Is it me, or are fundamentalist Christians warped in the head?
964314
They try not to be warped, but firmly believing they will be the only ones in heaven with all those asses they hang with makes them scared
964343
As near as I've been able to tell there are some that are very open minded while maintaining their belief and tenants of Faith. Zealots on the other hand aren't interested in the opinions of the Person sitting beside them in their own church, they seem completely self absorbed. I've listened to them chastise each other for not being holy enough and that's the Mad leading the Insane as near as I can tell. Those type of Zealot Christians are just totally screwed in the head, every single one of them spits in the Face of God!
214048
Do you fundamentalists Christians even listen to yourselves when you speak? God is steadfast? So all the Jews are still steadfastly burning in hell right now? How utterly noxious.\n\nThese "God-centered" religions, particularly the Abrahamic ones, are the root source of almost every major social ill today.  Let me ask you religionists: Would you rather live in Iran or Holland? Don't all answer at once, now.\n\nA 'religion' (Philosophy would be more accurate) based on common decency and humanity would make much, much more sense.  And at least "God" would stop being an excuse for every stupid fool act some jerk with four teeth and a death wish he pipe bombs Planned Parenthood or blows himself up in a crowded embassy.\n\nRelgiion is, at its least harmful, annoying, and at its most harmful, vile.  It stands in the way of every bit of scientific progress, every push toward equality or civil rights, and halts common sense.  It is the single greatest plague in this world and until it's gone, humanity will continue its downward spiral toward annihiliation.
663955
Does anyone else find Christianity a little disturbing?
90113
The biggest difficulty and challenge that I have had has come not from within, but from the outside world.  I believe that we should all respect one another's beliefs and that our journey with God is a personal one, so naturally, I am continually disappointed with the attitudes and behaviors that I see displayed in the name of God every day.  I am also constantly barraged with, "Christians do this and Christians do that and WHY, WHY, WHY?!" and I don't have an answer except to say that they are not true Christians as Christ intended.  \n\nBut, I'm tired of standing up for why I believe what I believe when it's no one's business but mine and God's.  People think it's wrong to stereotype a person by race or nationality, but perfectly okay to do so by spiritual beliefs and I think that should come to a stop.
832745
WOWZER! You certainly did some serious investigation and put a LOT of thought into this! This kind of explanation makes an atheist proud (I'm serious)! Rather than the usual slings and arrows, you've delivered a very in-depth explanation of "the true believer" (or fundie), without calling names or the usual put-downs. Even so, just wait for the fur to fly anyway (from the fundies and others).\n\nI agree with almost all of it, especially the connection with how the Army breaks down its enlisted men & women, to brainwash them. You show how human survival mechanisms are actually turned AGAINST them in order to achieve full acceptance and subservience!\n\nNow, instead of feeling annoyed by fundies, this actually makes me pity them (well, 'til the next one insults me!). \n\nSome of the Behaviorist stuff has come under fire in recent decades, as too simplistic...but much of it holds water.\n\nI would LOVE to know what your sources are! Can you add them? GREAT POST!
708699
I think you'll find most Christians believe in both.\n\nIt's just the fundamentalist nutters who think you have to choose between them.\n\nAnd I bet you start a flood of drivel from them, mate - be prepared!
1118019
I think being a fundamentalist is being strict in law & punishment. \n\nSin separates us from God, so we need an atonement for our sin.  Jesus blood makes us white.  The good news is to be reconciled with God.  That is a relationship.  Jesus said, "Drink Ye all of it; For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins..."  We renew our minds with washing in the word.  Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God.
115655
I'm sure a lot of them are. But I also notice a lot of questions that are a thinly veiled attempt to promote christianity. I'd say there's probably a connection between the two things.
