By The Crazy Scotsman, and colleagues, in honor of April Fools 2015<\/p>\n
Here are some of the favorite phrases and terms and ideas often embraced by Christians who deny many of the essential elements of their own religion. \u00a0When you hear these ideas and phrases emanating from a church website or spoken from the pulpit, it\u2019s best to go elsewhere.<\/em><\/p>\n Disclaimer 1: This was a collaborative effort and the end result is a bit of a mishmash. \u00a0Some of these words contain a real effort to define and encapsulate a concept for benefit of readers (that would be that old softie, Br James). \u00a0Others are humorous \/ tongue-in-cheek definitions to merely highlight that a word is a \u201cshibboleth\u201d, to help you identify a left wing speaker or church based on what they say.<\/em><\/p>\n Disclaimer 2: Some of these items have a political bent because to a great extent politics is religion to the progressive Christian. \u00a0That said, we at this site do not formally endorse any economic system or political party, as allegiance to Christ should overwhelm and transcend these things.<\/em><\/p>\n Glossary of Useful Terms<\/strong><\/p>\n Acceptance-1<\/strong> (spoken of ourselves) Acceptance-2<\/strong> (spoken of God) Affirming<\/strong> Affirming Catholicism<\/strong> Authentic faith<\/strong> Celtic Christianity<\/strong> Centering prayer \/ contemplative prayer \/ Breath prayer<\/strong> Centering Prayer is a receptive method of silent prayer that prepares us to receive the gift of contemplative prayer, prayer in which we experience God\u2019s presence within us, closer than breathing, closer than thinking, closer than consciousness itself. This method of prayer is both a relationship with God and a discipline to foster that relationship.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n More detail can be found at the website.<\/p>\n Compassionate<\/strong> \u201cConsider the diverse center<\/strong>\u201d (I credit this website for this one: An Episcobabble Dictionary<\/a>.) Contemplative<\/strong> See also \u201ccentering prayer\u201d, \u201clectio divina\u201d, \u201clabyrinth\u201d<\/p>\n Context<\/strong> Conversation<\/strong> Creator-Redeemer-Sustainer<\/strong> (in place of Father-Son-Holy Spirit) Demythologize<\/strong> Deconstructionism<\/strong> Dialogue<\/strong> (used as a verb) Diversity<\/strong> Divinity \/ the Divine<\/strong> As a corollary to this, beware of the \u201cdivine\u201d label being applied to places or people or things that are not God. \u00a0I just ran across this tasty morsel from a seminary grad: \u201cMy experience has shown me that when I am willing to consistently hold a space for others to grow into their full potential, they do. It is the witnessing as a loving presence which brings forth Divine potential and makes the Divine visible in the world\u2026in choosing to live from this place I am choosing to see all relationships\u2026.human, animal, botanical as expressions of the Divine.\u201d\u00a0(To be fair this is a from an interfaith seminary, and the woman is probably perfectly nice. Due to my soft spot for students I will avoid naming names here, but you can undoubtedly find this sermon if you search on Google).<\/p>\n Easter Faith<\/strong> Emerging \/ Emergent Church<\/strong> Encountering the \u201cRisen Christ\u201d<\/strong> Exclusive \/ Exclusivity<\/strong><\/p>\n 1. \u00a0This is when those nasty bigoted traditionalists say that Jesus is the only way.<\/p>\n 2. When traditionalists advocate silly ideas like obeying the laws of God, and don\u2019t embrace all forms of sexual sin as virtuous and good. \u00a0This is also called \u201chating\u201d and \u201churting\u201d.<\/p>\n Experiential<\/strong> Faith journey<\/strong> (I credit this website for this one: An Episcobabble Dictionary<\/a>. )<\/p>\n Full inclusion \/ inclusive<\/strong> Fundamentalists<\/strong>: God<\/strong> Historical Jesus<\/strong> Holy Spirit doing a \u201cnew thing\u201d<\/strong> Hunger<\/strong> Judgmental<\/strong> Justice \/ social justice<\/strong> Labyrinth<\/strong> Lectio Divina<\/strong> Lectio Divina, literally meaning \u201cdivine reading,\u201d is an ancient practice of praying the Scriptures. During Lectio Divina, the practitioner listens to the text of the Bible with the \u201cear of the heart,\u201d as if he or she is in conversation with God, and God is suggesting the topics for discussion. The method of Lectio Divina includes moments of reading (lectio), reflecting on (meditatio), responding to (oratio) and resting in (contemplatio) the Word of God with the aim of nourishing and deepening one\u2019s relationship with the Divine.