# What exactly is a Fundie? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 3, 2009, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-is-a-fundie/508768 "2009-09-03T17:26:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malleus_incus_stapes/32/3293_2.png) [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malleus_Incus_Stapes)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2009, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-is-a-fundie/508768/1 "2009-09-03T17:26:15Z")
It’s shorthand on the Dope for “narrow-minded credulous religious looney”, but what is the actual definition of a fundimentalist? Specifically, does it mean a person who A) considers their holy book to be the Word of God, and therefore supposed to be taken at face-value, or does it include B) someone who believes their holy book is the Word of God, but isn’t necessarily supposed to be taken literally? ---
**Author:** ![dolphinboy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dolphinboy/32/330_2.png) [@dolphinboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dolphinboy)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2009, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-is-a-fundie/508768/2 "2009-09-03T17:34:12Z")
I think it’s primarily “A”, but I doubt there’s a hard definition for it since it’s often a derrogatory slang word. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2009, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-is-a-fundie/508768/3 "2009-09-03T18:35:31Z")
Christian fundamentalists are Christians who follow the Five Fundamentals: Inerrancy of the Scriptures The virgin birth and the deity of Jesus (Isaiah 7:14) The doctrine of substitutionary atonement by God’s grace and through human faith (Hebrews 9) The bodily resurrection of Jesus (Matthew 28) The authenticity of Christ’s miracles (or, alternatively, his pre-millennial second coming) “Fundie” is more of a catch-all term, despite being derived from “Fundamentalist”. It usually includes a certain subset of evangelical Christians and pretty much any conservative Christian who lobbies for his or her religious beliefs to become law (or at least to become custom). ---
**Author:** ![griffin1977](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/977dab/32.png) [@griffin1977](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/griffin1977)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2009, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-is-a-fundie/508768/4 "2009-09-03T19:00:14Z")
The term specifically refers to a movement in American Protestant community that started in the early Century 20th. The common use of the term “Fundie” while not 100% technically accurate is fairly close to the mark. The movement was specifically about the literal interpretation of bible and its applicability to non-spiritual matters. The term was only ever used in reference to religions other than Christianity much later (Wikipedia claims during the Iran hostage crisis). ---
**Author:** ![Apollyon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/apollyon/32/4238_2.png) [@Apollyon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apollyon)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2009, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-is-a-fundie/508768/5 "2009-09-04T00:17:38Z")
Have a look also at the 14 point creed of the [Niagara Bible Conference](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niagara_Bible_Conference), which is where the term “fundamentalism” has its roots, IIRC. And to your OP question: “A”. Inerrant scripture is a fundamental concept.