When people usually think about the mixing of religion and politics, they jump to the idea of the Christian Right, which is one of the most vocal religious groups (if you can call it a group) involved in politics. They also have a huge outreach. For instance, Focus on the Family in Colorado Springs sends out ten monthly magazines to a combined 2.3 million subscribers. James Dobson, the founder of the organization maintains several other organizations as well that had a combined revenue of $162 million in 2005.
Who would think, then, that there was a religious left, then, with this strong influence of the religious right? Robert P. Jones looked into the phenomenon of religious organizations actually leaning to the left, or simply working towards progress. He outlines many of these organizations, and the religions they belong to, in his book Progressive and Religious.
In this book, he recounts his interviews with many religious leaders that are working towards progress. He recounts how many of them have had issues with the left's insistence that religion be left behind or be kept hidden as the reason of participating in progress. He explains how each of the major religious traditions (Christianity, Judaism, Islam, and Buddhism) looks at social progress on the large scale, often because of their religious teachings. After all, he says, Martin Luther King, Jr "was first of all Rev. King, a Baptist minister who skillfully wove biblical lines about "justice rolling down like waters" and "righteousness as a mighty stream" into a new American dream that moved huge segments of our nation to action."
It is certainly an interesting book to read. I know I learned to see many of the similarities between the religious because of their mutual desire to better the world. It also shows how many religious individuals are getting involved in politics because of this desire.
However, the way the book is set up makes it rather difficult to read through quickly. Jones jumps around from interview to interview, offering a small bit of dry commentary between. While its fairly easy to get the basic idea of the test while skimming through it, it is also very easy for your mind to wander while reading it (at least, it was for me). The writing is not very engaging, and only interest in the various religions kept me reading the book.
I give it 3.5 of 5 stars.
Written by Chelle
Progressive & Religious
http://www.wowzone.com/monkey.htm
What does that look like? Personally I think that the only time religion is progressive is when people use it to show "Love" to others, to minister to the poor and hungry, to give shelter to those in need, etc.
It becomes regressive when it tries to impose itself on others and to even harm others who don't share in it.
I don't have a religion, but I believe in God, and I love my world, and my species. Without a specific belief system, I can look at all religions and find truth and beauty in them for myself. None really seems to stand out in it's teachings of what humans should do.
The only source of confusion is the question of which name people use for God, what language they choose to say it in, and what is the criteria for salvation. The differences in the criteria for salvation have to with a proclaimed loyalty to a specific book or a specific human. BUT THE TEACHINGS ARE THE SAME!
Look people, there couldn't only be one prophet for the whole planet, born in one place and time, that would actually reach the hearts of all humans in the whole world. So God put more prophets, people who spoke different languages to be born in different places so the message of love and peace could expand. Hating another religion's prophet is blasphemy, in my book.
I just don't get it. I certainly don't get how people think they are honoring God by harming and oppressing people.
"Consistency is not a human trait" - Maude, from Harold and Maude
THE TEACHINGS ARE THE SAME!
AMEN
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"I certainly don't get how people think they are honoring God by harming and oppressing people."
Seems to go along with the idea that one church/faith/belief/lack-of-belief is superior to all of the others.
"The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends upon the unreasonable man."
- George Bernard Shaw