Yorick- Anglican? I should have guessed! (Episopalian Cloudy here)
Well, as Yorick already pointed out- fundamentalism in the sense of holding to the basic tenets or foundations of ones faith, is not violent or extreme. It's being true to your belief system at it's primary level. I consider myself a fundamentalist in this way. (no ak47 in my pack, I swear!)
As for politics and greed entering the picture, it is unfortunately true. And there are those who claim the fundamentals of their faith but add hate and violence to it for their own purposes. It stops being religion and starts being a cult of the powerhungry.
So fundamentalism shouldn't be a dirty word. It has just been misused, abused and twisted for a long time now.
Cloudy, off the darned soapbox and wondering how she got onto it in the first place....sigh