Confessions of a Recovering Progressive (Michael Dowd sermon, 2018)

[@M00Nature]

Beautiful! I miss Michael Dowd so much. I am so thankful for these KZbin videos and his PostDoom website!

[@beccacassar2287]

Love this, thank you for keeping on keeping on. I’m inspired now ❤

[@adamharris689]

Michael Dowd for president!

[@the81kid]

Thank you for this talk! So few people are conscious of life and what direction our species is going.

[@michaeldowd8631]

Thanks!

[@frienddarr182]

Thankyou for your continued warriorship. It takes a great love to do what you and Connie do , that I understand and recognize fully.

[@FrankSchoenburg]

Excellent sermon Michael. Like you I believed in perpetual progress in the sense that the average person's life has been getting better for most of human history and will continue to do so long after my life ends. Stumbling upon JMG, JHK, and others work changed my beliefs in a similar way yours have changed the last 5-6 years. I used to be a bleeding heart liberal in large part because I've experienced tremendous abundance in my life and felt that everyone who is willing to work should have access to housing, clothing, food, healthcare, etc. I thought it was just bad policy and greedy rich folks (i.e. Republicans) that were needlessly preventing the poor from having a livable wage and good living conditions. There is some truth to that but surplus is limited and there isn't enough to go around for 7.5 billion people to live anything close to a middle class lifestyle. Learning about limits crushed my liberal worldview. So what now? Having gone through denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance I was bummed to hear you falling back into a depression funk b/c I feel like I've come to a place of acceptance and don't want to go through any more depression. I don't think there's much I can do in this matter so whatever comes will come. Thanks again for a great sermon.

[@reverendreality8282]

Thank YOU, Frank, for this honest and vulnerable comment! (I'm back to being inspired, albeit in a sober way. :-)

[@voteutah]

Michael, I've only become aware of you lately but will be watching more in the near future. For now, many thanks. Greatly appreciated.

[@thegreatstory]

Thanks, Daniel.

[@wessbess]

I admire your earnestness.

[@treefrog3349]

If humanity succeeds in eliminating itself from the biosphere without destroying Gaia itself, it will be a cosmic blessing. "Life" is not all about HUMANS. We are just a very small, very arrogant part of it. We, as a species, have such an exulted opinion of ourselves that it would be laughable if it wasn't so ultimately sad.

[@thegreatstory]

With dozens of nuclear meltdowns nearly guaranteed, I see no way that humanity (we're part of the Earth, remember) will not do at least 10-15 million years of damage to Gaia.

[@fredriko.zachrisson9711]

This is *so* obvious (to me at least) here in Sweden and specifically with the swedish church, or Church of Sweden. When i listen to the sunday sermons that airs on the radio here they speak of helping and lending support to people " in need" of help that wouldnt even spit on them if they were on fire, and fighting "old fashioned" tradition that are outdated according to them. Last sunday the lady priest or minister talked about the hardships they had faced in their fight against Covid-19 and it doesnt even come to mind for them that they in fact are going against god in their efforts that in so many aspects actively are working against god. I dont know why christians just can't accept that god is larger then the state and the societal "consensus" on social matters. Its like the church never actually separated from the swedish state which is (imo) sort of the last standing Soviet state or remaining DDR, because we were never officially part of the USSR, so there were no need to liberate ourselves. Kind of genious if you think about it. 😉 Ps. Great sermon btw. Very interesting subject matter. We need more free form sermons here in Sweden. Its So boring.

[@wessbess]

I like the scare quotes for “Bible” and “sacred”

[@debburns9187]

Hi Michael, I'm trying to find something amidst your work that I can use to give me ideas on how to remain connected with, but also influence my Pentecostal family. I don't want it to become a religious debate about the validity or not of Christianity. If this is the kind of sermon you preach it seems like you stay clear of religious doctrine in order to stay connected with congregations and share your message? Thanks

[@falseprogress]

The rise of of industrial wind energy was my tipping point for realizing that nothing will really improve. Destructive business-as-usual has been rebranded with green slogans. The title of this video brings to mind "Confessions of a Recovering Environmentalist " (Orion Magazine) which was written in response to "clean energy" desecrating places environmentalists used to protect. Those who eschew nuclear power (much more reliable, smaller footprint) are making a big ideological mistake.

[@paulwillisorg]

I thougt some 5.1 million year old hominid footprints were found a couple years ago.

[@robertboroughs7824]

Why did you label yourself as "We Progressives (...'lose the faith'?) instead of "We Christians"? Does it bother you that a full Secular Atheist who labels himself as a "Progressive" could also savagely mock "Your Christian Religion" as a "Crutch For The Weak Minded", yet still remain as a 'Good Progressive' by those with a secular world view, mostly because of your shared IDEOLOGY, regardless of your divergence on the subject of 'God'? "PROGRESS" to WHAT END?: - is the constraining concept that you must apply to your arguments. The "Cheshire Cat" gave us a warning about 'mobilization' without 'a governing purpose' You appear to be more interested in affirming the "Progressive/Conservative" didactic rather than focusing on the fact that (supposed) "Inclusion" and "Love" are at best tools and weapons that can be used as indictments and judgments (against one's political enemies) and grounds for diluting the clear message of Christ. With the knowledge that your choice to change your 'religious dogma' in order to appeal to the 'changing tastes' of the congregation, who themselves have been indoctrinated by the increasing secularization of the culture' IS ITSELF the loss of DISCERNMENT, which can be derived from the biblical text that proclaims: "THE WAYS OF MAN DOES NOT CHANGE" (my words follow) "Only the man made artifacts of technology, scope of travel and access to information CHANGE how the character of 'Man' is tested" I ask you in closing: "What is PROGRESS if it has no definitive end that it can HOLD ITSELF ACCOUNTABLE TO"?

[@Mikkall]

"Drink more Koolaid". Got it.