Progressive Christianity.

[Hepzibah]

To follow on from another thread where Progressive Christianity is mentioned and I quoted "Progressive Christianity—is a contemporary religious movement that reinterprets traditional doctrines through modern science, historical-critical biblical scholarship, and an emphasis on social justice, inclusivity, and continuous questioning over rigid dogma," I thought some might like to discuss it further and understand just exactly is it about.

I consider it to be the greatest threat we have for Christians, due to the loss of faith for many due to the state of the churches today, and found that I did not have a very clear idea what it is about. The best place to find out is to go to a Progressives forum rather than elsewhere, as in those, they are in apologetics mode and surely it is respect to find out from source.

With that in mind I am reading this site:

https://progressivechristianity.org/about-us/

So here are the lastest 8 points they subscribe to:


8 Points of Progressive Christianity


1. Believe that following the path of the teacher Jesus can lead to healing and wholeness, a mystical connection to “God,” as well as an awareness and experience of not only the Sacred, but the Oneness and Unity of all life;


2. Affirm that the teachings of Jesus provide but one of many ways to experience the Sacredness, Oneness and Unity of life, and that we can draw from diverse sources of wisdom, including Earth, in our spiritual journey;


3. Seek and create community that is inclusive of ALL people, including but not limited to:


Conventional Christians and questioning skeptics,
Believers and agnostics,
Women and men,
Those of all races, cultures, and nationalities
Those of all sexual orientations and all gender identities,
Those of all classes and abilities;
All creatures and plant life;


4. Know that the way we behave towards one another and Earth is the fullest expression of what we believe, therefore we vow to walk as Jesus might have walked in this world with radical compassion, inclusion, and bravery to confront and positively change the injustices we experience as well as those we see others experiencing;


5. Find grace in the search for understanding and believe there is more value in questioning with an open mind and open heart, than in absolutes or dogma;


6. Work toward peace and justice among all people and all life on Earth;


7. Protect and restore the integrity of our Earth and all of Creation;


8. Commit to a path of life-long learning, compassion, and selfless love on this journey toward a personally authentic and meaningful faith.

It all sounds nice and logical, but the repurcussions are great when one begins to reject Jesus as the only way. It is understandable that men are tired of the control and lack of love in churches today, but this is not the answer. It is the way of communism to destroy what is standing and bring in the new.

We do not need a revolution in the church. We need to get back to the true Christianity we have moved away from. The errors can be corrected without destroying it.

 

[SavedInHim]

To follow on from another thread where Progressive Christianity is mentioned and I quoted "Progressive Christianity—is a contemporary religious movement that reinterprets traditional doctrines through modern science, historical-critical biblical scholarship, and an emphasis on social justice, inclusivity, and continuous questioning over rigid dogma," I thought some might like to discuss it further and understand just exactly is it about.

I consider it to be the greatest threat we have for Christians, due to the loss of faith for many due to the state of the churches today, and found that I did not have a very clear idea what it is about. The best place to find out is to go to a Progressives forum rather than elsewhere, as in those, they are in apologetics mode and surely it is respect to find out from source.

With that in mind I am reading this site:

https://progressivechristianity.org/about-us/

So here are the lastest 8 points they subscribe to:


8 Points of Progressive Christianity


1. Believe that following the path of the teacher Jesus can lead to healing and wholeness, a mystical connection to “God,” as well as an awareness and experience of not only the Sacred, but the Oneness and Unity of all life;


2. Affirm that the teachings of Jesus provide but one of many ways to experience the Sacredness, Oneness and Unity of life, and that we can draw from diverse sources of wisdom, including Earth, in our spiritual journey;


3. Seek and create community that is inclusive of ALL people, including but not limited to:


Conventional Christians and questioning skeptics,
Believers and agnostics,
Women and men,
Those of all races, cultures, and nationalities
Those of all sexual orientations and all gender identities,
Those of all classes and abilities;
All creatures and plant life;


4. Know that the way we behave towards one another and Earth is the fullest expression of what we believe, therefore we vow to walk as Jesus might have walked in this world with radical compassion, inclusion, and bravery to confront and positively change the injustices we experience as well as those we see others experiencing;


5. Find grace in the search for understanding and believe there is more value in questioning with an open mind and open heart, than in absolutes or dogma;


6. Work toward peace and justice among all people and all life on Earth;


7. Protect and restore the integrity of our Earth and all of Creation;


8. Commit to a path of life-long learning, compassion, and selfless love on this journey toward a personally authentic and meaningful faith.

It all sounds nice and logical, but the repurcussions are great when one begins to reject Jesus as the only way. It is understandable that men are tired of the control and lack of love in churches today, but this is not the answer. It is the way of communism to destroy what is standing and bring in the new.

