What is Fundamentalism?

Rutgers ^ | 8/8/02 | unknown

[tpaine]

WHAT IS FUNDAMENTALISM?

Modern day fundamentalism is an extreme reaction to the complexity and immorality of today's world. The knowledge and technology explosion has left many people confused and afraid. Their understandable longing for security leads some to look for a way to cut through the complexities of modern life and reestablish fundamental truths.
Fundamentalists try to satisfy their "lust for certitude" by oversimplifying things, by making a passionate commitment to a part, and sometimes to a distortion, of the truth.

FUNDAMENTALISTS AND POLITICS

Fundamentalism arises from a person's general approach to life. Not all fundamentalists are Christians or even religious. A fundamentalist's unyielding adherence to rigid doctrinal and ideological positions may find expression in his or her social and political, as well as religious, attitudes.

Violent fundamentalists are those who believe that the "rightness" of their cause justifies even the most heinous of crimes. They are right, and others have no rights. Whether "religious" and secular, down through the ages violent fundamentalists have been responsible for terrible atrocities--crusaders slaughtering Muslims, inquisitors torturing heretics, Nazis gassing Jews, communists annihilating counterrevolutionaries, capitalists tyrannizing the poor.

[tpaine]

"Their understandable longing for security --" leads some fundamentalists to believe that the "rightness" of their cause justifies violations of the constitution. -- Increasingly, many self-described 'conservatives' here at FR are exhibiting such behavior.
Perhaps, -- some may see themselves herein.

[chance33_98]

Fundamentalists try to satisfy their "lust for certitude" by oversimplifying things

Much like this article.

[tpaine]

Catch 22.

Although -- There are some simple truths in this world, imo.

[chance33_98]

I would humbly agree with you.

[Republican Babe]

Are fundamentalist stupid? ignorant? and uninformed? Is the opposite of fundamental - liberal? Therefore liberals are: wise, smart and well informed?

[tpaine]

Thanks.

Not many here do.

[tpaine]

Are fundamentalist stupid? ignorant? and uninformed?
________________________________

- Nope. -- From the article:

"Modern day fundamentalism is an extreme reaction to the complexity and immorality of today's world. The knowledge and technology explosion has left many people confused and afraid."

[elbucko]

Are fundamentalist stupid? ignorant? and uninformed? Is the opposite of fundamental - liberal?

I don't think so, on all accounts. I believe fundamental and liberal to be two sides of the same coin, and the need for security through the righteousness of cause to be the neuroses expressed in two different ways.

What seems to be a lot of politics, really isn't. It's human behavior and is be predictable. Politics must take this into account, but it must take it with a grain of salt.

[Onelifetogive]

Tolerance of other religious heritages, and respect for every person's freedom and obligation before God to follow his or her own conscience, do not tend to be strengths of fundamentalist groups. They can be quite narrow-minded and judgmental.

We as Catholics...do not presume to judge anyone's heart, but leave that to God alone.

Am I missing something here???

You judge me to be "judgemental" while telling me how you don't judge people?? What kind of idiot wrote this???

[tpaine]

Are fundamentalist stupid? ignorant? and uninformed?
__________________________________

Arthur Koestler on some aspects fundamentalism:

"The continuous disasters of man's history are mainly due to his excessive capacity and urge to become identified with a tribe, nation, church or cause, and to espouse its credo uncritically and enthusiastically, even if its tenets are contrary to reason, devoid of self-interest and detrimental to the claims of self-preservation.
We are thus driven to the unfashionable conclusion that the trouble with our species is not an excess of aggression, but an excess capacity for fanatical devotion."

[eaglebeak]

Whoa! The Roman Catholic Church against the Fundamentalists at Rutgers, eh? This may sound callous, but there's a bit of humor to be found here.

[eaglebeak]

Campus Christian church wars. Should be interesting.

[tcostell]

A fundamentalist's unyielding adherence to rigid doctrinal and ideological positions may find expression in his or her social and political, as well as religious, attitudes.

Violent fundamentalists are those who believe that the "rightness" of their cause justifies even the most heinous of crimes. They are right, and others have no rights. Whether "religious" and secular, down through the ages violent fundamentalists have been responsible for terrible atrocities--crusaders slaughtering Muslims, inquisitors torturing heretics, Nazis gassing Jews, communists annihilating counterrevolutionaries, capitalists tyrannizing the poor.

Or This:

A leftist's unyielding adherence to rigid doctrinal and ideological positions may find expression in his or her social and political, as well as religious, attitudes. Violent leftists are those who believe that the "rightness" of their cause justifies even the most heinous of crimes. They are right, and others have no rights. Whether "leftist" and secular, down through the ages violent leftists have been responsible for terrible atrocities--palestinians slaughtering Israelis, communists annihilating counterrevolutionaries, statists tyrannizing the poor.

Seems a better fit to me.

[Onelifetogive]

Rather than trying to understand the historical situation in which the books of the Bible were written and the literary styles they employ, fundamentalists believe that their English translations of the Bible must be understood literally, that is, the surface meaning must be accepted as true, word for word.

What kind of MORON thinks that English translations of the Bible must be understood literally?? I am exceedingly fundamentalist, and I have NEVER, EVER heard anyone claim this.

Do Catholics have so little ability to refute actual Fundamentalist, Bible-believing views that they must make up phony beliefs to argue against??

[headsonpikes]

Skepsis is the natural and healthy state of a rational person.

Socialism is the chief form of modern fundamentalism; why do so many on this thread defend such an anti-rational frame-of-mind?

[eaglebeak]

I tend to side a little with the Catholic interpretion of things, but the article makes it sound as if the Church is afraid of losing some of its flock to the Campus Crusade for Christ! Maybe each should be given a rugby team.

[tpaine]

Tolerance of other religious heritages, and respect for every person's freedom and obligation before God to follow his or her own conscience, do not tend to be strengths of fundamentalist groups. They can be quite narrow-minded and judgmental.
We as Catholics...do not presume to judge anyone's heart, but leave that to God alone.

Am I missing something here???

You judge me to be "judgemental" while telling me how you don't judge people?? What kind of idiot wrote this???
________________________________

Nope, I don't judge you, and the author claims he isn't either.

--- I purposely left out the religious parts of his article, because I can't defend them. -- I will defend the portions that I posted. Thanks.

[Dinsdale]

It's right in the name.

Da Mental (cases, defectives etc)

[eaglebeak]

Actually, many Catholics are very scholarly and spend years and years studying scripture.