You defend attacks on plain vanilla fundamentalism.
I see your point, but I don't think that's what I'm doing. You are looking it through a Christian vs Islamic prism. Which is not surprising since that's the framework in which the topic was introduced.
My framework is the concept, fundamentalism. I don't like fundamentalism because it's authoritarian, closed-minded, uncreative, stifling, and non-constructive. It doesn't matter whether the fundamentalism is Christian or Harley Davidson, film making or gymnastics. The notion that there is only one way to do something, only one right thing to do, and don't you dare question it is not a healthy approach in today's world. Maybe it was my years as a systems analyst, but someone telling me that we have to do it this way because we've always done it this way or because the boss said to do it this way is anathema. Whether the Bible is the authoritarian or whether Bela Karoli is, I don't find it a good thing. If individuals want to be fundamentalists in their own venues, that's fine, but I'd hate to see that attitude dominate. This country thrives on its imagination and it's willingness to try things. |
