Theologian Paul Tillich once said that your faith is your ultimate value, whatever you devote your primary allegiance or loyalty to in your life. It's what you give yourself over to. This does not have to be a "god." Even though you may be formally affiliated with a particular "religion," you may still end up following something else as your ultimate value. It's where you put your time, energy, and commitment, and this reveals more about your "religion" than where you are on a Sunday morning. This is more in keeping with Jesus' insight, saying, "As you know, what you treasure is your heart's true measure" (Matthew 6:21).
Progressive Christianity often says that it challenges conservative Christianity or the Religious Right, but I think that misses the key target. Rather than these, the faiths I'm more interested in challenging are those that too often go without questioning in our culture. The faiths of American exceptionalism, (hetero)sexism, white privilege, and economism (with its devastating effects on people and ecosystems) are the false gods I care about confronting. Conservative religion is more their servant than their source. They are part of the demonic powers that many, such as Walter Wink, have taught us.
In practice, this means that Jesus' way of compassion and justice resists the oppressive dominant culture more than the apostles of right-wing religion. This may look to many people as "secular" efforts, but engaging in matters of injustice and oppression becomes one profound way of doing "religion." In committing our energy to these struggles, we follow the subversive path of radical love as Jesus' disciples. Out of a deep loyalty and love for the interdependent web of creation and the Spirit that sustains it, we show our true religious priorities.
Peace,
Timothy Murphy
Executive Director