An Appeal to Both "Sides" of Fundamentalism

I have commented before on the state of fundamentalism in my area, but would like to appeal to the wider movement, as I see it. Of course, I will be seeing much of this through the lens of my particular experience in this area, so it might not all fit. There seems to be great debate and battle lines being drawn between the “young fundamentalists” and the “established fundamentalists.” (I will refrain from using the label “old.”) :-) I’ll refer to the groups as “YFs” and “EFs” from here on. (I recognize the limitations of any designation, so please don’t take me to task over these. If you think about it for a bit, you will probably understand what I mean by them.) This post will be name-free, though some will probably put faces to the stories and examples.

I am getting the impression that many of the “EFs” have the idea that the “YFs” are simply rebellious individuals who are questioning widely held beliefs and opinions just for the sake of questioning them and expressing their disapproval of those matters by doing so. They are also characterized as having done no real thinking on the subjects, and having nothing substantive to add to the matters debated. In short, they are not fundamentalists.

On the other hand, many of the “YFs” see the “EFs” as harsh and inflexible, holding beliefs and practices without completely substantive reasons for doing so, unwilling to truly face the objections and questions to those beliefs and practices.

I have seen examples of both. My advice to YFs is essentially what I have posted before, but…YFs—

• We need to check our attitude out. To claim that you are simply responding in kind is the argument of the second-grader on the playground! “He did it first!” Comments disparaging someone because of their hairpiece really have no place in meaningful discussion. Some of us need to grow up!
• We need to check our argumentation out. Is it really responsible? Do we have valid objections against a particular practice? Are our concerns in a matter grounded?
• We need to check our attentiveness out. Are we really hearing what the other side is saying? Are we seriously considering their points? Don’t fall into the same pattern of dismissiveness you may think you see in others. These men usually have done much thinking about and studying of the issues in question. More than some of us are willing to give them credit for.
• We need to check our application out. Do we only have pot-shots and objections, or do we have some idea of where we are going with what we are saying, how we might implement it, and what potential impact such application may have.

EFs (I am not saying that all of you do these things)—

• Please don’t jump to conclusions about our attitude. There are rebels in our number. Not all of us are, though.
• Please don’t try to intimidate us. Intimidation is the province of bullies. We don’t need your resume each time we discuss something. You have degrees and experience in ministry that we do not. Let’s get to the issues.
• Please don’t dismiss our objections and ideas out of hand. Some of our arguments are stupid and flawed. Point that out. However, some of us have done quite a bit of thinking about the issues, the Biblical texts in question, and the application of those texts.
• Please don’t misrepresent us. As I cite this example, I am not stating my personal stand on music. Most of the “YFs” who advocate a more open view of music do not claim musical styles communicate nothing. They claim that what a style of music communicates can be very subjective and may also change with time. By the way, most of us have never even considered “O That Will Be Glory for Me” as a song better suited to the roller skating rink than the choir loft or angelic hosts! :-)
• Please don’t be too quick to push us out of the fold. Some will leave. That is certain. But many of us are truly committed to an “earnest contention for the faith once for all delivered unto the saints”! In my experience, most of us are fundamentalists.

I close with a final appeal to the “YFs” who are thinking about jumping ship. Carefully consider where you are going. Don’t leave fundamentalism because of some errors you perceive in the movement and then fall for much greater errors that are found outside the movement. I for one am staying, by God’s grace. And those of you who leave fundamentalism as a movement- please do not leave fundamentalism as a philosophy. It is possible to not be associated with any segment of the current movement and still be a fundamentalist, but probably not easy!

(I agonized over publishing this one. It may place me in the middle, taking shots from both sides!) :-)