It was very nice of Digby to link to Seth Pearce's diary on "Praying Liberally":

I'm a big fan of the Living Liberally network and their work to bring together like minded people of similar values in social situations. It's easy for me, living in a place like the people's Republic of Santa Monica to run into fellow liberals but even so there's nothing quite like being in a place with a whole group of people who are gathering together because they are liberals. It's much more relaxing, even here. I can't imagine how nice it must be for those who live in very conservative places.

Living in a very conservative place (but not obnoxiously so), I can vouch for the comfort of finding other liberals. It takes a weight off.

But this is not just puppies and rainbows. Social capital is power in today's world. Where you go to church (or more accurately, who you go to church with) correlates with how you vote second only to income level, IIRC. Social networks such as those put together by the Living Liberally really can affect things like political affiliation and partisan strength in what would otherwise be wastelands for progressive causes.

And it doesn't even have to be political power. Simply coming together to talk and to express concerns for one another - I'm carefully bracketing the religious dimension - can by itself change the world, if only a little. That's power, the ability to create change.

I've often thought that if progressives really care about issues like abortion or gay rights or any of a number of others, and they had even the smallest bit of faith, they should join a not-conservative church. We could use the help, frankly, and perhaps the easiest, most powerful thing one person can do without huge resources standing beside them is to affect the network of those connected to them. I still think that's the case, but Praying Liberally makes a good second choice, especially for those too far or too alienated to join a congregation.