What does Christian Fundamentalism do best/worst?

[Ransom]

Fundamentalists excel at: Proclaiming the authority and infallibility of the Scriptures.
Fundamentalists fail at: Properly reading and interpreting the Scriptures.

Fundamentalists excel at: Maintaining the importance of good doctrine.
Fundamentalists fail at: Having good doctrine.

Fundamentalists excel at: Defending the need for appropriate worship music.
Fundamentalists fail at: Having good worship music.

Fundamentalists excel at: Stressing the importance of good Christian character.
Fundamentalists fail at: Having leaders with good Christian character.

Fundamentalists excel at: Repudiating the papacy.
Fundamentalists fail at: Installing their own "popes" and other cults of personality.

 

[Fresh Air]

What is most broken in Christian Fundamentalism?

A little too much isolationism (which is an offshoot of some of the thoughts that go into the answer below), followed closely by an anti-intellectualism.

What area does Christian Fundamentalism excel in?

Not allowing the current atmosphere of political correctness to conform our beliefs and practices to the worlds expectations.

So how do you fix the first without endangering the second?

 

[prophet]

I couldn't have said it better.  We were right, when we were called Separatists.

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[prophet]

Fundamentalists excel at: Proclaiming the authority and infallibility of the Scriptures.
Fundamentalists fail at: Properly reading and interpreting the Scriptures.

Fundamentalists excel at: Maintaining the importance of good doctrine.
Fundamentalists fail at: Having good doctrine.

Fundamentalists excel at: Defending the need for appropriate worship music.
Fundamentalists fail at: Having good worship music.

Fundamentalists excel at: Stressing the importance of good Christian character.
Fundamentalists fail at: Having leaders with good Christian character.

Fundamentalists excel at: Repudiating the papacy.
Fundamentalists fail at: Installing their own "popes" and other cults of personality.

Amen X 4

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[Fresh Air]

Fundamentalists excel at: Proclaiming the authority and infallibility of the Scriptures.
Fundamentalists fail at: Properly reading and interpreting the Scriptures.

Fundamentalists excel at: Maintaining the importance of good doctrine.
Fundamentalists fail at: Having good doctrine.

Fundamentalists excel at: Defending the need for appropriate worship music.
Fundamentalists fail at: Having good worship music.

Fundamentalists excel at: Stressing the importance of good Christian character.
Fundamentalists fail at: Having leaders with good Christian character.

Fundamentalists excel at: Repudiating the papacy.
Fundamentalists fail at: Installing their own "popes" and other cults of personality.

That is simply outstanding.

 

[BALAAM]

Fundamentalists excel at: Proclaiming the authority and infallibility of the Scriptures.
Fundamentalists fail at: Properly reading and interpreting the Scriptures.

Fundamentalists excel at: Maintaining the importance of good doctrine.
Fundamentalists fail at: Having good doctrine.

Fundamentalists excel at: Defending the need for appropriate worship music.
Fundamentalists fail at: Having good worship music.

Fundamentalists excel at: Stressing the importance of good Christian character.
Fundamentalists fail at: Having leaders with good Christian character.

Fundamentalists excel at: Repudiating the papacy.
Fundamentalists fail at: Installing their own "popes" and other cults of personality.

This is very good but I will take a shot at the music one.
I grew up in very small churches where there was virtually little to no talent when it came to music. Having good music may not be totally the fault of the church leadership. Of course, I don't know that many of you would call these churches "fundamentalist" even though they were all pretty conservative Baptist churches. FWIW

 

[Ransom]

This is very good but I will take a shot at the music one.
I grew up in very small churches where there was virtually little to no talent when it came to music. Having good music may not be totally the fault of the church leadership.

Who said I was talking about the performers?

You could have a choir made up of clones of Ben Heppner and Maria Callas, but the fundies have declared so much music "evil" that they'd be stuck singing Patch the Pirate's crap.

 

[ALAYMAN]

So how do you fix the first without endangering the second?

