Well there you go, you really do learn something new every day.
Ah twas a wonderful day when I stumbled on the bastion of knowledge that is the Straight Dope.
Seriously though, I have heard that term used in a definitely derogatory sense before.
Knee-jerk reaction, mea culpa.
Person? Writer? Famous author? Narnia creator? Christian? Religious? Carbon-based organism?
Sidenote: What’s a better term to describe Ralph Ellison than “black”? Or a kinder term for Ted Kennedy than “radical leftist”?
Hmmm- is this an inappropriate attack on CSL or an inappropriate attack on a religious group?
Where’s the ‘report post to a mod’ button when you need it?
OK- I found the triangle! :smack:
I think that it was meant as an indication of the degree to which the supposedly objective term “fundamentalist” has been turned into an insult, at least on the SDMB.
To clarify, I don’t think fundamentalists believe the Bible is “literally” true. I went to college with a number of fundies (as we liked to label them) and their preferred term is that the Bible is inerrant. That is, not everything in it is taken literally, but everything in it is true. The Bible doesn’t make a mistake. Also, I don’t think you’ll find very many fundies who want to establish a theocracy. Sure, there are some wackos out there, but most do not want to see a government that forces everyone to obey the dictates of the Bible. They want a government that is more in tune with their beliefs, but not a theocracy.
While I may disagree with a lot of fundamentalism, I think we do it a disservice by the stereotypes that are thrown around. Many fundamentalists are very smart people who have thought long and hard about their beliefs. Don’t trivialize them.
I am a former member of the Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada, sister church to the Assemblies of God in the States. Lumpy’s description of fundamentalism very accurately describes my former beliefs and those of my fellow church-goers.
I hesitate to speak for anyone beyond my immediate experience. Perhaps, just perhaps, PAOC/AoG/Baptists/Fundamentalists have become more moderate in the many years since I’ve left. Certainly there can be shades of fundamentalism. But Lumpy’s description rang true to my ears, as a chorus of bells.
Oh, he just pulled that post out of his fundamentalist.
Regards,
Shodan
I don’t know if the pun on fundament was intentional - but you made me laugh in any event!
And try not to call them “fundies”.
BTW, re C.S. Lewis & Fundamentalism, Bob Jones Sr. supposedly growsed about him “The man smokes a pipe and drinks alcohol, but I do believe he is a Christian.”
CS, upon getting a letter from a fundist lady who questioned smoking & drinking, replied “Why is it I only get asked about that from Americans?”
Why just the SDMB. Whether they’re Moslem fundamentalists or Christian fundamentalists, people around the world have learned that fundamentalists are the stock from which people who go around shooting other people and blowing other people up are grown. I do not think my assertion is that far off the mark.
I have left this in GD because I could not figure the appropriate Forum to which to send it: IMHO since it seeks opinions? GQ since there might have been an objective answer (although the responses seem to indicate not)? Cafe Society since Lewis is a noted author?
SOME, not all Fundamentalists would completely reject any association with Mr. Lewis:
BEWARE OF C.S. LEWIS
C.S. Lewis, the devil’s wisest fool
At any rate, to the extent that the question can be answered, I believe it has been, so I’m going to close it.
[ /Moderator Mode ]
Evil Captor, I am a bit disappointed. Regardless your views of various religious groups, the topic was C.S. Lewis and your replies were simply a hijack to express your dislike of a group with which he is not even associated.