In the words of that immortal bard, Joss Whedon “The battle’s done and we kind of won so we sound our victory cheer…where do we go from here?”
If you’re a former fundy, the challenge for you this weekend is to write a line or two about why you finally left fundamentalism and what group or belief system you now embrace instead.
If you’re still a fundy, give a brief description about why you still consider yourself a fundamentalist and if/when you’ve thought of leaving.
It’s all well and good to not be something anymore but then what? Share your story!
Although fundamentalists love sermons on sin of the outrageous and titillating variety, they very often lack any openly practicing sinners in their midst. This results in the odd circumstance of pastors preaching entire sermons on a topics that ostensibly apply to nobody who is listening; it’s like  a sort of  National Geographic tour of the wastelands of iniquity so curious Christians can be suitably shocked.
Perhaps you too have enjoyed the pleasure of sitting in a youth group consisting of three pastor’s kids, one youth pastor’s son, and one child of a visiting missionary.  Not at all deterred by the apparent squeaky cleanness of  his audience, the speaker will still treat those present to a forty-five minute tirade in which the speaker insinuated that most of those present were probably 1) practitioners of witchcraft 2)drug addicts or 3)passing notes during the sermon instead of paying attention.
Yet somehow in the throes of condemning those not present, the real sin in the camp goes unnoticed. Given the average audience in a fundy church it would seem that sermons on gays, Â ganja, and gambling would give place to more relevant sermons on things like gossip, gluttony, or greed. But it’s just so much easier to convince those who are already converted.
Fundamentalists love comparing themselves to soldiers and the Christian life to war. Go to a fundy church for a few weeks and chances are good you’ll hear at least one sermon illustration involving soldiers, combat heroism, and a Christian in basic training who shined all the boots that were thrown at him (one can only imagine by Communist spies) as he prayed. If you’re a fundamentalist evangelist or preacher who has served in the armed forces and has good war stories to tell, your future is bright indeed.
It only stands to reason that fundamentalist would not only honor and respect the armed forces but actually imagine them to be a perfect representation of what Christians should look and act like. They love the uniformity, the short haircuts, the perfect posture, and the shiny, shiny shoes. They relish the idea of troops who are willing to follow orders from their leaders without question. They bask in the thoughts of a righteous army with very large guns blasting away the unholy denizens of evil empires.
Perhaps it doesn’t really occur to them that the aim of Christianity is to save people, not use Gospel foot soldiers to blow them into spiritual smithereens. Fundies may never ride in the cavalry but they’re in the Lord’s army. Yes, Sir.
A silly blog dedicated to Independent Fundamental Baptists, their standards, their beliefs, and their craziness.
