Hi Everybody!

After reading some of the posts on the Spirituality pages, i have begun to wonder. When the word fundamentalist is mentioned in any thread, peoples mind instantly leap to Iraq. Don't badger me about this because the extream likleyhood is that it will. However i think we have our share of fundamentalists and zealots here on YN.

Many of you are extreamly Christian. People constantly talk about 'burning in hell', 'sin' and 'the One True God'. Many of these comments condemn or are indirectly aimed at an author of a thread or a member of the debate on a thread.

I think that over piety is a problem here and that people need to review and question the authentiscity and reasoning of their faiths. Please give me your views.

quote:

That is a contradictory statement.

Not really. It's similar to a situation where you don't support the Democratic Party but have Democratic friends. You simply agree to disagree. (I was going to use a more serious analogy, but it didn't sound right.)

Korith quoted a Bible verse somewhere that says we must always be ready to give an account as to what we believe, but with gentleness and respect. Korith also made a very eloquent post as to why.
I can't remember off hand where that is.

In reponse to bluedemocrat:

I would like to remind you that what you refer to is in the old testament, (part of the Jewish laws and under the old covenant.)

In the new Testament ( under the new covenant) Paul writes in accordance with people who are already slaves, he does not reference the matter of buying slaves, or taking them into your possesion.

His purpose in this is to exhort them in love and to avoid hating their masters. Also, you have to understand that in the time that Paul wrote this, many people owned slaves, and the slaves were becoming Christians, so he was trying to teach them what is right so that they might win their masters over to Christ.

So I will answer your question now.

I believe that slavery is wrong, however there are still slaves all over the world, therefore they must be admonished in what actions are right and wrong in dealing with their situation.

I get told I'm going to burn in hell all the time. I have other students come up to me and try to convert me to Christianity. I've had a teacher hand me a bible tract on school grounds and then come after me with more s***. I don't really care, it's more amusing than anything else and i can occasionally find a reason to call the ACLU on my school. Fun. But, nonetheless, fundamentalism is dangerous and harmful, and it is indeed present on this site.

When I hear "fundamentalist", I think of right-wing Christians, not terrorists. I don't have a negative view of Christians, though the religion has a lot more than just a few "bad apples".

Even though zealots pi$$ me off and I do get into arguments with them, I still think that people have a right to be zealous and bigoted. But once you start bashing people, that's crossing the line.

Just a question for BoMoWo. The Bible says it is okay to have slaves. Do you think slavery is right?

quote:

I respect other people, but I do not have to respect what I believe to be wrong.

That is a contradictory statement. If someone believes in something you think is wrong, you say you don't have to respect it, but by disrespecting it, you are disrespecting the person who believes it.

I personally hate these "Christians" who think that I'm going to rot in hell because I believe differently than them. I respect their opinions, why can't they respect mine? The ideas of "wrong" and "right" differ from person to person, I would think that to be obvious. Besides, Jesus said to love all people, not to hate them because they don't think like you.

This is exactly what I try not to do and to actually prevent. I am Christian and I explain my beliefs to others but I try not to force them down their throats.

My definition of a fundamentalist has nothing to do with Iraq. It has to do with those (particularly of the Christian variety) who tell others they're going to hell or that they've sinned or that they thing cursing, a form of speech, is a huge sin. To me, stuff like this is ridiculous. I don't care if you want to have sex before your married. I'm not. I don't care if you drink alcohol or do drugs. I don't think it's a great idea but I don't care if you do it. I don't like the kind of Christians who try to convert others because I think that everyone should make up their own minds about religion.

This is the only problem I have ever had with YN members like jamaica. I agree with many of her views on not having sex before marriage and a few other topics. But I don't agree with the way she potrays them and I don't like the way she generalizes others/makes assumptions about them/puts them down just because they have different views. That's just being ignorant.

She and others like her are the reason why the wonderfully open-minded Christians like myself get such a bad name.

First let me say that I am probably considered one of these "zealots" but in our defence, we have the right to represent our zealousness to whatever level we can. In the same way, you have the right to represent your opinions and beliefs to whatever intensity you wish, be that none at all or blatant statements.

I however would like everyone to understand that If you believe something to be real, then you should stand by your beliefs unless you are proven to be wrong, in which case your beliefs might change.


But I will continue to leave no grey areas in my arguments. I respect other people, but I do not have to respect what I believe to be wrong. Don't get me wrong here, I am not saying that I think everyone else is stupid or anything, but if you intend to debate your beliefs with me, be prepared to back up everthing you say. I will match intensity with intensity and will not back down from what I believe.

So now you can label me as a zealot and tell me I'm wrong, but I am following what the bible says, and is says not to be lacking in zeal, and so I will continue to be zealous.