I think that the first order of business would be to teach our people that "the world" can be redeemed for Christ, one soul at a time, and that means we have to go where they're at.  That means not only soulwinning on Thursdays, but being a real part of people's lives who aren't Christians, and not living in holy huddles.  It will require that we teach our people to walk in the Spirit, not according to a list of external rules.  It will mean that we realize that the mind is God's (Rom 12:1-2) and that doesn't mean we don't engage it by claiming "I'm a simple Bible preacher".  The arts and sciences, as well as all areas of life are realms that we shouldn't abandon.  Many of the greatest discoveries in the era following the dark ages were as a result of Christians who understood that theology was the "queen of sciences", and that all other arenas were fair game for reclaiming in Christ as well.  The more we circle the wagons and retreat the more irrelevant we will become.  We need to quit arguing over idiotic dung like movie screens and the proverbial wire-rimmed glasses if we want to stay in the conversation.  That doesn't mean we ought to sell out to the pragmatic god of all-things relevant, but it does mean we don't bury our head in the sand and claim some sort of Elijah complex.

 

[graceandtruth]

So how do you fix the first without endangering the second?

I think that the first order of business would be to teach our people that "the world" can be redeemed for Christ, one soul at a time, and that means we have to go where they're at.  That means not only soulwinning on Thursdays, but being a real part of people's lives who aren't Christians, and not living in holy huddles.  It will require that we teach our people to walk in the Spirit, not according to a list of external rules.  It will mean that we realize that the mind is God's (Rom 12:1-2) and that doesn't mean we don't engage it by claiming "I'm a simple Bible preacher".  The arts and sciences, as well as all areas of life are realms that we shouldn't abandon.  Many of the greatest discoveries in the era following the dark ages were as a result of Christians who understood that theology was the "queen of sciences", and that all other arenas were fair game for reclaiming in Christ as well.  The more we circle the wagons and retreat the more irrelevant we will become.  We need to quit arguing over idiotic dung like movie screens and the proverbial wire-rimmed glasses if we want to stay in the conversation.  That doesn't mean we ought to sell out to the pragmatic god of all-things relevant, but it does mean we don't bury our head in the sand and claim some sort of Elijah complex.

Excellent Post!!

 

[BALAAM]

This is very good but I will take a shot at the music one.
I grew up in very small churches where there was virtually little to no talent when it came to music. Having good music may not be totally the fault of the church leadership.

Who said I was talking about the performers?

You could have a choir made up of clones of Ben Heppner and Maria Callas, but the fundies have declared so much music "evil" that they'd be stuck singing Patch the Pirate's crap.

I knew you weren't speaking about performers, but that is the first thing that came to my mind.

 

[Recovering IFB]

So how do you fix the first without endangering the second?

I think that the first order of business would be to teach our people that "the world" can be redeemed for Christ, one soul at a time, and that means we have to go where they're at.  That means not only soulwinning on Thursdays, but being a real part of people's lives who aren't Christians, and not living in holy huddles. 

While I was leaving my old church and was interviewing my new church's lead pastor, I was discussing things with the lead pastor at a coffee shop. I asked him what night was soul winning. He replied, " We don't go out on a specific night for soul winning, your life is soul winning" Our lead pastor encourages us from the pulpit,(though he doesn't use one) that in everything we do in our communities, from shopping,in and about the neighborhood, attending festivals, kid's soccer games, hanging at the cigar lounge,(my personal favorite  ) everything we do, we are about engaging our neighbors and trying to cultivate relationships for God.
I'm really not against knocking on doors. I used to live in Virginia, it's part of the culture. but up here, I don't think its effective to the people up here. I'm not saying it doesn't work, but I think people don't warm up as easily. My buddy always says " People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care"

 

[Castor Muscular]

....... good at telling you what you need to do...  bad at showing you how to do it... .  ..

And they do little or nothing to help. 

4 For they bind heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on men

 

[prophet]

So how do you fix the first without endangering the second?

I think that the first order of business would be to teach our people that "the world" can be redeemed for Christ, one soul at a time, and that means we have to go where they're at.  That means not only soulwinning on Thursdays, but being a real part of people's lives who aren't Christians, and not living in holy huddles. 

