Religious, Atheist, and Agnostic DUers unite!

[Maat]

We are not the Religious Right Extremists. Those are our foes.

If you are troubled by pro-Bush congregants in your place of worship, and don't think discussing it will resove the problem, and you still want to regularly attend a spiritual place, listen, there are alternatives:

1. Unitarian-Universalist,
2. Church of Religious Science,
3. Quakers,
4. Metropolitan Community Churches,
5. United Church of Christ,
6. Secular Humanist Associations,
7. and many others.

We need to drop out of any congregation that does not jive with our values or does not make us feel welcome. We need to take back spirituality.

We need to come up with a name for our foe: bigotry (Religious Right Extremists, perhaps, or just AU's 'religious right').

This is going to be a hot topic.

Please avoid threads/posts in which someone is castigated for attending services.

We can take religion/philosophy/spirituality back. And we do that by dropping out of congregations in which bigotry is encouraged.

We are united by our support of civil liberties. Please, let us make it clear that we support non-bigoted spirituality and congregations in which progressive beliefs are encouraged!

Dawn

[Book Lover]

1. I call them

The New American Protestants; makes for a snappy acronym, NAP.

[eataTREE]

2. Jesus called them the "scribes and the Pharisees". (n/t)

[GreenPartyVoter]

3. The "live and let live" crowd HAS to

outnumber the "my way or the Highway--to Hell" group. Esp since they are fractured too. Because they believe in only one right way, they are loosely clinging together on abortion and gay marriage etc, but you know that each one secretly loathes the other. The Protestants think the Cathloics are gonna burn. The Catholics think the Jews are behind the times. The Jews think the Muslims got it all wrong.

The rest of us, pluralists of many (and sometimes no) beliefs have got to wrest control from the Apocalyptic nutcases!

------------------------------------------
Would Jesus love a liberal? You bet!
http://www.geocities.com/greenpartyvoter/

[BiggJawn]

4. Good idea!

Even as an Atheist, I'm all for decent folks taking their religion-thing back from the hijackers.

Good luck!

uh, do "secular humanists" really exist? I thought that was some term Pat Robertson's handlers came up with to marginalize "spiritual but not religous" people?

[Maat]

5. Yes, secular humanists exist - it's just that Pat is a little confused..

about them. Actually, he stole the term and lied about their beliefs. But what else is new? If you google the term, you'll find their association.

Good ol' Pat confuses my congregation with them - deliberately I'm sure. Anybody that does not loudly proclaim support for the RR-extremist orgs is a 'sec-u-lar humanist.'

My Great Spirit is not the real one I guess.

Loudly reclaiming spirituality will defeat these guys. I'm sure of it. I've corrected so-called 'moderates' who vote for Bush - if you voted for him, and are a bigot, then you are part of the Religious Right. Don't hide behind the 'moderate' curtain with me.

[pelagius]

6. Other denominations to add to the list

Include:

The Episcopal Church USA
United Methodist Church
Presbyterian Church USA
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

Not every congregation in these denominations is progressive. But it should be pretty easy to tell by reading their website or newsletters. Or find a Democrat or allied progressive who attends church and ask where they go.

A special note to gay and lesbian Christians and inquirers:

Please consider supporting the Episcopal Church with your presence. Episcopalians have made moves to include gay men and women in the life and worship of the Church that have angered more conservative churches in the Anglican Communion. We have many openly gay ordained clergy, including Bishop Gene Robinson, who holds the highest office (bishop) in our church. We are losing conservative members over this inclusion; we need people of faith who support such moves to support your local Episcopal parish. Thank you.