How do I avoid fundies?

Admiral Johnason · Post by **Admiral Johnason** » 2003-02-27 10:57pm

I am Christian and have a deep faith. I also believe in evolution and science. This seems to be coming into contact with some fundies where I live and I am beginning to worry that I will go form beliver to zellot. How can I keep my friends and not avoid inciting another Crusade?

Cap'n Hector · Post by **Cap'n Hector** » 2003-02-27 11:03pm

Admiral Johnason wrote:I am Christian and have a deep faith. I also believe in evolution and science. This seems to be coming into contact with some fundies where I live and I am beginning to worry that I will go form beliver to zellot. How can I keep my friends and not avoid inciting another Crusade?

I'd recommend looking up a Unitarian Universalist church in your area and going once a month or so...UUs are non-denomenational, and are know for being a "thinking" religion. They consider all faiths equal. If nothing else, you'll get a dose of non-irrationality.

Frank Hipper · Post by **Frank Hipper** » 2003-02-27 11:10pm

Cap'n Hector wrote:
Admiral Johnason wrote:I am Christian and have a deep faith. I also believe in evolution and science. This seems to be coming into contact with some fundies where I live and I am beginning to worry that I will go form beliver to zellot. How can I keep my friends and not avoid inciting another Crusade?
I'd recommend looking up a Unitarian Universalist church in your area and going once a month or so...UUs are non-denomenational, and are know for being a "thinking" religion. They consider all faiths equal. If nothing else, you'll get a dose of non-irrationality.

Either that or try the United Methodists, they're a tolerant denomination, and a little more traditional than the Unitarians, if that's what you're looking for.

Ravencrow · Post by **Ravencrow** » 2003-02-27 11:24pm

I don't think anybody can turn you into a mindless zealot if you keep your head about you. It's never wrong to ask questions. I am a Christian too, and I'm into science. I work in a medical research lab.

How can I keep my friends and not avoid inciting another Crusade?

You did not say what your friends are like - whether they are strong fundies or not. For myself, I just let them be, and expect the same from them. Arguing with fundies is very frustrating because chances are, if they are hardcore fundies (and sometimes even if they are not), they won't listen. They are taught not to listen I would say. If they try to press you, then I say just tell them not to. I've had friends like that, but at least, in the end we simply agree to disagree.

Captain tycho · Post by **Captain tycho** » 2003-02-27 11:24pm

I am Chirstian too, but I believe in evolution and science, etc., and I don't take everything the Bible says literally. And I don't believe that every bad thing on Earth that happens is becuase of God's anger or Satan.
Fundies make the rest of us moderate Christians look like we're insane.
Believe me, I just hate fundies, they're so arrogant and ignorant.(well, DUH!:mrgreen:)
Having faith is one thing, using faith the way fundies do is just abusive.

Cap'n Hector · Post by **Cap'n Hector** » 2003-02-27 11:27pm

Captain tycho wrote:I am Chirstian too, but I believe in evolution and science, etc., and I don't take everything the Bible says literally. And I don't believe that every bad thing on Earth that happens is becuase of God's anger or Satan.
Fundies make the rest of us moderate Christians look like we're insane.
Believe me, I just hate fundies, they're so arrogant and ignorant.(well, DUH!:mrgreen:)
Having faith is one thing, using faith the way fundies do is just abusive.

I'm not trying to evangalize here, but that sounds very similar to the attiudes of some UUs I know.

Admiral Johnason · Post by **Admiral Johnason** » 2003-02-27 11:27pm

Frank Hipper wrote:
Cap'n Hector wrote:
Admiral Johnason wrote:I am Christian and have a deep faith. I also believe in evolution and science. This seems to be coming into contact with some fundies where I live and I am beginning to worry that I will go form beliver to zellot. How can I keep my friends and not avoid inciting another Crusade?
I'd recommend looking up a Unitarian Universalist church in your area and going once a month or so...UUs are non-denomenational, and are know for being a "thinking" religion. They consider all faiths equal. If nothing else, you'll get a dose of non-irrationality.
Either that or try the United Methodists, they're a tolerant denomination, and a little more traditional than the Unitarians, if that's what you're looking for.

