Essay on The Failings of Fundamentalism - 958 Words

Fundamentalism is an espresso shot of Christianity—strong, bitter, and undiluted. Fundamentalists believe the Bible should be interpreted as literal fact, not metaphorically. To them, it is God’s direct word to humanity and the ultimate earthly authority. And so fundamentalists follow the Bible with unwavering certainty, as if it were God himself, and press their interpretation of the book upon society. But the certainty at fundamentalism’s core is unwarranted, leading them to wrongfully ignore their oppositions’ own valid opinions and the potential gains that come with them. In the eyes of Christian fundamentalists, their actions are protecting God’s will; they are upholding the laws of the Supreme Being, thus keeping†¦show more content†¦Their beliefs demand an uncompromising attitude; for in their minds, their beliefs are not just their beliefs, but unquestionable truths ordained by God. While the fundamentalists’ reasoning is valid, their assumptions are dubious, resulting in an absolutist mindset that unduly rejects non-Biblical viewpoints. Indeed, if the Bible is inerrant, and if the Bible is God’s supreme will, then the fundamentalists’ zeal is justifiable and the world ought to listen to them. However, fundamentalists downplay the almighty â€Å"if.† By their own admission, their certainty in the Bible and in God is built on â€Å"faith,† which the Bible defines as â€Å"confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see† (NIV Heb. 11.1). Neither hope nor assurance are quantifiable pieces of evidence; they are feelings, subjective by definition. Therefore, fundamentalists may feel they are right, but they cannot know whether they are right by standards of objective reasoning. Even if fundamentalist doctrine is entirely correct, it has no more privilege to absolute certainty than any other set of opinions. As such, fundamentalists must understand that their legislative efforts to defend God’s will from ungodly â€Å"assaults† (Marsden) will be seen by others as acts of condemnation, homophobia, and misogyny (Riascos). They must consider others’ opposite and equallyShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of Cat s Cradle 1554 Words   |  7 Pagescooked a big breakfast. And then, when she cleared off the table, she found a quarter and a dime and three pennies by Father s coffee cup. He d tipped her† (14). Felix saw his wife’s actions as transactional, failing to see the Truth -- the love -- behind them. His scientific fundamentalism prevented him from seeing any abstract meaning in his life, and thus crippled his interaction with the people in it. After receiving Newt’s account of his father, Jonah went to Felix’s old place of work, theRead MoreFamily Traditions For Dysfunctional Families Essay860 Words   |  4 Pagesand child are strained and unnatural (Artical 1). Dysfunctional families can range from many different things such as failing to be a provider for their child or lack of emotional, phychological and/or physical needs. There are also different types of dysfunctional families. Dysfunctional families can be because of addiction, alcohol, no emotional support, religious fundamentalism and rigidly dogmatic beliefs, overly possessive parents and sexaul abuse. First on the list is Birthday. Every year thisRead MoreThe Dark Side Of Globalization1191 Words   |  5 Pagesembodies a â€Å"value-oriented, anti-modern, sociocultural movement zealously purposed in reorganizing all spheres of life according to a specific set of absolute values† (Waters, 1995: 154). Jihad, anyone? Of course, commercial globalization and fundamentalism may seem to be at odds, but both are serious threats to democracy. While globalization is dragging identity groups kicking and screaming from their â€Å"their varying degrees of isolation† (Lerche, 1998) and thrusting them headlong into the currentsRead MoreThe Iranian Political Dynamic1468 Words   |  6 Pagesexpense of religion. However, over the past decades, countries such as the Islamic Republic of Iran have evolved into industrialized economies with religion at the heart of their growth . It has, therefore, become a point of studies on religious fundamentalism. The Iranian revolution of 1978 to 1980 changed Iran’s political system. The Iranian political system is based on an agglomeration of politics and religion. The head of this unique political system is the supreme religious leader: the AyatollahRead MoreSummary Of The Book Fareed Zakaria 1563 Words   |  7 Pagesfor the need for economic liberty followed by constraints and proper measures to prevent countries from descending into chaos. There is irrefutable credibility and merit to his assertion that conducting competitively fair and open elections, while failing to ensure the guarantee of liberties that are essential for the nation to flourish and prosper— is insufficient for a nation to be called democratic. In today’s world, what Zakaria considers â€Å"the democratic age,† most of American foreign policy visa-vieRead MoreOrder and Chaos2780 Words   |  12 Pagesused like science to impose order on chaos. It provides rules and rituals for living one s life and explanations of the universe. It gives people hope in a chaotic world and gives them guidelines they must follow to block out the chaos. Islam is failing to progress as a culture and some argue that it is their strict adherence to their religion that is causing this. Humanism and Secularism which are the essence of western tradition are very much rejected. Lewis observes secularism is foreign inRead Moreap us history dbq1672 Words   |  7 Pageseconomies and ours 24.The recession of 1937 was primarily caused by E. ? premature tightening of credit and cutbacks in spending for New Deal programs 25.The Scopes Trial had the effect of B.:-) highlighting the intolerance of religious fundamentalism and its conflict with contemporary science and secularism 26.The philosophy behind the New Deal was primarily to E. ? expand the role of federal government in providing jobs, relief for the unemployed, better wages, and regulation of industryRead MoreReligious Sensitivities Between Religion And Art Beckons Controversy And The Wrath Of Family And Community2647 Words   |  11 Pagesupsetting the public? â€Å"The taboo restrictions are different from religious or moral prohibitions. They are not traced to a commandment of a god but really they themselves impose their own prohibitions; they are differentiated from moral prohibitions by failing to be included in a system which declares abstinences in general to be necessary and gives reasons for this necessity. The taboo prohibitions lack all justification and are of unknown origin. Though incomprehensible to us they are taken as a matterRead MoreIs Liberal Internationalism Utopian, Or Does It Offer A Credible Alternative?2936 Words   |  12 Pagesof leadership by political democracies† . Following the onset of the 20th century the international political sphere has been characterised by the creations of institutions which have sought to establish a democratic peace and in many ways often failing to do so. The inability to prevent some of the most violent conflicts of the last 120 years is perhaps central to the critique that liberal internationalism should be deemed as far too idealistic in a modern world. In an increasingly familiar landscapeRead MoreWhat Is the Connection Between Religion and Terrorism?1903 Words   |  8 Pagesalways an evolution within the terrorist scene. Since the end of the Cold War, religion has become the drive for terrorism. Failing doctrine from the Soviet Union along with failing the creation of liberal democracies to emerge across the world, have allowed means to be gotten by the use of religion as a tool. Clearly, beliefs don’t guide a terrorist group’s plan. Severe fundamentalism however, occurs whenever beliefs are consciously manipulated to suit their plans. The key link between terrorism and religion