If you read newspapers, magazines, watch mainstream news shows on t.v., or listen to certain radio programs, you've probably heard the term "fundamentalist" bandied about. And usually, this word is associated with the most rabid, fanatical, extreme elements of a nonexistent entity--the "religious right." Often, you'll notice the comparison between fundamentalist Christians and Muslims of the same stripe. I'm sick and tired of such mischaracterizations and distortions. I'm fed up with the outright lies. So I'll slice through all the garbage and define the term accurately:
Christian fundamentalism is an outlook that believes the Bible is the inspired Word of God, inerrant in its message and intent, and literally true. In other words, it is God's love letter to the human race; his book of expectations and instructions for living a fulfilling life; his offering of the free gift of salvation, through Christ. It's message of redemption and the hope of eternity with God is genuine. And when I say literally true, here's what I mean: when Genesis speaks of the creation, Adam and Eve's walk with God, their fall and subsequent expulsion from Eden, it relates these events as they actually happened. When the Bible tells us that humanity was destroyed in a universal flood, with only Noah and his family spared, it elaborates upon an historical event. Other true stories include that of Moses, Elijah, Daniel, and the apostles' evangelism. Most importantly, it speaks truth in sharing the story of Christ's unique birth, his ministry, his death, burial, and resurrection, and his ascension back into Heaven to be with the Father. All of these stories give us literal truth in their particulars.
That is Christian fundamentalism. In short, taking the Bible seriously. I know this because I, myself, am a Christian fundamentalist. I was raised in such a household, in such a family, and have frequented Christian fundamentalist churches all my life. I realize variations exist amongst this sub-category of Protestantism; but I can assure you that I've never known anyone who acts or thinks the way fundamentalists are portrayed as acting and thinking in the media.
As for a correlation between Christian fundamentalism and Islamic fundamentalism, there's only one area in which they seem alike--in accepting their given texts at face-value. That's it. Christian fundamentalists tend toward evangelization of their brethren and instituting Biblical tenets in their personal lives. Islamic fundamentalists tend toward murder and abuse in the name of their God, with a simple offer to the world--convert, be subjugated, or die.
When was the last time you heard or read about a Christian fundamentalist blowing up a school bus full of children in the name of God, I wonder?
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