Fundamentalists, for those who do not already know, are those who claim to follow the “fundamentals” (hence the name) of their given tradition; that is, the basic, cornerstone beliefs or teachings that form the foundation for all the other beliefs. In the case of Christianity, these fundamentals are as follows: man is separated from God because man has sinned, and thus is sinful; man’s efforts to reunite with God, though noble, are futile; God, in his infinite mercy, sent his only son, Jesus, to die for the sins of man, so that man might once again be united with God; Jesus is the only way to come to God, and thus one’s faith is the most important possession a person may have. That seems simple enough, but there’s a bit more to it. Jesus, during his teaching, didn’t just teach his disciples that they should believe in him; he also taught them they should, like him, live good lives and spread the word of God, to fight the good fight. Fundamentalists "fight" with the weapons they have. If they feel that the internet is a corrupt, porn-spewing incarnation of evil, what better way to combat that than to set up shop on the internet? Like the apostle Paul, when he went to Rome and founded a church, even though it was the center of Roman religion. Jesus also commands his disciples that they should “…love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind…” and that they should “…love your neighbor as yourself” (Matt 22:37, 39). This is the part that is often overlooked in fundamentalist groups, who spend much of their time flaunting their faith, rather than living it. It is stated in several places throughout the New Testament that all that is necessary for salvation is faith in Christ (most famously in the Gospel of John 3:16). However, the Epistle of James states that “…faith, without works, is…dead” (James 2:26). What James was saying is that faith is wonderful, but one should not just believe something; one should live it. Looking back at Jesus’ lesson from the Gospel of Matthew, one sees that one should not simply claim to “believe” the fundamental beliefs of Christianity, but should work to make those beliefs an intricate part of one’s life. As St. Francis of Assisi once said: “Preach the Gospel at all times, and if necessary, use words.” Hate is not a Christian virtue. Being a Christian and hating people are not compatible; the idea that one could be a Christian fundamentalist and hate people is absurd.
