Is it Christianity or evangelical fundamentalism that's the main issue?
924319
The evangelical fundamentalisms are the main issue.  It pretty much has to be American evangelicals in my book, because I don't know of English evangelicals or French evangelicals (though I'm not denying they may exist).\n\nI know there are lots of really, really nice Christians out there, but 90% of the time you can't hear them above the fundies.  Your perfectly nice, sane question has two thumbs down and no thumbs up because it wasn't controversial and didn't attack anyone.  How sad is that?\n\nBright blessings.\n)O(
339208
Since Christianity is the most influential religion in the US, it gets the most criticism.  But I feel there is truth and beauty in all major religious traditions--even Christianity.
1024000
Most do not have a problem with Christianity when it comes to it's teachings on morality...\n\nRather, they have a problem with the inane and facile arguments proposed by hard-line, dogmatic Christians on such subjects as the 'Theory of Creation vs. The Theory of Evolution'.  For these narrow-minded individuals, no matter what one says or how one says it, if it goes against Scripture --- then THEY ARE WRONG!\n\nFundamentalist Christians fail to understand that The Bible is little more than a collection of imaginary causes and effects, and it distresses them intensely when you point it out to them.\n\nThat's why I seldom even try to make a point with them anymore:  It's like beating a Savior to death, only to have the Savior keep resurrecting himself to be beaten to death again, and again, and again...\n\n"The Christian conception of God…- is one of the most corrupt conceptions of God arrived at on earth.: perhaps it even represents the low-water mark in the descending development of the God type. God degenerated to the contradiction of life, instead of being its transfiguration and eternal Yes! In God a declaration of hostility towards life, nature, the will to life! God the formula for every calumny of ‘this world’, for every lie about ‘the next world’! In God nothingness defied, the will to nothingness sanctified!..."\n- Nietzsche
521801
Not all religion. I would have to say though that FUNDAMENTALIST religion IS INDEED a tool of mind control that allows a small group of people to wield enormous influence over the masses, and I think that's wrong.
817664
Not a priets, a fundamentalist minister.  His name is Ted HAggard and he was the leader of a huge church and one of the largest politically active funamental Christian organizations in the country.
425730
I'd like to know the answer too. It's a phenomena that links Christians to the political right and thus to gas-guzzling, Bush-supporting SUV's. My vote for a church that believes that "a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions?"...Try United Church of Christ. Its a socially progressive denomenation that truly looks at the words of Christ and tries to make a difference in the community. Good question.
962767
Danger.Way too divisive for me.There are more different religions than McDonalds has restaurants.And I'm Christian.
528137
# 1 - You are not a fundamentalist.  Your points regarding the geocentric interpretation of the Bible, that it only means that the Earth is in the center of God's universe, but not the physical universe.\n\nso, a fundamentalist Christian would say, its in the Bible that the Earth is in the center of the solar system and that the telescope is the work of the devil to separate man from God\n\ntraditionally in modern times it means someone who rejects Evolution of man from ape because it differs with God making man with no intermediate steps - like evolution.\n\nThe guy on here with the kayak has quoted Genesis where it says that the world was created before the start of the six days, so this becomes a grey area also for me,\n\nso the Fundamentalist is someone who touts the line God made man in six literal 24 hour days, rejecting Genesis chapter 1. I think you have said that you believe this, but the man in the kayak will use the bible to prove you wrong, and I'm willing to believe he would win that debate.  Also, the 24 hour thing is an Egyptian design, but anyhow,\n\nThose two things are pretty much pre-requisite.\n\nScience and Religion say a baby's life starts at conception, so social policy on abortion where the Christian believes abortion is wrong is ok,\n\nbut most normal people agree that you can be on religious grounds and have a position that abortion must be legal, for the reason that the mothers life is in danger,\n\nSo the third criterium of fundamentalist Christian is the believe that all abortion must be made illegal, and the demand on government of such, \n\nThe fourth criterium is on homosexuality.  We hear from most normal Christians that God loves the sinner, but hates the sin. The normal Christian will agree that all sin is pretty much the same and God doesn't hate anyone.