We do not need a revolution in the church. We need to get back to the true Christianity we have moved away from. The errors can be corrected without destroying it.

You seem to be conflating the idea of progress with other teachings that may not be sound. But progress itself, I don't see the problem. It's fundamental to our walk with Christ.

 

[Hepzibah]

You seem to be conflating the idea of progress with other teachings that may not be sound. But progress itself, I don't see the problem. It's fundamental to our walk with Christ.

Agreed that we are on a spiritual journey until we reach maturity or the full stature of Christ as the Bible tells us.

But your idea conflicts with 2 Thessalonians 2:15, where believers are urged to stand firm and hold fast to the teachings passed on either by word of mouth or by epistle, if we move from the system laid out in the NT and the early church.

There is nothing more to add apart from deeper understanding of what is already there.

 

[SavedInHim]

Agreed that we are on a spiritual journey until we reach maturity or the full stature of Christ as the Bible tells us.

But your idea conflicts with 2 Thessalonians 2:15, where believers are urged to stand firm and hold fast to the teachings passed on either by word of mouth or by epistle, if we move from the system laid out in the NT and the early church.

There is nothing more to add apart from deeper understanding of what is already there.

Sounds like a semantics issue. You don't mind the idea of "maturing," but "progress" is bad. I have no problem with the word progress; but I do agree that moving beyond sound doctrine isn't good.

 

[Hepzibah]

Sounds like a semantics issue. You don't mind the idea of "maturing," but "progress" is bad. I have no problem with the word progress; but I do agree that moving beyond sound doctrine isn't good.

Moving beyond 'Jesus is the only way' is progress?

 

[SavedInHim]

Moving beyond 'Jesus is the only way' is progress?

No, that's not progress. But maturing in Him is progress; I see no contradiction

 

[Hepzibah]

No, that's not progress. But maturing in Him is progress; I see no contradiction

The movement so named is what I am hoping to discuss, not the normal interpretation of one word

 

[David Lamb]

Sounds like a semantics issue. You don't mind the idea of "maturing," but "progress" is bad. I have no problem with the word progress; but I do agree that moving beyond sound doctrine isn't good.

It seems to me that what matters is what is the goal/aim of the progression. Straight away, with the first of the 8 points mentioned in the OP, we are faced with something which is contradictory to what we find in the Bible:

"Believe that following the path of the teacher Jesus can lead to healing and wholeness, a mystical connection to “God,” as well as an awareness and experience of not only the Sacred, but the Oneness and Unity of all life;"

It's not merely following the path of the teacher Jesus. It is following Him, Who said, "I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." (John 14:6) "Mystical connection with God" - what does that even mean? Jesus said:

NKJV Jhn 14:7 "If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; and from now on you know Him and have seen Him."

If we know Jesus Christ, we know the Father. We don't merely have some "mystical connection" with God.

 

[SavedInHim]

Some of the ideas they stand for are good; others not so much. If people gravitate to movements like this, it's probably because mainline Christianity has fallen short in many areas.

Progressive Christianity - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[Hepzibah]

mainline Christianity has fallen short in many areas

Absolutely. Most have not gone on to Perfection and therefore do not have the power of God (Holy Spirit) in them.

All we need is for the church to listen to the teaching and react to it in repentance.

 

[Episkopos]

To follow on from another thread where Progressive Christianity is mentioned and I quoted "Progressive Christianity—is a contemporary religious movement that reinterprets traditional doctrines through modern science, historical-critical biblical scholarship, and an emphasis on social justice, inclusivity, and continuous questioning over rigid dogma," I thought some might like to discuss it further and understand just exactly is it about.

I consider it to be the greatest threat we have for Christians, due to the loss of faith for many due to the state of the churches today, and found that I did not have a very clear idea what it is about. The best place to find out is to go to a Progressives forum rather than elsewhere, as in those, they are in apologetics mode and surely it is respect to find out from source.

