the book by the graet American pragmatist, William James: THE VARIETIES OF RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCE now about 100 years old but still relevant and inspirational and, of course, practical.

One of my favorite columnists and one of my favorite Texans is Molly Ivins. She often speaks for me. As of today you can find a regular link to her columns at "MI" in my shortlist of links at my website (below). So, when Molly Ivins says she is giving up on the Democrats in favor of a new third party effort, my response is to sit up and listen carefully. Molly speaks for the many Americans who are getting more and more frustrated with the unwillingness of many Democrats to fight for issues which polls show are popular. These include ending the war, saving the environment, ending the big tax cuts for the rich, raising the minimum wage and creating a single-payer healthcare system. AlterNet offers "Why Hillary Won't Save Us" by Molly Ivins > http://www.alternet.org/story/31109/ OR http://www.dfw.com/mld/startelegram/news/c...ts/molly_ivins/

What is it about Hillary? I have to admit that McCain may be exactly what this country needs. I think, once elected, he would say -- and mean it -- that he is President of all of us and not just the Right Wing or Republicans. He would do what Bush promised to do but failed to do and didn't even try -- create a much more civil and uniting atmosphere.

Sorry for starting the topic twice and posting twice. I was trying to get USA capitalized. But it came out Usa again. Maybe the webmaster could delete one of the topics and edit the topic so it would be USA and not Usa.

I think it would be great if we had an ongoing string devoted to political conversation. So, hopefully, I am getting things rolling. I love http://pollingreport.com which tracks all kinds of opinion polls and shows long term trends on all kinds of political issues and personalities. Yesterday they posted the latest poll results on party affiliation. 36 per cent say they are Democrats. 30 per cent say they are Republicans. 22 per cent say they are Independents. 12 per cent say they identify with another party. The Democrats have been on top for decades but the margin has steadily declined. In 2005 the Democrats regained some of their popularity but one year is not enough to discern a trend. We remain a closely divided country. I'm not sure why Republicans have held control over Congress since 1994. Maybe more people vote Republican than admit they are Republican. More likely and backed with some evidence is that Democrats don't vote as faithfully as Republicans do. Even more likely is that Incumbents usually win whether they are Republican or Democrat. That's the main reason why Congress remained under the Democrats for most of 1930-1994 and now Republican since 1994. The rich have been supporting these Republican incumbents like never before. That helps a lot. I do believe that the interests of average Americans are better served by Democrats than Republicans but few average Americans care enough about politics to even vote much less work for political candidates or contribute to their campaigns. I sure would like to see the Democrats take over at least one of the houses of Congress, the Senate or the House of Representatives, in November. I think it would be good for the country to have congressional committees investigating the administration with a strong use of their subpoena powers. Maybe progressive Christians should go all out to get Democrats elected to Congress just to get this power which could bring many abuses of power to light. We don't have to sign up as Democrats for the long haul. I think that the political conversation in this country is not very polite these days and I would blame the Left just as much as the Right for that. Progressive Christians need to challenge politicians and media personalities to be far more kind and gentle and humble. I think a label for me would be Radical Centrist! I believe that the American Eagle needs both wings with most of the weight in the Center. Currently the weight has shifted to the Right side of Center. A course correction is needed. Centrists need to boldly challenge both parties to become civil, polite, pragmatic, and most important of all, open. We can solve our problems with a new spirit of openness. Our media is failing us by not digging very hard and not informing us very much. The dumbing down of America has really hurt all of us, really threatens the well being of the whole planet. Is this what the rich and the big global corporations want so they can run the world with little accountability? Is this how they think: Let the people with little power scream at each other why we are getting away with murder?

Thanks for noticing! Mary, my wife, baked a cake with lots of coconut. Vanilla Ice cream too. Yum. She also cooked a turkey dinner on Sunday and invited family and friends. Great Pinot Noir, too. And sweet little Emily (21 months) added more joy than I can possibly put in words. VISIT > http://www.pbase.com/abundancetrek/emily -- maybe when Pbase gets their act together again! I believe Martin Luther King, Jrs real birthday is 1/15/29. I share my birthday with Edgar Allan Poe and Robert E. Lee. I'm not a southerner so it was never a holiday in my state.

