The Spread of Fundamentalism

FUNDAMENTALISM—a few short decades ago, this was no more than a minority movement within Protestantism. How things have changed! Bruce B. Lawrence, a commentator on religion, wrote that 30 years ago, few would have foreseen that at the end of the 20th century, fundamentalisma would become such an important and even obsessive theme for the mass media and university research.

Yet, that is what has happened. Newspaper reports of violent street demonstrations, murders, antiabortion movements, political maneuverings by religious pressure groups, and public bonfires of books considered blasphemous are constant reminders of the actions of fundamentalists. The Italian financial weekly Mondo Economico stated that just about everywhere fundamentalism is “on the attack in the name of God.”

Fundamentalists are often portrayed as extreme and fanatic, hatching conspiracies and carrying out terrorist attacks. People are alarmed at the growth of such groups as Comunione e Liberazione in Roman Catholicism, Gush Emunim in Judaism, and the Christian Coalition in North American Protestantism. Why is fundamentalism spreading? What motivates it? Is it perhaps “the revenge of God,” as French sociologist Gilles Kepel suggests?

[Footnote]

Fundamentalism—What Is It?

WHERE did fundamentalism start? At the end of the last century, liberal theologians were changing their beliefs to accommodate higher criticism of the Bible and scientific theories, such as evolution. As a result, people’s confidence in the Bible was shaken. Conservative religious leaders in the United States reacted by fixing what they called the fundamentals of faith.a Early in the 20th century, they published a discussion of these fundamentals in a series of volumes entitled The Fundamentals: A Testimony to the Truth. From this title comes the term “fundamentalism.”

In the first half of the 20th century, fundamentalism made news from time to time. For example, in 1925, religious fundamentalists took a schoolteacher named John Scopes of Tennessee, U.S.A., to court in what became known as the Scopes trial. His crime? He was teaching evolution, and that was against state law. In those days, some believed that fundamentalism would be short-lived. In 1926, Christian Century, a Protestant magazine, said that it was “hollow and artificial” and “wholly lacking in qualities of constructive achievement or survival.” How wrong that assessment was!

Since the 1970’s, fundamentalism has constantly been in the news. Professor Miroslav Volf, of Fuller Theological Seminary, California, U.S.A., says: “Fundamentalism has not only survived, but also flourished.” Today, the word “fundamentalism” applies not only to Protestant movements but also to those in other religions, such as Catholicism, Islam, Judaism, and Hinduism.

A Reaction to Our Times

Why the spread of fundamentalism? Those who study it attribute it, at least in part, to the moral and religious uncertainty of our times. In earlier years most societies lived in an atmosphere of moral certainty based on traditional beliefs. Now those beliefs are challenged or rejected. Many intellectuals assert that there is no God and that man is alone in an indifferent universe. Many scientists teach that mankind is the result of chance evolution, not of the actions of a loving Creator. A permissive mentality prevails. The world is plagued with a loss of moral values on all levels of society.—2 Timothy 3:4, 5, 13.

Fundamentalists hanker after the old certainties, and some of them strive to bring their communities and nations back to what they feel are proper moral and doctrinal foundations. They do all in their power to force others to live according to a “correct” moral code and system of doctrinal beliefs. A fundamentalist is strongly convinced that he is right and others are wrong. Professor James Barr, in his book Fundamentalism, says that fundamentalism “is often felt to be a hostile and opprobrious term, suggesting narrowness, bigotry, obscurantism and sectarianism.”

Since nobody likes to be called narrow, bigoted, or sectarian, not all agree on who is a fundamentalist and who is not. There are, however, certain aspects that characterize religious fundamentalism.

Identifying a Fundamentalist

Religious fundamentalism is usually an attempt to preserve what is believed to be the original traditions or religious beliefs of a culture and to oppose what is perceived as the secular spirit of the world. That is not to say that fundamentalists oppose all that is modern. Some use modern communication very effectively to promote their point of view. But they fight against the secularization of society.b

Some fundamentalists are determined not only to preserve for themselves a traditional structure of doctrines or way of life but to impose these on others, to change social structures so that they conform with the fundamentalists’ beliefs. The Catholic fundamentalist, therefore, will not limit himself to rejecting abortion. He may well pressure the legislators of his country to promote laws outlawing abortion. In Poland, according to the newspaper La Repubblica, in order to have an antiabortion law approved, the Catholic Church conducted “a ‘war’ in which it deployed all its power and influence.” In doing so, the church authorities were acting very much like fundamentalists. The Protestant Christian Coalition in the United States fights similar “wars.”

Fundamentalists are distinguished above all by their deep-rooted religious convictions. Thus, a Protestant fundamentalist will be a convinced proponent of the literal interpretation of the Bible, likely including the belief that the earth was created in six literal days. A Catholic fundamentalist has no doubts about the infallibility of the pope.

