Define "fundie"

[godlessgrrl]

I have two working definitions for the word "fundamentalist". Both are highly subjective and personal. They work for me and are reflective of my experience dealing with fundies.

 

My first definition is that a fundamentalist is an individual who takes the literature, dogma, and tenets of their chosen religion literally.

 

My second definition is basically the same as Scott Bidstrup's, and that is that a Fundamentalist (with a capital 'F') is a person of any religion or creed who, when faced with the choice between a loving or compassionate act vs. an act which adheres to doctrine, they will choose doctrine over love every time. (Paraphrased from Scott's website,

Why Fundamentalism is Wrong.)

 

I actually have little objection to the first kind of fundamentalism, in and of itself. It strikes me as being one of many ways a person might interpret their religion; and it's certainly no business of mine what anyone else wants to believe.

 

The problem is that so few fundamentalists just stop there, with a personal interpretation applicable to their own personal lives. In fact I have met exactly ONE fundamentalist who was like that: she had a literal interpretation of her religious doctrine, but did not apply it to anyone other than herself. Sure, she thought everyone else was going to hell and so on, but at least she realized it wasn't her place to try to fix everyone else on the planet. I never heard her proselytize at all.

 

Every other fundie I've met has been of the second variety. In my experience, Fundamentalists take the basic definition and bring it out of themselves and project it onto the entire world. Not only is there a slavish adherence to literalist doctrine, but there exists the insistence that they are the only people who are Right and have the Real Truth ™, and because of some god-given authority they get to try to make the rest of the world follow their rules.

 

Most of the Fundamentalists I've encountered are Xian Fundies, but I know Fundie-ism isn't restricted to just one faith. Any situation in which you have a set of rules to be followed can become Fundie-like, and sometimes it's really weird - meeting Fundie Pagans is just bizarre.

 

Anyhoo. Thanks for reading.

[- AUB -]

FT, Merlin, chill out save it for the real enemy. FT calm down, I told you this lot where tougher the usual xtian bunch, and Merlin you have no cause to just declare FT's atheism a product of seflish desire, you assume he self worships and fails to analyze facts without giving any reasons, I know his work, and it's very well thought out, so lay off, what you said was an insult to other atheists here, and the kind of thing a fundy xtian would say. And FT, being rude to xtians is fine, but the rest deserve more patience.

[Thurisaz]

The term "fundie" comes up quite regularly.  What does it mean to you?

 

My quick shot at a short definition:. A fundie is someone who, if reality and his dogma conflict, kicks reality to the can.

For a christian fundie, this dogma is obviously (mostly) the bible. Other types of fundies use other sources of course.

[Amethyst]

Most of the Fundamentalists I've encountered are Xian Fundies, but I know Fundie-ism isn't restricted to just one faith.

 

I agree. I just rarely encounter "fundies" of any other faith, at least in Minnesota.

[Guest Cherished]

Thanks for enlightening me. Were any of you "fundie" believers?

[Amethyst]

When I was a child and didn't know any better, sure. I was brought up Missouri Synod Lutheran. It's very difficult to be part of that church and NOT be a fundie, although I know others who have done it.

 

Thanks for enlightening me.  Were any of you "fundie" believers?

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[spidermonkey]

Thanks for enlightening me.  Were any of you "fundie" believers?

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Unfortunately.

 

I wasted 5 years of my life in the penteholocaust cult. It still boggles my mind how my dad could buy into that shit and indoctrinate his family into it.

[♦ ficino ♦]

About a century ago, some conservative American Protestants had a conference and came up with the five fundamentals of Christianity:

 

Biblical inerrancy, the divinity of Jesus, Jesus' virgin birth, a belief that Jesus died to redeem mankind, and belief in the Second Coming to begin Jesus' 1000-year rule on the earth.

 

They were reacting against various modernistic tendencies in Protestantism, which had spread in the latter 19th century.

[Merlinfmct87]

From what I've seen many of the members used to be quite funamentalist in thier beliefs.

 

Merlin

[Thurisaz]

Thanks for enlightening me.  Were any of you "fundie" believers?

 

No. Hard to find any fundies at all here in Germany except for the US imports (JW, mormons, etc)... though the catholics sometimes come close.

[Kryten]

Great, now here's a guy who knows everything about me. Yea, that's right, I disagree with your posts because they don't fit my vision of the world, not because they're stupid. You sure got me pegged there.

 

 

I am so going to ask for an Objectivist icon.

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I know Franc has left the building, but is that image accurate??? Did WWTBAM really pose that question?? Did someone actually get it wrong???

 

I'm guessing it's been edited for shock effect... Otherwise, , ,, , is there a smily that shows utter disbelief? Or a :wtf: or :OMFG: ?

[Amethyst]

I'm guessing it's been edited for shock effect... Otherwise, , ,, , is there a smily that shows utter disbelief? Or a :wtf: or :OMFG: ?

 

It wouldn't be all that hard to Photoshop something like that, especially with the solid black background behind the text...just cut n' paste.

[Lanakila]

Thanks for enlightening me.  Were any of you "fundie" believers?

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Yes I was a fundamental Baptist Christian for 18 years before my deconversion. Fundy to me means someone who believes the Bible, and tries their best to live up to what is inside. Often they may not know very much, except what other Christian leaders have taught them. Rarely do they know of the contradictions, and inconsistencies inside the Bible. Many are hard headed and will believe something with little or no proof (tithing, KJV onlyism) and will argue until red in the face, and then some to prove their chosen position. Most are legalistic in lifestyle choices and judge others based on some set up "standard" for how a Christian should dress, act, speak, live ect.

