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Progressive Christian

2017-04-17T11:17:14-05:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

When women finally get fed up, stuff happens

Last updated on: April 17, 2017 at 11:17 am By Christy Thomas

When women finally say, “I’m not going to let these guys continue to ruin my life and the lives of my children,” stuff happens. These women were fed up. Desperately poor families would see their husband/father drink most of his income, leaving them even worse shape. The women lobbied. They got their candidate elected. They made sure he kept his campaign promises. They said a loud and collective, “No more” and did the necessary work to make things right. . .... Read more

2017-04-14T14:31:43-05:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Darkness came over the whole land–and we prefer the darkness

Last updated on: April 14, 2017 at 2:31 pm By Christy Thomas

As we repeatedly mend the curtain, as we reinforce the barrier with each stitch, we work to make sure the darkness stays. Everyone has heard that, at the moment of Jesus’ crucifixion, darkness came over the whole land. But few seem to know or understand what follows, “At that moment [the moment of Jesus’ death as described by Matthew] the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom.” The implications of this statement? “All barriers between... Read more

2017-04-12T13:13:37-05:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Help! I’m poor. Should I tithe to TV preachers?

Last updated on: April 12, 2017 at 1:13 pm By Christy Thomas

However, large religious institutions, especially those with massive expenses and infrastructures, manipulated the tithe as a way to essentially extort money from less biblically literate members. Dear Thoughtful Pastor: In the past, I have tithed money into various ministries that I enjoyed listening to on TV. As I do not enjoy attending church, I have contributed to the people who were teaching me. When my husband and I were both working, I could tithe up to 10% of my paycheck,... Read more

2017-04-11T14:43:01-05:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

The United Methodist Church in a United Airlines moment

Last updated on: April 11, 2017 at 2:43 pm By Christy Thomas

Those who need to fly will, for the immediate future at least, book flights on any other airline than United Airlines, whose skies are now distinctly unfriendly. Those who long for God and God’s goodness will go to any other church, uninterested in a “United” Methodist Church with no evidence of real unity. EVERYBODY has seen it. The horrible video of the uncooperative passenger forcibly dragged from the plane after being told he must relinquish his seat whether he liked it... Read more

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2024-08-14T10:58:14-05:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

The privilege of the ordinary: breath and air

Last updated on: August 14, 2024 at 10:58 am By Christy Thomas

Do you have the privilege of the ordinary? Do you breathe clean air, have a car that works, plus you can find your keys and carry a phone? If so, you carry much privilege of the ordinary. I get to do the ordinary things today. The early morning wake up, the retrieval of the newspapers, the cup of hot tea. Soon I shall begin the laundry, catch up on email, hours of reading and studying in front to me. These... Read more

2017-05-08T14:02:49-05:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

“I’m Blessed” vs. “Why Me?” A Product of Awful Theology

Last updated on: May 8, 2017 at 2:02 pm By Christy Thomas

Even worse, this theology of God’s absolute sovereignty and control leads to the elevation of those who, for example, may have acquired great wealth. Surely they could have only done that because God “blessed” them. Dear Thoughtful Pastor: A few minutes ago I was sitting on the back porch, looking at the new growth on the oak tree, all the small fallen limbs from the storm a few nights ago and wondered about the “Why Me” part of any setback,... Read more

2017-03-29T09:23:10-05:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Help! Why can’t progressives “get” the obsession with abortion?

Last updated on: March 29, 2017 at 9:23 am By Christy Thomas

We could do this–we could reach across the aisles, across the abortion rhetoric and say, “ALL life has value” as well as “Some situations are tragic and need special consideration.” Dear Thoughtful Pastor: For a long time, I have been bothered by the seemingly unshakable fidelity of Christian voters to the single issue of abortion. It seems to me that progressives need to find other ways to talk about abortion. I know many persons who would vote for a more... Read more

2017-03-27T16:09:36-05:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Silence: a movie for those tired of lies about God

Last updated on: March 27, 2017 at 4:09 pm By Christy Thomas

Silence stops in its tracks the lies that good humans won’t suffer. It strips away any surety that our right actions and beliefs will bring the results we want. I spent my formative Christian years in Evangelicalism. This world hands out books of God’s promises: Bible verses, yanked from context, that suggest God is in the business of answering prayers and meeting my “needs” and desires. This world swims in proof-texts and contentions that God always answer prayers. Although to get... Read more

2017-03-22T07:14:21-05:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Help! Did God really want that child to die? Why didn’t God heal her?

Last updated on: March 22, 2017 at 7:14 am By Christy Thomas

We who call ourselves followers of Jesus carry the expectations that we will also heal, bring good news to the poor, offer release to the captives, give recovery of sight to the blind, and free the oppressed. Dear Thoughtful Pastor: Last week, a Bible literalist church pastor was arrested in the death of his 2-year-old grandchild. The parents, members of the church, refused any medical intervention and she died of pneumonia. Antibiotics would have easily cured her. Why refuse... Read more

2017-03-21T07:22:08-05:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Liars, lies, webs of lies, and more lies: time for truth

Last updated on: March 21, 2017 at 7:22 am By Christy Thomas

“Our president is a liar, and we need to find out how serious his latest lies are.” ~David Leonhardt, NYT I’m old enough to remember well when Richard Nixon went down. At that point, I thought all Democrats were of the devil and was sure God was on Nixon’s side and that Nixon would prove to be right. I was wrong. He resigned, rightly, in deep disgrace. I’m old enough to remember Bill Clinton’s lies about his sexual activities. I... Read more

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