Fundie DNA: The Roots of Fundamentalism, the Religious Right, and the Moral Majority

[Don]

One of the problems with the Fundie movement is the lack of any real academia or intellectual inspection. The Acts 4:13b mentality within the movement has left many without the ability to think for themselves. They can do nothing unless they are told what and how by whomever they have accepted as the ultimate authority in their lives, usually this is the M-O-g, the pulpiteer, the hired gun in the pulpit.

Recently I have had a desire to look at the Fundamentalist movement in light of US history. This seems to have been inspired by Ken Burns documentary "Prohibition." ( http://www.pbs.org/kenburns/prohibition/ )
In it we see a close link between the Temperance movement/The Social Gospel/the Klan and the Fundamentalists.

There is a thread that is interwoven between religion, Americanism, Moralism and Politics. We see the religious right is not a 20th century idea but already existing in 19th century America and earlier. It is interesting to see that the idea of a political solution for the moral downfall is not a new one. The idea of religious moralism being popularized and embraced by the fundamentalists is not new either.

Generally speaking the Klan is seen in a socially and culturally negative light. Yet we see the Klan's social DNA imbedded in the fundamentalist movement. We see the desire for some sort of Christian Übermensch idea that is common to both groups. I doubt that many in the Fundamentalist camp would recognize this fact or allow that many of their biases are anchored in Klan doctrine. Fewer still would be willing to admit that they too are guilty of taking Biblical Doctrine out of context in order to preach against such topics as mixed marriages, alcohol, separation from other "christian" believers and such, just as the Klan did in the prohibition era.

Here is a starting point for this discussion:
http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/databas...m?HHID=444

Take a look at it and lets talk about parallels and the shared social/ideological DNA of these groups.

Perhaps Camille Lewis can contribute some articles to this as well since I believe she has done a similiar study in the last year or so.

[myotch]

Interesting you mention the Klan - I've never put the Klan and Fundamentalism together because the Fundamentalism I grew up with looked poorly upon organized racism.

But the Klan, in all-white communities, took it upon themselves to enforce stuff like adultery and drinking. If a man was a drunk, his wife could complain about it, and they'd come rough him up.

[exOBCstudent]

I grew up in Funy circles who worshipped the likes of Phil Kidd so I could absolutely believe the "Klan mentality" in some of the IFB but then others I've seen would be totally opposite although clinging to mainstream Fundy doctrines nonetheless.

I don't know much about the actual beliefs of the Klan so I really couldn't compare the two. The link you posted did give me more history than I knew thus far. I guess I must have missed that chapter in the Beka Book curriculum in school.

[Tiarali]

That's interesting. Not being American I didn't know the Klan had any beliefs besides racism.

[myotch]

The Klan didn't start out as a racist organization specifically. It was a fraternity of Confederate veterans and supporters - nearly all of them had not owned slaves previously. It was dedicated to a southern notion of order and chivalry.

(I am not condoning any romantic notion of the Klan - they quickly became a vigilante posse and the epitome of mob rule. I have personally been subjected to one of their lame intimidation practices by having my picture taken by one of them after saying I disagreed with their beliefs and methods - good grief, that was 24 years ago; I'm getting old).

[Don]

D.H. Griffith's "Birth of a Nation" was one of the greatest recruiting tools for the Klan and it was handed to them on a silver screen.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/cultureshock/fla...ion_a.html

Catch it on HULU http://www.hulu.com/watch/201836/the-birth-of-a-nation.
Caution on the content and the racist attitudes

And the Klan was not formed as some Fraternal Order of Southern Civil War Veterans. It was formed specifically as a paramilitary group in rebellion to Reconsructionism and the occupation by Federal forces. It specifically set out to reinstate the status quo of the pre-war south. It quickly went from a guerilla band of terrorists to a political juggernaught in Southern politics. Terrorists tactics have been a mainstay of the movement. After the movie, "Birth of a Nation" came out the ranks of the Klan again swelled and became a major influence in the DNC. Enough to sway party platform and influence during the 1924 DNC also know as the "Klanbake." http://www.absoluteastronomy.com/topics/...Convention

[Crankenpants]

An interesting book to add to the history of it is Last Call I read it after reading a blog post that James Lileks mentioned it in.

Conclusion after reading, Baptists ruined out country.

[DaisyDeadhead]

Okay, have to share this.

Secret History of the KKK from the History Channel, I am protesting at the riot that starts at 3:18, extends to 3:40. I was 19 and I want you all to see how fabulous I looked when I was young! I am the short blonde one, yelling for a couple of seconds. (My first husband is standing behind me) I love being in a History Channel documentary! (I am supposedly in another one about the Seabrook Occupation but I never saw that one.)

My mother was so impressed with this. She recorded it and showed everybody.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GqimK3oC7oo

This was initially a law enforcement video, and I was served with a subpoena, since I was standing so close and saw the whole thing.

Of course, I couldn't rightly remember WHO started it! So I didn't have to testify.

This was Labor Day, Columbus, OH, 1977
It has a real bang-up finish (3:40), they left out the teargas.

PS: this documentary has good information in it too, and not just because *I* am in it. This segment is about the 70s rebirth of the kkk, under David Duke.