[Panther]

In my own experiences, umm....there was nothing fun about the fundies.

They drove me over the edge and back again many, many times.

 

I was more of a "liberal" christian, if that's possible. The fundy group that I knew were always the ones that were the nastiest, most argumentive and hurtful, the first ones to reject anyone around them but christians and the first, in my opinion to be most judgemental of others.

Everything in the bible was taken literally...everything and of course, for them it was KJV only.

If you didn't do these things, then of course you weren't a REAL christian and they would be the first to tell you so.......

 

Hope I don't offend any old fundies here.....but truly, that was my past experience with them as a group.

 

(another reason I left.)

[Panther]

A fundie is someone who believes so strongly in the literal interpretation of the bible that they hate, and sometimes kill those who do not agree with their interpretation.

A fundy doesn't care one bit how their version of their religion affects everyone else, just as long as people think the way that they do.

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Exactly!

[Kryten]

I'm not sure I was a fundamentalist. Foursquare mostly, some A/G. The church I started with was independant, but later we joined the 4Square denomination. I think we just believed the bible was the literal word of God, and we emphasized the "personal relationship with Jesus", staying "in the word", great worship services, evangelizing, praying, and giving (surprise!). Yes we believed every word must be true. Most of us were young and gullible, and we didn't dwell on anything that didn't seem right. Just ignored it and moved on. Never heard any information that might challenge our beliefs. Thought there was actual evidence that Jesus lived. Thought the gospels were actually named after people that were eyewitnesses. Thought a lot of things that were false. I think we were more tolerant and less exclusive than most churches. We didn't accept that there was only one true denomination or doctine, although it had to include the holy trinity to be valid. We wanted the truth, but were only looking to authorized sources to find it (bible, church, other Xians), so we never found it. Well, we thought we found it, but again were just deceived. SO I don't know if that qualifies us as being fundie or not. I'd probably say yes, but not as hateful or exclusive.

[Guest Nilknarf]

I see you guys have had the pleasure of meeting Frank "I masturbate to Ayn Rand" Tremblay.

 

 

 

 

On Earth ? There are legions of people who know and understand more than I do. On this board ? That's much more debatable. 

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Should I be waiting for a punch line, or are you really that arrogant?

 

Merlin

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What can you expect from a fundie, an Ayn Rand fundy.

 

Yes this guy is arrogant;

Yes he is a dogmatic idiot who is unreasonable and uncompromising; and

Yes he is insulting and beliigerent.

 

But if you want to underestand why Frankie boy is that way go read "Atlas Shrugged" and the "Fountainhead" by Ayn Rand. The protagonist of her novels, the so called "Randian Hero," was rejected by others as a result of his intellect and aptitude. He believes he has the right to exist for his own sake, and does not have to answer to others; the epitome of selfishness and egoism. So, you see, being an Ayn Rand ULTRA-fundie, Frank has taken these characteristics and applied them to his own life. He is a delusional man as he is trying to create his own Randian Utopia, if you will. As you all witnessed here, Frank alienated and insulted people, many of whom might have respected him at first, because he wants to be seen as the "Randian Hero" who is rejected for his beliefs. Frank has been so deluded by his Objectivist thinking that he now sees himself as the "Randian Hero" and believes that Ayn Rand wrote those novels specifically for him. Frank is not grounded in reality, despite what he claims through Objectivism.

 

Or, maybe Frank likes to come onto websites, use big words, iinsult, and make fun of others who do not agree with him or understand him. He has low self esteem and has to result to name-calling in order to bolster his ego and make himself feel good.

 

He likes to speak in theories. I remember reading somewhere that he called someone a tolerantist or referred to tolerantism. Come on, who uses that word? Hey Frank, it sounds to me like you are a confrontationalist and a condescentionalist. How 'bout that, you crackpot? That brings up Frank's own invented word -- Insolitology -- the study of oddities and crackpots on the internet. WTF? He was probably jerkin' it to Ayn Rand or thinking of himself when he came up with that I dea. I have my own word and theory -- egofuscomism. It comes from the greek word ego = I and fouskoma = inflation. it is the theory that people go into internet forums, or wherever, with condescending attitudes towards others and then proceed to insult and tell everyone they are stupid in order to bolster their own self esteem and make themselves feel better.

 

Hey guys, if you really wanted to piss off Frank and send his mind into a frenzy you should have asked him to discuss Objectivism and how it can be reconciled with Plato's "Allegory of the Cave."

[Guest MalaInSe]

I have my own word and theory -- egofuscomism. 

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Welcome to our humble forum, Nilnarf.

 

Renee (aka, the tolerentist <sic>)

[LloydDobler]

Or, maybe Frank likes to come onto websites, use big words, iinsult, and make fun of others who do not agree with him or understand him.  He has low self esteem and has to result to name-calling in order to bolster his ego and make himself feel good. 

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He wears forum bans like a badge of honor. First time I saw him talk about it with pride, I inferred that it is actually his goal, whether he realizes it or not.

 

Your comments put perspective on my intuition.

[Amethyst]

The protagonist of her novels, the so called "Randian Hero," was rejected by others as a result of his intellect and aptitude. He believes he has the right to exist for his own sake, and does not have to answer to others; the epitome of selfishness and egoism.

 

Sounds like a Marty Stu, only without the super powers that dominate fanfiction.

 

[Flyby Stardancer]

You mean a Gary Stu?

[Amethyst]

Yep. Same thing.

 

You mean a Gary Stu?

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