e-zine for November 3, 2006
What's your Religion Got to do with Politics?

"Democracy demands that the religiously motivated translate their concerns into universal, rather than religion-specific, values. It requires that their proposals be subject to argument, and amenable to reason." ~Barack Obama

The Courage to be Compassionate
By Ian Lawton

With Americans going to the polls next week, it’s a good time for religious people to consider again how their “faith” informs their public opinions. After all, religion and politics are so intimately related. To paraphrase Gandhi, anyone who thinks religion has nothing to do with politics doesn’t know what religion is.

Religion is concerned with deepening humanity and plumbing the depths of life’s meaning. A person is not religious primarily because they believe in a particular God, or because they have faith in Jesus or Mohammed or any other prophet. A person is religious because they are a person; a living, breathing, thinking, feeling person who exists in a context. We are all religious, no matter what our particular liturgical or theological preferences, because our essence demands a response to the ultimate questions of life. We are religious because at our core we feel a deep pain at the suffering of the world, and want to draw meaning out of pain.

Religious progressives, and political progressives share a common desire to end suffering. We are motivated more by compassion than we are by dogmatics, whether the Heidelberg catechism or the platform of a political party. We are prepared to evolve with the times, hold open ended beliefs and opinions, and respond in each case according to compassion rather than ideological correctness.

Progressive Religion finds its most immediate heritage in two 20th century movements; Liberalism and Liberationism.

As a result of the great wars of the 20th century, liberal theology took a deeply human journey. Theology that searched for meaning in the face of harsh realities would never be the same again. The benevolent, interventionist God died on the battlefields and in the gas chambers. Instead God was resurrected in liberal theology as presence in the midst of suffering and pain. The shackles of dependence on the mythical, father God were broken by the flourishing post war human optimism. Now liberal theology saw God resurrected in the human spirit’s search for hope and meaning.

Paul Tillich was one of the principle war theologians; a naturalist and a socialist. His belief in God as existence itself, as the Ground of Being, grew out of the reality of human suffering. Only a God who dwelt in the midst of suffering, a God who was essence or potential in the midst of the agony of existence, was worth pursuing.

Politically for Tillich, socialism was just a contextual application of his religion; i.e. it was the compassionate response to his experience of oppressive nationalism. It was a manifestation of his essential humanity at the time. In fact, when Tillich moved to America after the war, he shifted his focus from socialism to philosophical questions of meaning and existence.

Humanizing religion urges us to follow the call of our essence. When we hear cries of pain, we respond out of a place of deep awareness and compassion. Choose to be a socialist, a republican, a democrat or anything else. Those labels are incidental. They are significant, but fluid, manifestations of human essence applied in a particular context.

Liberation Theology had quite a different manifestation to the Existentialists like Tillich, but the religious motivation was similar. It was the innocent suffering of poor and oppressed people at the hands of the powerful that motivated the religion of Liberationism. The God who rules from his heaven, died in the poverty stricken barrios of Venezuela and was reborn in every act of defiance and liberation. The manifestation in Central America was local, base communities of resistance. The off shoot manifestations were Black Theologies in American, Feminist Theologies, Third world Theologies and ultimately the most encompassing of all liberation movements, Ecofeminism. Ecofeminism addressed a core structure of injustice that connected the suffering of the earth with the suffering of women, and all oppressed people.

Both the Existentialists and the Liberationists are inspirational for us in our contemporary context. They put suffering and compassion at the heart of any religious reflection. They sent us on the inner journey, in the case of Existentialists, and they sent us on the public journey, in the case of Liberationists. They gave us permission to challenge the status quo, doctrinal in the case of existentialists, and political in the case of Liberationists.

However they are not prescriptive for how we express our compassionate nature. Now we have the opportunity to include their gifts of passion and existential enquiry, and transcend their too narrow definitions of suffering and estrangement. Their limited sense of the cause of suffering had the danger of leading to scarcity theology rather than abundance theology. That is, if God is seen as inhabiting the space of impoverishment in the human spirit then why would a person be motivated to burst forth from that tomb of poverty into an embrace of life that is full of self realization and public action.

This may get to the heart of the distinction between liberal and progressive. Generally speaking, “progressive” is the broader term indicating open-endedness and evolution, while “liberal” indicates the particular modernist trend to historical criticism and reform. Progressive encompasses the liberal break-throughs, but transcends liberal by seeking a revolution that will shatter the very conditions and structures that create suffering, both internally and externally.

Consider for example the socio-political issue of health care. A liberal policy towards prescription drugs would channel taxes to provide medicine to the poor. A progressive policy would address the interrelated issues of price regulation and bulk purchasing, government as well as corporate accountability, in an attempt to bring down the actual price of medicine. Medicine for the poor is good. Lower prices all around are better. In the meantime, let’s seek both.

