What is a Christian fundamentalist?

Clete

Truth Smacker
Silver Subscriber
Originally posted by billwald

Unless my memory has faild me again, this time Clete (the list of 5 statements) got it right.

Which are you refering to?
This one...
1. Biblical inerrancy
2. The divinity of Jesus
3. The Virgin Birth
4. Jesus died to redeem humankind
5. An expectation of the Second Coming, or physical return, of Jesus Christ to initiate his thousand-year rule of the Earth.

Or this one...
1. Biblical inerrancy - I do not believe the King James version to be inerrant, in fact I know it is not, however, I do believe that the Bible was directly inspired by God and is inerrant in its original autographs.

2. The divinity of Jesus - No qualification here. Jesus is God. He is THE God who spoke and the universe leapt into existence. He has eternally existed co-equal with The Father and The Holy Spirit, the three of whom make up the Holy Trinity.

3. The Virgin Birth - I believe that JESUS was born of a virgin. I do not believe in the immaculate conception of Mary or anyone else for that matter. Sin is passed from one's father not one's mother; Jesus had no earthly father and thus was born of the virgin Mary sinless and holy.

4. Jesus died to redeem humankind - I would add that a fundamentalist Christian MUST also believe that God raised Him from the dead (Rom. 10:9-10). I also would add the world ALL. Jesus died for the sins of the WHOLE world and thus redemption is available to all who believe.

5. An expectation of the Second Coming, or physical return, of Jesus Christ to initiate his thousand-year rule of the Earth. - This is a clear teaching of the Bible. One might say that if number 5 isn't true that number 1 isn't either.

Just curious. :)


Resting in Him,
Clete
 

geralduk

New member
"FUNDAMENTAL Christianity"

He that heareth My Word and doeth them NOT is likened unto a foolish man who built his house upon the sand and when the wind and storms come the house will fall and geat will be the fall there of.
But he that heareth My Word and DOETH them is likened unto a man who built his house upon a ROCK and when the SAME storms come the house will stand.


"EVERYTHING will be shaken so that that which cannot be shaken will remain."

TheRefore TRUE CHRISTIANIY and TRUE CHRISTIANS are those that not only HEAR the Word BUT doeth IT."Not deceiveing themselves"


The FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLE of LIFE is to make sure you have a SOLID and TRUE foundation for it.

" MAN shall not live by bread alone but by every Word that proccedeth from the MOUTH OF GOD"

Therefore we make a mistake in seperating 'christianity ' from life and man as it were.
For there is NO LIFE save in CHRIST.
and NO OTHER foundation FOR IT save that which GOD has given AND "laid" and that is the ROCK "the CHRIST the SON OF THE LIVING GOD"(DEUTRONOMY)
 

PureX

Well-known member
To Reiterate:

To Reiterate:

I think fundamentalism is more an ego-centric reaction to complexity and intellectualism than it's any particular set of ideological beliefs. It's main characteristic is extreme over-simplification with the intent of gaining, through the illusion of self-righteousness, what one secretly feels they lack in intellectual sophistication. Fundamentalism is an attitude that some of the "slow kids" adopt so that they can tell themselves (and everyone else) that being slow isn't important. In fact, fundamentalists actually convince themselves that being ignorant is an virtue, while being curious and intelligent is a moral failure.

Fundamentalism is basically an obsession with self-righteousness in order to avoid having to recognize and deal with one's own ignorance. Christian fundamentalists are no different in this respect than any other religious or political fundamentalists.

What most of you are describing as "fundamentalism" is simply neo-conservative orthodox Christianity.
 

Cyrus of Persia

New member
Originally posted by Clete Pfeiffer

Everything like what? I know of no Christian, fundamental or not, that says the Bible is the pillar of Mathematics for example or even science in general for that matter.

I used the word "everything" as general rule. Every general rules have exceptions. For example when the Bible says that everyone came to see Jesus, it means that many people came to see Jesus, and i'm very sure there were some people who did not to see Jesus.
 

Clete

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Silver Subscriber
Originally posted by Cyrus of Persia

I used the word "everything" as general rule. Every general rules have exceptions. For example when the Bible says that everyone came to see Jesus, it means that many people came to see Jesus, and i'm very sure there were some people who did not to see Jesus.

Oh I see, so what you meant was that fundamentalist are people who say that they believe the Bible is literaly true and then apply that belief consistantly throughout their entire lives.

Very good then, I agree.

Resting in Him,
Clete
 

Cyrus of Persia

New member
Originally posted by Clete Pfeiffer

Oh I see, so what you meant was that fundamentalist are people who say that they believe the Bible is literaly true and then apply that belief consistantly throughout their entire lives.

