Fundamentalism undermining faith...

[Soph0571]

Fundamentalists of all stripes claim that they want to take us back to a time, when things were simpler and purer than they are today. In reality however, fundamentalism is a very modern phenomenon. It is a marketing tool for religious control. A simple message, simply translated. We are right. They are wrong. Our path is the only path. If you do not follow our path then you are damned.

In reality, there are not that many fundamentalists out there. Be they Christian, Muslim or Jew, they are few in number. But they are loud. Very, very loud and they drown out the voices of the moderate and the reasoned. They infiltrate everywhere with their easy to digest factualism. Their belief in the literal, inherent and historical absolutism of religious text does not allow for dissent, discussion, debate. It does not allow layers of understanding, it does not allow for symbolism, allegories, myths and interpretation. It leads to a lack of nuance and quite frankly is rather insulting to the wider community. The idea that we cannot understand the symbolism at the heart of faith says more about the fundamentalists and their wish to keep people under educated than is does about our ability to grasp nuance.

A ‘pure’ masculinity is at the heart of all fundamentalism. The patriarchal structure where women are seen as different and unequal and the lgbt community is treated as sinners, demonstrates that this rise in fundamentalism is not about faith but control. Control of the community, control of action and control of thought. This is present in all fundamentalist communities irrespective of faith.

So, is fundamentalism undermining faith? I think so. I fear what may happen to the religious majority whose voice is taken away by the loud mouth faith hi-jacking fundamentalist minority. It is no wonder that people are walking away from faith.

[NeoGreen]

1. It is undermining more than just faith (nt)

[Permanut]

2. Well said..

Fundamentalism includes many of the elements of cult thinking. We're right, everyone else is damned. Ignore any evidence to the contrary, it is presented by the devil, and is fake news.

[guillaumeb]

3. Fundamentalists are one version, one subset,

of believers. And the media gives them much coverage. Perhaps that serves multiple narratives.

[Act_of_Reparation]

4. This doesn't make sense.

Why would fundamentalism be affecting membership in non-fundamentalist congregations? Education, access to information, mobility, suburbanization, and increased availability of secular social services make for more believable explanations.

[Bretton Garcia]

5. This is a smart article. Though?

We should next note problems with faith itself and as such; blind faith in anything is never healthy or entirely justified.

[trotsky]

6. Say what you will about fundamentalism...

...but if there wasn't a holy text full of atrocious nonsense for them to be fundamental *about* - a text that even moderate and liberal believers hold up as the "word of god" and containing wisdom that we as a society need to follow - they would be easier to deal with.