Yes, the scriptures are the literal Word of God, but they are also written by men for men. I don't know of anyone who believes God is a rock (Psalm 18:2), a door (John 10:7), nor any of the other figurative descriptions of Him.
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.
I don't think so. I know fundamentalists who are fighter pilots, Green Berets, computer-system designers, doctors, and change-management experts. They don't fear change. Many of us thrive on change. If it is good change.
Fundamentalists know that there is a thing called Truth. And that truths build upon Truth. If the foundation of a building is corrupt, the building is corrupt and will not stand. The same with civilizations, individuals, and businesses. If their beliefs are correctly built upon Truth, they will be truth. (Sometimes we have incorrectly built upon Truth, with disastrous results. Also, sometimes we have built upon lies, thinking we were building upon Truth. Again, this leads to disastrous results.
Originally the word liberal meant social conservatives(no govt religion--none) who advocated growth and progress---mostly technological(knowledge being absolute/unchanging)based on law--reality... UNDER GOD---the nature of GOD/man/govt. does not change. These were the Classical liberals...founding fathers-PRINCIPLES---stable/SANE scientific reality/society---industrial progress...moral/social character-values(private/personal) GROWTH!
Evolution...Atheism-dehumanism---TYRANNY...
Then came the SPLIT SCHIZOPHRENIA/America---