Ever since 9/11 (and before that, but not as much) we’ve heard the word “fundamentalism” in the news almost every day. The problem is we don’t get much of an explanation. No doubt, we get the idea that some fundamentalists are at least bigoted or at worst, violent. Fundamentalism, whether we … [Read more…]
Have you read my new memoir, Undertow? If so, thank you. And thank you for all the lovely notes, e-mails, and in-person messages sharing what this story means to you. If you haven’t yet read it, this post offers a link to Chapter One (free sample) and some fast facts. Many readers have … [Read more…]
Do you think fundamentalism is relevant to your life? Are you hungry for more information about it? If so, consider this post as a little fundamentalism menu. On today’s menu, we find appetizers, side dishes, and main courses on the topic of Christian fundamentalism. Last week’s post Launched in L.A.: … [Read more…]
Have you ever wondered whether fundamentalism of any kind might be driven by fear of modernity? You would be right. For instance, many people fear the knowledge of how we got the Bible. They instead claim it is straight from God and should be taken literally (or cherry-picked for truths, while ignoring contradictions). … [Read more…]
Many of us care about the confusion, fear-mongering, anger, vengeance, and even the subtlest of psychological harm often caused by religious fundamentalists, no matter what the religion. One person speaking up about it is Richard Yao, founder of Ex-Fundamentalists Anonymous. I heard from Richard a few months ago. Last year, long before he contacted me, I posted a … [Read more…]