Consider the religious institutional issue of gender equality. Women have been ordained in most churches for several decades, but generally only to lead male structures and use either male language or language stripped of depth by political correctness. Women’s ordination is good. Institutions where the feminine life force, or “Gaia” awareness, revolutionize the very core of religion are better. In the meantime, let’s seek both.

Whether you are part of the American political landscape, or part of our interconnected global community, this is an appropriate time to reflect again on your religion, your essence as a human being. What does inner abundance look like in your life? How does a deep awareness of both suffering and abundance manifest in your public opinion? How will you respond to the elections and their impact on the globe in a way that reflects your deepest sense of compassion and justice?

In the words of Barack Obama, how will you translate your religious motivation into universal values that benefit all people, especially those who suffer the most?

Citizens Research Council of Michigan Helps Inform Voters

Are you having a hard time sifting through all the political ads to get the facts straight on the numerous Michigan proposals to be voted on next week?

The Citizens Research Council of Michigan can assist you.

For over 90 years, the objective of the Citizens Research Council of Michigan has been to provide factual, unbiased independent information on significant issues concerning state and local government organization and finance. CRC believes that the use of this information by policymakers will lead to sound, rational public policy in Michigan.

Click here for information on Michigan Proposals

A Progressive Meaning of Christmas with Bishop Spong

Christ Community Church welcomes best-selling author and world-renowned speaker, Bishop John Shelby Spong for a weekend workshop on December 9 & 10.

If you are looking for a new way to experience Christmas you will not want to miss Saturday morning's workshop as Bishop Spong leads us in two lectures on the progressive meaning of Christmas beyond the myth.

In the afternoon Ian Lawton will lead us in a spiritual practice using 'Big Mind', an active, participatory, meditation technique perfect for progressive Christians searching for a new way to pray.

Don't Miss this Sunday at C3/CCC; Check Out the Bulletin for a Preview!

This Sunday's gathering is a beautiful expression of Progressive Religion and is sure to have a unique element to inspire all who gather.

The message: Ian Lawton will be preaching on "Social Justice from the Inside Out."

The music: Lisa Chorny and Bob Kleinheksel come together to inspire us with "On the Turning Away" and back by popular demand the Jazz Quartet "Checkers Morton" will be performing.

The community: This Sunday's gathering will feature the welcoming of our new members, and the celebration of baptism of two children.

May the words of this week's baptism inspire us all...

I baptize you, in water to signify your connection to all of life. Above you are stars. Beneath you is the earth. Within you is the light of life. Like the stars may your love be constant. Like the earth may your life be grounded. Like the light may your spirit shine. You are embraced by God; within as self-worth, between as the strength in community, and beyond as the endless possibilities that line your future.

Click here to download this week's bulletin

The Institute for Progressive Christianity Presents 'God 101'

We have one session remaining in our series, 'God 101.' Ian Lawton has been leading us through a study of the ground-breaking theologians of history, and how their contributions have led to an expanding perspective of God.

If you are looking to explore the history of theology, your own concept of God, and how these beliefs impact your daily life, then you will not want to miss our final session!

Please join us this Wednesday evening from 7:30-9:00 p.m. There is a suggested donation of $10. You do not have to have attended the first classes to participate.

If you cannot attend this class stay tuned for information on the DVD package that will be available for sale.

A Time for Thanksgiving at C3/CCC

Over the years, Thanksgiving has been marked by this community as a time to recognize all that we have to be thankful for, and to use that as our motivation to help improve the lives of others in our midst. This year will be taking our commitment to a new level. We will be holding a special Thanksgiving Community Outreach Fair.

This exciting new event will take place on November 12 & 19 following the 9:30 gathering in the Parlour. The fair will highlight non-profits that C3/CCC has traditionally supported with a financial donation taken on Thanksgiving Day. With this year’s approach we are hoping to help foster deep, committed connections between our community and these excellent organizations.

It is our hope that you will take this time as individuals and families to gain knowledge of these worthy causes, sign up to volunteer, and/or make your own financial contributions to the organizations of your choice. Many of these groups look specifically to C3/CCC for support. Your generosity is appreciated.

Some of the organizations that will be featured are:
• Camp Sunshine
• The Little Red House
• The People Center
• Re-Member
• Lakeshore Ethnic Diversity Alliance
• KidsHope
• Camp Bluebird
• ANSWER
• and many more!

This is a great opportunity to get connected to the non-profit organizations that are changing the world. Be sure to attend this fair and invite your friends who may have an interest in supporting some phenomenal non-profits.

Thanksgiving feast
Our fourteenth annual Thanksgiving Feast will be held on Thursday, November 23, from 12:00 - 3:00 p.m. in the Parlour. Many volunteers are needed for this community event. Please see Bob or call the church office for information on how you can get involved.

Thanksgiving non-perishable donations
We will be continuing our tradition of collecting non-perishable items for The People Center, on our Thanksgiving Day Gathering. Your generosity goes to help many people in the Tri-Cities.

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