Very good then, I agree.

Resting in Him,
Clete

Actually it's mild expression what you use about believing the Bible. PureX and some other people in those threads have explained it more correct.

Otherwise we should equal conservative christian with fundamentalist christian, what is not correct.

Ok, a short list (and of course not everything is pointed out in it) what i meant using THEIR INTERPRETATION of the Bible in everything:

1) self-righteousness - as we know the absolute truth, then those who disagree with us are in wrong path and are most probably going to hell;

2) if it is not in the Bible, then it doest excist. For example i have heard: because the word "culture" is not mentioned in the Bible, then it's dangerous word;

3) justifying their actions with the Bible. As God ordained His people to kill others in OT in certain cases, then killing abortion doctors for example is not wrong, but fully legitimate;

4) using the Bible as guideline by whom we infiltrate what we believe in modern science, etc

5) everybody should follow the morals written in the Bible. Even unbelievers!

The list can go on. Of course not every fundamentalist acts out all of those points. Like for example you might disagree with justification of violence (even if it is justified in OT), but you gladly bash scientists who teach that the Earth is older than some thousand years. Or you gladly support the party that would want to restore theocracy in the society.
 

cur_deus_homo

New member
Originally posted by AtheistsSuck

It prevents you from defending the turds you lay.
From AtheistsSuck's profile: "self-centered liars drowning in a sin they cannot let go"

Spoken from true familiarity with sin.
 

philosophizer

New member
Originally posted by PureX

I think fundamentalism is more an ego-centric reaction to complexity and intellectualism that it is any particular set of ideological beliefs.
Hmm... And I think complexity and intellectualism is an ego-centric reaction to a fear of truth. Complexity is an illusion. It's a wire-frame replica of reality. Where complexity continually ads corners to a shape to create something progressively like a circle, truth in all its oneness is perfectly round.


It's main characteristic is extreme over-simplification with the intent of gaining, through the illusion of self-righteousness, what one secretly feels they lack in intellectual sophistication.
I'm not going to "over-simplify", as you have, and say that is wholly not true. I'm sure some people are as you describe. But which concept is more proper? That truth is simple or that truth is complex?


Fundamentalism is the attitude that the "slow kids" adopt so that they can tell themselves (and everyone else) that being slow isn't important.
Ooooh! Burn! :rolleyes:


In fact, fundamentalists actually convince themselves that being ignorant is an asset, while being intelligent is an impediment.
Sure, some do. But in doing so, they are not being true to their fundamentalism. The bible tells Christians to test everything. It's okay to examine other beliefs. It's a good thing to explore and not remain ignorant. Fundamentalists who oppose that are not really fundamentalists.

And intelligence certainly can be in impediment. It is a gift, but it can be misused. Deep thinking should actually cancel itself out.


Fundamentalisn is basically an obsession with righteousness in order to avoid recognizing and dealing with one's own ignorance.
In a skewed, prejudiced kind of way, sure.
 

beanieboy

New member
I usually refer to Fundies as people who still like to believe the Bible is literal, even when confronted with fact. They tend to focus on the sins of others, and the wrath of God.

In some ways, I have respect for believing firmly in something. But at the same time, it seems that they have a complicated faith system that is set up like a roomful of dominoes, that is based on fear.
One time, I watched something presented by the Athiests Society of a man explaining that the world had to be 4000 years old, because if we said that it was billions of years old, there was death before Adam and Eve, which makes the Garden of Eden null, which makes Christ death pointless. Zowie.

And then you have to do some mental gymnastics to continue to believe it, like, that Dinosaurs were Jesus-Horses.

Pat Robertson once claimed that Disney was having a Gay Day, and that was why there was a hurricane heading that way. But we have learned that weather is weather. If it rains on your wedding day, it isn't a message from God.

Pat has also used the antiquated idea that illness = God's wrath.
But again, it takes some mental gymnastics.
There was a cartoon that said:
Sicle Cell Anemia is God's punishment for Black people.
-That's ridiculous!
Alzheimer's is God's punishment for old people.
-That's Nuts!
Chicken pox is God's punishment for children.
-You're insane
Breast Cancer is God's punishment for women.
-You've lost it dude.
And AIDS is God's punishment for gay people.
-Right on.

They are often insistent on pushing their religion, while claiming the wonderfulness of Freedom. My mom, for example, thought it would be great to have kids saying prayers. I asked her to whom kids would pray, and she said they would pray to God. When I asked how she would feel if I came home and said that we prayed to Allah, or Shiva, she said that she would not stand for it, but everyone praying to her God was ok. That's illogical.
She celebrates the Freedom of Religion, then wants only Christians to have that religion, and for Public Schools to endorse that religion, which goes against the Freedom that she is celebrating.

