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Why fundamentalism?

Discussion in 'Fundamental Baptist Forum' started by av1611jim, Jul 12, 2007.

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  1. av1611jim

    av1611jim New Member

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    I was thinking the other day about this forum.
    What is it about being fundamentalist that makes a difference to you in your everyday life?

    How does it affect what you do each day?
    How does it affect your interaction with lost folks around you?
    How does it affect your work?
    How does it affect your interaction with other Christians?

    I have, in the past, encountered 'fundamentalists' who seem to have a "we four and no more" attitude". These are they who are so "right" that they have become unapprachable. And they have been the basis for the world view of fundamentalists as being hard nosed ultra wackos.

    What is it about fundamentalism which makes your EVERYDAY activities DIFFERENT from the lost.
     
    #1 av1611jim, Jul 12, 2007
  2. tinytim

    tinytim <img src =/tim2.jpg>

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    As a fundamentalist, as opposed to a modernist, I see God in every aspect of life...

    A Modernist has a view of God that He started things in motion, but is not involved.

    I can look at circumstances in life, both good and bad and see God working..

    And since I have the fundamental belief that the Bible is the ultimate guide for life, What happens in my day to day life is based on it.

    For instance...
    I had a horrible day yesterday.. (Have you ever had one where everyone gets on your nerves? That was yesterday...) We are also going through VBS this week... soooo....

    Since I have fundamentalists beliefs, I see a spiritual battle taking place in my life right now. I see Satan trying to unnerve me to keep me from the kids that need me this week. Tonight is the night we teach them about the Death, Burial, and Resurrection. I think Satan was trying to discourage me....

    Now if I were a modernist, I wouldn't have noticed this.
    But because I am fundamental, I am concentrating more today on God than I usually do in order to fight off this attack....

    Does this make sense?
     
    #2 tinytim, Jul 12, 2007
  3. PASTOR MHG

    PASTOR MHG New Member

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    Great questions Jim.

    I would start out by saying something as simple as "beliefs determine actions." That being the case, I would hope that my fundamental beliefs and consequent actions are a testimony to those that observe my life. Prayerfully, a testimony of conviction, faith, steadfastness, and grace in the face of a militantly opposing society. We hope to live out our faith as an example to those around us, demonstrating that God blesses our life as we live for him, despite the lies the world tells about our faith and our God.

    In a nutshell, I pray that I can prove my God with my life. That being said, I must say that many times I fail miserably, for that I am ashamed. However, the same God that I am trying to honor in the face of worldly adversity, is the same merciful and graceful an loving God that whips my backside and then lets me back in the race. And that too I hope to be a testimony of His character to those around me.

    I hope my rambling makes since...or at least was an answer to your question.

    Max
     
    #3 PASTOR MHG, Jul 12, 2007
  4. Mexdeaf

    Mexdeaf New Member

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    Tim, that is an excellent post! Spot on! I'll be praying for you!
     
    #4 Mexdeaf, Jul 12, 2007
  5. av1611jim

    av1611jim New Member

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    Thank you Tim and Max. Just what I was looking for!

    Anyone else?
     
    #5 av1611jim, Jul 12, 2007
  6. av1611jim

    av1611jim New Member

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    Wow! as of this time on this day there have been 103 views to this thread yet only 4 replies.

    I can only conclude that either most of you "Fundies" don't care to give a testimony of how your beliefs affect your everyday life OR!..........YER CHICKEN!

    Nobody has even challenged me to offer a trestimony of my own?
     
    #6 av1611jim, Jul 14, 2007
  7. tinytim

    tinytim <img src =/tim2.jpg>

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    Cluck..Cluck...Cluck...Cluck

    CHICKENS!!!
    [​IMG]
     
    #7 tinytim, Jul 14, 2007
  8. tinytim

    tinytim <img src =/tim2.jpg>

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    OK, Jim, let's here your story...
     
    #8 tinytim, Jul 14, 2007
  9. LadyEagle

    LadyEagle <b>Moderator</b> <img src =/israel.gif>

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    Right on! As a fundamentalist, I truly believe my steps are ordered by the Lord - every day!
     
    #9 LadyEagle, Jul 14, 2007
  10. av1611jim

    av1611jim New Member

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    Tim;
    As a Fundamentalist:
    I know God's word is inerrant right down to the last letter of the last book of the Bible. As such I know and am assured that all the chaos going on in the world is in the complete control of God for He says so. This includes periods of unemployment or of plenty. I have an understanding of local events and global events for I know the condition of the natural man. When presented with opportunities, and they are many, I can speak with confidence as to the truth of a given situation.
    For example; at work a few months ago, one of the women I work with made a remark about the war and expressed the opinion that we could just leave and everything will be ok. Having confidence in God's word I was able to point out to her that the trouble in the Middle East dates back many thousands of years. This gave me the opportunity to explain the resolution of those troubles in the person of Jesus.