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Liberation<\/strong> \u201cThis web site presents Liberation Theology\/Theologies as efforts to think clearly about the meaning of religious faith in the context of oppression, war, poverty, inequality and environmental destruction, and the effort to live a compassionate, courageous and life-sustaining response to those conditions.\u201d<\/p>\n Live into your calling<\/strong> \u201cWe believe that the life-journey of each person involves living into the fullness of our God-created selves. We want to help spiritual seekers grow as the persons God created us to be.\u201d<\/p>\n Mystery<\/strong> Nursery \/ Childcare<\/strong> Oppressed<\/strong> Paradox<\/strong> Peace<\/strong> Poverty<\/strong> Pluriform Truth<\/strong> Post-Christian culture<\/strong>: Postmodern<\/strong> Progressive<\/strong> What does \u201cprogressive Christianity\u201d mean? Well here is what \u201cthey\u201d say it means; I post \u00a0for your edification a summary of \u201c8 points\u201d from the website ProgressiveChristianity.org<\/a>:<\/p>\n 1. \u00a0Believe that following the path and teachings of Jesus can lead to an awareness and experience of the Sacred and the Oneness and Unity of all life; Prophetic<\/strong> Radical<\/strong> Rainbow flag \/ banner \/ stole \/ hat \/ sign<\/strong> \u201cA rainbow flag was designed by Gilbert Baker in 1978 as a symbol for the Gay Pride movement in San Francisco. The rainbow flag and symbols derived from it rapidly spread to other parts of the country, and by the mid 80s the rainbow symbol was internationally recognized as a symbol for the gay community. When gay, lesbian or transgendered people see a rainbow stripe on a church sign, they know that particular church will provide them a safe place for worship. Such symbolism in nothing new for Christian churches. In the first centuries after Christ, when Christians themselves were heavily persecuted, the fish symbol was used to mark houses where Christians could worship God in safety.\u201d (From this <\/a>site).<\/p>\n Relational<\/strong> Well, here is an example of usage:\u00a0\u201cGod has made us to be relational people, to be in community and in relationship with each other,\u201d she said. \u201cWe worship, we pray, we celebrate and we grieve together in community, in relationship with other people.\u201d(http:\/\/www.episcopalchurch.org\/library\/article\/episcopal-youth-get-fired-faith-and-mission<\/a>)<\/p>\n Sacred Space<\/strong> Spiritual formation<\/strong> Sustainability<\/strong> Thinking Christians<\/strong> Thinking clearly about<\/strong> [insert doctrine or Christian idea here]
\nBeing open to all views (except the orthodox Christian ones).<\/p>\n
\nThere is no \u201csin\u201d in the old judgmental sense; God actually approves of everything we do, or he wouldn\u2019t have made us this way.\u00a0(I credit the following source for this one: An Episcobabble Dictionary<\/a>.)<\/p>\n
\nSee \u201cwelcoming\u201d<\/p>\n
\nProgressive theology, dressed up with bells, holy water, and clouds of incense. \u00a0Note that this is only applicable in the Anglican milieu; outside of that we call this sort of thing the \u201cemergent church\u201d.<\/p>\n
\nSee \u201cEmergent Church\u201d. \u00a0\u201cAuthentic\u201d also can mean \u201chip\u201d or \u201clike us\u201d.<\/p>\n
\nPostmodern Christians love this stuff the way New Age hippies do. \u00a0It\u2019s all about a romanticized Ireland, sacred objects, a sense of the ancient, jewelry, prayer beads, and contemplative spirituality. \u00a0Also there is the sense of an earthier and \u2013this is key\u2013 less dogmatic faith.<\/p>\n
\nThis is one of the \u201ccontemplative\u201d practices popular in postmodern Christianity. \u00a0It involves emptying the mind, and repetition of a sacred word. From Contemplative Outreach<\/a>.<\/p>\n
\nA self congratulatory term by progressives, used in stark contrast to anyone who sits to their right on social or economic issues.<\/p>\n
\npaying attention to everyone but orthodox Christians.<\/p>\n