It is understandable, then, why the term “fundamentalism” evokes the image of unreasoning fanaticism and why those who are not fundamentalists are uneasy when they see fundamentalism spreading. As individuals, we may disagree with fundamentalists and be appalled by their political maneuverings and their sometimes violent actions. Indeed, fundamentalists of one religion may be horrified at the actions of those of another religion! Still, many thinking people are concerned about the things that provoke the spread of fundamentalism—the growing moral laxity, the loss of faith, and the rejection of spirituality in modern society.

Is fundamentalism the only response to these trends? If not, what is the alternative?

[Footnotes]

A Better Way

JEHOVAH’S WITNESSES are concerned about the erosion of spirituality in the world and the immorality and religious uncertainty that pervade society. As a result, they are sometimes called fundamentalists. But are they? No. While they have strong religious convictions, they are not fundamentalists in the sense that the term has come to be used. They do not pressure political leaders to promote a certain point of view, and they do not resort to demonstrations and violence against those with whom they disagree. They have found a better way. They imitate their Leader, Jesus Christ.

Jehovah’s Witnesses are convinced that religious truth exists, that it is found in the Bible. (John 8:32; 17:17) But the Bible teaches Christians to be kind, good, mild, and reasonable—qualities that do not allow for fanaticism. (Galatians 5:22, 23; Philippians 4:5) In the Bible book of James, Christians are encouraged to cultivate “the wisdom from above,” which is described as being “first of all chaste, then peaceable, reasonable, ready to obey, full of mercy and good fruits.” James added: “The fruit of righteousness has its seed sown under peaceful conditions for those who are making peace.”—James 3:17, 18.

Jehovah’s Witnesses remember that Jesus was greatly concerned about truth. He told Pontius Pilate: “For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth.” (John 18:37) Although he was an intrepid advocate of truth, he did not seek to impose his convictions on others. Rather, he appealed to their minds and hearts. He knew that his heavenly Father, a “good and upright” God, would decide how and when to eliminate falsehood and injustice from the face of the earth. (Psalm 25:8) Hence, he did not seek to repress those who disagreed with him. On the contrary, it was the orthodox religious leaders of his day who tried to repress Jesus.—John 19:5, 6.

Jehovah’s Witnesses have strong convictions about religious doctrines, and they manifest solid values in the matter of morals. Like the apostle Paul, they are convinced that there is only “one Lord, one faith, one baptism.” (Ephesians 4:5) They are also aware of Jesus’ words: “Narrow is the gate and cramped the road leading off into life, and few are the ones finding it.” (Matthew 7:13, 14) Still, they do not try to force others to follow their beliefs. Rather, they imitate Paul and “beg” all those who so desire to “become reconciled to God.” (2 Corinthians 5:20) This is the better way. It is God’s way.

Religious fundamentalism, as the word is used today, is very different. Fundamentalists use many strategies—including violence—to impose their principles on society. In doing so, they become an integral part of the political system. Jesus, though, said that his followers should be “no part of the world.” (John 15:19; 17:16; James 4:4) In harmony with those words, Jehovah’s Witnesses maintain strict neutrality in political controversies. And, as the Italian newspaper Fuoripagina acknowledged, they “do not force anything on anybody; everyone is free to accept or reject what they say.” The result? The peaceable Bible message of the Witnesses attracts people of all sorts, even those who were once fundamentalists.—Isaiah 2:2, 3.

A World With Solid Values

The Witnesses recognize that humans cannot solve the problems that concern fundamentalists. You cannot force a person to believe in God or to accept your personal set of beliefs. Thinking that such a thing is possible led to some of the worst horrors of history, such as the Crusades, the medieval Inquisitions, and the “conversions” of the American Indians. However, if you trust in God, you will be willing to leave matters in his hands.

According to the Bible, God has set a limit on the time in which he permits humans to break his laws and thus cause suffering and pain. That time has almost expired. Already, Jesus is ruling as King in God’s heavenly Kingdom, and soon that Kingdom will act to remove human governments and take over the day-to-day governing of mankind. (Matthew 24:3-14; Revelation 11:15, 18) The result will be a worldwide paradise in which peace and righteousness will be abundant. At that time there will be no uncertainty about how the true God should be worshiped. “The righteous themselves will possess the earth, and they will reside forever upon it.” (Psalm 37:29) Such eternal values as loving-kindness, truth, justice, and goodness will triumph for the good of all obedient mankind.

Looking forward to that time, the psalmist says in poetic fashion: “As for loving-kindness and trueness, they have met each other; righteousness and peace—they have kissed each other. Trueness itself will sprout out of the very earth, and righteousness itself will look down from the very heavens. Also, Jehovah, for his part, will give what is good, and our own land will give its yield. Before him righteousness itself will walk, and it will make a way by his steppings.”—Psalm 85:10-13.

While we cannot change the world, we can as individuals cultivate godly values even today. Thus, we can try to be the kind of people that God will want as his worshipers in that new world. We will then be among the meek referred to by the psalmist: “The meek ones themselves will possess the earth, and they will indeed find their exquisite delight in the abundance of peace.” (Psalm 37:11) God supports and blesses those who do his will, and he promises wonderful things for their future. The apostle John said: “The world is passing away and so is its desire, but he that does the will of God remains forever.”—1 John 2:17.