Christian Progressives - a fair portrayal?

[dmallind]

Quote from Pew survey:

http://pewforum.org/Politics-and-Elections/Many-Americans-Uneasy-with-Mix-of-Religion-and-Politics.aspx

Christian Progressives: Democratic, Not Very Liberal
The survey finds that about a third of all Christians (32%) identify themselves as "liberal" or "progressive" Christians. By comparison, only a somewhat higher percentage (38%) describe themselves as "born again" or evangelical Christians.

However, these characterizations overlap for many people and are far from being mutually exclusive. For example, more than a third of evangelicals (36%) also describe themselves as liberal or progressive Christians.

On many matters of politics and policy, the views of progressive Christians are not much more liberal than those of the general public. But their attitudes contrast sharply with Christians who do not describe themselves as liberal or progressive. For example, about half of progressive Christians (52%) oppose gay marriage, compared with 56% of all Americans, and 66% of non-progressive Christians.

However, there are smaller differences between progressive and non-progressive Christians in core religious beliefs. A third of progressives say the Bible is the actual word of God and is to be taken literally; among non-progressive Christians, 43% say the Bible is the literal word of God.

Generally, progressive Christians tend to be more moderate than left-of-center politically. Slightly more than one-in-four (27%) report they are politically liberal. Just as many (26%) say they are politically conservative while 45% characterize themselves as moderates. But more than four-in-ten (44%) identify themselves as Democrats, compared with 33% of the public and 29% of non-progressive Christians

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This is a bit of a two edged sword. To include a large number of Christians among progressive believers, we have to stretch progressive as a label much furtyher than I go myself - and I'm certainly not on the most progressive wing among DUers. But to instead say, quite honestly, that many Christians are genuine DU stle progressives, we might have to accept their ratio to the overall population of Christians is smaller than we all hope - either from pride in the liberalism of Christianity or fear of the reactionary political power of its RW counterpart. It does neither believer nor nonbeliever on DU any favors if very few Christians are genuine liberals.

[Dawson Leery]

1. This is from 2006.

In five years, things have changed more than one might expect. Half now support gay marriage and legalization of marijuana.
2 out of 3 believe that the US is not a theocratic state.

[dmallind]

2. Oh I wish core religious beliefs changed that fast. By 2020 the country would be entirely secular

I'm not rhat optimistic. Social policy is one thing (and btw half of committed Christians certainly don't support gay marriage), the applicability of scripture is more of a core tenet.

[xfundy]

3. But!

They aren't REAL Christians!

[rug]

4. You'd have to do the same for atheists.

Atheists are not necessarily progressive.

[dmallind]

6. Oh I certainly agree

I lack Pew's resources, and atheists lack the political and social importance of Christians, but I'd like to see the results. My very subjective experience would indicate a substantial Democratic bias, with pockets of Libertarian RWers, but that's as far as I can go.

[rug]

8. That's about the impression I have too.

[Kurmudgeon]

5. Just like any group, you've got many divisions and extremes within.

[dmallind]

7. Agreed, but here I am looking at info on one group - progressive Christians.

They are already a smaller group than DU believers like to imply, and if we must then see that they are not really in large part progressive politically, that means we must be even more concerned with the political hegemony of Xianity, since even its progressives are questionably progressive.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

9. There are two aspects to liberalism/progressivism

The political/economic aspect and the social/behavioral aspect.

For example, the Mennonites are pacifists and believers in charitable action, which has led them to be extremely skeptical of U.S. foreign policy, which has led them to an overall leftist view of political/economic matters. They were leaders in the nuclear freeze movement and the movement against U.S. intervention in Central America.

However, they are also social/behavioral conservatives and mostly hold rather retro views on gay rights.

Jim Wallis comes out of the Mennonite tradition.

In that sense, they are the mirror image of the Libertarians, who are political/economic conservatives (no government functions except the police, the military, and the courts, and as few taxes as possible) and social/behavioral liberals (anything you want to do is fine as long as you don't harm anyone else).

I'd say that the liberal wings of denominations such as the Episcopal Church, the LCA Lutherans, the UCCs, and the United Methodists would be liberal/progressive in both aspects.

The Unitarians are pretty consistently all-around liberal, but they don't consider themselves Christians, for the most part.

[rrneck]

10. Sometimes the big tent gets a little drafty. nt

[trotsky]

11. Liberal Christians are a minority.

Always have been. Perhaps they always will be. Problem is, none of them want to acknowledge reality - it's too painful and a direct strike to the heart of their faith.

[ButterflyBlood]

12. I'm encouraged by those evangelical numbers

I don't consider myself an evangelical, but I am going to an evangelical church now. It is most certainly NOT what everyone associates most evangelicals with and is full of great progressive people. I think a lot are like me, they're not from an evangelical background and don't really agree with evangelical theology, but found the churches of their upbringing too staid and ritual-driven.

It's a charismatic church too. I wish people would also realize that not all charismatics are like the Jesus Camp people or Benny Hinn type charlatans. We're just people who enjoy a more spirited worship and having a good time, not too dissimilar to people who like to rock out at concerts.