What is Fundamentalism and Why is It So Dangerous?
First, fundamentalism is an “ism” and like so many of the other “isms” (gnosticism, Mormonism, Seventh Day Adventism, etc.) that have plagued Christianity over the centuries, it is a dangerous heresy. Each of these “isms’ is characterized by making something other than Christ central. The greatest danger associated with fundamentalism (whether Christian, Mormon, or Islamic) is that the statements of fundamentalists sound so true. Christians frequently listen to a fundamentalist preacher and agree with every word. Many fundamentalist preachers are charismatic leaders and persuasive orators. They have a passion and commitment, a devotion, that we would all like to achieve in our own lives. It is easy to be moved and blessed by their messages. The problem is that they are committed to the wrong thing. They are committed to simplistic interpretations of the faith, to simplistic notions of morality and right and wrong. They are committed to cultural preservation and resistance to change. As
