equus

I'd say fundamentalism help (big time) destroy my childhood, I had the parents that rambled in gobble de **** while claiming they spoke in tongues and I saw their hardened attitudes that were impossible to equate with even the religion they claimed to follow (being, of course, sure to add it wasn't religion but 'faith).

On another thread at SR somebody commented it's not so much AA, 12 steps, or any other method that in and of itself can be harmful - more those that become fundamentalists. That rang so true. From terrorism, racism to football fanatasism some things seem to form a thread - fundamentalist things. I notice more flags and need for group identity but that's hardly a defininition. More worringly it seems to me to be a means by which a person becomes 'assured' they are right, and that rightness becomes motive enough to disregard the feelings of others as equals.

I've been trying to put my finger on what this really is (fundamentalism), what objective measure could be used to decide it's presence and how it could be disproven (without being able to disprove it - it remains a 'nothing' in objective terms). I will look it up in the dictionary - but not yet, first as I've lived with the word for decades I'd like to find inside myself a meaning.

I think fundamentalism touches many lives and I'm interested to hear other's experiences of it.

What is it?
What happened when you met it face to face?
Could it happen to you? Me?
Why does it seem to remove reason and replace it with a chant, a one liner?

splendra

this is the only definition of fundamental I can relate to. I can live with it and apply it to my life.

The isms and ists don't worry me one bit. I cannot control how others think. I see lot's of stuff in the outside world that does not fit into my inside world. To me fundamental means basic and perhaps bottom line like the lowest note in a scale. The earth is fundamental to my exsistance here or so it seems to me. If something seems right to me I am sure I will run up on something that will make it seem wrong too...

I would like to just be at peace and not be concerned with who is right or wrong because I know eventually they will become the opposite of what my judgement is. Compassion for the ones I disagree with carries me a long way towards my goal of peace for myself...

I know several people who claim to have had a perfect childhood and their life "looks" very chaotic to me and others who had it really tough growing up that "look" really together. My filters and judgements create my beliefs. Many so called "religionist" have decided that if I do not keep the same rituals as they do then I am not good enough or something. I just don't care.

I know God loves me, you, the fundamentalist, athiest, agnostic, ect. It is the only thing I am somewhat certain of. Remebering that can help me find peace.

In my mind you are right or wrong because of my judgement and my belief if it puts me ill at ease does walking in the other direction whatever that is bring peace? Hopefully I remember my own goal of peace. I can go to a holy roller church and feel the energy, sing, speak in tongues, agree, confess, even interpet and have a good old time is there something wrong with that because my friend had what she thinks is a bad experience in a holly roller church? No there is nothing wrong and everything wrong because somehow it is evident htat my friend doesn't believe it is fun-da-mental or is too fun-da- mental. I do not want to leave the FUN out of fundamental.