\nA big fad within postmodern and liberal churches, seeking to reclaim ancient meditative practices such as \u201ccentering prayer\u201d, and walking labyrinths. \u00a0A euphemism for this is \u201cspiritual formation.\u201d \u00a0It looks \u201cbackward\u201d to ancient mysticism (the \u201cDesert Fathers\u201d, labyrinths), and also \u201cEastward\u201d to forms of Buddhism and Hinduism. \u00a0And perhaps it may also be the Christian echo of the \u201cmindfulness\u201d fad and hunger for New Age spirituality that is out there in secular culture. There is clearly room for some of the contemplative in Christian experience, but it can also be a mark of a church that is losing its grip on truth.<\/p>\n
\nAn interpretive framework that negates the traditional Christian Faith. \u00a0For example, a phrase like \u201cliving out one\u2019s faith in the context of oppression\u201d means that Jesus would want you to be socialist or communist.<\/p>\n
\nSee \u201cdialogue\u201d. The conversation goes on until the progressive viewpoint wins, then it\u2019s over.<\/p>\n
\nFeminist theology seeks to replace the masculine wherever it is found. \u00a0There are good and bad reasons for this\u2013certainly God is beyond gender. \u00a0Suffice it to say, though, that this is one of the marks of a progressive church.<\/p>\n
\nModern liberal theologians have helpfully decided to strip away the so called \u201cmythical elements\u201d of Christianity, leaving us with basically \u201cJesus was a nice guy.\u201d<\/p>\n
\nThe death of objective truth, a feature of postmodernism. \u00a0The deconstructionist approach to literature owes much to the writings of one Jacque Derrida, who said stuff like this: \u201cTherefore we will not listen to the source itself in order to learn what it is or what it means, but rather to the turns of speech, the allegories, figures, metaphors, as you will, into which the source has deviated, in order to lose it or rediscover it\u2014which always amounts to the same\u201d (Derrida, (1982) The Margins of Philosophy<\/em>, Chicago: Univ of Chicago Press: p 283). \u00a0Unfortunately, in the hands of postmodernity, the Bible is handled a la Derrida. \u00a0(Liberal \u201cmodern\u201d scholars weren\u2019t any nicer, to be sure)<\/p>\n
\nSee \u201cconversation.\u201d \u00a0To aim an obnoxious monologue toward traditionalists, until they capitulate on whatever is the issue at hand.<\/p>\n
\nIf you are a progressive, \u201cDiverse\u201d is the new \u201cGodly\u201d. \u00a0If this word is heavily sprinkled throughout a website, the church is probably leaning far to the left. \u00a0Ironically, the chances are good that they are probably not all that diverse: Mostly white Baby Boomers, former hippies, now reasonably wealthy, who voted Green Party when it was fashionable to do so.<\/p>\n
\nNow these are real words that have real meaning to Christians. \u00a0However, excessive use of \u201cthe divine\u201d as a euphemism for God might indicate someone who is allergic to the word (and concept) \u201cGod\u201d, and you should rightly develop your own allergy to such a speaker.<\/p>\n
\nA term loaned us by Rudolph Bultmann and modern liberal theologians. The miracle of Easter isn\u2019t what happened to Jesus\u2019 body, which of course stayed dead, but rather the faith of the early church, in whom Jesus rose again figuratively as a lovely idea.<\/p>\n
\nThis is an amorphous entity that is difficult to define (by intention). \u00a0One could caricature them as evangelicals who like candles and incense and old traditions (count me in on that one), but play a bit loose with truth and doctrine. Experience and relationships trump other sources of information. \u00a0\u201cAuthentic\u201d means that we embrace uncertainty and \u201cmystery\u201d. Truth is morphed into \u201cnarrative\u201d or \u201clife journey\u201d or \u201cstory\u201d emerging from the \u201cexperiential\u201d. \u00a0Is this Christianity reaching out to a postmodern world in terms it understands or is this a bad idea infecting and taking down churches? \u00a0Or a bit of both? \u00a0There is debate on this. \u00a0If you are picking a heresy, this may a bit better than old fashioned modernist theology. \u00a0Still, be wary.<\/p>\n
\nIn lefty-speak, when we think nice thoughts about Jesus at Easter or during a Sunday communion, then he rises from the dead in your heart. An actual resurrection is, of course, laughable, icky, or both.<\/p>\n
\nLearning by experience. \u00a0The main basis of belief for lefties, since there is no truth (postmoderns) or there is truth, but the bible is not it (modern)<\/p>\n
