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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…
JohnO said:
Wow that cartoon is fantastic!
rick said:
Dang. This even applies to some hardcore atheists, doesn’t it?
Tyrone Slothrop said:
The fundy-atheist. I think so. They’re a special case, in fact; most usually ex-fundamentalist Christians.
rick said:
Dawkins describes them as “militant atheists” in this TED talk: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VxGMqKCcN6A
Alexander said:
Yes sir. I’d agree that Evangelical Atheists are up there with those Christians condemning me a fornicator or Islamists call me Kafr.
Alexander said:
calling me a Kafr*
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Jeff Kee said:
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/
Tyrone Slothrop said:
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).
Jeff Kee said:
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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irishanglican ~ Fr. Robert said:
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.