The town of Spring Lake, Michigan, near Grand Haven, has become the front line in the ongoing war from Progressivism. Christ Community Church has changed it’s named to the C3 Exchange and has removed it’s cross. Pastor Ian Lawton claims this was done to reflect it’s diverse membership. “Our community has been a really open-minded community for some years now. We’ve has a number of Muslim people, Jewish people, Buddhists, atheists, we’re catching up to ourselves.”
Removing the cross, as well as the name of Christ to the church may not be the only changes. Lawton is considering painting images of a heart and a globe on the exterior walls. On March 21 of this year, Lawton gave a sermon where he compared using the cross as a symbol of Christ to that of using a bullet to remember Martin Luther King, Jr.
Lawton hails from Australia where he was ordained as an Anglican priest. After getting a degree in sociology, he began developing a more progressive political slant and left first for New Zealand, then America. A believer in Liberation Theology, Lawson has been busy preaching social justice since 1994. Since his arrival in America, Lawton has become a leading figure in Progressive Christianity. He helped create SBNR.org, Spiritual But Not Religious, a worldwide network to advance his views.
Now practicing Zen and meditation, Lawton has caused a stir before. Last year, he delivered a sermon on how Mardi Gras was a celebration of sexuality. He mixes a wide range of other beliefs in his preaching, from Paganism to Sioux mythology. He blogs that he is proud to be a heretic.
Ian Lawton taking down the cross and changed the name of his congregation from Christ Community Church to C3 Exchange is just the latest move in what he describes as his own personal growth. In one sermon, he describes the crucifixion of Christ as “cosmic child abuse”. He finds the cross as an offensive symbol, a symbol of failure. He called the cross outside his church a problem. Well, it’s no longer a problem as he has taken it down.
June 27th, 2010 at 7:35 am
I guess the next thing he will do is remove Christ from Christianity. This man is not a Christian.
Matthew 7:15-20 explains it.”15″Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. 16By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. 19Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.”
June 27th, 2010 at 7:39 am
Andy your obviously trying to smear progressives by calling them criminal thugs and now atheists without a plan. That’s no different than what joeseph goebbles did in his job. sorry to see you have joined their ranks of dishing up disinformation and blamming a few people who strike me as anything other than progressives. they are in their own catefory. and you have made a choice of where to ply your talents. very dissapointing.
June 27th, 2010 at 8:19 am
Brian;
“Andy your obviously trying to smear progressives by calling them criminal thugs and now atheists”
Nah, they pretty much did it all by themselves.
Tell me Brian, oh great wise one.
What the fck would you call these punk a$$wipes running around Toronto destroying innocent peoples property in the name of progressivism ? HUH ?
What do you think SEIU and Andy Stern should be categorized as ?
They’re thugs Brian
Progressive movement my a$$.
The only thing this movement will progress us to is living like freaking Alice and Ralph Crandon
June 27th, 2010 at 8:27 am
Lawton is just a sensationalist clusterfcked jerk. He cant even give one simple direction to anyone member as hes all over the place with whatever appeals at the time.
Even Jim Jones knew you had to have some specificity in the core of your church and some prime directive and goal.
this moron is in search and hasnt found anything yet. Too bad hes dragging down people who probably want no more than a little purpose in life
June 27th, 2010 at 8:59 am
Taking down the cross was the first halfway honest thing that idiot seems to have done in a while.
June 27th, 2010 at 9:01 am
I don’t consider the seiu or andy stern as progressives. They are unionists. obviously. You really don’t know what your talking about do you. stop pretending. Let me add, progressives are not people heavily invested in the power structure whether that be the republican party, the beltway, or unions. you just don’t get it. you are creating a world you are uncomfortably comfortable in, alas and alak its not the real world. You got to look further than a mirror to see the real world. Maybe take a course in philosophy, learn sumpthang.
June 27th, 2010 at 9:12 am
@ Brian
They are progressives with or without your approval – I really am starting to get the whole alphabet soup thing though.
June 27th, 2010 at 9:33 am
Paul foretold the coming of clowns like this “pastor”: “For, as I have often told you before and now say again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things.” – Philippians 3:18-19
Christianity’s message is not about ethics, although it has ethics. Christianity is about the SAVIOR that died on the CROSS to forgive our SINS and give us POWER to live TRANSFORMED lifes.
Throwing away the core truths of the Gospel in the name of “acceptance and tolerance” is the equivalent of seeing your neighbor’s house on fire and not waking him up lest he might get mad at you for interrupting his sleep.
June 27th, 2010 at 9:33 am
Brian;
“I don’t consider the seiu or andy stern as progressives. They are unionists. obviously. You really don’t know what your talking about do you.”
yeah, slapping people in the street who oppose you non violently isnt thuggery.
As if Unions havent resorted to thuggery.
What ? You think “progressive” is just another title liberals decided to use because they needed a fresh face ?
I gave you unlimited sources defining progressivism and the movement which dates back over a hundred years with plenty of examples of intimidating thuggery.
One only needs to look at Obama thinking he can muscle BP, boots on throat, a$$es to kick, or Acorn muscling banks or SEIU smacking people in the streets or these a$$wipe punks in Toronto damaging innocents property.
You’re really more stupid today than you usually are
June 27th, 2010 at 9:43 am
Lawton says “we’re catching up to ourselves.”
Is that like a dog chasing his tail ?
When he finally does catch it his head is as close to being up its a$$ as its ever been ?
Or would that be a time machine ?
June 27th, 2010 at 9:55 am
@ Brian
I’m amused that you describe my “propaganda” against Progressives as akin to Joseph Goebbels. If you actually read Goebbels, he was a big fan of Edward Bernays, Woodrow Wilson’s propaganda chief. Needless to say, they WERE Progressives!
