Signs of change from WITHIN:
In Denmark, the Rev. Thorkild Grosboel, a Lutheran minister, declared from his pulpit, "There is no heavenly God, there is no eternal life, there is no resurrection." Of course, it is a rare instance for a clergyman to place the onus for world order squarely on human shoulders-- with reason rather than the promise of a heavenly reward guiding behavior. Will he keep his job? Considering that only five percent of Denmark's law abiding and ethical population regularly attend church, an existentialistic rather than dogmatic message from the pulpit may be a necessity, or the Danish pulpit will cease to exist in progressive Denmark.
Even in this country where conservatism has become a dominate religious influence, there may be a glimmer of change on the ecclesiastical horizon. The retired Episcopal Bishop of Newark in New Jersey, John Shelby Spong authored a book in 1998, "Why Christianity Must Change or Die," calling for a creed based on critical thought.
Spong opposes using heaven and hell as control mechanism and advocates that churches stop using guilt to influence behavior. He maintains that biologically, Christ’s divinity is impossible. He calls the notion that Christ was sacrificed on a cross for our sins “barbaric.” Unlike his conservative counterparts, he is a strong proponent of feminism and gay rights.