September 26, 2016 @ 8:30 AM
I was watching a documentary on PBS the other day about Howard Dean's candidacy for the presidency. I had forgotten about his fiery campaign speech in which he screamed, "I don't want to listen to the fundamentalist preachers anymore." It seems all America is screaming with Dean against Christian fundamentalists now, not just those on both sides of the political aisle, but those without, as well as within the contemporary church in America. Just a few years ago, a survey revealed that the vast majority of Americans would prefer to live next door to a member of organized crime than next door to a member of a Christian fundamentalist church.
However, if you look up the word "fundamental" you will discover that it means "basic" or "essential things." When we're talking about a Christian fundamentalist, we're simply speaking about someone who believes the basic and essential doctrines of the historic and orthodox Christian Faith. Therefore, what present-day America is actually screaming against at the top of its lungs is the cardinal doctrines of Christianity, which alone define Christians and distinguish the Christian Faith.
What America clearly wants today is not a clearly defined and distinguished Christianity. Instead, it is the right to personally define Christianity for oneself. This is exactly what Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, and Donald Trump have done. They all claim to be Christians, while denying the fundamental doctrines of the historic and orthodox Christian Faith. If a true Christian fundamentalist calls them to account for their apostasy, he or she will be immediately condemned for the one unpardonable sin in today's politically correct America; namely, intolerance.
By the way, screaming Howard left his former church over its refusal to put in a path for bicyclists. It ain't doctrine this screaming Christian fundamentalist hater is peddling. He's more concerned about the rights of bicyclists on church property than he is about whether or not his church teaches right beliefs about God. I guess you could say, in the politically correct vernacular of our day, that Mr. Dean, like practically all of America today, is a "Christian fundamentalistphobe." I added the word Christian, because they don't seem to have any fear of the fundamentals of other religious faiths, not even Islam, the militant Religion of the Sword. They only fear and freakout over the fundamentals of the Christian Faith. Wonder why?