\nIf it feels good, do it.<\/p>\n
\nFrom a United Church of Christ oriented website: \u201cTo be an Open and Affirming congregation, we must explicitly state and demonstrate that we welcome, not just tolerate, but welcome the participation of all people into the life of our church. In particular, we need to be clear that welcoming all people includes those with different sexual orientations and gender identities, that is gay men, lesbian women, bisexual people and those who are transgendered.\u201d (online here<\/a>). \u00a0This is a fairly bland and demure sounding definition that probably would not be far from reality even in traditional churches. \u00a0However, this should be seen as code for a church that has fully succumbed to leftist theology.<\/p>\n
\nJust about the only people who use this term are leftists\u2013generally this means anyone to their theological right.<\/p>\n
\nFrom the mouth of one of the horses: \u201c\u2018God\u2019 is a human symbol that allows us to speak of everything that is too big, too deep and too strange for our ordinary understanding\u201d.\u00a0(Dr. Jim Rigby, Presbyterian pastor, in an interview<\/a>).<\/p>\n
\nA new age guru, a prophet (who predicted nothing true but tells us to love each other), a radical communist, or a black activist, depending on who is speaking.<\/p>\n
\nPromoting a non Christian idea or practice as if God is behind it.<\/p>\n
\nA condition that would not exist if only communism could be tried again\u2013let\u2019s not ask any old Ukranians or Chinese about this, though.<\/p>\n
\nBelieving in moral standards.<\/p>\n
\nThe \u201cSupremum bonum\u201d or highest good of Christianity. \u00a0This means embracing tenets of communism, radical feminism and whatever the LBGT lobby tells you to.<\/p>\n
\nSymbolic pilgrimage in which a handful of geriatric ladies wearing wood crosses totter around a maze while emptying their minds in order to encounter The Sacred.<\/p>\n
\nOne of the \u201ccontemplative\u201d practices popular in postmodern churches. \u00a0Here is a definition from Contemplative Outreach<\/a>.<\/p>\n
\nLeft wing Christianity IS left wing politics. \u00a0They love the ideas and lingo of the Castros and Che Guevara. \u00a0The denominational seats of power of the \u201cMainline Churches\u201d are basically a bastion of leftist political agitation (albeit of a milquetoast variety). \u00a0Anyway, here is a definition from liberationtheology.org<\/a>:<\/p>\n
\nThis is an exercise in nice sounding gibberish. \u00a0Here\u2019s a similar phrasing from a Methodist church website<\/a><\/p>\n
\nThis is a favorite word of post modern Christians. Since there are no answers, they will instead celebrate the questions, and call it \u201cMystery.\u201d<\/p>\n
\nYou won\u2019t find this in many progressive churches because the Baby Boomers are done procreating (well, mostly).<\/p>\n
\nDepending on context this either means gay people or Palestinians living under the Evil Empire known Israel.<\/p>\n
\nHolding logically incompatible views in tension; in other words, nonsense. \u00a0Nonetheless this is elevated to high heights by postmodernism.<\/p>\n
\nSomething we should strive for\u2013in leftist parlance this is what occurs when the communist \/ socialist faction of an institution or state finally has enough power to begin the purges.<\/p>\n
\nIn progressive Christianity, hunger and poverty must be the focus of all sermons that aren\u2019t about gay issues or the environment. \u00a0Poverty can be thought of as a condition that exists in the world because of Americans that don\u2019t recycle and the machinations of rich evil capitalists. \u00a0See also the related touchstones of \u201chunger\u201d and \u201coppression\u201d<\/p>\n
\nIslam, Sufism, Hinduism, Druidism, Paganism, etc., which are really just like Christianity if you think about it long enough. (Credit to\u00a0this website: An Episcobabble Dictionary<\/a>. )<\/p>\n
\nThis is used often not just as a description of reality, which must be admitted to be the case in Europe, and increasingly in the U.S., but more as a shrug-off excuse for why the church is so empty. This is easier than asking whether their eviscerated version of the Christian message is worth rolling out of bed for on Sunday morning.<\/p>\n
