What is wrong with us? (An honest look at Fundamentalism)

             I have spent my entire life inside Baptist fundamentalism. I began as the unfocused teen simply interested in success for my life and Jesus as part of my culture. I went on to discover faith and surrender. It is there that I sought completion solely in  Christ. Unfortunately, instead of staying there, I went on to join the ranks of the Pharisees. I glamorized my works, belittled "lesser" Christians, placed all my faith in performance holiness, and did my part to help build the intimidating, authoritarian side of this movement by associating myself with the shunners and avoiding the injured. When one is a Pharisee, it's healthier for his pretensive reality to pretend like those who have been hurt have somehow brought it upon themselves. Mind you, I'm not throwing stones; I'm just speaking from personal experience.

More recently, though, I've stepped away from the political side of fundamentalism and begun to get to know the side of this movement that seems desperate to overcome the movement itself. What is wrong with us? I want to know because I want to see it fixed. I've done a considerable amount of homework on where fundamentalism came from. Honestly, I was afraid it was going to turn me off even more to what I have known my whole life.  In reality,  I found a sincere group of revolutionaries that lived a little over two hundred years ago -- imperfect people, mind you, that were weary of religious authority. I found a group of people with the desire to base their beliefs on a literal interpretation of Scripture. Nothing added, nothing taken away. They were our country's first non-denominationalists. Had they been able to look ahead in time and see the "denomination" we've made it into today, where churches strictly adhere to the oral traditions of camps and successful preachers are emulated more than the life of Christ, they would surely be sick at their stomachs. The Christian life has liberty because of the personal element of the relationship with God. I have my own copy of God's Word, my own access to my Father's throne, and my own ears to hear reproof and encouragement depending on what I need. The authority hierarchy that many fundamentalists have begun to subscribe to in recent decades has brought fear into this otherwise good movement. People must hide their past, camouflage their current struggles, dress the part of perfection, and leave the wounded behind. Those who comply to the system have pride struggles that can get bigger than life itself. The pride then goes on to form more false authority, more intimidating pressures, and more discipled hypocrisy. Play along or else, you know? The oral traditions become a sort of law that scripture can't attest to, but who is brave enough to question it? 

Why am I saying all of this? I'm saying it because I want to remind everyone that faith and spirituality are between you and God. Holiness is sincerity of heart and purity of motive.  You can let God purify you to that place, even while not meeting someone else's spoken law or tradition. You can live without man-made systems. The names "fundamentalist" and even "Baptist" have the potential of souring. Don't pass out on me, now. These titles are just like my own home church's name. If my home church goes crooked, I don't have to go down with the ship because my relationship with God doesn't depend on anyone's system. The guidelines need to be simplified. Does your church pledge its allegiance to only Jesus? Does it preach faith as the basis for salvation AND spirituality? Does it love people -- even those inconvenient backslidden ones? Does it operate free of outside influences and fear of external politics? Does it promote honesty? You probably attend a good one if you can answer all those right. Does it constantly demean and insult those it disagrees with? Does it push you to throw away relationships with friends and family over preferences that it pretends are doctrines? Does it inspire you to be a tattler and a gossip? Does it leave you making excuses for  heart sins that nobody wants to admit or recognize? You may be in a church that could potentially ruin your marriage and turn your children off to Jesus. 

People only have the power over you that you give them. We need revival, and I'm not  afraid to admit it. Don't be afraid to detach from opinions and live as God gives you liberty to. Ask Him to purify you from sin. I'm talking about those nasty, murky waters of motive. Ask Him to strengthen your faith. You can't be His disciple and a slave to man's approval at the same time. Ask Him to relocate you spiritually to a place of dependency on only Him. I'm not saying it won't be painful. However, if our lives are to matter, then what is REAL must become top priority in our minds. Fundamentalism began when guys picked up their Bibles and said, "We can survive with ONLY this." We need that passion back. Revive us again, oh, Lord....