Fundamentalism divides Christians, Carter tells Baptists

Baptist Standard Publishing Co ^ | August 5, 2005 | Ken Camp

[gscc]

Fundamentalism divides Christians, Carter tells Baptists By Ken Camp Managing Editor

BIRMINGHAM, England--Fundamentalism characterized by rigidity, domination and exclusion--practiced primarily by authoritarian males--divides Christians by adding restrictive requirements to the simple gospel message, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter told delegates to the Baptist World Centenary Congress.

[HarleyD]

"The Rev Dr Jimmy Carter once again demonstrates his ignorance of theology and biblical interpretation!"

He should stick to politics....well, on second thought...maybe the Mideast peace agreement....well, on third thought....maybe the Carter International Library for Peace....well, on fourth thought....voting rights in Florida....well, on fifth thought.....

[ohhhh]

["The vast and diverse Christian world needs to rise above divisive controversies, adhere to the basic Christian message, to emphasize healing of differences," Carter said. In drawing close to Christ individually, believers also will draw close to each other, to "follow our Savior, the Prince of Peace, in reaching out to the lost and alleviating the suffering of others."]

This is the "social gospel" preached by liberal religionest members of the dead and liberal churchs of Christiandom and these people have rejected the true gospel of salvation by grace through faith. By refusing to recognize the author of the Holy Bible as God, they too are lost and are like Cain. If God sent the man anti-Christ today, they and all religionists would bow to this false Christ and believe him.
Carter is a fool and a liar.

[Edit35]

As usual, former Prez Carter is long on rhetoric and short on specifics.

He didn't mention one thing evangelicals are specifically doing wrong other than supposedly "discriminating against women."

And even that is simply an accusation taken straight out of the Democratic fairy-tale handbook.

[Mister_Diddy_Wa_Diddy]

My goodness, where does one begin with someone who has more spiritual hangups than a drycleaner, as Jimmah Cahhtah.

Once again Jimmah Cahhtah proves that he is out of touch with God's Word and twists it in order to serve his own purposes.

[Quix]

Yeah, welllll,

we know the DIMRATS

have a fullllllllllllllllll . . .

plantation of bunny men.

[Quix]

Not sure what this has to do with anything . . . but

an interesting very rare 100% statistic in sociology/psychology is

that 100% of the men who said their favorite animal was rabbits

were homosexual.

[i.l.e.]

Taking his lesson from the Apostle Paul's letter to the Galatian church, Carter focused on a rebuke to early church leaders who added additional requirements for fellowship and salvation beyond the clear gospel of grace.

Jimmy the peanut strikes again.

[jude24]

Carter is not entirely wrong here. Fundamentalism has marginalized and paralyzed Christianity, reducing it to petty in-fighting amongst fragmented groups. Carter's cure, however, would appear to be liberalism - which is no better an option than fundamentalism.

Christians must remain uncompromising about our core doctrines, but charitable in our discussions with those who differ from us. The liberals messed up on the first point, the fundamentalists on the second.

[maestro]

?......BIRMINGHAM, England--Roman Catholicism and Mormanism's Fundamentalism characterized by rigidity, domination and exclusion--practiced primarily by authoritarian males--divides Islam's Feminists by adding restrictive requirements to the simple U.N.message, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter told delegates to the Rock Warren World Seeker Congress?

/extreme sarcasm?

[P-Marlowe]

Carter is not entirely wrong here. Fundamentalism has marginalized and paralyzed Christianity

He is entirely wrong.

Which fundamentalists are you talking about? The ones who accept the scriptures to be inerrant? That is the classical definition of fundamentalism. How has an adherence to the fundamentals of the faith marginalized and paralyzed Christianity.

Carter is an idiot. Adherence to the fundamentals of the faith does not marginalize Christianity from Christians, but it will ALWAYS marginalize Christianity from secularism and humanism and liberalism.

[jude24]

The ones who accept the scriptures to be inerrant? That is the classical definition of fundamentalism.

Fundamentalism is defined by more than that, and including a separatist element

[P-Marlowe]

Fundamentalism is defined by more than that, and including a separatist element

So is Christianity.

I number myself among the Christian Fundmentalists of this world.

Do you?

[jude24]

No. I am more of a neo-evangelical.

[P-Marlowe]

What is a "neo-evangelical?" and how does it differ from a Christian fundamentalist?

[jude24]

Neo-evangelicalism is defined by being theologically conservative, like the fundamentalists, but far more willing to engage the modern world and theolgical liberals in a more constructive way. It values engagement without accomodation.

Examples of neo-evangelicalism would be Ockenga, Billy Graham, and Christianity Today. Wheaton College is a big center of it today, and most parachurch ministries are neo-evangelical too (e.g. Campus Crusade).

[ImaGraftedBranch]

Instead, too many Christians choose to narrow the parameters of fellowship

Narrow is the path, Jimmy. Christ said it Himself. Not all that say "Lord, Lord" will enter into Heaven.

[blue-duncan]

"Examples of neo-evangelicalism would be Ockenga, Billy Graham, and Christianity Today. Wheaton College is a big center of it today, and most parachurch ministries are neo-evangelical too (e.g. Campus Crusade)."

Wait a minute, those are "Evangelicals". They coined the term back in the '40s and 50's. Just ask any GRPL.

[blue-duncan]

"The Yearbook's statistics show membership declines over the past decade for several major denominations, including the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), Episcopal Church, United Methodist Church, United Church of Christ, Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, all of which are often categorized as moderate or liberal. The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, which is more frequently labeled conservative, also saw a small decline.

But the country's largest Protestant denomination, the Southern Baptist Convention, which has received considerable attention for its positions that wives should submit to the leadership of their husbands, and on the inerrancy of Scripture, showed a 7 percent increase between 1994 and 2005, to 16,439,000 members."

This from an article posted yesterday. Carter is the poster boy for defeatism. He has never met a success he could not turn around.

[xzins]

Both of you are right.

Originally, fundamentalism stood for certain historic biblical Christian principles that I support.

The word has since floated and is really no longer associated with those principles and is more associated with an unforgiving intolerance toward others of a different faith than oneself.

In the original sense I adhere to those biblical fundamentals. In the more modern use of the word (even if it is a use created by opponents), I am not supportive of unforgiving intolerence.

[gscc]

"The word [fundamentalism] has since floated and is really no longer associated with those principles and is more associated with an unforgiving intolerance toward others of a different faith than oneself."

This is only true if you buy into the liberal mantra which demonizes the "religious right". You have apparently bought the package.