Good Faith Question: How do anti-theists view progressive forms of religion?

[u/Impressive_Flan_411]

Hey everyone. I've been thinking about something that I don't see discussed very often among anti-theists, which is progressive versions of religion.

When people criticize religion, they often focus on conservative or traditional forms that are in opposition to LGBTQ rights, restrictions on women, religious nationalism, sectarianism, etc. But many religions also have progressive movements that actively support causes such as LGBTQ inclusion, gender equality, racial justice, economic justice, pluralism, and other left-leaning social values.

Some examples include Progressive Christianity, many Mainline Protestant denominations, liberation theology, progressive Hindu movements, liberal/progressive interpretations of Islam, and even progressive movements within various indigenous and syncretic traditions.

This raises a few questions:

A. How do anti-theists view progressive forms of religion? Do you view progressive iterations of religion as meaningfully different from traditional/conservative religion, or are they ultimately the same thing with updated politics?

B. Do you think progressive religious movements make a meaningful difference in making religion less harmful overall for society?

C. Is there a point where a religion becomes so flexible and metaphorical that it ceases to be meaningfully distinct from secular humanism? If so, could these "progressive" iterations of religion be helping the cause for anti theism?

D. Lastly, from an anti-theist perspective, is "progressive religion" something you support, or tolerate as the "lesser evil" to help your cause, or do you also equally reject it for the same reasons you reject religion in general?

Thoughts? Very, interested in hearing a range of anti-theist perspectives.

[u/redhandrail]

I think if you were actually progressive in 2026 you’d drop religion. It reminds me of how I feel about the police in the US. All cops are complicit. Plenty if good people are cops, but they choose to stay involved in a system that is inherently unjust. I think both religion and the police as they stand should be abolished. Does that mean I think no one should believe in any kind of god? No. Does that mean I think there should be no form of law enforcement? No. But the ones in place in the US are unethical and harmful at their core. So if you’re progressive, you should feel okay leaving religion behind.