Welcome to Street Prophets Coffee Hour! Thermal for the warmth of a good cup of coffee or your preferred beverage, as well as the warmth of a more progressive religion and community. Feel free to share what you’re drinking in the Comments, if you’re so inclined. This is also an Open Thread for you to connect.
Beware stray tails! (h/t FindingMyVoice)
But now onto our title topic. A few DKos commenters often complain that progressive Christians don’t make enough noise, which I think is sometimes a valid complaint. So I’ll use this space to discuss progressive Christianity’s views on the issues. These are not my views alone. Note that there are and have long been progressive Christian religio-political groups, some of whom are trying to become more vocal and get more noticed.
I recently ran across this article regarding “church hurt”: “Pastor Sarah Jakes Roberts Apologizes On Behalf Of The Black Church” (this is a reprint by Microsoft News; I tried to go to the original on Blavity but the page seems to be broken, I couldn’t get the full article to show up there):
People often turn to religion to turn over a new leaf, find peace, break free from their past or join a community that offers a safe space. Some believers of Christ find the freedom they were looking for, while others leave feeling judged.
Unfortunately, pain from this turns into “church hurt” and leads those people not to trust what the churchhouse stands for because they came as they were and weren’t accepted.
-snip-
“Though man may have dropped you or mishandled you or deformed you in an effort to mold you, that was not a reflection of God’s heart towards you,” she said.
There is much more at the link. I suspect that similar apologies have been issued by white pastors and priests, but I don’t want to dilute her voice looking for them. If all other peoples aren’t speaking out with similar words, then they should be.
Religion should be about finding comfort in an uncomfortable world. It’s not right that “religious” people are judging others and pushing them away. Especially, marginalised people need to be welcomed into our communities. All of us benefit from a diverse and creatively different world. When we are hurting, we should be able to turn to each other and our spiritual institutions. When we can’t, hopefully people will realise that those judgy folks are not representing God.
Please check out the full article at the link if you are so inclined, and discuss further in the Comments.
And finally, let’s elevate our Community Cred and repost The Needs List! From Aashirs nani (with permission) on Helping Humpday, with some variations on bolding for variety’s sake.
PLEASE NOTE:
When sending via PayPal, be sure to select “Send to family/friend” to avoid fees on either end. Be aware, both donor and recipient, that GFM not only charges fees, but also money received through that platform is treated as taxable income. If you are requesting help through GFM, also be aware that there can be delays in accessing the money.
Community Needs List as of 10/12/22. Fundraisers who want a diary to be or stay on the list: PLEASE kosmail requests and donations received to njm5000 by Tuesday evening to be included on the Wednesday morning updated list.
Living on the financial edge—need help? Check out the Helping Directories before your next emergency.
Housing and Living Expenses Fundraisers and Other Links
morgansmom—needs help towards major car repairs and moving to a better environment. $8000 7950 7900 7850 7750 7725 7615 7605 7565 7465 7415 7375 7275 7175 7025 6920 6820 6570± Turns out the car needs a front end rebuild, so repairs are on hold, til more $ is raised. :-) • Visit the KoFi page to see some cool artwork & donate! • PayPal: wingednag at gmail dot com.
DHfromKY—is looking to raise $2450 1950 1830 1720 1685 1585 1385 1285 1180 1170 960 860 for rent and other necessities. Against the wall, again...• PayPal is dharden40219 at yahoo dot com—select “Send to a friend”, and PayPal doesn’t charge a fee.
J Graham—"Your child has mental health issues." But you're a fighter. "It's cancer." But you're a fighter... • She’s sleeping in a tent! (Cats, music, and a chance to help a deserving Daily Kos member). The goal is $14,000 9944 9534 8884 8859 8709 8684 4448 4348 4323 4223 4213 to cover first and last month rent, security deposit, some medical expenses, utility bills, and moving costs. She has a Mighty Cause fundraiser, and PayPal at: jgraham4healthcare at gmail dot comHarpPlayer posted a diary—I Really Need Some Help asking for help with various expenses that have accumulated. HarpPlayer is a retired RN with health problems, but this help can provide a fresh reset. Total needed is adjusted to $2395 990 870 PayPal bluessingerrn at aol dot com. After making a payment, HarpPlayer is being dunned hard for 5 payments at once for the fridge. Unexpected auto repair and vet bills didn’t help…
michelewln—needs help for food, cat food, utilities, and moving expenses.
PayPal: michelewilson327 at gmail dot com.
Wired Wolf—needs about $3000 2960±. Helping support Mom “…on one fulltime retail wage…and living on credit cards through Covid have suddenly caught up with us bigtime--I'm in way over my head right now. I need about $3000 to get my credit cards to a safe level that I can maintain… we're still waiting for our utility-assistance appeal and my student loan servicer never paused IBR payments. Urgently needs help getting cell phone service back.
Paypal is paypal dot me/WiredWolf
Kos Katalogue 2022 is here—please Kosmail CathyM or BeadLady if you have corrections or additions.
michelewln went home late yesterday. I’m sure she and Pixie are both relieved.
Yay for michelewln going home!
I’m in for a mickle each week toward a variety of DKos members on the Needs List. I hope you’ll join me. Always glad to see the needed amounts gradually decreasing!
If helping financially isn’t the right choice for you at this time, you can still help. Tip and rec the diary so it stays visible. Share on social media: Twitter, Facebook, whatever platform you use, to bring the attention of others outside our daily readers. And offer words of encouragement to people who are struggling. It can be scary to be struggling, and it can feel lonely. Let them know we understand and are here to help.
If you have time, please visit the diaries above and leave comments for their authors. Those words of encouragement are vital!
If you don’t like fundraisers, please just move along. They are a longstanding tradition at DKos — Until we vote in enough progressives to create a much stronger social safety net!
Please note: I take care of my 90ish-year-old Mom and something could come up, so I am scheduling this to auto-publish. If possible, I’ll be here to engage in Comments. However, if I’m not here, please chat amongst yourselves, take a coffee break, post aminal photos and tunes, spread the word and invite your friends, etc.! Thanks to all!