June 27th, 2010 at 9:58 am
@Micky. LOL. You hit the head of the nail. These people are so much into politically-correct speaking, that they don’t realize how illogical and contradictory their one-size-fits-all-phrases can be. That’s because they are tailored to sound learned and non-controversial, instead of conveying truth.
And I think it’s answer #2.
June 27th, 2010 at 10:06 am
I see this as no different from some of the church buildings in England being turned into malls, health clubs, etc. It is just a building. The building that houses the followers of this Ian Lawton person is just that, it houses a new organization of followers of a false teacher. It is not the Church. The Church is Christ in us who believe in Him. Fear not, for He has already won my dearly beloved. I challenge you to pray for those people.
June 27th, 2010 at 10:24 am
Ya gotta love these azzhats from other countries that decide to come here and learn us sumpin!
George and L Rivera quoted the Bible, which does not lie. It’s a shame more people don’t pick up the Good Book and actually read it…it’s such a great source of comfort and knowledge.
Brian…why do you have a problem with Christianity?
Why are people so quick to believe in the writings of Nostradamus and Cayce, yet go crazy over what’s written in the Bible?
June 27th, 2010 at 10:33 am
@ JoAnn
I think Brian prefers believing the writings of Marx, Engels and Obama.
June 27th, 2010 at 10:35 am
Andy you really promoted yourself past to Minister of Disinfromation. Your irresponsible. It it were money it would be considered fraud.
June 27th, 2010 at 10:42 am
JoAnne;
“Brian…why do you have a problem with Christianity?”
Because Brian believes his mother is also a virgin
June 27th, 2010 at 10:44 am
@ Brian
I’m neither responsible nor irresponsible. I’m just a squeaky cog in the machinery.
My function is to write opinion pieces. I really don’t care whether you, personally, believe me or not. I’m just a Buddha, my objective is to enlighten. People need to do their own homework and determine the facts for themselves. It’s the only way they will learn. All I do is point the way. Connect the dots.
June 27th, 2010 at 10:48 am
brian, you’ve yet to prove anything is “disinformation”
I’ve given you umpteen examples of progressive thuggery that you have yet to defeat.
Not that you wont insist were wrong like a baby kicking and screamin. It just doesnt cut it.
YOU, are the liar who propells disinformation by issuing statements as truth without ever being able to verify or prove it.
Do you have any self esteem left whatsoever, have you no shame ?
June 27th, 2010 at 10:49 am
Joann, who ever said I have any problem with Christianity. You? You guys are so spreading disinformation today, and now your trying some kind of loyalty test? Sad, indeed. Christ expects more of man than man to simply use him to manipulate other men for power and glory. That isn’t acceptance of Christ, but something far different.
June 27th, 2010 at 10:53 am
Micky we have been all thru this. Fact, I do not lie. Fact, you do swear, cuss, and at times bully. I am not the only one to notice this. It isn’t the occasionaly cuss word as much as a style of cussing and belittling others you fancy don’t agree with you. I really only look at the “acts” of what people do, whether there is a “twisted” agenda, a “manipulative platform” to “wrench” before I complain. Substance wise I don’t get most of where your coming from as its conflated with other stuff. And further more I am a happy Christian who understands Christs message to us and its not to just be mean to our fellow humankind cause we can. He expects more of us and paid for that hope with his own blood inflicted by the darkest of our demons. Demons who want to rule us. Christ wanted to save us.
June 27th, 2010 at 10:55 am
@ Brian
Frankly, that’s probably makes me more dangerous, in the eyes of you, ‘Me’, Klo and others. Because I don’t want people to just take what I say as verbatim. I want them to figure it out for themselves. I challenge the conformity of the ‘boot-on-the-throat’ crowd.
Sure, once in a while I’ll use a spiffy term I hear from Limbaugh or others, like “bow-boy-diplomacy”. That was a good one from Rush, I damn near fell out of my chair in laughter when he said it. But I’m my own man, I have my own mind.
I’m an individual. Or as Patrick McGoohan would say: “I will not be pushed, filed, stamped, indexed, briefed, debriefed or numbered. My life is my own.”
June 27th, 2010 at 10:56 am
Joann, see andy mixed progressives in with this church guy and now you accept it as valid. I don’t. Christianity is different than Islam and the other religions for a reason. Christ. What I am protesting is Andy, who is far from Christ-like in his agenda of demonizing progressives as thugs and atheists.
June 27th, 2010 at 11:04 am
@ Brian
See, Brian, this is a classic example of what I’m talking about. You say:
“Joann, see andy mixed progressives in with this church guy and now you accept it as valid. I don’t. Christianity is different than Islam and the other religions for a reason. Christ. What I am protesting is Andy, who is far from Christ-like in his agenda of demonizing progressives as thugs and atheists.”
Okay, then go Google the name Ian Lawton yourself! Guess what! If you do, you will find many links to where he refers to himself as a “Progressive”. The guy brags about it on his blog. His little progressive religious network, sbnr.org is full of such dribble. Don’t come here and discount something you haven’t done your homework on.
June 27th, 2010 at 11:04 am
I thought you guyz always dissed Klo as not being a beliver of your ilk. I think its a mistake to lump progressives in with commmies, socialists, anarchists, thugs, rioters. Progessives I have seen seem peace niks and simply for a more wholeistic approach to lifestyle with some foward movement in progressing our quality of life, but not under the banner of numb ideology like the bushian generation. I think Patrick McGoohan had a pretty solid moral compass as a good guy, but don’t kid yourself in the last episode number one was him. it was an ode to both the fascist social state and the unbridled narcissist. both. that is why the show transcended some boundries into the lower reaches of the art realm.