What exactly is a fundamentalist Christian?

Shortly after the publication of Darwin's "Origin of Species" a group of Christians presented a series of pamphlets which argued for the inerrancy of the Bible, and attacked the theory of evolution.

These pamphlets were entitled "The Fundamentals."

Those people who adhere to the philosophy expressed in those pamplets, that the Bible is the unerring and literal word of God, are called "Fundamentalists."

Fundamentalists Christians are believers who believe in salvation by faith alone. The truth of God is revealed completely in the bible and anything else is not necessary. The bible is also up to private interpretation. Fundamentalist tend to be conservative protestants.

You do sound like a "fundie" though I think your heart is in the right place. The bad rep of fundies stem from their continuous arguments with Catholics and how we have everything wrong. The fundies tend to miss the point of Christ's message of loving all people and constantly attack Catholics without really learning what we believe. Fundies also believe that their way is the only way to the Kingdom of Heaven.

You are not a Catholic because you don't seem to believe in sacred tradition, the authority of the Pope, and the Magisterium along with the bible. Are you wrong in your belief? That is between you and God and I will not judge you. Labels don't mean anything as long as you believe in our Lord with a pure heart. Fundamentalist or not, you are a Christian.

In general Christian fundamentalism consists of the following characteristics (all together, not just one or two):

1. The Bible is the innerant word of God, and is God's revelation to man.

2. The Bible is completely self-sufficient, and contains everything we need to know to be saved, live a Christian life, and worship God.

3. Human tradition, with regard to religion, is wrong.

4. Salvation is by faith alone, completely apart from any good works.

5. The Bible should be interpreted literally, unless the context demands a symbolic interpretation.

6. Anyone who does not share fundamentalist beliefs is probably going to hell.

7. The gods of all non-Christian religions are really demonic spirits, and worshipers of those gods are probably going to hell.

8. Evolution is a lie - God created the universe in six literal, 24-hour days, and the flood of Noah actually covered the whole earth just as the Bible says.

Now, to those theological considerations, we could add the following ideas, any one of which is a sure sign of fundamentalist idealogy:

1. Freemasonry is a religion.

2. Wicca and Neo-Paganism are forms of devil-worship.

3. George Bush is a devout Christian, and the Republican Party represents good, Christian values.

4. Fundamentalists are conservative, both in religion and politics.

5. Constantine ruined everything when he invented Catholicism.

Fundamentalist or "fundie" is a term used to describe, in a religious context, a person who is rigid in their beliefs and unwilling to see the point of view of others and who thinks they are always right and thus everyone else is always wrong who doesn't agree with that assessment.A fundie is against abortion but pro death penalty and pro war.A fundie is against homosexuality but often gets caught in the men's restroom soliciting sex.A fundie tells others they are going to Hell and yet does so in a very hypocritical manor.A fundie feels they are above others and yet acts like they are disenfranchised.A fundie often sees themselves as victims to the "anti-Christian" society and yet have no trouble victimizing others who do not believe as they do.A fundie is basically nuts.

Sounds pretty close to a fundie to me. One question you say you think accepting Jesus is not enough. Do you mean you believe in faith + works to be saved? Not quite a fundie in my opinion. However if you just mean that since we are saved we will try not to live in sin and we will try to do good. But the works do not save us. Then yep fundie sounds about right.

Okay! Fundamentalism is defined as, a movement in the 20th century Protestantism, emphasizing the literally interpreted Bible as fundamental to Christian life and teaching.

You sound like a "fundie" to me. Ain't it COOL?!!!! LOL

I am a "fundie". The term originated back in the early 1920's and was coined to mean someone who took the Bible in its "fundamental" state. That is literally accept the Bible for what it says. Most demoninations think that approach is far too strict and not necessary in this age of grace.

Christian fundamentalists do not "kill" someone, given that it violates God's sixth commandment, "Thou shalt now not kill". The definition of a Christian fundamentalist is any one who believes that the Bible is the motivated, inerrant Word of the dwelling God, and is supposed to be taken actually (besides for parables, which can be meant to be analogies, or prophecy, that's written in code). However, old parties just like the Creation and the Flood are taken actually as precise old parties. The phrase "fundamentalist" approach "getting again to the fundamentals". So many Christian denominations have deserted "Sola Scriptura" in prefer of worldly ideals and dogma, and accordingly, their doctrines have end up skewed. The best method to hold a natural religion is to position one's believe within the Word of God. Nowhere within the NT does Christ ever command His fans to move out and "kill the infidels". So even individuals who bomb abortion clinics (that's enormously infrequent) aren't following Christ. Secondly, the change among a Muslim extremist and a "Christian" extremist is that the Muslim extremist kills blameless individuals, reminiscent of at a college or searching location. A character who bombs an abortion health center isn't killing blameless individuals. Inside that abortion health center are individuals who homicide toddlers for a dwelling, folks that support them homicide the toddlers, and the moms who make the alternative to dedicate homicide. Although I don't condone such conduct (I pick to permit God to punish the abortionists) I see a HUGE change among the 2. Also, Muslim fundamentalists are inclined to KILL for his or her religion (even as death within the approach) even as Christian fundamentalists are inclined to DIE for his or her religion (with out killing within the approach). Secondly, you hardly ever EVER pay attention of a fundamentalist Christian happening a killing rampage! Every headline we see within the final few a long time in which individuals have long gone on killing rampages were both atheists or Muslims. True Christians don't act like this. That is why you are not able to examine Christian fundamentalists to Muslim fundamentalists. One makes use of a well supply of authority; the opposite makes use of a nasty supply. They're like apples and oranges.

I think Fundies want to get back to yesterday, when everything was just fine. This applies to Christians, and Muslims alike. Thirty years ago, Iran was in the process of rejecting just about everything new, or western. I think their revolution, and America's swing to Conservatism was caused by rapid social change. Too rapid.

Alven Toffler wrote a great book on the subject; Future Shock

What happens, when you throw advanced technology and concepts at a more primitive people? ( http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/customer-reviews/... )

"Grandpa, tell me 'bout the good ol days

families really bowed their heads and prayed,

daddies never went away...."

Judd....

Basically a fundamentalist upholds the doctrine or guidelines that their group subscribes to...

It is often used on this site to ridicule those of us who uphold the teachings of the Bible. We are the ones who refuse to dilute its message just because it is the easy or popular thing to do.

It never fails to amaze me, that there are many people on this board who PRESUME to know how I think about a particular issue or situation, based on the fact that I am fundamental about my faith!

There are many Christians who think that as long as you believe in Jesus, you are saved and the OT is obsolete.....demons believe. Works and obediance will not save us either, we must believe and obey, Jesus said, "My doctrine is not mine, but His that sent me". John 7:16

Jesus followed the law of His Father, and this fundie thinks that if we follow Jesus, we will also follow The Father.