I think the average person who hears the term fundamentalist senses the negative connotation. It's interesting how often literally interpreting, bible-believing Christians don't see themselves as being closed-minded or as 'fundamentalists'. The question should easily elicit doubt and the inklings of a new perspective within its fundamentalist questioner but I bet if you put it on every third billboard in America we wouldn't notice much difference. How do you get through to an unconscious metaphysical absolutist? Even honest, self-aware people who are accepting of their inherited traditions believe that someone before them must have done the necessary critical analysis to validate the authority of their creeds.
Although fundamentalism doesn't seem to be on the decline its incarnations may still be fragile in a time when perspectivism could be so appealing.
How absolutely wonderful that you are blogging again.
This post presents a great question. Fundamentalists (I'm not one of them...just a recovering Lutheran, now Vegan Presbyterian) would respond that it's a matter of faith, not reason or intelligence. And your questions puts it back to them, well didn't God give you reason and intelligence? Shouldn't you use it?
Funny that I would read this on Father's Day. My dad, now gone 10 years, was a brilliant aerospace engineer...worked on the Apollo missions. There was a time I stayed away from church, and he would say to me: what if you are wrong? Then you will die and go to hell." Yet logic in every other part of his life was paramount. So why not the religious part?
4 comments:
I think the average person who hears the term fundamentalist senses the negative connotation. It's interesting how often literally interpreting, bible-believing Christians don't see themselves as being closed-minded or as 'fundamentalists'.
The question should easily elicit doubt and the inklings of a new perspective within its fundamentalist questioner but I bet if you put it on every third billboard in America we wouldn't notice much difference.
How do you get through to an unconscious metaphysical absolutist? Even honest, self-aware people who are accepting of their inherited traditions believe that someone before them must have done the necessary critical analysis to validate the authority of their creeds.
Although fundamentalism doesn't seem to be on the decline its incarnations may still be fragile in a time when perspectivism could be so appealing.
Pretty fun twist here.
You still need some axioms that you take on faith in order to think at all, so I think I prefer fundamentalists to Nietzscheans.
How absolutely wonderful that you are blogging again.
This post presents a great question. Fundamentalists (I'm not one of them...just a recovering Lutheran, now Vegan Presbyterian) would respond that it's a matter of faith, not reason or intelligence. And your questions puts it back to them, well didn't God give you reason and intelligence? Shouldn't you use it?
Funny that I would read this on Father's Day. My dad, now gone 10 years, was a brilliant aerospace engineer...worked on the Apollo missions. There was a time I stayed away from church, and he would say to me: what if you are wrong? Then you will die and go to hell." Yet logic in every other part of his life was paramount. So why not the religious part?
I like the way you phrased the question.
WW
Thanks, WW!
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