With that in mind I am reading this site:

https://progressivechristianity.org/about-us/

So here are the lastest 8 points they subscribe to:


8 Points of Progressive Christianity


1. Believe that following the path of the teacher Jesus can lead to healing and wholeness, a mystical connection to “God,” as well as an awareness and experience of not only the Sacred, but the Oneness and Unity of all life;


2. Affirm that the teachings of Jesus provide but one of many ways to experience the Sacredness, Oneness and Unity of life, and that we can draw from diverse sources of wisdom, including Earth, in our spiritual journey;


3. Seek and create community that is inclusive of ALL people, including but not limited to:


Conventional Christians and questioning skeptics,
Believers and agnostics,
Women and men,
Those of all races, cultures, and nationalities
Those of all sexual orientations and all gender identities,
Those of all classes and abilities;
All creatures and plant life;


4. Know that the way we behave towards one another and Earth is the fullest expression of what we believe, therefore we vow to walk as Jesus might have walked in this world with radical compassion, inclusion, and bravery to confront and positively change the injustices we experience as well as those we see others experiencing;


5. Find grace in the search for understanding and believe there is more value in questioning with an open mind and open heart, than in absolutes or dogma;


6. Work toward peace and justice among all people and all life on Earth;


7. Protect and restore the integrity of our Earth and all of Creation;


8. Commit to a path of life-long learning, compassion, and selfless love on this journey toward a personally authentic and meaningful faith.

It all sounds nice and logical, but the repurcussions are great when one begins to reject Jesus as the only way. It is understandable that men are tired of the control and lack of love in churches today, but this is not the answer. It is the way of communism to destroy what is standing and bring in the new.

We do not need a revolution in the church. We need to get back to the true Christianity we have moved away from. The errors can be corrected without destroying it.

All we see here with a more liberal viewpoint is just a radical counterweight to a radical exclusive and hytpocritical view held by fundamentalists. So it's just one extreme to the other.

1. To the pure all things are pure. The filthy attribute filthiness to others.

2. Jesus saves more than just the church (but there is no universalism ...which is also out of balance). He is the Saviour of all men ESPECIALLY those that believe.

3. God wants righteousness and humility above doctrine. He desires mercy not sacrifice (or dogmatic beliefs) The meek inherit the earth.

4. We bless and not curse. We don't condemn others so that we won't be condemned ourselves.

5. We don't judge non-believers.....some of which will be justified by their works. (and in judging them we remove God's mercy toward us)

6. Some people are pure hearted...and are condemned by those who think that the heart is just as wicked as their own.

7. If possible be at peace with all men.

8. Receive a righteous man from any belief system as a righteous man...and get a righteous man's reward.

9. Receive a prophet in the name of a prophet and get a prophet's reward.

10. Even a man giving a cup of cold water to a disciple will not lose his reward.

 

[Hepzibah]

All we see here with a more liberal viewpoint is just a radical counterweight to a radical exclusive and hytpocritical view held by fundamentalists. So it's just one extreme to the other.

1. To the pure all things are pure. The filthy attribute filthiness to others.

2. Jesus saves more than just the church (but there is no universalism ...which is also out of balance). He is the Saviour of all men ESPECIALLY those that believe.

3. God wants righteousness and humility above doctrine. He desires mercy not sacrifice (or dogmatic beliefs) The meek inherit the earth.

4. We bless and not curse. We don't condemn others so that we won't be condemned ourselves.

5. We don't judge non-believers.....some of which will be justified by their works. (and in judging them we remove God's mercy toward us)

6. Some people are pure hearted...and are condemned by those who think that the heart is just as wicked as their own.

7. If possible be at peace with all men.

8. Receive a righteous man from any belief system as a righteous man...and get a righteous man's reward.

9. Receive a prophet in the name of a prophet and get a prophet's reward.

10. Even a man giving a cup of cold water to a disciple will not lose his reward.

A little yeast will raise a whole batch of dough. This common saying comes from biblical passages like Galatians 5:9 and 1 Corinthians 5:6, meaning a small influence can change everything.

The movement is radicalising folk to think the opposition (traditionals), are all judgmental but that is not the case. The Bible says the gate is narrow and few find it. Yet you are letting in those who have never had the word Jesus on their lips.

This is the belief of the last 2K years, so anything new should be doubted till proven right. Men have died for this belief and now you say their deaths were in vain. They were wrong.

Those who love the lost, don't want them to perish so warn them, or rather show them love and allow the Holy Spirit to convict them of sin so they can repent. Yet the Progs want to paint them all as Pharisees.

It was religious leaders or rather, those that see themselves as leaders of the church now, that Christ condemned who were doing the judging and damaging the people, speaking to others without love.

They are the ones who should take heed.

 

[Episkopos]

A little yeast will raise a whole batch of dough. This common saying comes from biblical passages like Galatians 5:9 and 1 Corinthians 5:6, meaning a small influence can change everything.

But the kingdom of God is also like leaven. Spreading a bit of truth here and there can cause the Holy Spirit to convict people of their need for the truth. So it all depends on where you are speaking from. I am calling people to holiness AND righteousness. Most evangelicals have neither.

The movement is radicalising folk to think the opposition (traditionals), are all judgmental but that is not the case.

