literatediva

oh steve....i really understand. i think sometimes that i have more in common with liberal jews and muslims than i do fundamentalist christians. i have had conversations that have brought me to tears - conversations where i am equally armed with scripture and experience and knowledge -but am just so overwhelmed at the vast expanse of 'the other opinion'. i came to think some time ago that being progressive meant that i would have to respect every voice. i believe that i do my best to do this, and i also know that i often fall short by judging - but i try. you should hear the stories i've got...i'm a yoga teacher and have studied all over north america. trust me, you don't want to be a canadian christian yoga teacher visiting in texas. nor do you want to be a young jewish liberal lawyer dating in vancouver (this being the experience of my best friend recently, some interesting stories worthy of a new thread "experiences of the spiritual dat-er"). between us, my friends and i could be starting our own website it's all tricky stuff, i hope work goes ok for you in light of what happened. i'll be thinking about you, keep us posted

comment here guys? .... in a safe and kind way? spong isn't old news to everyone - not at all. and in a progressive context - what are you meaning to say? just curious. do you feel it's irrelevant or not worth reading? or simply outdated and meant to be read in some sort of historical context? (ie: "late 20th century progressive christian thought"- i think that might be a humanities grad class 10 years from now i think that having read it doesn't mean we can't read it and see it a new light.... ----like all books n'estce-pas? it's why my vote goes to each of us choosing a book in turn. i'd love to get that kind of exposure! who knows what you'd pick! you're each a million miles away from me in so many ways. besides, i've got some great picks up my sleeve. a wee observation: 25 people have read this thread and 4 have posted. i've read the 'get to know one another' thread and there are *alot* of new people here (myself included) who found this site in an attempt to explore, learn, read, chat...i'd hope to not alienate anyone - ever. anyway - food for thought. i'm in. even if we read the tao of pooh. maybe admin could get involved for this site and create a new section for the reading group- selection, dates for discussion etc... what do you think?

hi guys, i'd love to be a part of your reading group! i am a member of several other groups and we usually establish membership first and then let each member choose a book in turn. it works well, we usually put together the reading list for the coming 5-6 months (for the keeners who read ahead ) i find this also eliminates the potential debate over which book to read next- we just leave it up to the next person on the list. if new members join along the way, their names are also added to the ladder. perhaps it might also be helpful to set a timeline so that discussion can begin on a certain date - just a few thoughts. as for the discussion - maybe the person who selects the book could decide on 2-3 questions/topics for the group? would keep it interesting and again, kind of organized in the context of online discussion etc. keep me posted and count me in! steve, sounds like you're the ringleader here! cheers, andréa.

1) Do you consider yourself to be a progressive Christian? Why or why not? Yes, but too bad that there are other kinds... this 'progressive' identity has to exist in relation to ... 'regressive'?? Anyway, my politics aren't exactly mainstream and I'm deeply committed to positive change. My scholarly background is fun [ny] and diverse - I'll stop there. 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 An hour outside of Vancouver BC, Canada. 3) What do you do for a living? What do you do outside of your wage-earning job? HR exec for an organization that cares for individuals with special needs. Am also a yoga instructor and avid fitness buff. I love hanging out with my husband and am totally co-dependant with our dogs and cat. 4) How did you find out about these boards? Surfing when I shoulda been working...(like, um, now) 5) What are you looking for as you post here? Not much. I'm here to read and listen. Actually not entirely true - I'd like to connect and maybe agree more often than disagree with others for a change. Disagreeing makes me sleepy 6) What on Earth do you think this icon means? too cute. reminds me of being a teenager and doodling in class. 7) Tell us anything else you want to about yourself I *love* going to church, love Thomas Merton, Vanda Scaravelli, great films, Japanese beer, Wendell Berry and Kent Haruf. I'd like to run a marathon next year... and.. I'm with Shawn - I really appreciate a good hamburger.