Christian and Bible Fundamentalism - Essay Example

Christian and Bible Fundamentalism Introduction The essay analyzes Christian and Bible fundamentalism. It explains the values and doctrines of Christianity as adopted by Christian fundamentalists. In addition, it explains how they use literal interpretation of the Bible to explain different aspects of life in the world. A. Overview i) Christian and Bible fundamentalism is adherence to literal interpretations of the Bible. ii) It developed from the late 19th century to the early 20th century, having its origins in the protestant movement. iii) Christian fundamentalism may cause both social and economic problems. B. Fundamentalists oppose critics of Christianity i) Not everyone can be able to fully comprehend the doctrines of Christianity, including some Christians. ii) This has led such people to question Christianity, thereby encountering the wrath of the Christian and Bible fundamentalists. C. Fundamentalists believe in the Bible completely i) Fundamentalists adhere to the Bible as the only source of direction in life. ii) Any doctrine that refutes biblical teachings is rejected. iii) The problems in the world result from lack of adherence to biblical teachings. D. Fundamentalists believe in the teachings of Jesus Christ i) Christian fundamentalist adhere strictly to the teachings of Jesus, on whom Christianity is based. ii) No one can attain salvation apart from Jesus Christ. iii) People should emulate the good deeds performed by Jesus. Conclusion Christian and Bible fundamentalists are extremists, thus they defend the theories and doctrines of Christianity zealously. They interpret the Bible literary, thus any other doctrine that goes against Bible teachings is not acceptable. According to fundamentalists, all the events that take place in the world are only attributable to Christianity, specifically the Bible as the supporting evidence. Introduction Christian and biblical fundamentalism refers to aspects based on ideologies that oppose the other theories that explain the nature. Scientific theories have been developed to explain the origin of life and the earth. Christian and Bible fundamentalists believe that the earth was created in seven, twenty four hour days. In addition, they believe that the other theories that explain the origin of earth are based on false ideologies. They focus on the creation account contained in the book of Genesis in the Old Testament of the Bible. They oppose biological theories of life and consider the people who formulate them as being directed by the evil. Christian fundamentalists argue based on the literal interpretation of the Bible. In this essay, Christian and Bible fundamentalism will be analyzed in detail. Discussion Fundamentalism refers to the total adherence to the values and doctrines of Christianity with respect to the literal interpretation of the Bible (Barrett & Kurian 45). Fundamentalism developed from the late 19th century to the early 20th century, when the protestant movement strictly opposed the application of Christian doctrines to the current theories of science and philosophy. Fundamentalism has resulted to social and economic problems. The development of Christian fundamentalism was accelerated by the protestant movements in different countries. The aspect of fundamentalism developed from the United Kingdom and the United States of America in the 20th century. Christian and Bible fundamentalism started with the development of the social Gospel which was associated with the name of Walter Rauschenbusch in the United Kingdom (Gifford 2). Christian fundamentalists have been found to be extremists since they attribute all their lives and activities to the Christian faith. In the early days, Christianity was based on salvation with regard to matters that related to death, heaven and hell. However, with increased Christian fundamentalism, Christianity has been considered as a form of liberation from fear, hunger, ignorance, hell and other challenges that face the fundamentalists in their day to day lives. Christian and Bible fundamentalists attribute all their problems to literal interpretations of the Bible (Herriot 78). They defend the values and doctrines of Christianity and oppose other theories that are against the values of Christianity religion. Christian fundamentalists are apologists and therefore they commit their efforts fully to the defense of the Christian faith, values and doctrines. Christian fundamentalists provide literal explanations and interpretations of the Bible to answer the questions that have been raised in the community, with respect to Christianity and God as the sole creator of the universe. In addition, they defend the values of the Bible and doctrines of the Christian faith by preaching to all the non- believers in the community. All Christians are not fundamentalists, thus they ask different questions in relation to the Bible and the Christian faith (Ker 74). They for instance ask questions about God, especially the scriptures that are not easily understood in the Bible such as existence of the Holy Trinity. In addition, they criticize some aspects that have been raised in the bible, for example they ask why God would allow his only son to suffer. In Christian fundamentalism, such questions are not asked since believers have confidence in the values and doctrines of Christianity, in addition to following the Bible from its literal interpretations. Criticism is not welcome in Christian fundamentalism; therefore, people are expected to follow the Bible in its teachings and the rules that have been recommended to guide the operations of mankind on earth (Tenenbaum 64). Christian and Bible fundamentalists attribute all the problems that are experienced on earth to the wrong actions that people have committed against God as the sole creator. They argue that prophecies in the