We need to throw out a LOT of what is preached today....but not everything. Even Calvinism has points that are true...but just for saints. What people do is throw EVERYTHING out and invent a new doctrine that contains NONE of the truth that was being taught So people radicalize other people as a knee-jerk reaction to the excesses of one faction. But God HATES a false balance. It is an abomination to Him.

The Bible says the gate is narrow and few find it. Yet you are letting in those who have never had the word Jesus on their lips.

But the people that are religiously indoctrinated into todays' evangelical scheme are NOT entering in through the gate. They are like undocumented migrants that are trying to illegally enter the kingdom. I counsel people to repent and seek the Lord to enter LEGALLY. One must strive legally...otherwise they will be deported...cut off. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

On the other hand God is merciful to those who are NOT hypocrites. He loves the righteous, the meek, the weak, and the oppressed. The spoiled rotten children that sit in pews are being stored up for future judgment. It's best to avoid that and come out of it.

You need a MUCH deeper understanding before you criticize my mission, You are operating at the level of human opinions...I am not.

This is the belief of the last 2K years, so anything new should be doubted till proven right.

We need to return to the same life that they had...an eternal kind of life. And barring that we should heed the warnings in the bible...which NO evangelical ever does. So the liberal movement in the church is a reaction against the hypocrisy and lies of the established religion...so that is also now established as one more division in the church full of carnally inspired believers.

Men have died for this belief and now you say their deaths were in vain. They were wrong.

You are doing the drama thing again. It's men like me that were put to death. People hate the truth. I stand with Christ and all disciples. I am a disciple here...a RARITY these days. So you have mislabeled a lot of things...showing you have no discernment of what God is looking for.

Those who love the lost, don't want them to perish so warn them, or rather show them love and allow the Holy Spirit to convict them of sin so they can repent. Yet the Progs want to paint them all as Pharisees.

I am trying to save my fellow believers. The hypocrisy in the common movement of stuck in the muds is that they only see evil in others...not in themselves. Any honest person will correctly identify such as hypocrites...which they are.

I'm trying to save the hypocrites. Once the believers become truth seekers THEN maybe they can help others.

It was religious leaders or rather, those that see themselves as leaders of the church now, that Christ condemned who were doing the judging and damaging the people, speaking to others without love.

Now the devil has taken over...and he speaks to comfort and molly coddle the flesh...posing as being nice and loving. You can't see that because you are still ego-driven. So you have never been broken at the cross...to know the evil that is in everyone who thinks they have become the righteousness of God...but lie.

They are the ones who should take heed.

Judgment begins at God's house. And the many here who don't OBEY the gospel are in REAL trouble. Knowing the terror of the Lord...I warn people.

 

[Hepzibah]

But the kingdom of God is also like leaven. Spreading a bit of truth here and there can cause the Holy Spirit to convict people of their need for the truth. So it all depends on where you are speaking from. I am calling people to holiness AND righteousness. Most evangelicals have neither.

We need to throw out a LOT of what is preached today....but not everything. Even Calvinism has points that are true...but just for saints. What people do is throw EVERYTHING out and invent a new doctrine that contains NONE of the truth that was being taught So people radicalize other people as a knee-jerk reaction to the excesses of one faction. But God HATES a false balance. It is an abomination to Him.


But the people that are religiously indoctrinated into todays' evangelical scheme are NOT entering in through the gate. They are like undocumented migrants that are trying to illegally enter the kingdom. I counsel people to repent and seek the Lord to enter LEGALLY. One must strive legally...otherwise they will be deported...cut off. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

On the other hand God is merciful to those who are NOT hypocrites. He loves the righteous, the meek, the weak, and the oppressed. The spoiled rotten children that sit in pews are being stored up for future judgment. It's best to avoid that and come out of it.

You need a MUCH deeper understanding before you criticize my mission, You are operating at the level of human opinions...I am not.



We need to return to the same life that they had...an eternal kind of life. And barring that we should heed the warnings in the bible...which NO evangelical ever does. So the liberal movement in the church is a reaction against the hypocrisy and lies of the established religion...so that is also now established as one more division in the church full of carnally inspired believers.


You are doing the drama thing again. It's men like me that were put to death. People hate the truth. I stand with Christ and all disciples. I am a disciple here...a RARITY these days. So you have mislabeled a lot of things...showing you have no discernment of what God is looking for.


I am trying to save my fellow believers. The hypocrisy in the common movement of stuck in the muds is that they only see evil in others...not in themselves. Any honest person will correctly identify such as hypocrites...which they are.

I'm trying to save the hypocrites. Once the believers become truth seekers THEN maybe they can help others.