240087
I am a former fundamentalist Christian and I can tell you that religion definitely causes harm. It instills fear - especially in children - fear of God, the devil, the unknown, demons, natural feelings... the list goes on. I spent my life terrified that anything I did or didn't do might have been a sin, and praying for forgiveness just in case. I think I was more afraid of Jesus than any "devil". Of course, I believed in the teaching that Jesus is love, and therefore any fear came from the "evil one" - but the fact of the matter was that it was God who imposed all the rules in the first place, so at the heart of it, I was terrified of my idea of God.\n\nI preached to strangers, gave more than a tithe (tenth) of my before-tax income every week, and was only friends with non-Christians because I believed it was my duty to bring the Gospel to them. I read the Bible every day and believed my church pastor and elders when they told me that it was my responsibility to take the message of Jesus to non-believers, and that if I let an opportunity slip by when I could have shared the Gospel, and that person then died without knowing Jesus, "their blood [would] be on [my] hands."\n\nReligion has caused countless fights within my own family alone and was the basis for abuse at the hands of my ex who raped me (among other things). The church elders informed me that I was too tempting for him, it was my fault because I was a woman. I was to accept such treatment (and other abuse) because I was the woman and the man is the head of the house - it was not my place to question this.\n\nIt took me years to recover, and after living in fear for so long - and fear of a person for which there is no historical evidence - I can tell you religion definitely causes harm.\n\nMost people wouldn't hold religious beliefs if they weren't taught those beliefs. They may believe in a "higher power" but in today's society, chances are they wouldn't believe in the stories of the Bible. We know that bats are not birds, that donkeys and snakes don't talk, that you can't determine a sheep's colouring by the plants they view while copulating. Most people today would not extol the virtues of a book that tells us to feel happy while smashing babies' heads on rocks, that contains a rape manual, and that glorifies brutal treatment of women and slaves. There are many people who, if they actually read that book, would be utterly horrified at the things that have been attributed to their god.\n\nWhether people want to believe in a deity is neither here nor there, as far as I'm concerned. What they do BECAUSE OF that belief is what matters - and that's what religion is: organised belief in a deity.\n\nI have helped more people as an ex-Christian than I ever did while a Christian - and whatever I do to help people now is worth more because my motivation is that I give a damn about people, and not out of fear of punishment. When "help" is given by religous people and organisations, there is often (not always) a pound of flesh - whether that be an expectation that you attend services, or constant conversion attempts, whatever - because the motivation is a religious one. If people would just love each other because they CARE, it would mean much more.\n\nWould you like your loved ones to help you and be good to you because they care, or because they think they're going to get a reward from you (an inheritance, perhaps)? Worse, would you want them to help you because they're terrified of what you'll do if you don't?\n\nI'm not saying there is no "god". I'm saying that I believe there is no god as people believe it. If such a being exists and is truly all-powerful and all-loving, it certainly doesn't have a need for a "hell" and sure doesn't need our money.
729753
I would be more worried about a Fundamentalist president than an Atheist one.  Most Atheists operate on logic and reason.  Fundamentalists are f*cking crazy.
837880
No, it's just a distorted perception Christians have.
667520
Yes, I am scared of them, and angry at the same time.  I can understand, academically speaking, that they believe that their religion is the best, but this country has survived for hundreds of years with religious freedom as a guarantee of citizenship.  I read things that Fundamentalists have written or articles about things that they've said, and I get really worried.  I mean, what if my next-door neighbor is a Fundie and I don't know it and say something about being a Wiccan?  Will I find dead cats in my yard, as I have heard of happening to someone else?  Will my windows be broken with rocks, my family threatened, all because of my religion?  I thought that we were past that, but apparently we're not.\n\nFundies seem to think that if the world would all change to be like them, everything would be grand.  They just don't get that not everyone wants to be like them.  Not everyone wants prayer and bible classes in school; that's why we don't send our kids to private Christian schools, after all.  Not everyone wants to walk into a public building and see the Ten Commandments on a pedestal when there's no representation of their religion there to balance it out.\n\nI'm always worried that something will happen, maybe a seemingly-unimportant piece of legislation will get through, and all of a sudden the U.S. will be a Christian theocracy.  If that were ever to happen, I would pack up and get out of Dodge despite the fact that I'm in the military.  I'd try for concientious objector first, but if they suddenly made some rule about that, the U.S. becoming a religious state would definitely be enough to make me desert.  Sorry if that sounds awful, but it's true.  I would refuse to serve a theocracy of any sort, even my own religion!  Freedom of religion all the way!
766004
I am a Christian, and I do not believe the things you have written in your question.  I do not put myself above others because I am still figuring everything out for myself.  You stating that all Christians do this proves that you are uninformed.  The other points you made seem to point to the fact that you may be just as narrow minded as those you accuse.  Are you only wanting someone to agree with you?
478140
The pastor you describe is an example of an extreme fundamentalist.  It is important to understand that every Baptist is not this way.  When he told you that you were living a life of sin, you should have told him that he was as well.  We need to remember that the Bible says that we have ALL sinned.\n\n30 years ago, fundamentalists led a takeover of the Southern Baptist Convention and those who disagreed with them were either forced out or chose to leave.  The result was the formation of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship.  Look at the website I am putting below.  If there is a CBF church in your area, you will probably feel for comfortable there.  Your pastor may or may not be Southern Baptist, but I have known at least one pastor who had beliefs EXACTLY like those you described.  Feel free to send me a message if you have some other questions.
1135538
Let me set this up. I am a heterosexual father and grandfather. I am a conservative Christian. I object to your language and what can only be described as your blind hatred. \n\nYour question is NOT worthy of discussion. It is only worthy of disdain. You have given the progressive humanists another reason to say that Fundamentalist Christians are bigots and homophobes.
479343
peter pan just stole my shoes...bad little monkey...,\n\nby the way, there are no "fundamentalist" Christians on this site...it would be against their religion...so your criteria is flawed...\n\ngive me back my shoes...stupid little monkey....\n\nassuming you WERE obedient to God, you wouldn't be disobeying Him or His laws (you would have to give an example of disobediance vs disobeying...another flaw I think)....\n\nthat's it, I'm going to shoot this damn little monkey...