New Progressive Christian Site, Crossleft.org

[Dems2002]

Hey everyone,

An interesting new Progressive Community is in the process of being formed. It's called crossleft, (crossleft.org) and is about engaging Progressive Churches AND MODERATE Churches to be more active in the midst of the Conservative hijacking of our faith.

It's an extremely exciting venture, and I hope it will be an opportunity for Progressive Christians to become a louder voice in the media and in political circles.

Click on the Who We Are Button, and you will find a group with quite a few Ivy League degrees, an astrophysicist, political consultant, and numerous exciting individuals who may share a faith with many Conservative Republicans, but whose reading of the faith is sometimes at polar opposites. For us, the message most discussed in the Bible, helping the poor, is what we should be doing. All else is gravy.

Best,

Dems

[MostlyLurks]

1. As an increasingly aggravated agnotheist

I wish them all great success. I've thought for a while now that the only thing that can turn the tide of rightie religion is a tide of lefty religion.

Agnotheist = I believe that what I believe can never be known for certain.

Mostly

[Dems2002]

2. Thanks

We agree. What made me literally crazy was after the 2004 election, I was driving to LA and was flipping through the radio when a caller to a Christian Talk Show made me see red.

She was discussing leaving this horrible liberal enclave but the election results gave her hope. I called in, the host put me on immediately, and I said that I felt the linking of Christianity and Republicanism was the worst possible thing for Christians. That it was turning off my progressive friends, and it was endangering the religion by aligning it with a political philosphy that would never live up to any true Christian ideals and would therefore, weaken the religion.

The host was pretty respectful even though he leaned Conservative. I was completely thrilled that I was introduced to Kety (founder of Crossleft) shortly after moving to the Bay Area to join a political consulting firm.

It's the perfect place for me, and I hope there are others here that will visit the site and participate. Having this dialogue with Progressives of all stripes is very important to us.

Best,

Dems

[Armstead]

3. Great idea---- Bad Link?

I pasted that address into my browser and got a "no site here" message.

[Dems2002]

4. www.crossleft.org

Try the following: www.crossleft.org

Best,

Dems

[realFedUp]

5. good site, thanks....nt

[quaoar]

6. Interesting site

I liked this in one of the blog posts:

The Genesis account never really says why God destroyed the city. The only scripture that details why God destroyed Sodom is Ezekiel 16:49&50. It says…49 “Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy. 50 They were haughty and did detestable things before me. Therefore I did away with them as you have seen.”



Does indeed sound like Republican-occupied Washington

[Dems2002]

9. Agreed

Yep, and that's what we're trying to do -- Show that Christian values are not represented in the Republican Party.

[sarcasmo]

7. www.WWFSMD.com

[dae]

8. thanks for the link. n/t

[Critters2]

10. I used to think I was a progressive Christian

then I met some. All that worrying about whether John wrote John, or which parts of the gospels Jesus really said are truly great distractions from things that really matter--like caring for the poor. But it's not surprising that a bunch of straight, white, university-educated men aren't concerned about anything but their own opinions. Progressive Christianity. What a load!

After meeting these garden club types, I've realized I'm a liberationist. And when I tell my "progressive" friends that, they get scared shitless. Imagine taking the gospel seriously! Nope. let's just drop marbles in a hat!

[quaoar]

11. Liberationist?

As in following the Liberation Theology movement in the Catholic Church?

[Dems2002]

12. No Definition is perfect

Well, if you check out the site, it's pretty much all about exactly that, helping the poor and how that's completely missing from any discussions of Christianity.

Now, personally, I'm all for a better understanding of the history of the Bible, but the overall message is pretty darn clear. Give, give and give some more.

Dems

[Dems2002]

13. Blog from the site

Here's a recent post on the site. The Paradoxical Commandments were written ages ago, but are being reprinted in a book entitled "Jesus Did It Anyway."

Here they are.

The Paradoxical Commandments

People are illogical, unreasonable, and self-centered.
Love them anyway.

If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish ulterior motives.
Do good anyway.

If you are successful, you will win false friends and true enemies.
Succeed anyway.

The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow.
Do good anyway.

Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable.
Be honest and frank anyway.

The biggest men and women with the biggest ideas can be shot down by the smallest men and women with the smallest minds.
Think big anyway.

People favor underdogs but follow only top dogs.
Fight for a few underdogs anyway.

What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight.
Build anyway.

People really need help but may attack you if you do help them.
Help people anyway.

Give the world the best you have and you'll get kicked in the teeth.
Give the world the best you have anyway.

© Copyright Kent M. Keith 1968, renewed 2001

[Lydia Leftcoast]

15. Academic religious studies types are NOT the same as rank and file

liberal Christians.

[Clarkansas]

14. Kick

[snowbear]

16. Yep! Click and nominate! ...Well, ok... I nominated it anyway!

Hint, hint..

[Dems2002]

18. Thanks!

Thanks for the nomination -- One more and it makes the list.

Dems

[FreedomAngel82]

17. Nice

Thank you for sharing. :)

[BlueIris]

19. Good name. nt

[DarkTirade]

20. A big thank you to all those non-psycho christians out there...

I know you're the majority. And I hope the messages out there to the public will reflect that soon.

[Kurovski]

21. Thank God!

K&R

[bemildred]

22. Good for them.

Christians need to take back their church like we need to take back our party.
And here's a plug for Bruce Cockburn, a Christian Rocker that kicks ass:

http://www.brucecockburn.com/home.html

http://cockburnproject.net/

[B3Nut]

24. A kick, and a kick for Bruce too!

One of my all-time fave songwriters. Saw him play a solo acoustic gig in Madison a couple months ago....oh wow. Un-freaking-believable.

Todd in Beerbratistan

[pberq]

23. Kick! - Recommended

This is extremely important work. We must support it as much as we can.

[boston bean]

25. Interfaith Alliance, is also a group of good people doing good work

People of faith who believe in separation of church and state for the health of the state and the church.

check it out.

http://www.interfaithalliance.org/site/pp.asp?c=8dJIIWMCE&b=447561

[AwakeAtLast]

26. Kicked, nominated, and bookmarked!

Thanks for the link. I will be registering and perusing this site regularly.

:thumbsup:

:hi:

[Dems2002]

28. Terrific!

I'm so thrilled to see the response here. I've been wanting to post about Crossleft for some time, and now felt right.

This response has been wonderful.

Thanks

[Nimrod2005]

27. Gracias a Dios!!!