Christian fundamentalists are driving our country into the Dark Ages Comments

Michael R.

Wed, 29 May 2013 01:44:26 +0000

Good article which I was happy to share on facebook and start a discussion around. However, your conclusion that educating Christian fundamentalists simply doesn't work needs to be rethought. As a former fundamentalist, I can say from experience that education and perspective have caused me to leave fundamentalism, and I know that I'm not alone, even by reading some of the above comments. One only needs to look at the declining numbers of evangelical/fundamentalist Christianity to see that this is true.

Chrysann

Wed, 29 May 2013 00:31:38 +0000

Wow! So many people with so many things to say. I just got through reading the article and all of your comments and all it has done has given me a headache, really. It's too complicated for me. I do respect everyone's belief's and personal stories, whatever they may be because I consider myself to be a pretty open-minded person. I believe as long as you are not judging people, hurting (emotionally and/or physically) anyone or any living creature and have a good heart not filled with hate, you're a good person. A good spirit. Everyone has their struggles and "demons" to deal with throughout life but if you keep your head up and power through, you will learn from them and grow as a person. You can't control how people or situations treat you but you can control how you respond to them. I personally have learned this along my journey, and it has made me a much calmer, happier person. As far as religion? I believe that's nobody's business. That's between your heart and what you I believe in ^_^

Mel

Tue, 28 May 2013 19:31:30 +0000

My friends that are Christians are constantly trying to recruit me into their cult, even though they know I have a different belief. Growing up in a church that was full of backstabbing hypocrites and a youth group that shunned my sister and I because we were not "rich" like they were (not really the Christian way) not to mention the crazy Southern Baptist Grandmother (who told me I was going to hell for shuffling cards) and the Catholic Grandfather that divorced my Grandmother after 36 years & 8 kids decided to get an annulment, marry his mistress and had his children declared bastards, really helped me decide that it was not the religion for me. I believe in a greater power out there but I don't believe in the Christian Dogma. The bible is outdated, clearly sexist and has no place in the world today. It was written by a bunch of old men 2000 years ago, I think there have been a few changes and advancements since then. I mean am I really one of the only people who thinks the Dark Ages and the churches power was a time we should probably not go back to...I really don't want to be burned at the stake because I think Jesus was an amalgamation of people. Does anyone really think that God gives a shit as to what is going on with us mere mortals on a daily basis...I doubt it. I am sure the creator of the cosmos has something better to do than make sure you get all your hail Mary's in

Country Gal 20

Wed, 17 Apr 2013 06:23:30 +0000

The reality is that any extremist religion is going to be problematic whether it be Christian, Muslim, etc. because they can not abide differing opinions and thus feel entitled to resort to violence. That being said, part of the problems in our world are due to a disregard of God and a loss of spiritual values. Too many people are fueled by greed and not by empathy or compassion. You also can not put the belief in the New World Order and the direction that many see our government and the world headed only in the laps of fundamentalist Christians. Any truly educated and thinking person, spiritual or not, should be able to see what is happening.

John Payne

Wed, 17 Apr 2013 05:29:50 +0000

O my! Might I suggest a bit more focus? Lumping fundamentalists, evangelicals and Catholics together is interesting to say the least. Are you trying to write some sort of history book here? Lets tackle one topic at a time and invite honest dialogue. You've certainly whipped up the "yeah, let's kill all the Christians" crowd.

Steve Dutch

Mon, 15 Apr 2013 18:49:45 +0000

Here's what you don't understand, and so many people I've talked to willfully refuse to understand. From their perspective, they are trying to reverse a slide into the dark ages. They regard the Bible as a thoroughly validated document. (That thing the Gideons left in your nightstand, with the squiggles on the pages? Looks like a document to me. You reject their document? Well, that's your problem, isn't it?) They regard homosexuality as harmful and as much deserving of suppression as smoking. From their perspective, they are not imposing their beliefs on anyone, any more than the FDA is when it cracks down on medical quacks, because they consider their beliefs to be objective facts. So in their view, your sentiments on gay rights or abortion, if they contradict the Bible, are ipso facto wrong. Now I'll say a sooth. I'll get a ton of wharrgarrble from people who will try to argue why they're wrong. Thank you for demonstrating once again the is/ought fallacy, and they don't care what you think. But I long ago ceased to be amazed at the number of self-styled "enlightened" people who seem to think understanding a viewpoint is tantamount to validating it.