    On an almost daily basis, I am able to trust the fundamentals of our faith and apply any one of them in conversation. Many times I have been asked, "How do you know this?" To which I am always able to point them to Scripture and its infallibility. I have never been disappointed and never been proven wrong. As a matter of fact, I rarely meet someone who discounts God's truth as being 'just an opinion". I believe this is so because God said His word is quick and powerful and reveals the thoughts and intents of the heart. When a person is exsposed they often get quite humble and I can see a PYSICAL change in their countenance. Again proving God's word is true.

    As an infallible rule for my life, I do my work with the echo in my heart and head, "In all you do, do it as unto the Lord".

    When dealing with other Christians, more and more as life trudges on, I am learning to speak more grace while learning not to put so much salt in the 'wound'. This one is a battle, yet as I obey God, He sheds His grace upon my life in greater measures with the assurance that one day I MAY hear "Well done....."

    And finally, God's word reveals to me that the more I THINK I know, the more I KNOW I don't think.
     
    #10 av1611jim, Jul 15, 2007
  11. John of Japan

    John of Japan Well-Known Member
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    I was asleep--literally. Then of course I've been serving the Lord today and didn't even look until now.

    The original Fundamentalists of the 1920's and 1930's (of which my grandfather was one, so I know about this directly from him) took a stand in their various denominations against liberalism. That is what Fundamentalism is all about. They stood against liberalism in the denominations, including but not limited to: higher criticism, the denial of the deity and virgin birth of Christ, the denial of the verbal-plenary inspiration of Scripture (but nothing about preservation), evolution, etc.

    If it were about simply believing the fundamentals, all evangelicals would be Fundamentalists. However, most of them reject the label. To this day therefore a Fundamentalist is one who not only believes the fundamental doctrines of Scripture but stands for them.

    In the light of this, Fundamentalism matters to me in my daily life every time I take a stand for what is right. Here in Japan I stand against idolatry, I stand against the liberalism and neo-liberalism and neo-orthodoxy of much of Japanese Christianity, I stand against the watering down of Scripture in the recent Catholic-liberal Protestant translation.

    Fundamentalism also has always stood for evangelism and fulfilling the Great Commission. (See John Timothy Stone in the original "Fundamentals" pamphlets, "Pastoral and Personal Evangelism, or Winning Men to Christ One by One," and several other articles.) Therefore my very presence in Japan is a fulfillment of my Fundamentalism. The only group currently growing its missionary force is Fundamentalism. The mainline and New Evangelical groups have all seem their missions force decrease in recent years. Let's win souls to Christ, folk!
     
    #11 John of Japan, Jul 15, 2007
  12. Plain Old Bill

    Plain Old Bill New Member

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    Amen,well put Bro. Joj.BTW I have & am reading George Dollars book on the history of fundamentalism.:godisgood:
     
    #12 Plain Old Bill, Jul 15, 2007
  13. pinkcarnation

    pinkcarnation New Member

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    Good posts.... Thank you!
     
    #13 pinkcarnation, Jul 15, 2007
  14. John of Japan

    John of Japan Well-Known Member
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    That's a great book, Bill. :wavey:
     
    #14 John of Japan, Jul 15, 2007
  15. Squire Robertsson

    Squire Robertsson Administrator
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    Another book of more recent vintage: David Beale's In Pursuit of Purity- American Fundamentalism Since 1850.
     
    #15 Squire Robertsson, Jul 16, 2007
  16. John of Japan

    John of Japan Well-Known Member
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    Argh! I don't have that one yet! I'll have to put it on my wish list. :type:
     
    #16 John of Japan, Jul 16, 2007
  17. bound

    bound New Member

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    That doesn't sound so much like a 'modernist' as it does a 'Deist'. Are the two synonymous to you?

    Again I do see this as unique to Fundamentalists. Why do you believe this?

    Catholics, Orthodox and even Oriental Orthodox hold to the same kind of spiritual battles. What makes your view of this 'Fundamentalist'?

    Very Curious...
     
    #17 bound, Jul 16, 2007
    Last edited by a moderator: Jul 16, 2007
  18. Plain Old Bill

    Plain Old Bill New Member

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    Thanks Squire.:godisgood:
     
    #18 Plain Old Bill, Jul 16, 2007
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