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conversion, Evil, extermination, Fundamentalism, fundies, good, holy books, libertarians, martyrdom, neocons, R. Joseph Hoffmann, suicide bombing
Although the word “fundamentalism” is sometimes viewed as a fairly meaningless term of polemic, R. Joseph Hoffmann makes a somewhat light-hearted and entertaining attempt at defining its key elements. Apparently, fundamentalism is all about:
(1) Having a book you think is really, really excellent and which you imagine applies to just about everything:
“Fundamentalists read texts written 1000 years ago as though they were hot off the press.”
(2) Imagining a firm division between the side of good (us) and the side of evil (them).
“To be a fundamentalist is to have the religious equivalent of a teenager’s fear of vampires.”
(3) Having a desire for either self-extermination or homocidal extermination
“self-extermination, a form of martyrdom, is a way in which Christian crazies can vindicate their readings of sacred writ. Homicidal martyrdom is the trademark of Islamic fundamentalists, a much messier way to do business.”
(4) Having an infatuation with converting everybody else
“Pentecostal and charismatic denominations have grown by 37% since 2001; the Churches of Christ by 48%; the Assemblies of God by 68%. (United) Methodists and Northern Baptist by 0%, Jews, -10% and Catholics, through a healthy infusion of Hispanic and Latino votaries, a mere 11%. The undeniable appeal of taking God’s word seriously is unslaked by contemporary life.”
Not bad, but perhaps a bit broad? Those elements could definitely be applied to, say, libertarians and neocons… Ah, sooo. Perhaps not so broad after all…
Wow that cartoon is fantastic!
Dang. This even applies to some hardcore atheists, doesn’t it?
The fundy-atheist. I think so. They’re a special case, in fact; most usually ex-fundamentalist Christians.
Dawkins describes them as “militant atheists” in this TED talk: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VxGMqKCcN6A
Yes sir. I’d agree that Evangelical Atheists are up there with those Christians condemning me a fornicator or Islamists call me Kafr.
calling me a Kafr*
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Fundamentalism is originally not defined with links to religion, but in modern contexts it is.
There’s other cases of hardcore fundamentalism where fundamental principles overturn human logics and sensibility!!!
http://www.jeffkee.com/hot-issues/redefining-fundamentalism/
There is a logic to being human? Sweet.
The term “fundamentalism” was coined in about the 1920s following the release of “The Fundamentals: A Testimony to The Truth”, a series of books written between 1910 and 1915. I don’t know if the term was used before this.
But, as to the substance, the dialectic involving a new irrationalism as a concomitant of any rationalism is a constant in human history (see Adorno & Horkheimer; E. Repphun, unpub diss).
Hmm I mis-read.. or didn’t fully read the Wikipedia article.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fundamentalism
It doesn’t necessary “define” the term into religious contexts, but suggests a strong connection. It also says the word was not in the dictionary until the 1900s. Well if it’s that fresh, I figure we can extend the meaning of it! Language is transitional after all.
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Really the term “fundamentalist” used in the Christian sense is almost always ad hoc…for a specific purpose and negative, rather than a real ontological and theological effort.