on the label "Fundamentalist"

Am I a fundamentalist?

Those of you who have read much of this blog will probably be able to tell me if I am or am not. I'll go ahead and say that I think I am a fundamentalist, and that is why I started this blog post. While writing it, I came across an article, though, that has caused me to think again about the term. In his article, http://www.bidstrup.com/religion.htm, Scott Bidstrup asserts his definition of "fundamentalist" in his first paragraph:

In my view, a fundamentalist religion is a religion, any religion, that when confronted with a conflict between love, compassion and caring, and conformity to doctrine, will almost invariably choose the latter regardless of the effect it has on its followers or on the society of which it is a part.

Well, according to the definition above, fundamentalists seem like heady, heartless people. I can't imagine I'd like such people. How, then can I still hold that I identify myself as a fundamentalist, if the definition is so clear. Well, for one, I hold a different definition of fundamentalist:

It seems to me that the word fundamentalist is tied to the word fundamental. I'll define a fundamentalist as someone who understands, believes, and applies the fundamentals of some set of knowledge, principles, or doctrine.

Allow me to provide an example: There is a textbook called : Fundamentals of Biochemistry. Suppose a professor of Biochemistry assigned this as the text for a class he was teaching. On the first day of classes, one of the new students storms into the classroom, points a finger at the professor and yells "You're a loveless fundamentalist! You're trying to indoctrinate us with your fundamentalist agenda! I'm never coming to class again." Imagine the absurdity of this. The word "Fundamentals" as used in the title of the textbook is synonymous with "basics" or "essentials". This is the same as I use it in the word "fundamentalist". A fundamentalist is someone who understands, believes, and applies the basics or essentials of some thing.

It should be easy to see from my definition how I can hold the word "fundamentalist" without contempt. The word itself is morally neutral. There can be and are good fundamentalists. Consider students of the Biochemistry professor above. Some of them would grow up to graduate and become practicing Biochemists. Now, if these Biochemists are any good, they still would understand, believe, and apply the fundamentals of Biochemistry they learned in college. These Biochemists can be understood to be Fundamentalist Biochemists. There's nothing wrong with this, in fact it is what defines them as being good at what they do if they know, believe, and apply the essential parts of their profession. Thus there can be good fundamentalists. This also shows that it is not the fundamentalism which is necessarily good or bad, but the principles or doctrine which governs this fundamentalism.

I am a Christian fundamentalist. I realize that there are people (even many Christians) who have qualms with these terms in such close proximity. I'd like to ask those people, "Do you not believe in the fundamentals of Christianity?" or, "Does your Christian belief not have anything which is fundamental to it?". I've already asserted in a previous post that I hold Jesus' role as Savior and Lord are essential to Christianity. They are fundamental. It is the fundamentals of my faith which lead me to correct action. It is Jesus who instructs me that I should love.

Mark 12:
28 And one of the scribes came up and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, asked him, “Which commandment is the most important of all?” 29 Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 31 The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” 32 And the scribe said to him, “You are right, Teacher. You have truly said that he is one, and there is no other besides him. 33 And to love him with all the heart and with all the understanding and with all the strength, and to love one's neighbor as oneself, is much more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.” 34 And when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” And after that no one dared to ask him any more questions.

I am not a fundamentalist who has had his heart surgically removed (thanks to Scott Bidstrup for this vivid picture). In fact, it is the very fundamentals of my faith which have changed my life. I have a heart of flesh and not a dead heart of stone because Christ has made me alive. I know how to love others because God tells me in His word what love is and how to do it. The fundamentals of my faith lead me to love, compassion, and caring. Let's put the "fun" back into "fundamentalist". OK, I had to say it. Aside from the jokes, though, I hold that fundamentals are important... that's why we call them fundamental.