Now the devil has taken over...and he speaks to comfort and molly coddle the flesh...posing as being nice and loving. You can't see that because you are still ego-driven. So you have never been broken at the cross...to know the evil that is in everyone who thinks they have become the righteousness of God...but lie.

Judgment begins at God's house. And the many here who don't OBEY the gospel are in REAL trouble. Knowing the terror of the Lord...I warn people.

There is no need for me to be told how bad the modern church is. It is being destroyed and the so called followers of Christ are to blame. None are preaching the truth and I can find no-one, repeat no-one who is walking in the Spirit today. It is all apostate. That means according to scripture that no-one is saved from sin. There are a few that know the teaching about sinlessness, but are not there including myself.

I want nothing more than to be restored to my previous position so that when I speak the power of the Holy Spirit is there, and people are immediately under conviction. I saw this in the past. And so I wait for the Lord. I pray that He will show me mercy as He will with decent people who want to do right, to escape our destinations even on deathbeds. Telling them that they are fine as they are is to go against the whole Bible which tells us that if we sin we are of the devil.

Preaching holiness is so vital and must not be distracted from, which you are doing. It has always been the devil who says 'thou shalt not die' and those who give this message are the ones who are not persecuted.

Genesis gives us all of the answers. There are 2 trees in Eden, one for eternal life and the other for condemnation and death. Not 4. If we are not saved we are feeding from the other tree.

 

[Hepzibah]

Another verse I have forgotten to mention concerning ther claims of PC is:

Jude 1:3 Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was ONCE FOR ALL delivered to the saints.

No progression there.

 

[Davy]

To follow on from another thread where Progressive Christianity is mentioned and I quoted "Progressive Christianity—is a contemporary religious movement that reinterprets traditional doctrines through modern science, historical-critical biblical scholarship, and an emphasis on social justice, inclusivity, and continuous questioning over rigid dogma," I thought some might like to discuss it further and understand just exactly is it about.

I consider it to be the greatest threat we have for Christians, due to the loss of faith for many due to the state of the churches today, and found that I did not have a very clear idea what it is about. The best place to find out is to go to a Progressives forum rather than elsewhere, as in those, they are in apologetics mode and surely it is respect to find out from source.

With that in mind I am reading this site:

https://progressivechristianity.org/about-us/

So here are the lastest 8 points they subscribe to:


8 Points of Progressive Christianity


1. Believe that following the path of the teacher Jesus can lead to healing and wholeness, a mystical connection to “God,” as well as an awareness and experience of not only the Sacred, but the Oneness and Unity of all life;


2. Affirm that the teachings of Jesus provide but one of many ways to experience the Sacredness, Oneness and Unity of life, and that we can draw from diverse sources of wisdom, including Earth, in our spiritual journey;


3. Seek and create community that is inclusive of ALL people, including but not limited to:


Conventional Christians and questioning skeptics,
Believers and agnostics,
Women and men,
Those of all races, cultures, and nationalities
Those of all sexual orientations and all gender identities,
Those of all classes and abilities;
All creatures and plant life;


4. Know that the way we behave towards one another and Earth is the fullest expression of what we believe, therefore we vow to walk as Jesus might have walked in this world with radical compassion, inclusion, and bravery to confront and positively change the injustices we experience as well as those we see others experiencing;


5. Find grace in the search for understanding and believe there is more value in questioning with an open mind and open heart, than in absolutes or dogma;


6. Work toward peace and justice among all people and all life on Earth;


7. Protect and restore the integrity of our Earth and all of Creation;


8. Commit to a path of life-long learning, compassion, and selfless love on this journey toward a personally authentic and meaningful faith.

It all sounds nice and logical, but the repurcussions are great when one begins to reject Jesus as the only way. It is understandable that men are tired of the control and lack of love in churches today, but this is not the answer. It is the way of communism to destroy what is standing and bring in the new.

We do not need a revolution in the church. We need to get back to the true Christianity we have moved away from. The errors can be corrected without destroying it.

From ex-FBI agent who served for 16 years, Cleon Skousen in his 1958 book The Naked Communist. He listed 45 strategic points the Soviet Communists have in their long-range plan for takeover of the United States of America... here is no.27...

27. Infiltrate the churches and replace revealed religion with "social" religion. Discredit the Bible and emphasize the need for intellectual maturity, which does not need a "religious crutch." ​

For the full list of 45 points, see this link:

45 Communist goals for America | Blaze Media

It was Jan. 10, 1963, that Congressman Albert S. Herlong. Jr. from Florida read the list of 45 Communist goals for America into the Congressional Record. The purpose of him reading this was to gain insight into liberal elite ideas and strategies for America that sound awfully familiar today. The...

www.theblaze.com