Remember that Dutch comic about Mohamad?

[Yorick]

Originally Posted by Beaumanoir If it's the one i'm thinking of then there are fundamentalists in EVERY religion, and they're all mental IMO.

Fundamentalism is a relevant term and as such is not an innately negative thing.
A fundamentalist pacifist is one who believes in the fundamentals of pacifism, rather than a moderate view that incorporates pragmatic shifts away from pacifism.

Fundamentalism in Christianity has been mislabeled so that radicals with non-mainstream interpretations are called "fundamentalists" which actually muddies the waters, because a fundamentalist Christian who adheres to the fundamentals of Christianity would demonstrate forgiveness, love, kindness, care for orphans and widows, nonviolence, faith, charity and mercy.

How are any of those things "mental"?

[Variol (Farseer) Elmwood]

Originally Posted by Yorick Fundamentalism is a relevant term and as such is not an innately negative thing. A fundamentalist pacifist is one who believes in the fundamentals of pacifism, rather than a moderate view that incorporates pragmatic shifts away from pacifism. Fundamentalism in Christianity has been mislabeled so that radicals with non-mainstream interpretations are called "fundamentalists" which actually muddies the waters, because a fundamentalist Christian who adheres to the fundamentals of Christianity would demonstrate forgiveness, love, kindness, care for orphans and widows, nonviolence, faith, charity and mercy. How are any of those things "mental"?

Wooo Yorick! Hi 5!

Yes, we (Christians) should be holding to all those things and more.

[Firestormalpha]

I think the root problem is, in light of the recent press the FDLC has received, people confuse the word radical with the word fundamental.

[Beaumanoir]

Originally Posted by Variol (Farseer) Elmwood Yeah, according to news today, they're still on about it. Boy, could you imagine what we Christians would do if we retaliated every time someone took our Saviours' name in vane? ..wouldn't be many people around I think.

Once again though, you need to remember that it's not just 'Christians' and 'Muslims', there are a lot of different takes on the same teachings, a good majority of muslims have been promoting peaceful protest and condemning the attacks, it's just the select fundamentalist few who take things too far.

You can spell fundamental, without mental

[Yorick]

Originally Posted by Beaumanoir You can spell fundamental, without mental

Fund a mental?

[Beaumanoir]

Originally Posted by Yorick Fundamentalism in Christianity has been mislabeled so that radicals with non-mainstream interpretations are called "fundamentalists" which actually muddies the waters, because a fundamentalist Christian who adheres to the fundamentals of Christianity would demonstrate forgiveness, love, kindness, care for orphans and widows, nonviolence, faith, charity and mercy.?

He'd also demonstrate the art of incest, sacrifice, murder and retribution. It's impossible to even begin to argue that the old testament is void of these things. My point is that everything has to be interpreted in it's own way, and taking any religion word for word is going to end up with problems. Otherwise we end up with another case of Lot and his daughters on our hands. A lil bit o' incest whilst a whole city gets sacrificed for the "sin" of homosexuality.

[Yorick]

Originally Posted by Beaumanoir He'd also demonstrate the art of incest, sacrifice, murder and retribution. It's impossible to even begin to argue that the old testament is void of these things. My point is that everything has to be interpreted in it's own way, and taking any religion word for word is going to end up with problems. Otherwise we end up with another case of Lot and his daughters on our hands. A lil bit o' incest whilst a whole city gets sacrificed for the "sin" of homosexuality.

Beau, that's not true at all. That's the complete misunderstanding of Christianity and also the Bible that I'm talking about. A truly fundamentalist Christian would look to the perfect life of Jesus for example, not evil or sinful actions described in the old testament.

Describing something and endorsing it are two very different things. The bible describes myriad people in painful honesty, many times without passing judgement either way. It just describes it. Other times it does pass judgment or shows the negative consequences of evil. What behaviour it does endorse, it makes very clear.

Lot doesn't destroy the city. Lot tries to prevent two male guests of his from being gang raped by a crowd, who were then trying to kill the whole family.

But Jesus turns around and dies on the cross for the same kind of people that were in that town. Jesus forgives and loves and dies for the Sodomite-rapist, and so that is the fundamental example a Christian fundamentalist would follow: Love, compassion, forgiveness, mercy, kindness, patience and self sacrifice.

[Yorick]

If I may add one more thing to that - and it's a separate thought, hence the separate post - it's that many equate a fundamentalist Christian with some firebrand preacher who spouts some anti-gay rhetoric and then exalts when misfortune befalls a gay person(s).

However, it is possible to believe homosexuality is a sin - and so not practice homosexuality oneself - while loving, respecting, caring for and befriending people who practice homosexuality.

Christians manage to go into jails to share, pastor, entertain or help murderers yet don't commit murder.

Jesus hung out with tax-collectors yet didn't cheat people or overcharge them like the IRS... I mean tax collectors did.

A fundamentalist Christian would attempt to live the way Jesus has demonstrated and asked us to live, the way Paul has elaborated on, yet not judge, condemn or hate people who do not.

The fundamental commandment Jesus gives us is to love one another.

[Luvian]

As far as I'm aware we still have a moratorium on religion, but things are being civil so I will pretend I didn't see anything so long as it's about sharing and listening to opinions and it's not denouncing anything.

[Variol (Farseer) Elmwood]

Yorick; I love you!

You said that so well in the 2 posts.

It's about hating the act, never the person. The thing is that we tend to view sin in degrees. "The murderer, the rapist, the pedofile etc are all worse than I am." Not true! God sees all sin as equal. If we can remember that, it makes it a lot easier to bridge those gaps.

Well, I'm off to church. Be well my cyber family, I love you all!