"Fundamental" Is Not A Bad Word

By Tim Wildmon

I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
John 14:6

I am Christian fundamentalist. Meaning, for one, that I believe in the above declaration by Jesus Christ. This claim by Christ I believe to be absolute truth. For sure, when compared to other religious belief systems, this is an exclusionary statement.

It divides people. Either you subscribe to it, or you don’t. There is no in between. This is not a gray area. There are other quotes like this from Jesus found in the scripture. For instance in John 3:3 he says this: “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” In Luke 13:3 he said: “No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.”

Christian fundamentalists like me take these words literally. Jesus wasn’t talking metaphorically. He wasn’t talking in parables, as he was apt to do. He meant what he said and said what he meant.

In the last couple of years there have been a plethora of books written about the “dangers” of Christian fundamentalism. Some have reached the best-seller list such, as “American Theocracy: The Peril and Politics of Radical Religion, Oil, and Borrowed Money in the 21st Century,” by Kevin Phillips; “Kingdom Coming: The Rise of Christian Nationalism,” by Michelle Goldberg; “American Fascists: The Christian Right and the War On America,” by Chris Hedges; “The Theocons: Secular America Under Siege,” Damon Linker; and, probably the world’s most famous atheist, Christopher Hitchens’ new book. “God Is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything....”

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