20 Reasons I Don't Take Potshots at Fundamentalists

[Suprmn1980]

20 Reasons I Don't Take Potshots at Fundamentalists

byJohn Piper|June 2, 2008



1. They are humble and respectful and courteous and even funny (the ones I've met).

2. They believe in truth.

3. They believe that truth really matters.

4. They believe that the Bible is true, all of it.

5. They know that the Bible calls for some kind of separation from the world.

6. They have backbone and are not prone to compromise principle.

7. They put obedience to Jesus above the approval of man (even though they fall short, like others).

8. They believe in hell and are loving enough to warn people about it.

9. They believe in heaven and sing about how good it will be to go there.

10. Their "social action" is helping the person next door (like Jesus), which doesn't usually get written up in the newspaper.

11. They tend to raise law-abiding, chaste children, in spite of the fact that Barna says evangelical kids in general don't have any better track record than non-Christians.

12. They resist trendiness.

13. They don’t think too much is gained by sounding hip.

14. They may not be hip, but they don’t go so far as to drive buggies or insist on typewriters.

15. They still sing hymns.

16. They are not breathless about being accepted in the scholarly guild.

17. They give some contemporary plausibility to New Testament claim that the church is the “pillar and bulwark of the truth.”

18. They are good for the rest of evangelicals because of all this.

19. My dad was one.

20. Everybody to my left thinks I am one. And there are a lot of people to my left.

[Darrell]

What's more, a quick search would have shown that we've already talked about this:

http://www.stufffundieslike.com/forum/sh...p?tid=1851

[pastor's wife]

I had to answer this. I posted it on the other thread.

[Tony Mel]

But my purpose for posting it was different.

[Waldo L]

OK, for all of us disconnected, hyperprotected, funnymentalist FU students, can someone post a link to PW's response elsewhere?

[pastor's wife]

Here's what I wrote:

20 Reasons I Do Criticize Fundamentalism
(Calling Criticism "Pot Shots" Delegitimizes My Genuine Issues)

A Reply to John Piper - September 21, 2011


1. They are humble and respectful and courteous and even funny (the ones I've met). - Dear Mr. Piper, do tell what circles you've been moving in. While I've met SOME fundamentalists who are humble and courteous, the majority of those in leadership are arrogant and often rude, especially from the pulpit.

2. They believe in truth. - But only THEIR interpretation of the truth and they question the salvation of anyone who disagrees with them.

3. They believe that truth really matters. - which is why they refuse to talk to you if you decide to use CCM in your church services. They use this - that truth matters - to excuse all kinds of unloving behavior toward anyone who doesn't agree with them.

4. They believe that the Bible is true, all of it. - except when it doesn't fit their pre-conceived notions; then they twist what the Bible says to try to make it prove what they already believe, like "wine" was non-alcoholic and Jesus' instructions to care for the poor were only for the kingdom age not the church age.

5. They know that the Bible calls for some kind of separation from the world. -- They choose to separate from the world in externals only: they'll go out to a ball game with the women wearing ankle length dresses but they're rude and obnoxious when a waitress messes up or someone cuts them off in traffic. Isn't demonstrating the fruit of the Spirit a better way to show separation from the world than haranguing the local grocery store because it plays rock music over the sound system?

6. They have backbone and are not prone to compromise principle. - yet the New Testament commands that we behave gently and meekly, even to those who oppose us; that we are to BLESS those who curse us, not scream invective at them from the pulpit. And double-check which principles they're holding to so firmly. There are terrorists who are so committed to their beliefs that they'll commit suicide for them, yet they're completely WRONG.

7. They put obedience to Jesus above the approval of man (even though they fall short, like others). - They SAY they do, but are they really following what Jesus said, or are they doing what their CHURCH TRADITIONS tell them to do? And I do believe they seek the approval of all the other pastors in their fellowship or connected through their alma maters. This statement especially is incredibly naive to those of us who are closely acquainted with hyper-fundamentalism.

8. They believe in hell and are loving enough to warn people about it. - But if they do so with a hateful or self-righteous attitude, they may be hardening the hearts of their listeners instead of warning them.

9. They believe in heaven and sing about how good it will be to go there. - fine, except so do the Gaithers, Southern Gospel groups, and some CCM artists (see "I Can Only Imagine") and fundamentalists ATTACK those singers.

10. Their "social action" is helping the person next door (like Jesus), which doesn't usually get written up in the newspaper. - Well and good, except they usually demonize all organized social action or forbid their members from participating in them. I couldn't participate in Right to Life because of the presence of Catholics and I couldn't pack a box for Samaritan's Purse because to fundamentalists Graham is a compromiser. When a tsunami hit Japan, fundamentalists spent their money printing tracts to send over.

11. They tend to raise law-abiding, chaste children, in spite of the fact that Barna says evangelical kids in general don't have any better track record than non-Christians. - Hmmm. Checked the track record of HAC grads lately? And anyway, being law-abiding or chaste isn't enough for most fundamentalist parents. They're disappointed if their children don't join the same exact type church the parents raised them in.

12. They resist trendiness. - to the point of being obnoxious about it. And they often view completely mainstream culture as nothing more than a passing "trend." (For example, to some the internet is a trend, and a dangerous one at that!)

13. They don’t think too much is gained by sounding hip. - But why attack those who try to sound hip? Why not just be generous and allow differences in the body of Christ instead of attacking a Christian who doesn't talk or act like a fundamentalist does?

14. They may not be hip, but they don’t go so far as to drive buggies or insist on typewriters. - I don't know; I'd say refusing to go to movies sets most fundamentalists back to the buggy-age.

15. They still sing hymns. - I like this, except they sing ONLY hymns and they harshly attack anyone who doesn't sing only hymns. They criticize, demonize, belittle, and judge anyone who uses drums or raises their hands. Instead of allowing for diversity and preference in the body of Christ, they believe that any worship that is not like their own is fleshly, worldly, and sinful.

16. They are not breathless about being accepted in the scholarly guild. -- Some of them are so opposed to being "scholarly" that they never read anything!! Some of them criticize anyone who goes to college or wants to be educated. My former pastor used to proudly say, "I went to college for four years and never learned a thing."
Their anti-intellectualism is a point AGAINST them, in my opinion.

17. They give some contemporary plausibility to New Testament claim that the church is the “pillar and bulwark of the truth.” - What about those who deny the universal church and believe that only their own local assembly of 130 people is the TRUE church?

18. They are good for the rest of evangelicals because of all this. - Not when they distort all of the above points in the ways I've described, unless the good they're doing is driving some of us to make sure we never become so unloving and legalistic and angry.

19. My dad was one. - Yeah, but did he ever refuse to discuss the Bible with you because he didn't agree with the conclusions you'd come to? Did he ever call a Christian book bad because it was written by a Calvinist? Did he ever tell you NOT to read C. S. Lewis because Lewis wasn't a "real Christian"? Did he ever yell at you about how the Bible is all-sufficient when you innocently said you learned a lot from "The Five Love Languages"? Did he refuse to go to his grandchildren's school programs because he didn't approve of the music? My super-strict, fundamentalist father has done all of those and many of us could tell worse things than that.

20. Everybody to my left thinks I am one. And there are a lot of people to my left. -- Guess what? I'm still being called a fundamentalist too, although the fundamentalists reject and scorn me. I'm not going to overlook the faults and excesses of those to the right of me just because those to the left of me are characterizing me as one of them.

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[elizabethn]

You, my dear sir or madam, have a serious case of rectocranial impaction.

Yes, I *do* take potshots at fundamentalists, without warning or apology. Especially ones that are obnoxious like you.