Dave

Mon, 15 Apr 2013 17:23:10 +0000

Mark, The Flying Spaghetti Monster is real whether you believe it or not. Can't you see how ridiculous your statement is? Probably not. Never mind...

clifton pattee

Mon, 15 Apr 2013 15:09:30 +0000

here is a concept...let the teaching of these groups be taught in the schools that they build and not be governed by the other and let them only govern their own followers.... and let the world politics govern only the ones those who attempt to do harm through violence to oppress like groups on the world stage....If one shall attack another group because of their beliefs they would be subject to the kings law and those who live their life without violence to others shall live their lives as truly freemen...this says what it says and i will use this example if you believe that abortion is wrong you may govern this in your own group and not the others and if you believe that that guns are bad then govern that in your own group...but if you use these issues to harm another group without provocation or attack then you are subject to what the other group laws are and subject to the kings laws by doing harm to these groups....now if the kings laws attacks these groups with out provocation and try to dominate these groups than he shall be remove...and if God decides this is wrong then he will put the right king in this position....

shannon rose

Mon, 15 Apr 2013 12:24:03 +0000

and here in North Carolina.... <a href="https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=http%3A%2F%2 Fwww.cagle.com%2F2013%2F04%2Flocal-nc-taliban-and-talibubba%2F" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=http..." target="_blank">Fwww.cagle.com%2F2013%2F04%2Flocal-nc-taliban-and-talibubba%2F

Mark H.

Sun, 14 Apr 2013 21:10:48 +0000

GOD does not force anybody to believe in Him...it's a matter of free will to choose to open your heart and listen to that small comforting voice that's in your deepest inner being. GOD is talking to everybody but everybody is not listening.People are being distracted by every means possible including trying to figure out what we are doing here on this planet and where we came from.GOD is real whether you believe it or not. It's a matter of faith....HE will prove Himself to anyone who ask. I don't judge or point fingers at no one. But, I share this out of love for all of us who wants to know the truth.

Victor

Sun, 14 Apr 2013 20:31:05 +0000

Fundamentalist churchs are not regulated. Anyone who studied under some 'bibilical college' can expect to announce and start their own church. Most range good worthy institutions to those mega-for profit organizations that sell out and prey on those struggling with their faith.

Something new to offer you was me experience with LDS missionaries. Mostly they were harmless and left my Anglician faith intact. Then came the wave of counter-political theological, unchecked Episcopal clergy who abandon their vows of obedience to the church and follow like-political clergy from Uganda, calling themselves anglicans. This new breed advocates killing and shunning those who don't follow their dogma, (out lawed, by the Church of England, home of the Anglican world organization.

Yes, american fundamentalists sent legal and training teams to Uganda to help set up the blasphomies. Teams from Pat Robertson's Club 700 and Focus on the Family are in the forefront.

Kerry M. Berger

Sun, 14 Apr 2013 19:35:20 +0000

Excellent post.

Connie

Sun, 14 Apr 2013 16:17:52 +0000

This was one of many reasons why I left the US eight years ago. I sim,y cannot stand all these snake oil dime store preachers screaming hell and brimstone at every street corner. I simply was tired of all of the wilfully rampant stupidity fundamentalists are still promoting, judging from what I just read. I know they do exist in UK (I live in Glasgow), but they are no where in as near abundance as they are in the US. There is one of these snake oil salesmen who likes to hang out at a nightclub I frequent, and despite numerous warnings he has received from the security staff and the police, not to mention the patrons, he continues to hang out by the door, although these days less frequently after I gave him a good dressing down several months ago. It started out as the usual diatribe about us sinners going to hell, until I pointed out to him that the only place where this is at is in the book of Revelation, which talks about eternal darkness and being cut off from God's grace. These people are dangerous, and they will justify anything including genocide to get their way.

SharonDymond

Tue, 2 Apr 2013 01:02:46 +0000

I attended Easter services this past weekend to watch my grandniece sing. This was the takeaway (quoted verbatim): "What makes us unclean is disobedience." I despair.

