Who needs a dictionary when you can define yourself by another’s insults! It was ten years ago and I stood up in class (dramatic? No, never.) And I said: “You are forgetting about the people in the world who think pornography is wrong because it is the graphic depiction of sex.”
Blank stares. “Heh?” looks.
And then “Who believes that?” The voice was incredulous. The person was another student in my History of Feminism class.
Always with an answer I said: “Mormons, Muslims, Catholics, Christians”
“Oh!” she said, with a sigh of relief. “Fundamentalist groups.”
That’s me. A fundamentalist groupie.
A handful of months ago (how many can you hold in your hand? Less than a handful of m&m’s more than a handful of nails, I guess) another friend was working of clarifying definitions for her dissertation. She used Christian, Pentecostal, and I think I remember her using fundamentalist as synonyms. I would say that Christians include Pentecostals and Pentecostals are among the fundamentalist Christians, while at the same time, according to the fellow student ten years ago, fundamentalist would be anyone adhering strictly to the fundamentals of their religion, so long as it is a religion of conservative values. (Yes, I am inferring that last part.)
So, I think I fit the category of fundamentalist as a part of the larger Christian Church, and fundamentalist as a part of the conservative world which holds to a religion with reactionary views. (You know, reactionary. As in wanting to turn back the political clock to a different era. Not reacts loudly to stimulus.)
But why, oh why am I a nutter, in the classical sense?
Well, one day about twelve years ago, I was minding my own business making photocopies at the local print shop where I worked. A seemingly homeless man of questionable stability paid for his photocopies and told me all about how he had to hurry and mail them to the Mayor’s office before it was too late. Then he told me all about his theory of how the Native American’s got to the continent. And I said: “I knew it! I knew I was right about that!”
Yup, the nice, brilliant, under-resourced, probably under-medicated, man confirmed me in the firm belief of one of my pet theories. When you need the homeless and unstable to back you up because no one else will. Well then. It must be time to get a blog.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
6 comments:
In order to describe believers, I most often refer to
them as simply “prophecy believers,” members of the “prophetic community,”
“Rapturists,” “Rapture-believers” and other terms that relate specifically to the end-times
expectations. I do, however, interview and talk about several that self-identify as
fundamentalist, Pentecostal, evangelical, separately and/or simultaneously.
Fundamentalist, at one time, had a negative connotation, and is currently in the process
of adopting that connotation again, as Islamic fundamentalism pervades the public
consciousness. However, during the time at which most of my interview participants
came to the faith, fundamentalists, those who believe in reading the Bible literally as the
inerrant word of God and who are actively involved in proselytizing to others, were
encouraged to embrace the term and, as one of my friends put it, “Put the ‘fun’ in
‘fundamentalist’.”
What your clarifications and advice helped codify for me, TTH, for my thesis. I think we're all fundamentalists about something, when we hold fast to a belief of any kind, rather than engage any kind of arguments or evidence to the contrary. I'm a fundamental socialist (and believe Jesus/early church was too) despite the socialist = evil, degraded, impractical arguments I hear, but don't listen to. =)
Wonderful blog, keep up the good work FundyNutter - I count myself as one of your kind, if not in specific belief, in tendency.
I like that we are all fundamentalist in one way or another. I have always cringed away from that term as it is coming to have a negative connotation, and not one to which I would subscribe. I am however going to be devoted to your blog.
Thanks XAphd. I remembered that your prof wanted you to define your terms a little more closely in an early draft, and loosely borrowed from the converstaion abour that to help define myself online. I can't believe that was before private Fred came about!
My church and personal beliefs are so exactly old-school fundamentalist that it matches exactly with how your interviewees used the term. I couldn't put it better if I thought and thought. "those who believe in reading the Bible literally as the
inerrant word of God and who are actively involved in proselytizing to others" Very Chuck Colson, James Dobson, and Billy Graham-y.
On another note, I think of this blog as my chance to persue my favorite thesis idea that no history department would ever really approve.
And I seet he phud at the end of your screenname--when do you get to start the new program?
Ahh! Thanks Brooke! I suppose if a person is very flexible in their ideas and prefers the process of evolving their paradigm, they wouldn't have to be fundametnalists, but even then, I bet they would have a fundamental set of premises from which they start their process that they hold to as they explore the world of beliefs.
I think I will pursue my train of thought from the Harry Potter thread, but make my premises clearer and not base the concept as a response to anyone else. Maybe it will seem less contentious and more logical. I guess you can look for it in a couple of days.
I'm really eager to get to the library and do some reading so I can start talking about the origins of Native Americans. It might be awhile as I build my source material. But that's why I wanted a blog. To give myself a reason to do some serious reading and brain development.
blisses.
I've already got a start, somewhat. I have 15 hours of PhD coursework, so I have about another 15 to go before sitting my comprehensive exams. Yippee
i will say, T, that you're the first fundamentalist in my own personal - and clearly limited experience - to put the fun in it for me, and i'm delighted that you've started blogging. because you're such a damn fine & funny writer.
happy about this. yay. keep it up.
Post a Comment