1. For them, one of the most serious offenses is someone seeking to take the Bible seriously! (Of course they would say they are trying to take it serious...). You know you are in a conversation with a 'progressive' Christian because they will call you a 'fundamentalist' or seek to explain why their 'education' puts them in a better place in understanding how to throw out God's Word. Believing the Bible is full of errors and distinguishing the errors from the truth is something they want the authority to articulate. The Bible becomes for them a buffet. A serious approach to engaging the Word of God by anyone else may get you labeled a "bibliolator" or "fundamentalist." John Wesley is often ignored when he said: "If there be one falsehood in the Bible, there may be a thousand; neither can it proceed from the God of truth.” Always be leery of those who think you take the Bible too seriously.
2. They are often closet universalists. Everybody makes it to Heaven (if there is such a place) and certainly no one would ever go to hell (as they definitely don't believe such a negative place would actually exist). Emotionally they cannot comprehend a loving God being "mean" enough to send people to the 'bad place.' This is why they tend to turn a blind eye to sin, sinful lifestyles, etc. Almost any deviant or false group/idea can find home and a comrade among progressives. No doctrine is really sacred. No false teaching is ultimately rebuked. They even believe that Islam & Christianity are essentially serving the same God. (Can someone please tell a progressive how radically different Christianity and Islam are!!) They speak much of a 'big tent' or an 'open table' but I think you're really only welcome if you agree with them.
3. They often sterilize and thus change the Gospel. Atonement? Jesus dying for our sins? What a 'theory'! For them, this is a traumatizing and alienating message. The cross would be a lot more attractive without Jesus (dying because of the sin of humanity) on it. Repentance? It sounds so harsh. God hating sin? That hasn't been feasible since the 90's. Anything that would be culturally abrasive they tend to eliminate or at least de-emphasize. The most significant way they do this is to minimize the serious reality of sin in the world and specifically in the individual. Sinful appetites and desires are accepted as normal (sometimes even with pride). So there are many churches and ministries that are unfaithful to ever share the Gospel as what is often left over is a partial shell of the whole truth. Salvation is de-emphasized in favor of a works faith of social justice vs social media activism.
4. They only ever emphasize those issues which might be culturally or politically advantageous. In their claim to be prophets they only ever emphasize what the broader culture already values and accepts. It's great to encourage people where they get it right, but we are also called to the difficult task of pointing out where they get it wrong Biblically. Be careful when you are praised by secular media and worldly masses... remember that Jesus was hated and killed by the secular world (Roman Empire) and religious hierarchy (Sanhedrin).
5. In emphasizing part of the work Christians are to be involved in (compassionate ministries, social justice, etc) they negate the transforming work of God. For example, Jesus Himself said we will always have the poor among us. It doesn't mean we don't work to alleviate suffering around us or work to improve systematic problems that lead to poverty; but it does mean that our ultimate goal is not to end poverty, rather it is about bringing people to new life in Jesus Christ. Jesus himself said that his purpose in coming into the world was to seek and to save the lost. 'Progressive' Christianity often becomes more about works than true righteousness.
6. They believe the church, generally speaking, is oppressive. They believe that God's chosen vessel to redeem the world is responsible for oppression of the poor, the LGBTQ community, democrats, minorities, divorcees, immigrants, refugees and more. They have a very low view of the Bride of Christ (the church). They might say things like: "I love the church, even though it gets things wrong, hurts people, has been on the wrong side of history, etc." The Bible says it differently in Ephesians 5:25b-27 "Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish."
7. They have sought to redefine love and grace. For a 'progressive' Christian you cannot love someone if you do not affirm and/or approve of what they do, how they live, what they look like, what their opinions are, or how they live their life. For them, love, never confronts sin. "I'd rather error on the side of grace," they might say. What they unconsciously mean by that is that they have neither the resolve, backbone, or real love to do the hard work of loving your neighbor as yourself. To be fair, they only believe sin should be confronted in a broad, general way within systems, organizations, or societies. Never deal with the sin in an individual. In their oral rhetoric and twisted semantics they sound eloquent but bring soon shrivel up spiritually because it is never a loving thing to accept or even ignore sin.
8. They believe that human reasoning and reliance on emotional appeal is better than Biblical truth. They love to quote statistics and then interpret the data for you. For example, they might say: "75% of divorcees have struggled with depression." (I made up this stat for the sake of a point I'm trying to make.) Then they will interpret that data by saying: "This means that the church has not accepted divorcees, so they struggle with rejection." That's absurd. Maybe they are dealing with depression because of what they have gone through, not how the church is treating them. Loving people for them is a based on what you feel
9. They like to be in control of educational institutions and denominational structures. Because there is an inherent flaw in 'progressive' Christianity it is generally unfruitful for the Kingdom. Because of the lack of tangible/measurable progress, they like to climb the ladder of leadership and get farther and farther from the front lines of actual ministry. It is in these places that they can promote their philosophies on how to interpret the Bible and do kingdom work. They like to write books and teach classes on how to duplicate their unfruitful ministry. To initiate this process, they argue they just want a seat at the table. However, what they really want is to sit at the head and command the conversation. This is also why progressive tend to promote the academy (an equipping ministry of the church) to be above the church.
10. Progressives argue against any kind of experience. In general they do not believe that you can personally know Jesus. That's why they love liturgy. Not that all liturgy is bad (it isn't), but that it becomes a way to help them feel spiritual without ever really encountering The Spirit. Prayer becomes something you cite from memory or read off a paper rather than a conversation with the Divine. They love theology when it is bound up in the philosophical and theoretical realm. They also have a strong arrogance toward the idea that a formal degree is necessary to do 'real theology.' (Caution: Do not go to the other extreme of mocking those who 'study to show themselves approved.')
And all the while, being fruitful and faithful in the wrong areas, they march on to take over and change the church. But, when you don't believe in Heaven or Hell, it kind of numbs the conviction of the Holy Spirit.
Maybe 'progressive' Christianity isn't really 'progressive' or Christian. Maybe progressives are the problem. "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves." Matthew 7:15
Also check out the following articles:
I Sin Every Day
How to Lead Your Church into Apostacy.
