Finding a Community Where Everyone Agrees?!?

I grew up in a church environment where you were allowed to disagree with certain theological ideas, but then there were the "untouchables." For instance:

  • Only Christians make it to Heaven
  • Jesus is God
  • Homosexuals are sinning
  • Other religions are evil
  • Sex before marriage is a sin
  • Anyone who isn't saved goes to hell
  • The Bible is the inerrant word of God
I could go on, but you get the point. As I moved beyond this way of thinking, I wanted to find a new community who agreed with my newfound progressive theology. Some being:
  • The evangelical view of hell isn't real
  • The Bible has errors and is not meant to be taken so literally
  • Other religions are beautiful 
  • LGBTQ rights
When I began adopting these new values, I really struggled with anyone who believed differently. Basically, I had left one form of fundamentalism and jumped into another...from Evangelical Fundamentalism to Progressive Fundamentalism. Gosh, we see this garbage ALL THE TIME in our current political climate. It makes me sick. 

Now, what I really desire is NOT a community of people who all agree on certain theological matters, but rather a community who accepts and values the differing opinions of others. This was the type of environment that the Jewish faith fostered and still does, and same with the early Christian church. I'm not sure when this all was lost, but it is teaching people to no longer think for themselves...and that is both sad and scary. Is your community one where you feel free to challenge others' ideas without being shut down? If so, you have found a great place to grow. 

Comments

Popular Posts