Fundamentlist and Conservative?

[kitkat27]

What are the differences? I thought they were the same but just different names.

 

[Albion]

What are the differences? I thought they were the same but just different names.

Off the top of my head, I seem to recall that we've talked about this before. In any case, they are not identical. Fundamentalism stresses the acceptance of certain basic (fundamental) beliefs--the Virgin Birth, the physical resurrection of Christ, etc.--as the necessary essentials. Beyond them (see the forum's statement about Fundamentalism), there is no expectation of us all being in agreement on all doctrinal matters.

That's the reason for the term "Fundamental-ism."

While those fundamentals are usually thought of as conservative, and while it's also a fact that Fundamentalism arose in order to fight back against religious liberalism, a Conservative Christian could and does include some who feel that agreement on everything is needed, not just a few basics, or who disagree on one or more of the points but still hold generally traditional religious views. And Conservative Christians normally are politically and/or socially active in the advocacy of their religious beliefs, whereas that is not inherent in Fundamentalism.

 

[Izdaari Eristikon]

I'm probably more fundamentalist than conservative, since the fundamentals are where I'm most conservative: no guarantees once you move beyond them.

But I've found that fundamentalists typically insist on a purist form of sola scriptura. Well, I do hold to sola scriptura, but more in an Anglican to Wesleyan mode (Scripture, Tradition, Reason, Experience). That, along with cultural differences, are why I'm a member here and not there.

 

[Rhamiel]

Catholics and Orthodox can be conservative christians but are not Fundamentalists

 

[Albion]

Catholics and Orthodox can be conservative christians but are not Fundamentalists

Yes, and members of many other churches too. If a person dissents from one or two of the fundamentals, that doesn't make him not a conservative Christian. And, by the same token, if he demands MORE than agreement on the fundamentals (a rather limited list of basics) he also wouldn't be a Fundamentalist--but he could well be a conservative Christian. A number of Protestant churches would be in that group.

A similarity, however, is that both Fundamentalists and Conservative Christians are opposed to modernism, relativism, and liberal theology which has produced such ideas as the notion that Scripture is only a human document and does not mean today what it did when penned, that values and morals depend upon practicality or the setting (situational ethics), or that all faiths are equally valid if one is sincere.

 

[Rhamiel]

oh i feel silly now, ofcourse mainline Protestant denominations and the Anglican Church can also have conservative christians but would not be fundamentalists

fundamentalists could be described as a branch of evangelicalism, could it not?
while just about every denomination and Church can be divided into Conservative and Liberal branches?

 

[MrJim]

Fundamentalists would tend to view non-fundamentalist conservatives as somewhat liberal...

 

[Rhamiel]

Fundamentalists would tend to view non-fundamentalist conservatives as somewhat liberal...

many would, good call

 

[CyberPaladin]

Fundamentalists would tend to view non-fundamentalist conservatives as somewhat liberal...

Yeah Jim that's kind of funny thing for me here on the CF I have repeatedly accused of being a liberal and nonbeliever by the Fundies and called a Fundie and Jackbooted Bible thumper by liberals.

 

[E.C.]

What are the differences? I thought they were the same but just different names.

Let's think history and politics here for a moment.

The Republican Party in the USA is a right-winged political party. If one were to go further right, one would end up with Fascism with subsets of Nazism as was in Germany at one time and Falangism as was in Spain at one time.

Think of conservatives a like the Republicans and Fundamentalists as Fascists. Both are on one side of a spectrum, one is just at the extreme most end of said side of said spectrum.


(I am by no means declaring that all Fundamentalists are Fascists or vice versa, but am just using an analogy with the stuff I know best so please work with me here!)

 

[E.C.]

Fundamentalists would tend to view non-fundamentalist conservatives as somewhat liberal...

Because any who are non-fundamentalist are liberal when compared to fundamentalists.

Yeah Jim that's kind of funny thing for me here on the CF I have repeatedly accused of being a liberal and nonbeliever by the Fundies and called a Fundie and Jackbooted Bible thumper by liberals.

That's funny!

In a sad sort of way

 

[MrJim]

Yeah Jim that's kind of funny thing for me here on the CF I have repeatedly accused of being a liberal and nonbeliever by the Fundies and called a Fundie and Jackbooted Bible thumper by liberals.

Every conservative is someone else's liberal...there are some local very plain mennonite folks that are very conservative, but amongst their circles they are considered liberal because they allow the women to wear print dresses instead of solid colors...becoming too worldly

 

[CyberPaladin]

Over the years there have been acouple times I couldn't help but laugh so hard that fell out of my chair because for one post I was called both a Bible thumper and was accused of really being athiest.

 

[MrJim]

Over the years there have been acouple times I couldn't help but laugh so hard that fell out of my chair because for one post I was called both a Bible thumper and was accused of really being athiest.

atheist bible-thumpers are the worst of all

 

[CruciFixed]

I think fundamentalist usually believe Scripture alone and conservatives don't necessarily have to believe that.

I'm not a great person to answer this but I just like to be included---lol

 

[desmalia]

Oh, good. Another thread to talk about how extremest us fundies are. Yay!!

I'm only going to bother responding to this one for now:

Fundamentalists would tend to view non-fundamentalist conservatives as somewhat liberal...

Oh c'mon now, Jim. We all sing the mantra together: if you say you're a Christian, you are! If you say you're a Conservative, you are! If you say you're a Fundamentalist, you are!

But seriously, I've met some Catholics who are probably more conservative in many respects than I am. I disagree with them on a number off issues, but I wouldn't describe them as liberal.

So... maybe some of the broad sweeping claims could be toned down a bit?

I think fundamentalist usually believe Scripture alone and conservatives don't necessarily have to believe that.

I'm not a great person to answer this but I just like to be included---lol

That's a pretty fair statement, actually. Though some assume Sola Scriptura means we throw out all tradition. That is a false assumption. We believe that Scripture is the highest authority, even above traditions. But we do not deny that traditions have their place.

 

[CyberPaladin]

atheist bible-thumpers are the worst of all

People run in terror at the mere sight of the Atheist bible thumper.

 

[Psalms34]

fundamentalists could be described as a branch of evangelicalism, could it not?

Well yeah, I suppose. I mean not all evangelicals are fundamentalists, but pretty much all fundamentalist are evangelicals.

Many conservatives would not be fundamentalist, but most fundies are in some form conservative. But then many conservatives just aren't conservatives but are pretty liberal. And many don't even understand what fundamentalism is. Some think they are fundamental but are not, while others think that they are not but are.

 

[desmalia]

Well yeah, I suppose. I mean not all evangelicals are fundamentalists, but pretty much all fundamentalist are evangelicals.

Many conservatives would not be fundamentalist, but most fundies are in some form conservative. But then many conservatives just aren't conservatives but are pretty liberal. And many don't even understand what fundamentalism is. Some think they are fundamental but are not, while others think that they are not but are.

My head hurts now.

 

[Simon_Templar]

Conservative is similar in meaning to 'traditional'. It means that you hold the traditional values of your society and you try to conserve them and resist changes.

Fundamentalist is a more specific doctrinal position that says you hold to a set of "fundamental" doctrines and then it goes on to define those fundamental doctrines.

For example
Fundamentalists consider Sola Scripura (scripture only) to be a fundamental doctrine. This would disqualify all Catholics and Orthodox and many Anglicans. However many Catholics and Orthodox are conservative. There are also many conservative Anglicans though in the US, Canada, and England the Anglican Church is in the latter stages of being over-run by liberalism.

Most fundamentalists tend to be cessationist in regards to the gifts of the Holy Spirit and the charismatic experience.. however you may find exceptions to that.