and, i forgot: you can't mean this.
as leftists, we are not in the business of taking god seriously that we can state that god is on our side. to do so is to say 'yes' to god. it's conceding ground to theists and pretending that we believe in god, if we don't, or getting what you really want if you do believe in god: a left that is theistic or one that will speak about religion, theism, spirituality on the terms you want.
this doesn't mean that we don't take seriously the people on the left who do believe in god or spirituality or anything they want to call it. it doesn't mean we think they're stupid or ignorant or not quite grown up yet. (and I'm aware of all the drawbacks of a modernity that has concluded that we can't agree to any overriding set of values/morality/ethics. which is to say, there is a conceit in this position, as there's a conceit in the focus on functional/formal rationality in science. I'm just willing to be conceited on this one.)
it just means that we aren't, as leftists, in the business of taking god seriously. as individuals, believe whatever you want, and as nonbelievers, leave the progressive theists and spiritualists alone.
when you say stuff like this, i get the sneaking suspicion you haven't left theism behind. :) but then, sometimes, i haven't. heh. but seriously, that's what comes through in your conversations on the subject. i have been struggling around this for awhile, trying to figure out what's up, reading what you've written, trying to figure out how to express this.
so, i say this hesitantly and with a great deal of respect.
kelley
"Finish your beer. There are sober kids in India."
-- rwmartin