I count as friends many spiritual people of a variety of faiths (Christians, Jews & Muslims). I respect their spirituality, but I freely admit that I share little common ground with fundamentalists (of all stripes); faith is one thing, the active espousal of ignorance (with regard to science) is something else all together. To not only follow but to force others to follow rules set up 1500, 2000 or 5000 years ago, to actively disregard the advances of knowledge, to believe that God speaks directly to them (and, by extension, "blessing" or approving their world view) creates a divide between us greater than the Biblical chasm between Heaven and Hell, at least to my way of thinking.
But hey, my life and world is complicated enough that I don't need to spend time worrying about how they live theirs. So it's not really the fundamentalism that frightens me. It's the evangelism. By definition, it's not enough for evangelical fundamentalists to believe the way they do, they need everyone to believe that way. It becomes their responsibility to save you (and more significantly, from my point of view, me) as well as themselves. If that evangelical fundamentalism is a core value, one on which they base their lives and decisions, then in no way do I want them making decisions for or about me. If (as Bill McClellan pointed out in a column last week) they look forward to the Rapture, view the end of the world as a joyous reunion with God, I'm pretty sure I'd prefer someone else's hand and head in charge of our nuclear arsenal and relations with the vast majority of the rest of world who qualify (as do I, suppose) as "heathen non-believers" by their definition.
Certaintists (liberal or conservative) are scary leaders because (seemingly like our current president) they never (or at least adequately) consider the question, "What if I'm wrong?" There is a difference between being decisive and unquestioningly following the dictates of faith over reason. And isn't that what fundamentalists do, by definition if not by practice?
Because I'm not (or at least no longer) a certaintist, I'm open to (rational, please) explanations of why I'm overreacting. BTW, for those who have known me a while, I have NOT forgotten my evangelical (not religious, of course) years. I now know why I scared so many of the people I was trying to lead, to say nothing of those who tried to stand in the way of where I was trying to lead them!
ktrammel wrote on Sep 15, '08
ReplyDeleteSo you are the one to thank/blame for my certaintist thoughts about religion!
Bill Berndt wrote on Jan 21, '09
ReplyDeleteGeez, I don't like being saved any more than the next guy, but to condemn fundamentalists who want to save me and not condemn those that would like to blow me (and you) to smithereens seems somehow wrong. I'm a certaintist as to the existence of God because nothing else explains to me, in a logical way, how anything got here in the first place. I would also tell atheists only that they'd damn well better be right, but so what? Their upside's no better than mine, and their downside's a damn sight worse. But I digress.
Bob Berndt wrote on Jan 22, '09
DeleteAlthough I was clearly making a specific reference to the evangelical fundamentalists in the United States, nothing in my line of thinking suggests that I am any more comfortable with those of any stripe or flavor in any country.
Bill Berndt wrote on Feb 6, '09
DeleteUnderstood. Just pointing out the frustrations that those in the center and on the right feel when the condemnation of violent extremists is so often less vehement and regular than that of others who really aren't any kind of a threat to your or my way of life.
Bob Berndt wrote on Feb 7, '09
DeleteI'm not willing to cede the center. I view myself as (essentially) a centrist, although obviously a left-leaning one. I might suggest, although certainly can't prove, that fear of the power of evangelical fundamentalists within the Republican Party nudges a significant number of independents, and some Republicans, at least in this last election, toward what they perceive as reasonable Democratic candidates. I know that as long as that group continues to play a significant power role in that party that any Republican candidate will have extra hoops through which to jump to get my vote.