Category Archives: Odds and Ends

Odds and Ends

E-mails From Fundies

117 Comments

Received in response to my last post…

Dear Darrell,

I read the registy(sic) statement and didn’t agree to join your blog because I found that if YOU didn’t abide by the guidelines why should I agree to them….

Your comments on topics such as Jesus hair style are probably farther off base of fact than you would care to think …

Your comments aren’t really spiritual in nature and are SNL like in a low humor put down of an easy mark…

You need a dose of spirituality my friend.

Thank you,

J M

No, thank you, sir. I’m going to forgo comment and just let this one stand on its own.

Odds and Ends

Friday Challenge: Flashbacks

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From time to time every ex-fundy experiences as fundamental flashback wherein they get a nostalgic sensation that that they are about to be either

a) judged (“your hair is too long!”)

b) witnessed to (“your hair is so long that I can tell you need Jesus!”)

or

c) recruited for something (“once you’ve gotten a haircut you can serve in the puppet ministry!”)

Today’s challenge is to share some of the triggers that send your mind back to the days when life was simpler and thinking was optional.

In no particular order some of the causes of my flashbacks have been:

The smell of hymnbook pages.

People who raise their eyebrows really, really high when they sing.

Anybody dressed in a suit and carrying a cordless phone. (PCC folks will get this one).

The words “and all God’s people said?”

Feel free to list your own…

Odds and Ends

Assuming the Worst

54 Comments

Suspicion is the rule of the day in fundamentalism. While one may make exceptions for pastors, deacons, or the president of the local Fundy U, the actions of all others must be immediately attributed to the worst possible motives. Whatever the news from those outside the camp, it must be some new scheme of the Enemy.

Is the Baptist church down the street replacing its wooden pews with padded chairs? They must be “seeker sensitive” and trying to draw people in with something other than the Gospel!

Did a well-known philanthropist just donate millions to charity? He must be a Catholic trying to work his way to heaven!

Was there a recent fad involving teenagers wearing, doing, or saying something odd? It must be an attempt on the part of Hollywood, the Illuminati, and a postman named Bob from Fresno to subvert our youth and turn them into sex-crazed drug fiends.

Whatever the story or event, you can be guaranteed that a fundamentalist will be able look beyond the headlines and find the root of liberal deceit. It’s quite a talent.

Odds and Ends

Friday Challenge: Recommend a Resource

343 Comments

Today’s challenge is to recommend a helpful resource to those who are leaving fundamentalism. Read a good book? Listened to an informative lecture series? Surfed a website that challenged your thinking? Don’t just keep it to yourself!

Here are a few that I recommend…

Understanding Fundamentalism and Evangelicalism by George M. Marsden

If you want to understand fundamentalism you have to go back to the beginning and understand its historical and philosophical roots. Marsden does a bang-up job of putting the entire mess into context.

The Reason For God by Tim Keller

When leaving fundamentalism the temptation is often to swing to the extreme and leave Christianity altogether. Here a very non-fundamentalist Tim Keller makes a compelling case for why Christianity still makes sense in spite of people who may abuse it. Also check out Mere Christianity by C.S Lewis for a classic handling of the same topic.

Apologetics and Outreach lectures taught by Jerram Barrs

A fantastic class on faith and evangelism taught by a fantastic teacher. This completely changed the way I look at a Christian’s mission in the world. Load this one on your iPod and listen to it while you work or drive. You will not be sorry you did.

There are many, many more I could recommend but I’ll let you all have at it…