Featured What’s “Fundamental” to “Fundamentalism”?

Fun?

 

Ok...not "fun".

I did read the article. I agree. Unfortunately "fundamental" has taken on a different context with many.

 

I am and remain a staunch biblical fundamentalist. Sadly, the movement of fundamentalism has waned in my lifetime and now is breaking and morphing into almost sect-like fragments (often with sect-like militancy on issues far afield from the fundamentals of the faith.

Fundamentalism (the movement) was trans-denominational in 1895 Niagara Conference-1920 R.A. Torrey era. Then the banner was picked up by segments of denominations but dominated until post-WWII by Baptists (with strong leaders like W.B. Riley, T.T. Shields, J. Frank Norris). Sadly, in the past 60 years the movement has had only "lesser lights" to guide, with little unifying influence. This has allowed the unscrupulous to redefine fundamentalism, and each little kingdom proclaim their own "infallible" guru with god-like powers and no accountability.

My thinking of the movement is that it needs a solid base again, starting at the grass-root local church, then expanded thru cooperative efforts already in place (like state conferences, colleges, camps, etc.) to return any consistent and firm theological basis to the name. I am not convinced that will happen.

 

Quick testimonial. I was asked to speak at a conference in the Mountain West on a return to Fundamentalism. I asked if there was a definite listing the fundamentals on which we all agree and from which there would be no deviation by any speaker.

The conference director connected me to the "guru" who was hosting the event. After lauding my question, he listed 8-9 key fundamentals. I said that such a list would be "a starting place", but what was going to be said about each. My area would be on the physical resurrection so knew what would be appropriate.

The host pastor said he was the first speakers (surprise) and set the tone with the fundamental that the Bible as the inerrant/authoritative Word of God for faith AND practice. I thought this a great topic and said so, because of the controversies over church "teaching" one thing while "practicing" another. And influence of charismatic "feeling" trumping the revealed revelation of the Word.

He said there was a bigger issue (that scared me) and continued that by "Bible" it must be made clear that it was only the AV1611 English Bible that was perfect and authoritative. He had written the first "fundamental of the faith" that "The King James Bible was the only perfect preserved Word of God for the world". I stopped him to be sure I understood . . . and sadly, I did.

I bowed out of the conference and shared with all our fellowship to avoid this schismatic event that redefined the fundamentals of the faith.