From: sco@aero.org (Stacey C. O'Brien)
Subject: Re: Do We Need a New newsgroup? (was Re: Those Nasty Fundamentalists)
Organization: The Aerospace Corporation, El Segundo, CA
Date: Sat, 15 Aug 1992 06:45:28 GMT

In article <1992Aug13.144317.22359@meaddata.com> mcr@meaddata.com (Mary Ries) writes:
>In article <1992Aug13.130020.17658@cbnews.cb.att.com>, ajw@cbnews.cb.att.com (andrew.j.whitman) writes:
>|> In article <1992Aug13.003927.21973@aero.org> sco@aero.org (Stacey C. O'Brien) writes:
>|> 
>|> [ stuff deleted ]
>|> 
>|> > Fundementalism is simply a way of interpreting
>|> >scripture, taking it more literally than figuratively. It disturbs me
>|> >to see Christians using the word fundementalist derisively...
>|> 
>|> Today the word "fundamentalist" has a much more narrow and restrictive
>|> meaning in my mind.  Here are some of the issues and viewpoints that
>|> characterize fundamentalism today:
>
>These posts are very interesting discussion to me, a thread I'd be
>interested in following. I am also currently participating in an
>email-distribution, mailing-list, whatever, type of discussion on
>"Legalism vs. Holiness" that is also very interesting.
>
>No flames, Andy or Stacey, because I don't mind following those kinds
>of threads here (as long as the subject doesn't change with every new
>post... in case it does eventually make it into my Kill file...
>anyway, I digress), but does anyone think we need a new newsgroup for
>this type of tangent discussion?
>
>I have tried reading and posting to soc.religion.christian... but for
>reasons I can't easily pinpoint, I don't really get much out of that
>group.  Its like my topics don't "fit".  Maybe there is too much
>doctrine discussed there? All kinds of historical stuff that are way
>too deep for me, I feel like I need a degree in theology to post
>there. Maybe I have a distorted perception.
>
>I do like the fact that we almost always work out disagreements here
>in a loving way (eventually ;), and I think we're getting better and
>better at it! What does everyone else think?  Why don't we take

Well, I had no idea there was a disagreement. I never said anything
like "Fundementalists are right and evangelicals are wrong" or anything.
I go to a fundementalist church and am a member. I have had vehement
disagreements with the leadership on some issues and have spoken my
mind (I know that comes as a shock) on many issues. I grew up in an
evangelical church. I'm not saying one is better or more accurate than
the other! It's just that where I'm at with the Lord right now this
particular church meets my needs and it happens to be _THEOLOGICALLY_
fundementalist (which came as a shock to me, BTW). Anyways, I don`t
want to argue about fundementalism. I really could care less. I just
think it's sad that we can't even SAY that anymore without everyong
having an Instant Hate Reaction and that the media has that much
influence, even on Christians! How many people instantly mock at the
name "Dan Quayle". Why? Do we know him? No. It's because the media
constantly mocks him. why do we bristle at the word "fundementalist"?
We picture a white male (older guy probably) who is bigoted, narrow
minded and narrow slits for eyes, his face red with fury, spittle
flying out of his mouth as he condemns you to hell for having long
hair and a leather jacket....etc. I just was so surprised that my
denomination is fundementalist that I realized I didn't even know
what fundementalism is. 

Another example about my church - you will see more interracial
couples in one Sunday morning than you've probably ever seen in
your life. Is this intolerance? You will see more musicians in
one place than you'll see anywhere but the grammy's. More Mexicans
than on Cinco de Mayo, lotsa guys with long hair and leather. Oh,
you may also come across a Franciscan monk traveling through
California - I kid you not. We have had Koinonia (jazz), Tourniquet
(metal), and all styles of music. We feed the homeless, help them
get jobs, run a halfway house for prostitutes, ..need I go on...
Do we sound like the fundementalist scumbags that you read about?
ALL I'm trying to say is that I think the media image of fundementalism
is way off base. But this is based on my own personal experience...

Oh yeah, we also have services in Spanish, Farsi(Iranian), and Korean.

                         --Stacey
>tangent discussions to soc.religion.christian? Do we need a new
>newsgroup?  Where would it belong? What should it be called,
>rec.music.christian.tangent?  ;)

Hmmm. I dunno. A lot of this really isn't about music. But on the other
hand, maybe the casual-ness of meeting over music lets us be more
free to "shoot the breeze" without having to be perfectly accurate
or "heavy"....hmmm
>
>_______________________________________________________________________
>Mary Ries            | Die, v.:                     | Software Engineer
>mcr@meaddata.com     |    To stop sinning suddenly. | Mead Data Central
>..uunet!meaddata!mcr |           -- Elbert Hubbard  | Dayton, Ohio
>

Stacey