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| Yes | 56% | 52 votes | Total: 93 votes | |
| No | 44% | 41 votes |
Yes
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Add to FavoritesWords can hurt. There are certain words which society has determined to be, at the very least, detrimental to society as a whole. There has been one word in particular that society has deemed more than just inappropriate and has been working hard to eradicate from the language.
Yet, there are still other words which are used that can easily hurt the feelings of someone. I believe that the word fundie is one of those words. I use that word myself to describe whacky Christians. Most of them have earned the name through their insanity and overall nuttiness. If you have any doubt of their nuttiness just try watching a Christian religious TV show.
I have heard fundies refer to themselves as fundies but I am guessing they have a different meaning for the word then I do. When I use the term it is without a doubt a form of disrespect however I would think that some fundies might be trying to take ownership of the word. If they can take ownership of the word then perhaps it might lose its appeal to those of us who use it as a term of disrespect.
Pretty much any word can be used to show disrespect to a group of people. It all depends on how the word is used and who is using it. I do believe that if the group being disrespected does manage to take ownership of the word then its effect in disrespect would diminish significantly.
As I said, I am one who uses the term fundie to disrespect fundamental Christians and the reasons for it are simple. I find Christians to be insane. They have some truly strange ideas which I refer to as the Kent Hovind effect. Mr. Hovind, currently being housed at the expense of the taxpayer in a federal institution some place, has taken science and simply decided it's wrong. From there he designed his own view of the world based on not just the bible but other strange ideas that he managed to form over time.
Kent Hovind has a strong effect on those who have a hard time understanding science. Those are weak minded people who Hovind has taken advantage of. I am certain that many fundies, oops I mean fundamentalist Christians have never heard of Kent Hovind.
Those fundies who have never heard of the lovely and talented Mr. Kent Hovind have their own strange view of the world. Where they get these ideas is anyones' guess. They would claim the bible but I have my doubts.
In the end, any word can be used to disrespect people and the word fundie is one of those words.
Learn more about this author, R.A. Scott.
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No
When Believers were called Christians during the first century, that was intended to be an insult. People were "little Christs" because they tried to live the way Christ would. But when you consider that the Romans thought Christians were cannibals because they considered the wafer and wine the body and blood of Christ, though symbolic, being called a Christian is tame.
Being called a fundie shouldn't be considered an insult, but a badge of honor. A Fundamentalist Christian is someone who is supposed to believe and follow the fundamentals of Christianity. If athletes didn't know the fundamentals of the sports they participate in, would they be paid the big bucks for their abilities? You could say a fundamentalist baseball player is worth watching while a novice baseball player should be confined to the sandlot.
People today want to associate fundamentalists with evil. Muslim Fundamentalists flew planes into the Trade Towers and Pentagon. Some Christians labeled as fundamentalists have killed abortion doctors. God condemns murder even in his name since he is the final judge. We can not be "God Players" and decide who lives and dies. Murderers could be considered that and should be punished appropriately. But a Christian Fundamentalist loves people; even those that hate him. If Christ said on the cross that God should forgive his killers, we have no right to give into hate and return evil for evil.
Not all people are children of God just like not all people are children of Bill Gates. The Bible says we will know them by their fruits. If a person doesn't hold to the fundamentals of Christianity, would anyone "accuse" him of being a fundie? If a person didn't rely on God and tried to do things their way, would they be called fundies? Just going to church doesn't mean you are a fundie. Even people in the Mafia go to church.
It comes down to having Christ in your heart. If you aren't born-again, as Jesus told Nicodemus he must be, you can't consider yourself a true Christian. Remember, Christ said the Pharisees were of their father the devil. The Pharisees were overly religious and bragged about it. But they trusted more in themselves and their goodness than in God. Jesus would have said all their righteousness were filthy rags.
Call me a fundie, if you want. That is better than being called other names I've been called by even friends because I oppose abortion and support the death penalty. Even the Bible says that the state weilds the sword to punish evil-doers. Our Fifth Amendment in the Constitution says a person can be deprived of life if there is due process of law. Many of the framers of the Constitution were by and large Christians. So go ahead and be proud to be considered a fundie. Just make sure you live up to that title.
Learn more about this author, Rick Badman.
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