Bible are being experienced in the present days; hence this is the cause of the current problems experienced on earth. They believe that God punishes the people whenever they do evil things. This is the background upon which they encourage the people to follow the footsteps of Jesus Christ to live a positive life while on earth. In addition, this will be a justification that their lives will be preserved when they die, since they will achieve eternal life. Christian and Bible fundamentalists believe that the teachings of the bible are the only aspects that should be considered in different life activities to promote positive living among the people (Foote 45). At the same time, they believe that all problems are solved when the Christians adhere to the teachings of the bible. This is the background upon which they organize crusades to promote the literal interpretation of the bible. They believe that all the information contained in the Bible relates to actual Historical events that took place under the intervention of God. Fundamentalists oppose critics of Christianity Christianity is based on faith and therefore different people in the community have asked various questions concerning the religion (McGrath 35). They ask different questions about God, Jesus and the Bible. Different individuals including Christians have different levels of faith, thus they ask questions that relate to God to justify or disapprove their doubts. They ask for instance about the Holy Trinity by posing questions such as, how one can explain or justify existence of the Holy Trinity. This question is often asked because most individuals usually find it as a phenomenon that cannot be easily justified. They wonder why God allows people to suffer if he really loves them. Besides, they also fail to understand why God would send people to hell. This means that different people have varied views and beliefs towards God. However, there exists no absolute justification as to why God would allow his people to suffer which makes the concept of apologetics important in Christian life. Christian and Bible fundamentalists answer the questions with reference to the Bible in addition to devotion of their efforts to defend the values and doctrines of Christianity. They use scriptures that have been explained in the Bible to defend the values and doctrines of Christianity. This explains why they organize crusades to convince the people on importance of following Jesus in all their activities. They also urge the people to dedicate their lives to God and follow the Bible in all their daily life activities. Fundamentalists believe in the Bible completely Christian and Bible fundamentalists believe in the Bible as the holy book that contains the values and doctrines that should be followed by all the people in the world (Adamson 78). They adhere to the teachings of the Bible and follow the recommendations provided in different chapters. They believe that God exists as a supreme being who created and controls the whole universe. He exists in the Holy Trinity comprising of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. According to Christian fundamentalists, existence of the universe provides significant proof that God exists since scientific theories and researches have not been successful in provision of evidence about origin of life. Natural settings and experiences create a feeling that there exists a supreme being who is God; therefore, apologetics should endeavour to create understanding among different people. People face problems because they fail to follow Christianity values and attributes. These teachings are provided in the Bible, whereby the literal meaning is adopted by the Christian fundamentalists. Fundamentalists believe in the teachings of Jesus Christian fundamentalists believe in the teachings of Jesus Christ, on whom Christianity is based. They believe that Jesus will be the intermediary between the people on earth and heaven. They explain that people will not inherit the Kingdom of God if they do not follow the teachings of Jesus. In addition, they encourage people to follow the authentic sayings and teachings of Jesus to live a peaceful life on earth. One of the authentic sayings of Jesus is that of the Good Samaritan which has been critically analyzed in the Bible. Luke 10 provides the story of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10: 30-35). Jesus was answering a question posed by a lawyer seeking to know who a neighbor is. In his response, he gave the story of a man who was travelling down from Jerusalem to Jericho. The man fell into the hands of bandits who wounded him and robbed him of his possessions. A priest travelling the same road saw the man wounded, but he passed on the side without helping him. Similarly, a Levite travelling the same road passed the wounded man without helping him. A Samaritan traveling on the road came upon the wounded man, empathized with him, approached him and took care of his wounds. He then carried him on his donkey to a roadside inn and paid the innkeeper two silver pieces in advance, promising to pass by on his way back and clear the outstanding balance. Jesus portrayed the Samaritan as the good neighbor, even though Samaritans were normally despised by the Jews. Leviticus 19 describes a neighbor as both a fellow Israelite and a stranger. The unclear distinction may thus have prompted the lawyer to ask Jesus who a neighbor is. Jesus responded to the question by narrating about a man travelling from Jerusalem to Jericho. Geographically, Jerusalem is 2,500 feet above sea level while Jericho is 820 feet below sea level. This makes the travel from Jerusalem to Jericho a descent, as was narrated by Jesus that the man travelled down. The road from Jerusalem to Jericho is a torturous one down mountains and valleys. The presence of valleys makes it a favorite for bandits and