but at the same time it is important not to make atheism a pre-requisite of being a progressive, IMO.

There is absolutely no fear of this happening at all. On the other hand the left could cut off its nose to spite its face and the religious progressives and the atheist progressives could never speak to one another except to hurtle insults.

As mentioned in a different response - think of people like Dorothy Day - and lets add Martin Luther King.

_{aspiring to genteel poverty}