Spencer Burke<\/a> has an article \u201cFrom the Third Floor of the Garage<\/a>\u201d at The Center for Progressive Christianity website<\/a>. It introduces what I think is in fact an insightful term, \u201cspiritual McCarthyism\u201d. Of course, the term relates to an era in history that is not part of the experience of many of us, but for those who know what it means, the image is vivid.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s a sample:<\/p>\n Spiritual McCarthyism\u2026encourages people to orchestrate their lives to avoid censure and minimize risk. In short, it teaches people to live in fear \u2013 to put up and shut up. I don\u2019t know. I guess I\u2019m just not sure that fear, intimidation and control should be the defining hallmarks of Christianity.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n He then goes and spoils it by talking about \u201cspiritual Darwinism\u201d when I think what he means is \u201csocial Darwinism practiced by and between religions\u201d. But the article is still worth a look. And on a similar note, Michael Westmoreland-White recently posted about what Progressive Christianity<\/a> is.<\/p>\n If that\u2019s not your cup of tea, then you can always try something different \u2013 what about the cantina music from Star Wars played on the harp? [HT SF Signal<\/a>] It\u2019s actually not as far from the initial topic as might first seem to be the case \u2013 it\u2019s a great example of how something that sounds too \u201cout there\u201d when you\u2019re told about it can turn out to be pretty wonderful when you give it a chance\u2026<\/p>\n