Reply #10: Lost is the correct word. [View All]

[Homer Wells]

Although there are many on the Fundamentalist side who are indeed using the great social crises of the time to build up their own power, and exhibiting all of the seven deadly sins, I think a great majority of the so called Fundamentalists are "lost at sea". They see the society changing so fast around them, so much of the change seeming to be leveled against all they have been taught to believe by their parents and grand-parents. Those who lead the Fundies offer them a plan to avenge themselves on these "heathen" people.
It also seems to me that the fundamentalists are quite mentally and morally lazy or perhaps "willfully ignorant" (i.e stupid). They believe their path to salvation is one of following the directions of those in charge. Fundamentalists appear to have their own interpretation of Christianity. It is a bizarre amalgam of Old Testament Judaism (with the angry ands spiteful God (Jehovah) running rampant over all enemies), married to an angry and avenging Jesus Christ, encouraging his followers to kill all sinners in His name. Now, I am no Bible scholar by any means, but My JESUS taught love, compassion, hope, and peace. There is no excuse for their type of behavior.
I think Fundies see themselves as "moral", but do not appear to have the depth of spirituality to even conceive of what true morality is.
Again, I prefer to think of them as foolish and petty, rather than as pure evil. The truly evil ones are those who encourage and applaud this behavior, all the time following their own evil agenda.
So my answer to the original question, is Yes and No. It is impossible to paint this complex movement with one over all color.
"Of course, this is my opinion, I could be wrong!"- Dennis Miller
:shrug: :dilemma: :hippie: PEACE