In my memoir What’s So Confusing About Grace? I recount my experiences growing up fundagelical. The term “fundagelical” is (as you probably guessed), a portmanteau of “evangelical” and “fundamentalist,’ and in my opinion that descriptor ably captures the distinct characteristics of my religious and cultural upbringing.
So fundamentalism is a big part of being fundagelical. This morning I tweeted seven commandments of fundamentalism and I invited others to share their own proposed commandments. I received several intriguing responses (with more coming in) and have added a few of them to my original list.
- Thou shalt vote Republican
- Thou shalt oppose abortion
- Thou shalt protect gun rights
- Thou shalt support the military
- Thou shalt oppose gay marriage
- Thou shalt make America great again
- Thou shalt oppose evolution
- Thou shalt support Israel unapologetically
- Thou shalt only support abstinence-only sex ed
- Thou shalt deny climate change
- Thou shalt have no Creed but the Bible (which is a creed)
Not surprisingly, some of these are particular to the American experience (notably 1, 3, and 6, and to a lesser extent, 4), while others are of comparatively recent vintage (i.e. 5 and 10).
In What’s So Confusing About Grace? I note another “commandment” which could well be included on this list: Thou shalt read the Bible literally where possible.
Which other “commandments” would you include on a fundamentalist list?
