logophile

Hi. This is my first time here and I figured this thread would be a good one to start with. 1) Do you consider yourself to be a progressive Christian? Why or why not? I do, because I'm interested in learning about God through my life's journey,experiences, and the essence of his word, by the leading of the Holy Spirit. For years I struggled to accept a faith based on blind adherance to literalism and rigid dogmatism. I had to face the fact that I needed to look beyond that religious system if I wanted to be the person God called me to be. It's not always easy, but of course, it's not supposed to me. ( I just sometimes wish it would be!) lol 2) Where do you live? If you're under 18, please don't be any more specific than your city and do NOT give us your school or your last name. Its not safe I live in northeastern Pennsylvania. I moved here from New York City almost seven years ago. 3) What do you do for a living? What do you do outside of your wage-earning job? I work in a customer relations job for a large home improvement company. I also run ( with 2 business partners) a small but hopefully growing quality control business that serves the childcare industry. My interests include : natural/holistic health,reading, writing, etymology, anything word-related. I also have ideas for childrens toys that I hope to eventually market. I'm an"idea" person and have lots of things that I'd love to persue, provided I could create the extra 4-6 hours in a day that it would require. 4) How did you find out about these boards? Web search 5) What are you looking for as you post here? I'd like to get to know more about the various types of people who indentify themselves as progresive Christians; their experiences, interests, and expressions of faith. Hopefully, I can get some encouragement and enlightenment along the way. 6) What on Earth do you think this icon means? That's little ninja guy. He shows up when one wants to project an air of playful sneakiness, shadiness, or "bad guy"-ness. 7) Tell us anything else you want to about yourself I have a desire to give a helping hand to people who have suffered spiritual abuse at the hands of churches, religious groups, or individuals. There has been so much silence about this issue, and the silence is what allows it to continue. I know fisthand the damage that can be done when misguided people do hurtful things in the name of God. Another fact about my life: My mother operates a a sanctuary for abused/neglected animals. We have 26 acres here with twentysomething dogs, 11 cats, a guinea pig, and a 2,000 pound Hereford/Simmental steer! It's nice to meet you all and I hope to visit here whenever I have the time