Greatest threats to the future of fundamentalism

I think those are kinda fuzzy.

My top three are:

1. Jerry Falwell - sold out to the SBC, Liberty U. has become an ecumenical hotbed.
2. Peter S. Ruckman - devisive and uncharitable and decidedly unable to contend for the faith, not to mention being divorced twice and remaining a pastor, thereby making Fundies look like fools.
3. Contemporary praise and worship - lowering the standards in our congregations to make them acceptable to the world and worldly will kill Fundamentalism faster than anything.

That's bound to ruffle some feathers (not my intent).

[ January 10, 2003, 12:46 PM: Message edited by: Refreshed ]

 

This is based purely upon my 50+ years in a fun-
damentalist church, not upon where I go now.

1. The fear of education and the love of ignor-
ance.
2. The "my way or the highway"' attitude re-
garding music and Bible translations.
3. Dictator pastors and preachers.

 

Are you kidding, I thought those were Fundy tenets!

Bwahahahahaha. I can joke about that, I'm an Independent Fundamental Baptist Preacher Boy (when do I lose that title? Next year when I'm 27 or do I have to have two kids)?

 

In no particular order:

-Ecuminalism
-Embracing the world
-Forgetting what has happened in the past

Bryan

 

Love your sense of humor, Refreshed!

In all seriousness, though, I think that this type of
fundamentalist lives in fear:
</font>

• Fear that education will prove
  them wrong, when it actually has
  the opposite effect.</font>
• Fear of losing control, when
  reality is that if they will teach the
  Word and allow our God to do the
  work, it gets done correctly and
  He is in control.</font>
• Fear of letting Him be in control.</font>
• Fear of letting go of the extra-
  biblical rules, because in doing so,
  they may need to admit that some
  were always wrong, and admitting
  they are wrong (or were ever wrong)
  goes against their flesh and their
  pride.</font>

 

Abiyah,

I strongly agree with the dictatorial pastors. I have heard that some pastors want their congregants to get permission before travelling, etc. That is not from God's school. That is from the Hitler/Stalin/Franco/Atilla school of people control. Not good.

Regarding the education. While I agree with you, education can sometimes be used to draw someone from God himself. For example, education taught me evolution was true, the Bible teaches the opposite. I'm talking strictly a secular education, mind you, while I think you are possibly referring to a deeper study of the Bible.

Jason

p.s. I would have to add dictatorial pastors to my list.

 

You are right: I was refering to biblical studies.
However, since you brought it up, I believe that
in biblical studies, such questions as those of
evolution, adaptation, Creation, biblical inerrancy,
Messiah's physical resurrection and return, pro-
phecy, world views regarding believers, etc.,
should be thorough explored from all points of
view. Why? It gives the student a foundation upon
which to stand when the proverbial winds of dis-
sent become gale-strength. Surely, without this
knowledge, many have been lost from fundamen-
talism.

 

Pardon me for picking on one aspect of your post...great post, by the way...but referring to number two:

I honestly believe that if there was a perfect church out there that most of the people wouldn't listen and apply even the deepest things of the word to the bible that were preached at that church. It's not the delivery that necessarily needs changed, it is the reception. Maybe, just maybe, lack of motivation in the congregation (seperate from a pastor's ability to motivate) to apply the bible to their lives is the most destructive to fundamentalism.

 

Here are three that I have previously considered:

1. Not understanding why we are fundamentalists and what separates us from other "christians".

2. Those who hijack the term to push their own agenda.

3. Agnosticism toward biblical issues.

Despite what you might believe about these issues, I am amazed that fundamentalism has survived in spite of some of the trends that developed such as:

1. Jack Hyles' model for pastors.

2. KJVO.

3. Revivalism.

Again, for the purposes of this discussion, it doesn't matter where you actually stand on the three listed immediately above. The fact is that fundamentalism is much bigger than any of those.

- a friend

[ January 10, 2003, 01:50 PM: Message edited by: Kal-El ]

 

Although I am KJVO, I would have to strongly agree with you that fundamentalism is bigger than those issues.

Jason

 

Not read your Bible and not praying.

 

What is KJVO?

 

KJVO is the belief that the KJV is the exclusive word of God in english. Other translations at best are incomplete and at worse satanic (depends on who you talk to). Verses that seem to support their view on preservation are offered and comparisons to other version are made.

There is more but beyond the above, you could go from good, sound people to sensationalists.

- a friend

[ January 10, 2003, 02:07 PM: Message edited by: Kal-El ]

 

KJVO is the belief that the KJV is the exclusive word of God in english. Other translations at best are incomplete and at worse satanic (depends on who you talk to). Verses that seem to support their view on preservation are offered and comparisons to other version are made.

There is more but beyond the above, you could go from good, sound people to sensationalists.

- a friend</font>[/QUOTE]Okay! That make me a KJVM. (KJV mostly)

 

As for the "fire escape," I think that is permissible, coming from:

Jude:1:22: And of some have compassion, making a difference:
Jude:1:23: And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.

You are dead on. Just preach the word, the whole counsel of God, and the true believers will grow.

Jason

 

No, as a matter of fact, it promotes two ways in this passage. The first is through compassion, and the second is through fear. Some people are won in different ways.

Jason