armed gangs, thus befitting the story about the man attacked by bandits. Psalms 23 contains references to the Valley of the Shadow of Death, which is an actual valley along the Jericho road. The literal interpretation of the authentic saying by Jesus usually encourages the Christians to endure the problems that are experienced in day to day life activities. Fundamentalists encourage the Christians to assist each other in life through the literal interpretation of the Bible. The sayings show that God exists and he sent his only son to the earth to preach the importance of love among people of different races as explained by fundamentalists. Jesus was always empowered by the Holy Spirit in his activities on earth which is an aspect believed by the Christian fundamentalists. The existence of the Holy Trinity was also seen during the baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist at River Jordan. Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist at River Jordan when he came from Nazareth in Galilee (Mark 1: 9-11). When he was coming out of the water, he saw the heaven open and the spirit of the lord descended upon him like a dove. A voice came from heaven and said, “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”(Mark 1: 9-11). Christian and bible fundamentalists use such scriptures of the Bible to convince the people regarding the existence of Jesus as the only son of God. They use the authentic sayings as explained in the Bible to show that Jesus had a mission on earth to promote love among different people and races. This is because most of the authentic sayings and actions of Jesus reflect his preaching of love among different people in the world. Information contained in the authentic sayings of Jesus has different meanings. Messages about giving up one’s cloak and tunic describe the view of Jesus with respect to the treatment that human beings should extend to fellow individuals. In addition, it provides a teaching to the people about the response they should give to certain situations in their daily life activities to avoid conflicts with others. Literally, people should not be afraid to face judgment and the punishment provided in the courts of law. Besides they should do more than what their persecutors expects them. Moreover, the cloak and tunic saying teaches the people not to be afraid of wrong doers or the people who have bad wishes against them. On the contrary, they should love and extend gratitude to them. This literal meaning does not require people to overlook the wrong doers and criminals in the society. In addition, it is does not mean that wrong doers should not be reported to the authorities when they conduct wrongful acts. It basically means that people should love their enemies regardless of their treatment towards them. Moreover, the saying prohibits people from retaliating because this would restrict their capacity to love others. This saying is explained by fundamentalists as being based on love of Jesus to all people in the world including those who acted against him. He also wanted the people to follow his footsteps and accept love as the principle that guides their operations. Conclusion Christianity is one of the major religions in the world followed by a significantly large number of people. However, the degree to which the people believe in the region is different from one person to another. Christian and Bible fundamentalists conduct activities that are related to literal interpretations of the Bible. Fundamentalists oppose other theories that explain the origin of life and the nature of life on earth. They argue that biologists and other scientists act upon evil thoughts and therefore they should repent and accept God as the only creator of the universe. They attribute all aspects and activities that take place on earth to the doctrines and values of Christianity with the Bible as the supporting document. Biographical section Adamson, Joseph J is a theologist who is usually concerned on issues that are likely to take place in the future in relation to religion.Barrett, David B and George Thomas Kurian are evangelists who consider the link between different charges with respect to the changing trends in religion. Gifford, Paul is a fundamentalist who considers importance of fundamentalism in the christian life. Foote, G W. is a phillosopher who is usually concerned with the believes that makes the religious aspects of a human being. Herriot, Peter is an evangelist who considers fundamentalism at individual levels among different human beings. Ker, Father Ian is a Catholic priest who is usually interested in research to determine the faith of the Catholics as Christians. McGrath, Alister is a theologist who has writen several books relating to christian fundamentalism. Tenenbaum, Michael is a critic of Christian fundamentalism since he has expressed information to oppose it. Works Cited Adamson, Joseph J. What Is the World Coming To?: A Candid Look at Past, Present and Future Through the Lens of Real Prophecy and Common Sense. Bloomington: iUniverse, 2004. Barrett, David B and George Thomas Kurian. World Christian encyclopedia: a comparative survey of churches and religions in the modern world, Volume 1. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2001. Foote, G W. The freethinker, Volume 88. Ann Arbor: the University of Michigan, 2008. Gifford, Paul. "Christian fundamentalism and develpment." Review of African political economy 52.1 (1991): 9-20. Herriot, Peter. Religious fundamentalism: global, local and personal. London: Taylor & Francis, 2009. Ker, Father Ian. Mere Catholicism. Ohio: Emmaus Road Publishing, 2007. McGrath, Alister E. Christian Theology: An Introduction. Hoboken: John Wiley and Sons, 2011. Tenenbaum, Michael. Blessed Assurance? A Demonstration That Christian Fundamentalism is Simply False. Hong Kong: Lulu.com, 2007. Read More