OpenChristian
This is a community for progressive Christians and friends to discuss our faith, support each other, and share inspiration for our spiritual journeys.
We seek God's message of Peace, Love, and Grace through following the Spirit of Christ.
OpenChristian Discord Server: https://discord.com/invite/KwyUcXv
LGBT Discord Server: https://discord.com/invite/e8HXnzV
The God Pod Discord Server: https://discord.gg/N94U374U
Wiki: https://reddit.com/r/OpenChristian/w/index
FAQ: https://reddit.com/r/OpenChristian/w/faq
Online Resources: https://reddit.com/r/OpenChristian/w/onlineresources
The God Podcast: https://www.thegodpodcast.com/
Community Rules
- No bigotry or oppressive rhetoric.
All misogyny, racism, antisemitism, LGBTQ+phobia, etc. will result in removal and a permanent ban. This includes commenting that LGBTQ¢+ love or relationships are sinful. Be aware that using “Pharisee” as a negative slur is considered anti-Semitic.
1b. Side B folks are welcome, but follow Rule 1. If you are a Side B Christian, please respect Rule 1 above, but know that you belong here and we want you to participate.
- Do not promote oppressive/harmful ideology.
This includes all attempts to promote or normalise hate, shame, or fear within Christianity (e.g. purity culture, scaremongering against gender-transitioning, “complementarianism’”, or “demonic” attacks).
- No sectarianism.
Legitimate criticism of other Christians/ faiths is allowed but refrain from prejudice against entire denominations/groups, and against other religions (e.g. Islamophobia).
- No disparaging Christianity
This is primarily a supportive space for anyone who identifies as Christian. While everyone is welcome to participate we ask that no one disparages Christianity.
- Be respectful and polite.
No personal attacks or accusations, harassment, misrepresentation of others, or insults. This also includes forcing debate, gatekeeping, and denying the validity of another's faith.
- Don't be a troll or a jerk.
Don't concern troll, play devil's advocate, or pretend to be confused when you really just want to start a debate. This Rule will be interpreted at the moderators’ discretion.
- No spamming or proselytizing
Don't post here if you're mass posting to other Communities. Don't post here for self-promotion unless it's particularly relevant to this subreddit. This is not your soapbox, and we are not here for you to preach at us. If you want to promote your media please ask permission from the mods.
- Be sensitive about linking to triggering N~ content.
Because we want this space to be as safe as possible, we discourage posting images or links to oppressive rhetoric from others. However, we do understand that venting is important sometimes. If you must post something potentially triggering, mark it nsfw or use spoiler tags, and censor any identifying information.
- Discussion of the ongoing israeli-Palestinian conflict is temporarily prohibited.
This topic has proven to be too divisive to discuss without consistently violating this subreddit’s rules. In order to maintain peace and to continue supporting one another, content regarding the ongoing Israel-Palestinian conflict is not permitted at this time.
Notice:
OpenChristian is inclusive, open and welcoming of all. We are LGBTQ+ affirming, but we welcome any who have chosen celibacy, as long as you respect Rule 1.
Do not post or comment about how you believe homosexuality is a sin.
We have heard this a thousand times, and you have nothing new to contribute to the conversation.
If you do this, you will be banned.
Please note that as a progressive Christian sub, we are explicitly followers of Christ, as well as LGBTQ+ affirming and egalitarian.
Friends are very welcome to participate, no matter what you believe.
But this is not the place for questioning or debating these positions.
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Follow-up questions:
What sect of Christianity do you follow? How long has your chosen sect been around? What book and book version does your sect follow? How do you know that your sect is the "right" one? How do you know that your overall religion is the "right" one? What does your religion/sect say happens to anyone who is not a part of it?
As with the original question, almost every one of these follow-up questions is really just a restatement of assumptions.
“What sect of Christianity do you follow?”
None? I am not even sure how to answer the question. I am a member of a congregation of the United Church of Christ, which is the local setting where I participate in the life of the church universal, which extends far beyond my local setting. But I would never say that I “follow” the UCC. To the extent being a Christian is to “follow,” it is to follow Jesus, not some “sect.”
“How long has your chosen sect been around?”
The phrasing of this question is bizarre. “Chosen sect”? My experience of the UCC is more that it found and chose me than the reverse. And I would say the same for the Christian tradition as a whole. I have never sat down to look at some menu of “religions” or “sects” and “chosen” one. That does not even make sense as an exercise to me. If you think you are “choosing” such a thing, then you are so profoundly missing the point that I am not even sure how to help you navigate to a different perspective. One’s faith tradition is not like some element of a character design that one just selects from among options.
As for my local congregation, which is part of the UCC, it is complicated. The congregation has been around for almost 150 years, but the UCC—a unification of several denominations—has only been around for about half that time. And, in any case, our practice incorporates elements from throughout the history of the church universal, extending all the way to the celebration of communion, which is traditionally understood to have been instituted by Jesus (though historically that seems unlikely).
“What book and book version does your sect follow?”
Again, this is a weird question, which assumes that to be a “sect,” one must “follow” a “book.” But that is not really how a tradition works. Certainly, we read scripture in my congregation, and our worship is steeped in scripture. I participate in several Bible study groups. But it would be incorrect to say that we “follow” the Bible, because that is not what the Bible is. The Bible (and more in a moment on what that means) is a collection of texts, written by many different people, in different times and places, for different reasons, gathered together by still other people, in still other times and places, for still other reasons, and read and maintained by yet further groups. To the extent the Bible remains a vital part of Christian life, it is because people continue to engage it through participatory actions, rather than because they “follow” it.
In my congregation, and in all the parts of the church that I regularly interact with, there is no singular, standard version. Indeed, there are multiple canon lists that mean that different people mean different things by “the Bible.” I personally study widely, and look at many different versions of both canonical and non-canonical materials. The UCC generally, and the congregation where I participate, imposes no limitations in this respect.
“How do you know that your sect is the ‘right’ one?”
Why do you assume that a “sect” must be “the ‘right’ one”? And “right” for whom? I participate in the UCC, and in my local congregation, even as I critique them. I would not say they are “right” in any sense, except to say that they are my home within the church. But that does not mean they are above or beyond reproach. Indeed, my tradition, going all the way back to the scriptures that we read, includes a strong strand of continual self-critique—it is what the “prophets” are in the Bible.
And I would never presume to say that someone else’s tradition is “wrong.” I certainly might disagree with them, or critique them. But that does not mean that their entire tradition is somehow “wrong.” They have as much right and legitimacy to their home as I do to mine.
“How do you know that your overall religion is the ‘right’ one?”
Same answer as to the previous question.
“What does your religion/sect say happens to anyone who is not a part of it?”
Nothing, because a “religion/sect” cannot speak. Only people can speak.