Donald A. Collins

Sun, 17 Mar 2013 16:14:25 +0000

Truly a worthwhile post. Religious fundamentalism's growth worldwide has dire implications for all aspects of our lives, but it is particularly dangerous when it crops up in advanced societies where progress away from such obselete views would hopefully be waning not gaining.

Tom

Sun, 3 Mar 2013 18:43:03 +0000

The right wing fundamentalism is already in the UK with churches like "light and life" seemingly quite popular in Cornwall. Worryingly, they hold their meetings in school buildings to further confuse children whom they are indoctrinating. I think that these teachings should be considered a form of child abuse as these children grow into adults who are unable to think, analyse and evaluate. They are being denied the basic human right to an education.

Mackinz

Fri, 22 Feb 2013 05:42:28 +0000

I have just found this site, after recently coming to terms with my faith, and I would just like to say some things. First, thank you. This kind of thing appalls me to no end, and makes me feel like using my second amendment rights and buying a gun, just in case a Fundementalist decides to try to change the legislature of the schools in my area... Not that I would use it, of course. I'm quite sane, smart, know right from wrong, and know that doing so would end up with me spending more than a night in a jail cell. Second, I think that there is very little we can do about this. Though to every sane person out there, this Fundementalist mumbo jumbo is garbage spewed by the ignorant... unless the US Government makes it a crime to force religious teachings in a public setting, then nothing legal can be done. Even if the Supreme Court rules against every single attempt to put religious teachings in the classroom, moronic fundementalists are just going to keep pushing, never learning from their mistakes because they think that they are in the right, and everyone (with a brain) who disagrees is in the wrong. It makes me sick. Such blatant ignorance of truth, human rights and our own Constitutional rights, over a bronze age religion and a book written 1600 years ago. These people are not religious, in my eyes. They are a cult and a hate group, attempting to turn our country into another religious-controlled country, and are not afraid of condemning our population with their stupidity, nor are they afraid of genocide of "non-believers", just like the Islamic countries in the middle east. Something needs to be done. Please, Obama. You are not the anti-christ, but I'd like you to be, just to get these religious bigots out of our schools, out of our Senate and House, out of the media, and out of this country. - Mackinz, California

Patrick 8200

Tue, 19 Feb 2013 12:38:36 +0000

On the Family Research Council's fb page this weekend I saw some guy post. "I refuse to live in a Godless world, it's time to start killing those who follow the devil!" Really? FRC is one of the organization's that are anti-gay putting Christianity and the bible in front of everything to prove they are correct. Yesterday I called a supposed preacher out on spreading lies and proved exactly what he did and what he was doing was against the 3rd and 9th commandments. Today, I'm banned from posting. They deleted my response to his BS post...but kept his post. These people will lie, manipulate and contemplate murder in the name of God. They are getting dangerous.

John Philip

Tue, 19 Feb 2013 11:39:01 +0000

I recognise a lot of what is said here as pertaining also to 'churches' in UK and other countries. My one complaint about this article is that the author falls into the same trap as fundamentalists (and many more 'bible-believing Christians) by making assertions about the thinking of those being criticised. It is wrong for a fundamentalist to interpret inaccurately or generalise from the meaning or message of an individual opponent in order to bolster one's own view; it is equally wrong to do this of fundamentalists. One reason things have become so bad is that many more moderate Christians have fallen for the lie of biblical inneracy, something never claimed in the bible itself! Even quite reasonable people excuse fundamentalists on the grounds that they have simpy 'taken things a bit far'. They feel unable to criticise the flawed basis of the extremism, because to do so would raise contradictions in their own minds about the foundation of their beliefs. Never question the bible! even when it has been misused, cherry-picked, non-contextualised and abused. For more on this subject see my ebook, Fibs, Lies and Scripture. Pay what you feel right, or download it for free. https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/142566 Thanks, Dakota O'Leary for a thought-provoking and timely article. More please!

kittybrat

Thu, 14 Feb 2013 01:39:59 +0000

Dakota O'Leary, you have hit the nail directly on the head. Your examples come directly out of my past childhood indoctrination into fundamentalism. When reason is considered Satanic, there is little one can do, save for to educate everyone about them, and to try to rescue their offspring. NICELY DONE!