A Progressive Vision of the Benedict Option: Part 4, Why Progressive Christians Need the Ben Op
One of the questions I often ask myself about my church, which is reflective of most churches I suspect, is this: What binds us together as a community?
As best I can tell what binds us together is liking. We’re at our church because we like it. Because we like the sermons. Or like the worship. Or like the programs. Or like the bible classes. Or like the people.
We are there–we are a “church,” a gathering–because we like the same things.
.. Lastly, there is also much that could be said about progressive Christians being functional atheists. Many progressive Christians are so crippled by doubts that their Christianity is only vestigial, a religious ornament one hangs on the reigning liberal consensus. And that feeds into statism. When your faith has evaporated and there is no daylight between Christianity and liberalism, the only Messiah left in your life is the state.
.. The dark genius of capitalism is that it leverages our neuroses into productivity.
.. And if we can’t catch up–if our lot is to be one of the failures and losers–we can drown our embarrassment, failures, insecurities and shame in food, drink, medications, and entertainments. If you’re poor it’s nicotine, cheap beer, meth, fast food, video games, porn, Facebook and TV. If you’re more well-to-do you can upgrade many of these to more “sophisticated” pleasures and distractions. You might hate cheap cigarettes, beer and UFC wrestling but you love your cigars, expensive whiskey and golf outings. Either way, it’s all the numbing decadence of empire