Global Issues

President Bush isn't just blocking progress on climate change here at home—he's making a full-court press to pull back the rest of the world as well. But if we join with progressives beyond our borders, we can stop him.

I've been wrestling with Jesus for almost 50 years.

I mean, the guy has this way of getting all over you, under your skin, moving inside your head and never letting go!

The longer I have studied, listened to and observed him in the biblical record, in terms of his historical impact and in regard to the effect he has had on my own life and world, the more convinced I am that most people don't really understand him, what he said or who he was.

  About two years ago the vision for the Institute for Progressive Christianity (IPC) took root in the world.  Recently over the last nine months the IPC has been gaining momentum. We have produced two full length academic papers, several shorter papers, and more are in the works.  We has issued several press releases and commentary on current events and we have hosted two symposiums featuring progressive theology. 

Dear Crossleft Community,   The Institute for Progressive Christianity, fashioned out of the CrossLeft community approximately two years ago is a Christian think tank that ecumenically weaves together the progressive Christians of Orthodox, Catholic, Evangelical, Mainline Protestant, and Liberal backgrounds.  In its two years of existence it has been gathering momentum toward a faithful, inspired, impassioned and yet reasoned and analytical articulation of Christianity as a progressive journey of greater love and justice toward others and a deeper personal communion with God.  The Academic Review Panel is the work group at the IPC charged with incubating, generating and supporting the products of the IPC.

The following is from Larry James' Urban Daily at www.UrbanDaily.org.

A Place to Call "Home"

"I sleep on the street," William told us. "I cover up with my blankets. My blankets are precious to me because of the cold. One night last week, I woke up and realized there was another person under my blankets with me! A perfect stranger just trying to stay warm. He meant me no harm at all!"

From Larry James' Urban Daily:

Bill Moyers on Democracy

On February 7, the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation presented Judith and Bill Moyers the first Frank E. Taplin, Jr. Public Intellectual Award for “extraordinary contributions to public cultural, civic and intellectual life.�

From Larry James' Urban Daily at www.UrbanDaily.org:

Recent reports on the near-fatal injury and miraculous recovery of ABC World News Tonight co-anchor Bob Woodruff have focused new attention on the serious nature of injuries sustained by thousands caught up in the war in Iraq.

Woodruff and his camera man, Doug Vogt were critically wounded when a roadside bomb ripped through their vehicle. Woodruff sustained traumatic brain injury that left him in a comma for weeks.

There once was a sociology professor who, when taking his afternoon constitutional, came upon a young mother spanking her child in the front yard. He stopped at once and patiently, but firmly, confronted the young woman. "You must not spank your child," he said, "you will traumatize him. You must love them."

That weekend, the professor was working on his driveway, spreading new cement. Suddenly, this young woman’s son and some of his friends ran through his yards and ran right through the fresh cement. The professor angrily ran after them, shouting and threatening to give them a good spanking. The young woman saw this happen and said, "Professor, I thought we were to love our children not spank them." To which the professor replied, "I love children in the abstract, but not in the concrete!"