So, I asked her if her office mates prayed at work. She said no.
I asked why not. She said that not all of them were Christian.
I asked if praying was only for children.
She said no. I asked her how that was different.
She said that it was.
I asked her why she wasn't pushing for all offices to start the day in prayer. She had no reason.
Again, I asked her if prayer was only for children.
She said no again.
I then asked why teachers should be leading students in prayer at all. It's the parents job. If parents want their kids to begin the day in prayer, pray with them over their Frosted Flakes. Teachers are parents.
She agreed that teachers aren't parents, but should lead kids in prayer.
No matter how much I showed her the missing logic of her argument, she insisted that she was right.

So, because they are often so illogical, they often lose all credibility.
And because their complex faith makes them appear frightened of everything between Harry Potter, and Trick or Treating, and extremely rigid in their beliefs that maybe, just maybe, they aren't correct, that they get dismissed easily.
 
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On Fire

New member
Originally posted by beanieboy

Dude, no one will ever accuse you of arguing semantics.

Thank God Almighty!

(Wait a minute.....what did I mean by God Almighty? Should I have just said "God"? Will others misquote me? Oh I hope not!)
 

On Fire

New member
Originally posted by beanieboy

I usually refer to Fundies as people who still like to believe the Bible is literal, even when confronted with fact....

....just maybe, they aren't correct, that they get dismissed easily.

(Yeah, I wanted to use the 'vomit" smilie.)

OK beanieboy, give me one FACT.
 

Clete

Truth Smacker
Silver Subscriber
Originally posted by Cyrus of Persia

Actually it's mild expression what you use about believing the Bible. PureX and some other people in those threads have explained it more correct.

Otherwise we should equal conservative christian with fundamentalist christian, what is not correct.
Fundamentalist are almost always conservative but I could see how the reverse may not be so.

Ok, a short list (and of course not everything is pointed out in it) what i meant using THEIR INTERPRETATION of the Bible in everything:

1) self-righteousness - as we know the absolute truth, then those who disagree with us are in wrong path and are most probably going to hell;
This is not what self-righteousness is. If you want to call it that go ahead, but don't be deceived, true Christianity pulls no punches. If you do not come to God through Jesus Christ you do not come to God at all. And since the alternative to God is Hell, then the choice is clear.

2) if it is not in the Bible, then it doest excist. For example i have heard: because the word "culture" is not mentioned in the Bible, then it's dangerous word;
Well there are of course some Fundamentalist that are idiots but being an idiot is optional, not a requirement.

3) justifying their actions with the Bible. As God ordained His people to kill others in OT in certain cases, then killing abortion doctors for example is not wrong, but fully legitimate;
God ordained the government to execute criminals (including Homo's) by due process of law. Criminal justice was God idea and Fundamentalist believe that God is smarter than they are and that He is better able to figure out what should be done with those who commit crimes.

4) using the Bible as guideline by whom we infiltrate what we believe in modern science, etc
There is a danger of favoring a particular interpretation of the Bible over clear extra-biblical evidence on certain issues, however, if the Bible makes an unambiguous claim about the nature of the universe which God created then science will not be able to disprove it, as hard as it might try.

5) everybody should follow the morals written in the Bible. Even unbelievers!
Yes, everyone should do rightly. How could you have a problem with that?

The list can go on. Of course not every fundamentalist acts out all of those points. Like for example you might disagree with justification of violence (even if it is justified in OT), but you gladly bash scientists who teach that the Earth is older than some thousand years. Or you gladly support the party that would want to restore theocracy in the society.
I don't recall bashing any scientists although I wouldn't have a problem with it if they were particularly evil like Hawkings for example. But I wouldn't bash them because of their science (or what passes for science), but for their obvious hatred toward God and all things Christian.
And I would never support a theocracy. God's idea for producing the most righteous government possible is a constitutional monarchy, until someone can show me that God is wrong on that issue, then I will defer to His judgment on that issue.

Resting in Him,
Clete
 

beanieboy

New member
Viruses cause illness.
If you get a cold, it's not because God is mad at you.

Galileo said that the earth was not flat, and that the earth revolved around the sun, not the sun around the earth.
The church threatened to kill him.

And obviously, the sun moves, because God stopped the Sun in the OT.
 

On Fire

New member
Originally posted by beanieboy

Viruses cause illness.
If you get a cold, it's not because God is mad at you.

Is that my one fact? If so, I agree.

I thought we were going to argue about something.
 
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