\nSee Emerging Church. \u00a0The Postmodern has apparently replaced the Modern, with its silly enlightenment-era belief in truth that exists and can be attained through rationality. \u00a0Postmodern theology is (roughly speaking) all questions and no answers. \u00a0Now you have no absolute truth, merely narratives or stories. \u00a0I recall the old Saturday Night Live skit, \u201cDeep Thoughts\u201d (I didn\u2019t bother to try to find the exact wording; so I\u2019m paraphrasing here from memory): \u201cinstead of questions on the math exam, we should call them impressions. If your impression differs from mine, so what; can\u2019t we all be brothers?\u201d<\/p>\n
\nWell, this is a label that leftists generally like, so I use it out of respect for them. \u00a0It contains the word \u201cprogress\u201d, thereby implying that they know better than those who came before, and anyone to their right can naturally be thought to be inferior, or \u201cregressive\u201d (see also \u201cfundamentalist\u201d and \u201cthinking Christians\u201d). \u00a0This is a bit of a misnomer, since the main \u201cprogress\u201d is actually backwards\u2013to the intellectual equivalent of love beads and hippies, to universalism, to a variety of heresies squelched in the early centuries of Christianity, and toward self destruction and oblivion. \u00a0If you see a beautiful old church now serving as a mosque, bar, or condominium complex, chances are it probably didn\u2019t fail for lack of progressive theology. \u00a0Some think of progressive theology as a \u201cbreath of fresh air\u201d, but most Christians (and non-Christian seekers) will recognize instead the stale unpleasant stench of death.<\/p>\n
\n2. \u00a0Affirm that the teachings of Jesus provide but one of many ways to experience the Sacredness and Oneness of life, and that we can draw from diverse sources of wisdom in our spiritual journey;
\n3. \u00a0Seek 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 sexual orientations and gender identities, Those of all classes and abilities;
\n4. \u00a0Know that the way we behave towards one another is the fullest expression of what we believe;
\n5. \u00a0Find grace in the search for understanding and believe there is more value in questioning than in absolutes;
\n6. \u00a0Strive for peace and justice among all people;
\n7. \u00a0Strive to protect and restore the integrity of our Earth;
\n8. \u00a0Commit to a path of life-long learning, compassion, and selfless love.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
\nIn leftist parlance this is code for agitating for tossing out Bible and tradition.<\/p>\n
\nJesus is always described as radical, and he would want you to be a socialist and gay activist.<\/p>\n
\nYou can accept this as code for a church that espouses progressive theology.<\/p>\n
\nRelational theology is at home in the \u201cpostmodern\u201d approach to Christianity (an example would be Brian McLaren and the \u201cEmerging church\u201d movement). \u00a0Now on the surface, being \u201crelational\u201d is a fine sounding idea. \u00a0Christians should be about relationship.<\/p>\n
\nThe word \u201csacred\u201d means \u201choly\u201d or \u201cset apart\u201d, and is a real Christian word, but watch out if it seems overused or misused. \u00a0Our friends, the progressives, love to gas about \u201csacred space\u201d or \u201csacred time\u201d, but often this is more about glorifying a yoga mat or a maze (see \u201cCeltic\u201d spirituality elsewhere). \u00a0Also, it seems easier for them to use \u201cthe sacred\u201d and \u201cthe divine\u201d as substitute words for \u201cGod\u201d or \u201cJesus\u201d, to which they have an aversion. \u00a0Mostly, these guys would not recognize the sacred if it bit them in the arse.<\/p>\n
\nSee \u201ccontemplative\u201d. \u00a0Note that this isn\u2019t the same thing as \u201cChristian formation\u201d which is another name for Sunday school.<\/p>\n
\nSomething about \u2013uh\u2013actually I don\u2019t think anyone really knows what this word means but it is popular on the Left, and a lot of good feeling is projected on it. \u00a0It is therefore another shibboleth, an identifying Mark to help you identify the progressive church. \u00a0So beware if you see it being used a lot in sermons or websites.<\/p>\n
\nThis of course is a synonym for \u201cprogressive\u201d. \u00a0Anyone to the right of the person or group claiming this title is naturally a \u201cnon-thinking Christian\u201d (see also \u201cfundamentalist\u201d).<\/p>\n
\nThis means coming around to the non Christian point of view.<\/p>\n