\nThe fundamentalist believes that God hates homosexuals.  We see people who carry signs that say God hates fags.  This qualifies them as fundamentalists.\n\nSo as a general rule, a fundamentalist Christian is someone who a) believes the Earth is the center of the physical universe, because of the Bible, b) believes God made the Earth in six literal 24 hour days (in spite of the Bible), c) believes that all abortion must be made illegal and stopped, and d) believes that God hates homosexuals.\n\nIn general if the person has one, it is assumed by ignorant non fundamentalist Christians that the person is of the believe of all four.  This is sheer stupidity and shows lack of willingness to talk to someone to understand the whole person.\n\nThis same mistake is made by fundamentalists, who assume that all Evolutionists believe the big bang occurred, or that all atheists believe in both the big bang and evolution, this is not true.  \n\nI for one do not believe the Big bang occured.\n\nI really do enjoy conversations with you and invite you to email me or Instant Message me because I truely do desire a real conversation with you out of answers,\n\ndarwin_spartacus@yahoo.com
896180
Well, in the first place, Christian fundamentalists are ironically very un-Christian in every respect except what they call themselves. It's weird, but the biggest "Christians" are the least Christian.\n\nA true fundamentalist in the accurate sense of the word would be living in poverty, shunning the worldly things, and doing endless charity work, like Mother Theresa, or Buddhist monks.
1081676
lol...\n\nChristianity is the predominate religion in the US, the friggin country was founded by Christan's and the only people that see Christan's being persecuted are Christan's....\n\ntheir biggest issue, not that they would EVER admit to it, is that Christianity is NOT as popular as it use to be...
968137
America has been secular for a long time. Consumerism is our true national religion.\n\nI don't think religion is growing, I just think that fundamentalist evangelical Christianity is becoming more extreme, visible, and well-organized.\n\nAlso, Americans are on average more stupid and ignorant than they have been in a long time- far behind the rest of the 'first world' in education and cultural literacy- so there is plenty of room for faith to fill in where reason is absent.
85562
Three words: RELIGIOUS FUNDAMENTALISM and CAPITALISM.\nSome have responded with answers such as Satan. However, that would imply that the world is getting worse. Historically speaking, it certainly is not. The unification of and cooperation between countries indicates a positive movement of participants in the world economy. This is a recent and continuing phenomenon.\n\nThe current threat to stability is the widespread conflict in the Middle East, in addition to much of Africa's problems. What fosters these problems? RELIGIOUS FUNDAMENTALISM and CAPITALISM.
921309
fundamentalist is NOT precisely defined usually on the conservative end\n\nevangelical is not so precisely defined as you might think  and includes very conservative to somewhat conservative views\nand beyond that preaching the gospel...  the evangel... the good news\n\nin general conservative evangelical... a very broad term.. can mean believing what the bible claims about itself\nTaking the Bible to be true in the sense of the literature intended\nand standing for the truths of the gospel, the good news\n\nfundamentalism,  might mean to some wooden literalism...  or it might mean conceiving truth.. and almost the same as the previous.. usually its a reaction to liberalism which much too often sold the farm too often on Biblical truth\n\nthere are differences in style,  but frankly they do more to undermine each other and lose more than they gain  if they overcrtitisize each other instead of having respectful disagreements although granted we are talking about important issues
684624
I am church of God. Not much on environmental issues. More on spiritual.\nWe are mostly conservative but not political. We are bible based when it comes to politics.
48700
I would point out that it is the most difficult point for a Christian.  The umbrella of youth is gone.  Life seems chaotic.  Time for study and prayer is dangerously thin.  You are exposed to ideas that counter or deny your beliefs.
885217
Evangelical is not a domination but something that a group of christian call them self. Some believe in speaking in tongues, like I do. Other believe that was just for the first century church.
258016
Alleluia! Praise the Lord! Glad you've seen through this, mate! The dilemma you describe is known in theology as the heresy of antinomianism (you might want to do a web search on it for the fun of it).\n\nSee the contrasting beliefs of the Eastern Orthodox, Oriental and Catholic Churches on this point.  They are far more coherent.