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·I  was raised in two separate households with two very different cultures. My mother's house was a little more structured around household chores and learning experiences, whereas my father's house was structured around having fun and spending quality time with each other.

·I am a lot closer with my mother and her side of the family because they strongly believe in the power of community and being able to support one another. I don’t have much of a connection with my father's side of the family because I don’t speak the same language as them which makes it difficult to build a relationship.
(My siblings and I)

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·My mothers’ side are progressive Christians and that is part of the reason why I am so open minded when it comes to religion. They never forced me to follow their beliefs but rather taught me about them and why they believe in it.

·My father is technically catholic but doesn’t actually practice anything related to religion and has never taught me anything about spirituality or religion. He instead taught me to believe in my own power and to trust in myself.

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The 8 Points of Progressive Christianity

Updated in 2020:

By calling ourselves progressive Christians, we mean we are Christians who...

1. Believe that following the path of the teacher Jesus can lead to healing and wholeness, a mystical connection to "God," as well as an awareness and experience of not only the Sacred, but the Oneness and Unity of all life;

2. Affirm that the teachings of Jesus provide but one of many ways to experience "God," the Sacredness, Oneness and Unity of life, and that we can draw from diverse sources of wisdom, including Earth, in our spiritual journey;

3. Seek and create community that is inclusive of ALL people, including but not limited to:

Conventional Christians and questioning skeptics,
Believers and agnostics,
Those of all races, cultures, and nationalities
Those of all sexual orientations and all gender identities,
Those of all classes and abilities,
Those historically marginalized,
All creatures and plant life;

4. Know that the way we behave towards one another and Earth is the fullest expression of what we believe, therefore we vow to walk as Jesus might have walked in this world with radical compassion, inclusion, and bravery to confront and positively change the injustices we experience as well as those we see others experiencing;

5. Find grace in the search for understanding and believe there is more value in questioning with an open mind and open heart, than in absolutes or dogma;

6. Work toward peace and justice among all people and all life on Earth;

7. Protect and restore the integrity of our Earth and all of Creation;

8. Commit to a path of life-long learning, compassion, and selfless love on this journey toward a personally authentic and meaningful faith.

Notes: We've heard you and in our many conversations with our readership, Progressive Christian pastors, theologians, scholars, visionaries, and in our observations and studies, we have co-created this updated version of our 8 Points of Progressive Christianity. Progressive Christianity is inherently always evolving and progressing. Please take these lightly but seriously. They are not dogma, they are simply a starting point to establish conversations and a foundation of values and beliefs that we have observed Progressive Christians generally share. It's ok if you don't agree with all the words or all the parts. We support your authentic path. You can use these in your faith communities and with family and friends to talk about what it means to you to be a Progressive Christian in today's world. Here is to always progressing!

*New 8 Points Flyers and Study Guides coming soon.

These 8 Points were the focus in our latest progressive Christian Children's Curriculum: Year Two of A Joyful Path, for ages 6-10.

Help bring a more compassionate and informed Christianity into this world, Donate Today

2012 Version of the 8 Points

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ProgressiveChristianity.org : The 8 Points of Progressive Christianity

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Notes: We've heard you and in our many conversations with our readership, Progressive Christian pastors, theologians, scholars, visionaries, and in our observations and studies, we have co-created this updated version of our 8 Points of Progressive Christianity. Progressive Christianity is inherently always evolving and progressing. Please take these lightly but seriously.

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·I come from a predominantly female household, so I was always taught to think for myself and what it means to be a woman. Eighty percent of my whole family is female. While growing up I was told to be ladylike but also to be who I am and to strive to be the best possible version of myself.

·I was never molded to be a housewife; I was molded to take care of my surroundings and to never accept money for free. The women in my family were taught to work hard for what they want and to never lose sight of our goals.

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·My family has two languages, English, and Spanish. It is very difficult to say that I don’t know how to speak Spanish as I have so many family members who do speak Spanish and don’t understand English. I often had to make hand gestures and make my dad translate for me just to help them understand what I was saying.

·Often times people will hear me say that I am half Mexican and will ask me to speak Spanish for them and I have to tell them that I don’t speak Spanish. I hear “oh you aren’t really Mexican then, look at you! You are so white!” It gets incredibly frustrating when I hear things like that because I still identify as a Mexican.

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Challenge of Overcoming the Language Barrier | Yui Okamoto | TEDxYouth@UISG

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·In my father’s household we have many paintings and sculptures that either came from Mexico or show prominent Mexican figures. We have these spread throughout the house and it always feels good to see them and have them remind me of my culture.

·My mothers house is very modern and clean, but it still feels like home. It always smells like baked goods and there is furniture to fill up every space in the house. My mother has paintings and works of art that my siblings and I have made on the walls instead of paintings that you buy in a store.