I am United Methodist. I need to find a new church though, as I mved to my new home a few months ago.

Ravencrow · Post by **Ravencrow** » 2003-02-27 11:34pm

Fundies make the rest of us moderate Christians look like we're insane.

Yes... something that leaves the rest of us a little perplexed, I think. It maddens them however, that I always ask them questions they can't quite answer/prove. "If you have faith, you shouldn't question." they said to me. I think, if you have faith, you should dare to question.

Cap'n Hector · Post by **Cap'n Hector** » 2003-02-27 11:36pm

Ravencrow wrote:
Fundies make the rest of us moderate Christians look like we're insane.
Yes... something that leaves the rest of us a little perplexed, I think. It maddens them however, that I always ask them questions they can't quite answer/prove. "If you have faith, you shouldn't question." they said to me. I think, if you have faith, you should dare to question.

The fundie theme song: Dare To Be Stupid.

Post by **Alyrium Denryle** » 2003-02-27 11:40pm

If your friends are being fundies my advice is to slowly break away from them, but keep on good terms. i have fundie friends, but I dont alow myself to be exposed to their religions beliefs.

Darth Servo · Post by **Darth Servo** » 2003-02-27 11:52pm

Hell, my dad is pretty much a fundie (although not an obnoxious one, just someone who takes the Bible way too literally). I don't accept his crazy ideas but I still have a close relationship with him. It IS possible to be close to fundies without becomming one yourself.

Wicked Pilot · Post by **Wicked Pilot** » 2003-02-28 12:00am

Admiral Johnason wrote:I am Christian and have a deep faith. I also believe in evolution and science. This seems to be coming into contact with some fundies where I live and I am beginning to worry that I will go form beliver to zellot. How can I keep my friends and not avoid inciting another Crusade?

Just keep in mind that it's your life, and you need to find your own answers. Don't let anybody spoon feed you your faith. And remember that after St Amant lies a whole new world. In about four to six years from now, you may have a completely different outlook on life.

Frank_Scenario · Post by **Frank_Scenario** » 2003-02-28 12:36am

Admiral Johnason wrote:I am Christian and have a deep faith. I also believe in evolution and science. This seems to be coming into contact with some fundies where I live and I am beginning to worry that I will go form beliver to zellot. How can I keep my friends and not avoid inciting another Crusade?

Well, some have suggested the Unitarian Universalists. This might work, as long as you know that the UUs are not a Christian denomination. You don't find many convents of Christian pagans, but you will find the Convent Of Unitarian Universalist Pagans.

If you want to stick to Christian churches, Methodists are okay, and good Baptist (Cooperative Baptist Fellowship) churches are worthwhile, if you find one. On the rare occasions I go to church, I go to a CBF church. Keep in mind that a central tenet of Baptist churches is the independence of the local church, so just because there are fundamentalists a-plenty in Southern Baptist churches does not mean that each church is crawling with them.

Also, I'd say the best way to keep things cool with fundamentalists is...
Don't broadcast your beliefs. That doesn't mean hide them, but don't seek out debate. Let people come to you if they have a problem. As a bonus, you get to help do your part for unity in the Christian community.

Frank_Scenario · Post by **Frank_Scenario** » 2003-02-28 12:42am

Double post, sorry.

Cap'n Hector · Post by **Cap'n Hector** » 2003-02-28 12:54am

Frank_Scenario wrote:Well, some have suggested the Unitarian Universalists. This might work, as long as you know that the UUs are not a Christian denomination. You don't find many convents of Christian pagans, but you will find the Convent Of Unitarian Universalist Pagans.

Having grown up a UU (I'm not one anymore because I got tired of any diety stuff), I can say that they are mainly Judeo-Christian.

And while I was going, they had people from many different backgrounds going. It made for some interesting discussions...

But it doens't have a deity-endorsing creed.

Frank Hipper · Post by **Frank Hipper** » 2003-02-28 01:38am

Admiral Johnason wrote:I am United Methodist. I need to find a new church though, as I mved to my new home a few months ago.

