Should Liberal Christians Leave Organized Religion?

[spiritually inclined]

What will distinguish a 'community-based' faith from 'organized religion?'

Most community-based faiths do occur within organized religions. Yet I am thinking of a faith that is based on the community rather than controlling beliefs.

James

[lunamoth]

Originally Posted by spiritually inclined

Most community-based faiths do occur within organized religions. Yet I am thinking of a faith that is based on the community rather than controlling beliefs.

James

I know. I'm wondering how the community you have in mind will be different. Compare to the church you are in now.

I don't feel like there are a lot of 'controlling beliefs' associated with my religion. I'm curious about how you see it.

[spiritually inclined]

I don't feel like there are a lot of 'controlling beliefs' associated with my religion. I'm curious about how you see it.

I also feel comfortable in the Episcopal Church, yet sometimes taking a look at the state of the church is discouraging and makes me wonder how long certain issues are going to be fought out.

James

[Terrywoodenpic]

What is meant by "A community based faith"?

Do you mean every community has its own faith that is separate from every other.?

Most churches are Ground up organisations.... They elect their own post holders and send delegates upwards eventually electing their churches leaders. Those that have some form of government elect members of synod, which in turn decide matters common to all their churches.

The Anglicans have three houses in the Synod. The people, the clergy and the bishops. To change anything requires a 2/3ds majority In every house. That is a harder test than in any civil Government and it is "ground up"

[logician]

Originally Posted by d3vaLL

Is it not then, similar to a social club in its primary function? (honest question, not being smug)

Bingo.

[gnomon]

Originally Posted by spiritually inclined

Is there any point in hoping for a reformation of Christianity? Should progressive Christians who approach religion from a metaphorical, community-oriented point of view just give up on organized religion? Is there any point in organized religion?

James

When an animist or shaman in some tribe, current day, goes through the function of his religious beliefs and the people of that tribe partake of the rituals.....it's organized religion. Buddhism is an organized religion.

All religions are essentially organized religions. To state otherwise is either an equivocation or a strawman.

Sorry for ranting but this bit of wannabe neo-liberalistic fantasized nonsense against the big boogie man of "organized religion" needs to desist. In a literary and argumentative function it is useless. Usually only used to open the door so people can say there "spiritual but not religious" nonsense.

[Dunemeister]

I've often asked this question. The big questions are "What is a Christian," "What is the church," and "What does it mean to belong to a church?" The (extreme) liberal answers to these questions seem to suggest that a Christian is anyone who lays claim to the label regardless of beliefs such that the notion of an atheistic Christian makes sense, the church is a volunteer group of likeminded individuals who advocate for various liberal causes, and belonging to a church is simply a matter of "being on the rolls."

However, the church, in reality and at its most faithful to the gospel, isn't anything like that. So the more liberal you are (not to mention the more conservative), the less likely you are to feel comfortable in a church. Thus liberally minded individuals tend to drop out, and the conservatively minded tend to break away and form new churches (which is actually just another form of liberalism -- ecclesiological liberalism).

[doppelgänger]

Liberal Christians generally have the luxury to socializing with whoever will have them. We can do whatever the hell we feel like doing . . . if that's hanging out in a "traditional" religious setting and saying the creeds and singing the hymns as one draws personal meaning from them . . . great. If it means debating, discussing and learning with atheists, Buddhists, Pagans, and all around blackguards, like YmirGF or Uncle Phil, then that's also fine . . .

That's the beauty of liberal Christianity. Everybody is included - even those who find us repugnant, heretical, dangerous or misguided.

It's all good, Baby!