Lindalou
I''m a bit puzzled by what Spong says here. In fact, the more I think about it, the fuzzier it becomes('finally never'?). I can sort of see what he's getting at, but even then I don't think it's self-evidently true.
You ask a concrete question which has made me think hard about what I really believe I'm doing.
I think there are concepts/doctrines and stories which are (or can be) helpful to our spiritual life (eg the the Incarnation or the episode with blind man Bartimaeus in Mark 10), there are some which don't have much resonance and there are some we may feel unhappy about.
I find I can pick and choose (and things change over time - prayer and meditation
yield insights you hadn't had before, your own ideas develop etc). I realise many would feel unbale to do that and i respect their view.
The things I don't personally agree with and which matter to me are not in those areas but in what we may call the everyday life of the church: a prime example is the place of women.I think it's vital to argue for women priests whenever the opportunity arises. To leave the church would guarantee the that there would be no change.
i do appreciate that the context is important. I don't feel isolated, I live in a city where there are several parishes and two universities. Not that I often discuss these matters (that's why this forum is so valuable) but I suspect a lot of the christians I know are similarly pick 'n mix.
I'm rambling so I'll stop!
Thaks for making think out my position!
Gerard