It shouldn't be hard, I'd think. Unless the Southern Baptists in Baton Rouge have firebombed all the competition.

If it's hard to just walk in off the street into a new congregation, I'm sure you could talk to the preacher of a local UM church and he'd smooth over transition time. Or steer you to someplace where you'd be comfortable.

generator_g1 · Post by **generator_g1** » 2003-02-28 03:52am

I live in the Philippines, which is the only predominantly Catholic country in Asia (300 years of Spanish colonization can do that to you

) and I hardly see any fundies here. There are probably some groups around but usually they just argue on who's interpretation of the Bible is more correct and stuff like that. They don't seem interested to take potshots at evolution and science unlike those that I see in the States.

Post by **The Yosemite Bear** » 2003-02-28 05:28am

Yeah, I'm an interesting mix of liberal religious traditions. I don't believe in creationism, I don't appreciate these decisive wars, or psycho literal interpretation of prose.

Darth Servo · Post by **Darth Servo** » 2003-02-28 11:36am

You know, for all of our mocking of Dorkstar's mountain of stupididy, if even HE can live in Mississippi and not be a creationist, resisting fundi brainwashing can't be that hard unless you want to be brainwashed.

SyntaxVorlon · Post by **SyntaxVorlon** » 2003-02-28 12:37pm

Unless it is imbedded in the psyche from the beginning then people don't learn anything. The indoctrination of children is why creationism can grow so easily.

Cap'n Hector · Post by **Cap'n Hector** » 2003-02-28 01:06pm

SyntaxVorlon wrote:Unless it is imbedded in the psyche from the beginning then people don't learn anything. The indoctrination of children is why creationism can grow so easily.

Attack of the Drones.

Iceberg · Post by **Iceberg** » 2003-02-28 05:51pm

Cap'n Hector wrote:
Admiral Johnason wrote:I am Christian and have a deep faith. I also believe in evolution and science. This seems to be coming into contact with some fundies where I live and I am beginning to worry that I will go form beliver to zellot. How can I keep my friends and not avoid inciting another Crusade?
I'd recommend looking up a Unitarian Universalist church in your area and going once a month or so...UUs are non-denomenational, and are know for being a "thinking" religion. They consider all faiths equal. If nothing else, you'll get a dose of non-irrationality.

I'm not a big fan of UUs because UU-ism seems too wishy-washy for me. They go out of their way to keep from pissing people off and thus on the one hand while you'll never get anybody who isn't a head-up-their-hinder fundie saying that they're particularly BAD, it's not like they stand for anything in particular other than "be good," which while it's nice and all isn't exactly a creed you can really stand by and say "This is what I believe."

Cap'n Hector · Post by **Cap'n Hector** » 2003-02-28 06:00pm

Iceberg wrote:
Cap'n Hector wrote:
Admiral Johnason wrote:I am Christian and have a deep faith. I also believe in evolution and science. This seems to be coming into contact with some fundies where I live and I am beginning to worry that I will go form beliver to zellot. How can I keep my friends and not avoid inciting another Crusade?
I'd recommend looking up a Unitarian Universalist church in your area and going once a month or so...UUs are non-denomenational, and are know for being a "thinking" religion. They consider all faiths equal. If nothing else, you'll get a dose of non-irrationality.
I'm not a big fan of UUs because UU-ism seems too wishy-washy for me. They go out of their way to keep from pissing people off and thus on the one hand while you'll never get anybody who isn't a head-up-their-hinder fundie saying that they're particularly BAD, it's not like they stand for anything in particular other than "be good," which while it's nice and all isn't exactly a creed you can really stand by and say "This is what I believe."

I will get more info on this. I'm related to two UUA board members if anyone has questions that I can't answer.

In the meantime, please peruse their website.

The biggest thing that UUs stand by is deeds, and thus many congregations attempt to do good works.

Admiral Johnason · Post by **Admiral Johnason** » 2003-03-03 06:01pm

Thanks for the answers guys. I am going to stay Methodist.

Raptor 597 · Post by **Raptor 597** » 2003-03-03 07:34pm

A word of advice. Don't go south of the Mason-Dixon Line.

StarDestroyer.Net BBS

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