In the realm of different believers, progressives and fundamentalists are regular churchgoers who vigorously support the Bible. But progressives like to think about their scripture while fundies take it literally.
Progressives are often fundamentalists who’ve broken away (e.g., kids who take faith less seriously than their parents) and they’re open to religious discussion. (You needn’t be afraid of them.) The two also differ when it comes to abiding by church rules. Fundamentalists follow them wholeheartedly, while progressives like to apply a little interpretation. For example, during the Islamic period of Ramadan, strict Muslims view the rule of fasting between sunrise and sunset as just that—even if they live up north where this can last up to 16 hours. Progressives say the law was made for an area closer to the equator so, for them, six to six is close enough.
Christianity, like most religions, is a good moral core surrounded by a number of rules. Each believer then has to decide which they’re willing to accept. Here are some of the rules that progressives have moved away from over the past 50 years.
- not being allowed to go to movies on Sundays
- not being allowed to dance
- not being allowed to consume alcohol
- believing women don’t have the same status as men
- believing only Christians go to heaven
- believing gays and lesbians are not welcome in the church
Today’s progressives are also open to meeting people of other faiths and discussing how God has entered their lives. And they disagree with the notion of supporting only one political party—they’ll vote for whomever they please.
Summary
You can’t keep educating people without expecting them to think. That’s why the future of religion lies with its progressives. This group is different from “lights” in that they believe the Bible is divine and are probably still a little Christian-supremacist, but they’re redefining faith from the inside.
In terms of Christianity, this means separating yourself from the Old Testament. Deists left that one long ago, while fundamentalists still cling to it. Progressives take a middle path where they respect the old covenant but rank it well below the New One. And though this process isn’t always easy, progressives see the lessons in that older document. Same lessons the Jews used to take us to the next level. (And why our cartoon people are saying thank you.)
But today, we need to move on—and religion is changing.