I only have skimmed this string but I hope to get back to it when I have more time. But I was thinking that maybe a Quantum Physics idea would be helpful here: Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle which claims as a corollary I believe that the observer always changes anything that he/she is observing. There is no such thing as objectivity, only subjectivity. I am always changing things. Prayer helps me change things with more wisdom, energy, love, humility. I am sure impressed with the many wise posts on this string and lots of other strings. Lots of wisdom here. Lots! + VISIT > http://www.aip.org/history/heisenberg/ + "I believe that the existence of the classical "path" can be pregnantly formulated as follows: The "path" comes into existence only when we observe it." --Heisenberg, in uncertainty principle paper, 1927

I like to think of myself as a Centrist which means that I lean to the Left currently because the country is leaning to the Right. Surveys show that about 33 per cent call themselves Conservative, 22 per cent Liberal and 45 per cent Moderate. I think that the Left and the Right both have good ideas, even some which are wait out there on the wings. We need to examine these ideas carefully and apply those we think will work carefully. Those who would exploit good ideas, good programs, good policies, come from all parts of the political spectrum. We need a system checks and balances that works well.

Hi Lee. I'm a 1973 graduate of Boston University School of Theology. Harrell Beck was my mentor. Why are you picking on the Catholics? It seems like a lot of Protestants are behaving pretty badly these days.

I agree. "Do not put your trust in human leaders." It is tempting to support Democrats these days because the Republicans have gone so far to the Right. But we must be prophetic challengers of all politicians. And we must be there in that political arena challenging and encouraging at all times because creating heaven on earth is something we are called to do even though we know it can't be done by us, only by God. Maybe we need to stop believing in a Democrat Messiah and start believing that Republican politicians can be transformed if challenged and encouraged with our love. Miracles happen.

Gandhi and Martin Luther King come to mind quickly. Like it or not, politics is an essential responsibility for people of faith. Gandhi said something like religion without politics is empty and I agree. But we bring something to politics which is subversive and mysterious and challenging. Read Jeremiah!

I think CS Lewis is subversive in the best sense of that word. like Christ was subversive. like I try to be. So, I am glad the conservative church fell for Narnia. A lot of fundamentalists may be transformed and they won't know what hit them!

The idea of sin is not something we should easily dismiss. I like the original definition of sin in the Greek -- hamartia -- it is simply missing the mark ( an archery term). Sin is falling short of the glory of God. We all do that. It helps to acknowledge that. But not if it is designed to make us feel unworthy, ashamed, guilty, no-good, helpless, unpardonable, etc. Original sin is simply the reality that human beings are born with a predisposition to hurt ourselves and others. Before that comes the Original blessing which means we are born with a predisposition to help ourselves and others. I belive the OB is far more powerful than the OS.

READ > http://www.thefourprecepts.com/propublish/art.php?artid=73 < a short article by a modern presumably Sufi teacher.

You are definitely one of us. Hope you stay here and enjoy the abundant feast provided.

Aw, c'mon Cynthia. Join my cult. I need a follower!! Oops, that's my ego talking!

+++ Sounds like the Good News to me. Thanks for sharing this. How I love to copy and paste and share wisdom like this.

I am not at all surprised that Progressive Christians, particularly ones who like to write on forums like this, would come out NF for the most part with some NTs. I'm INFP and have spent time and energy at INFP forums over the www years. I checked out an ESTJ forum once. Not many posts at all and most are one-liners! There is a difference! I'm not judging ESTJs. We need them, too. But maybe not so many!!

I loved reading THE NARNIA CHRONICLES years ago and I love the movie. I think CS Lewis is one of us, a Progressive Christian. I believe the "deeper magic" is universal salvation or the abundant feast set out for all of us no strings attached. Yes, Virginia, the universe is a free lunch. Enjoy! Be glad all over! Celebrate!

I have a very smart standard poodle named "Prevenient Grace" (Gracie) who loves to run and lobbies daily to that end. She simply won't let me get away with not taking her out to the woods where she is free to run. She loves to run circles around other dogs. Gracie is the apricot poodle at http://www.pbase.com/abundancetrek/dog_park She hates to be left alone.