While I was leaving my old church and was interviewing my new church's lead pastor, I was discussing things with the lead pastor at a coffee shop. I asked him what night was soul winning. He replied, " We don't go out on a specific night for soul winning, your life is soul winning" Our lead pastor encourages us from the pulpit,(though he doesn't use one) that in everything we do in our communities, from shopping,in and about the neighborhood, attending festivals, kid's soccer games, hanging at the cigar lounge,(my personal favorite  ) everything we do, we are about engaging our neighbors and trying to cultivate relationships for God.

I went into a cigar lounge, sat down with a coffee infused Nicaraguan, and commenced to starting a conversation, which I steered towards the Lord.  I soon noticed another set of hands on the wheel.
The guy I was talking to was a local presby pastor.  This is my one attempt at cigar lounge witnessing...But I've got hundreds of friends who's door I knocked, who are following Christ,  now.
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[Castor Muscular]

I went into a cigar lounge, sat down with a coffee infused Nicaraguan, and commenced to starting a conversation

What did the coffee infused Nicaraguan have to say?

 

[ALAYMAN]

going out to them.... but not coming back like them.. ...  i guess that could be why going out to witness to homeless people is a little easier... ..  the temptation to conform is not so great... .

lol, Christ never had a place to lay his head, so we shouldn't either.    The sad thing is, there are plenty of "preachers" who don't know how to exposit and apply the Scriptures any better than that.  Sorta like the ole joke about "Judas hanged himself.....go and do thou likewise".  Or maybe more believable, some advocate communism from the Acts passage that declares that "they had all things in common".  Rightly dividing the word is a challenge for many folk.  I watched a show yesterday about a boy who believed he was really a girl.  He lived the stereotypical all-boy life (a nationally reknowned race car driver) until he couldn't stand it anymore, and became a transexual.  What led him to that final conclusion?  He went to his pastor and the man said he needed to pray and read his Bible more, so he <randomly, ahem> opened the New Testament to Galatians 3:28, lo and behold God told him right there that there is
neither male nor female.  :

Ya know, there actually is a dude that went homeless for awhile in order to be more Christlike.  Interesting stuff.

 

[prophet]

I went into a cigar lounge, sat down with a coffee infused Nicaraguan, and commenced to starting a conversation

What did the coffee infused Nicaraguan have to say?

Alot,...fast.

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[BALAAM]

So how do you fix the first without endangering the second?

I think that the first order of business would be to teach our people that "the world" can be redeemed for Christ, one soul at a time, and that means we have to go where they're at.  That means not only soulwinning on Thursdays, but being a real part of people's lives who aren't Christians, and not living in holy huddles. 

While I was leaving my old church and was interviewing my new church's lead pastor, I was discussing things with the lead pastor at a coffee shop. I asked him what night was soul winning. He replied, " We don't go out on a specific night for soul winning, your life is soul winning" Our lead pastor encourages us from the pulpit,(though he doesn't use one) that in everything we do in our communities, from shopping,in and about the neighborhood, attending festivals, kid's soccer games, hanging at the cigar lounge,(my personal favorite  ) everything we do, we are about engaging our neighbors and trying to cultivate relationships for God.

I went into a cigar lounge, sat down with a coffee infused Nicaraguan, and commenced to starting a conversation, which I steered towards the Lord.  I soon noticed another set of hands on the wheel.
The guy I was talking to was a local presby pastor.  This is my one attempt at cigar lounge witnessing...But I've got hundreds of friends who's door I knocked, who are following Christ,  now.
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Was this Karma in Merrillville?

 

[Castor Muscular]

Was this Karma in Merrillville?

Better than Dogma in Nowheresville. 

 

[throwncatchnrocks67]

what every religion does.


what they do best? they justify what they want to do and burden others with what they think is wrong

what do they do worst? show scholarship in the interpretation of Scripture and exegesis
in preaching the Word.

 

[Recovering IFB]

I soon noticed another set of hands on the wheel.
The guy I was talking to was a local presby pastor.  This is my one attempt at cigar lounge witnessing...Sent from my N860 using Tapatalk 2

And this was a bad experience for you?

But I've got hundreds of friends who's door I knocked, who are following Christ,  now.

The hundreds who I've knocked on doors, made professions, came for a short time, fizzled out and never saw them again. Unlike the ones I've meet on the golf course, kids soccer games, etc. etc.