Resourcing Progressive Christians

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Hocus Pocus Resurrection

By Jennifer Schwarz | March 1, 2013 | 3 Comments

Robin Meyers believes that the resuscitation of Jesus’ body is less important than the idea of resurrection as a credible and meaningful principle for living: “Resurrection is not about ‘beam me up, Scotty!’ It’s not about molecules disappearing and then reappearing. All that is hocus pocus. We don’t believe in Santa Claus anymore. We don’t believe in the…

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Jesus never heard of “Original Sin”

By Jennifer Schwarz | February 18, 2013 | 4 Comments

Not only is Original Sin NOT in the Bible, Elie Wiesel says that Original Sin is alien to Jewish thinking (and therefore alien to Jesus’ way of thinking). Let’s ditch the whole thing, shall we? Matthew Fox says, “Jesus never heard of ‘Original Sin’.” The term wasn’t even used until the 4th century, so it’s…

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A Christianity That’s Not Stuck

By Jennifer Schwarz | January 24, 2013 | 1 Comment

  Stephen Patterson thinks that Progressive Christianity is about “being willing to think critically about one’s faith and about the traditions of one’s faith and the resources like the Bible — to think critically about these things and not simply assume that it all has to make sense. Progressive Christianity means you’re free to explore and…

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Violence is our God. Hallowed be its name.

By Jennifer Schwarz | January 11, 2013 | 2 Comments

We spank children to teach them not to hit one another.  We sanction the killing of killers as a deterrent against killing. We advocate the arming of citizens to promote personal safety. Is it any wonder that people are being deluded into complying with a system that allies them with violence, not compassion; with death,…

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Another Version of Virgin…

By Jennifer Schwarz | December 11, 2012 | 9 Comments

With Pope Benedict’s recent release of a book reflecting on the Nativity, the historicity of the Virgin Birth is yet again back in the news. It seems that Benedict is more concerned that barnyard animals are inaccurately included in most traditional Nativity scenes than the fact that insistence on a literal virgin birth is one…

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Marcus Borg on Systemic Injustice

By Jennifer Schwarz | November 6, 2012 | 2 Comments

Systemic justice is a result-oriented justice Marcus Borg contends that Jesus has something to say about the way we organize ourselves in community — that when a society is structured to serve the self-interests of the wealthy and powerful it is not a just society. “If you have a society in which 1% of the…

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Jesus is Coming. Look Busy!

By Jennifer Schwarz | May 20, 2011 | 2 Comments

LtQ2 contributor Rev. Dr. Barbara Rossing speaks for many rational followers of Jesus when she acknowledges that the rapture is nothing but fear-based spiritual abuse. Calling it the “rapture racket,” she points out how the rapture industry preys on desperate people frightened by unscrupulous and misguided teachers.  In Episode 13 of Living the Questions 2, “Debunking…

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Christmas stories big on symbolism. History? Not so much.

By Jennifer Schwarz | December 17, 2010 | 1 Comment

It’s that time of year again. Shoppers are rushing home with their treasures — all to honor the birth of a 1st century Jewish peasant. If most folks even think about anything beyond the gifts and carols, the conventional wisdom is that we’re celebrating the occurrence of actual historical events some 2000 years ago —…

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