Fundamentalism is normally used in a religious context, but I submit that there are "fundamentalist" liberals, conservatives, etc. Just about any belief can be taken to an extreme, which everyone here likely considers a bit dangerous.

An example would be Constitutionalist Fundamentalism, the idea that the nation should adhere to the Constitiution, to the exclusion (or invalidation) of any subsequent law or regulation.

Or Environmentalist Fundamentalism, where the environmental concerns are championed over any and all others, like economics or human development.

Fundamentalism is basically extremism. A narrow minded focus on perhaps one interpretation, and steadfast adherence despite outside information that may cause "cognitive dissonance".

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Unfortunately, the Founders did not address the possibility of this nation becoming populated with obnoxious twits.

You're all wrong about this (but that doesn't surprise me).

A "fundamentalist" is merely someone who focuses on the fundamentals (the core doctrines) of his "faith" (in quotes to include Skerlnik's secular examples). You are confusing fundamentalists with radicals and extremists.

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A panda walks into a cafe. He orders a sandwich, eats it, then draws a gun and fires two shots in the air.

"Why?" asks the confused waiter, as the panda makes toward the exit. The panda produces a badly punctuated wildlife manual and tosses it over his shoulder.

"I'm a panda," he says at the door. "Look it up."

The waiter turns to the relevant entry and, sure enough, finds an explanation.

"Panda. Large black-and-white bear-like mammal, native to China. Eats, shoots and leaves."

Thanks? Or is this sarcasm?

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"Moreover, I am cognizant of the interrelatedness of all communities and states...Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly. Never again can we afford to live with the narrow, provincial "outside agitator" idea. Anyone who lives inside the United States can never be considered an outsider anywhere within its bounds."



~Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

I agree - well put! I know some people who are fundamentalists about lifestyle issues - particularly childrearing.

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Politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it whether it exists or not, diagnosing it incorrectly, and applying the wrong remedy.
Ernest Benn

Nope

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Politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it whether it exists or not, diagnosing it incorrectly, and applying the wrong remedy.
Ernest Benn

Oh. Well, genuine thanks, then. You notice parallels between all fundamentalists of every type if you take the time to look.

Just because one is a radical does not make one a fundamentalist. Fundamentalists have that sort of "with-us-or-against-us" mentality espoused by our friend in the White House.

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"Moreover, I am cognizant of the interrelatedness of all communities and states...Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly. Never again can we afford to live with the narrow, provincial "outside agitator" idea. Anyone who lives inside the United States can never be considered an outsider anywhere within its bounds."



~Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Exactly. Anyone with an absolute belief that they alone own the truth - and all who disagree are enemies of the truth - is a fundamentalist.

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Politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it whether it exists or not, diagnosing it incorrectly, and applying the wrong remedy.
Ernest Benn

Food for thought...

THE DESPOILING OF AMERICA
How George W. Bush Became the Head of the New American Dominionist/Church State (2004)

The Despoiling Of America

...This article is the documented story of how a political religious movement called Dominionism gained control of the Republican Party, then took over Congress, then took over the White House, and now is sealing the conversion of America to a theocracy by taking over the American Judiciary. It’s the story of why and how “the wrath of God Almighty” will be unleashed against the middle class, against the poor, and against the elderly and sick of this nation by George W. Bush and his army of Republican Dominionist “rulers”...

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What do I think of Western civilization? I think it would be a very good idea. --Gandhi

Bah, what leftists.

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"Moreover, I am cognizant of the interrelatedness of all communities and states...Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly. Never again can we afford to live with the narrow, provincial "outside agitator" idea. Anyone who lives inside the United States can never be considered an outsider anywhere within its bounds."



~Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

If you're referring to my post, Zephyr, I do agree that the descriptive paragraph I pulled from the article's intro. does have a Chicken Little tenor. My intent in offering the piece was merely to contibute to the thread's topic. I, anyway, find the history of this movement and the involvement of the Neo-Cons to be interesting.

I will say, though, that with the Bush administration soon to be out of the picture--and should McCain-Palin not be elected--my hope is that the influence of the radical religious right will start to be curbed in government.

Cindy

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What do I think of Western civilization? I think it would be a very good idea. --Gandhi