Fundamentalist Christianity

:This article concerns the self-labelled Fundamentalist Movement in Protestant Christianity. For other kinds of fundamentalism, please see the main article, Fundamentalism.

Other beliefs

No individual or institution speaks for all of Christian fundamentalism, which is a religious orientation, rather than an organized movement. Drawing on their belief in an inerrant Bible and dispensational-literal hermeneutic, many fundamentalists adhere to young earth creationism and universal flood geology and ardently oppose alternate approaches such as old earth creationism and non-theistic evolution, commonly known as Darwinism. Consequently, some fundamentalists have been active in the debate over teaching multiple viewpoints of the origin of humans in science classrooms of public schools in the United States. Additionally, fundamentalists have aligned themselves with the Christian Right, advocating prayer in public school and Christian messages in other public forums, such as displaying the Protestant version of the Ten Commandments in public spaces. Their failure to achieve their goals in the public schools has prompted some to take up homeschooling for religious reasons.

Related Topics:
Hermeneutic - Young earth creationism - Flood geology - Old earth creationism - Evolution - Darwinism - Science - Public school - Christian Right - Prayer - Protestant - Ten Commandments - Homeschooling

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Like many other conservative Evangelicals, some fundamentalists have been vocal in support of the pro-life movement, which opposes abortion, human cloning, physician-assisted suicide, and embryonic stem cell research, and some have spoken against political measures intended to legalize same-sex marriage or relax sodomy laws. However, there are large segments of the fundamentalist community whose approach to politics is based on some form of a theory of international conspiracy that they believe will culminate in a one world government under the Antichrist. This approach inclines these fundamentalists toward suspicion of political power in all of its forms. J. Vernon McGee's famous skepticism of political action still typifies the movement as a whole, "it's just polishing brass on a sinking ship"; and in general, they are much more interested in saving souls, than in political influence. Nevertheless, traditionally, fundamentalists have been very outspoken against communism, the United Nations and the ecumenical movement (particularly the National Council of Churches and World Council of Churches), all of which have been called by some, "Satanically-inspired" notions of false unity.

Related Topics:
Pro-life movement - Abortion - Human cloning - Physician-assisted suicide - Embryonic stem cell research - Same-sex marriage - Sodomy law - Conspiracy - One world government - Antichrist - J. Vernon McGee - Communism - United Nations - Ecumenical movement - National Council of Churches - World Council of Churches

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Some fundamentalists have endorsed strict codes of conduct that prohibit even moderate consumption of alcohol and tobacco, dancing, mixed bathing, gambling, or engaging in secular cultural activities such as watching movies or listening to rock and roll music. These codes may also require adherents to dress in certain ways going beyond simple modesty (for example, by prohibiting women from wearing pants or men from having long hair) In most cases, fundamentalists draw a connection between these features of the surrounding culture and the immoral or unbelieving way of life that they feel is represented by them, and by avoiding conformity to the secular world in such small but signal ways, they hope to protect their souls from corruption and call the world to salvation and holiness, by their example and "testimony".

Related Topics:
Alcohol - Tobacco - Dancing - Mixed bathing - Gambling - Movie - Rock and roll - Music

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Because fundamentalism began as a reaction to views coming out of the academic community, some fundamentalists have become anti-intellectual to the point of looking down on those with higher education from secular institutions, though this is certainly not true of all. As an example of this, some point to what they call the King-James-Only Movement, referring to fundamentalists who speak strongly in favor of the King James Version of the Bible and reject both modern translations and more recently discovered Bible manuscripts because, for instance, those manuscripts do not contain a reference to the Trinity in I John 5:7 and the scholars who produced the newer translations omit the Trinitarian part of the verse, which they believe to be corrupted (compare the NIV footnote) - along with many other evidences of corruption, they allege.

Related Topics:
Anti-intellectual - Higher education - King-James-Only Movement - King James Version - Manuscript - I John - NIV

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In contrast, many other conservative Christians believe that a high view of the Bible's authority leaves them free to consider old earth creationism, or even theistic evolution. Fundamentalists are often criticized by fellow Christians, for attaching spiritual significance to things which are indifferent in themselves, such as old-fashioned standards of clothing, hairstyles, and recreations. The charge of legalism is frequently heard, when cultural scruples are perceived as being elevated to principles of godly living or defacto requirements for recognition as a Christian. Additionally, other Evangelicals usually adopt modern translations of the Bible on the basis, first, that they are in vernacular and therefore understood more accurately by laymen than the antiquated English of the King James Version; and second, that the new versions incorporate recently discovered manuscripts, which some scholars have used to reconstruct what they believe to be a more accurate version of the Bible than was available to the translators of the King James Bible.

Related Topics:
Old earth creationism - Theistic evolution - Legalism - English

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