A few months back a national survey organization asked if I wanted to be a part of their "panel." I said yes and since have filled out about one in-depth survey a week on anything from politics to religion, health concerns to lifestyles and advertising. Yesterday's survey was on "newspapers," what papers and what parts of the papers I read. Tucked in there was the question "How favorably do you look at Christian Fundamentalists?". I have noticed from time to time an ever so subtle bias in the surveys against evangelicals. They wanted a 0 to 100% response with 100% being most favorable. My answer was 90% favorable.
The following is my incomplete chronology of Fundamentalism. It came into existence about a century ago. The post Civil War period saw a great move toward secularism, particularly in the universities. German "Higher Criticism" of the bible quickly became entrenched in the Yankee states and seminaries. In this void of true Christianity and its doctrines, the turn of the century saw numerous new pseudo Christian religions arise. Bible believing churches that had strengths but not in doctrine searched for visible assurances of their faith not realizing that the discarded doctrines of scripture provided all that is necessary for living the Christian faith. They manifested what they incorrectly thought was the "gifts of tongues," and have since grown into a formidable Pentecostal church. The rest circled the wagons around five "essential" truths of the faith that they would defend, at all costs, against the onslaught of secularism. They were "Fundamentalists" in the eyes of the unbelieving world.
The advent of Billy Graham moved many of them into what would be called "Evangelicalism." The "Evangelical" later came to include just about everyone, Fundamentalists, Pentecostals, Charismatics and later the Moral Majority's political element and James Dobson's family element. Most recently, mega-churches, the Emergent Church Movement and portions of mainline denominations that fight against abortion and the same-sex marriage agenda came into the fold. At one time, the survey asked me a "yes" or "no" question if I was an "Evangelical." Their question was based on the perception of an Evangelical as one who is born again and seeks to proselytize. Well, I am "born again" and also seek to evangelize others so I had to answer "yes," although I am more accurately to be described as a Reformed Christian holding to the traditions of the Reformation. To the secular media, everyone is grouped together, adding much confusion to any national debate on religion.
Returning to the original question, and my answer of 90% favorable to Christian Fundamentalists; nearly a century ago they set out to defend the essentials of the Christian faith as they saw them, and this they remained true to. They experienced, and continue to experience, severe ridicule. They sometimes defend the gospel against encroaching non-Christian religions such as Mormonism, when many more "successful" Christian elements have deemphasized the gospel itself in order to appear tolerant. They remain a key ingredient in the hope of seeing America return to a God-fearing nation. Jerry Falwell was the quintessential Fundamentalist. He may have made unsound ministry decisions from time to time but his unflinching proclamation of Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior on news shows such as "Nightline" is what will always be etched in my mind.
So why 90% and not 100%? Fundamentalism has within it a hard-bitten element that has lowered the banner of "law and grace" and raised the banner of "law only." There will always be the Fundamentalist" element in the church. It will remain relatively ineffective in reaching the secular world but if I can continuously examine myself then I can learn much from their steadfastness in the faith against all odds. The same can be said of other elements within Christianity that are branded "Evangelicalism." Still, what is necessary for the church to strengthen and influence this nation, is a return to the Reformation banners of salvation by "Sola Gracia," grace alone, through "Sola Fide," faith alone, in "Solus Christus," Christ alone, also "Sola Scriptura," Scripture alone, and "Sola Deo Gloria" to God alone be glory!
The following is my incomplete chronology of Fundamentalism. It came into existence about a century ago. The post Civil War period saw a great move toward secularism, particularly in the universities. German "Higher Criticism" of the bible quickly became entrenched in the Yankee states and seminaries. In this void of true Christianity and its doctrines, the turn of the century saw numerous new pseudo Christian religions arise. Bible believing churches that had strengths but not in doctrine searched for visible assurances of their faith not realizing that the discarded doctrines of scripture provided all that is necessary for living the Christian faith. They manifested what they incorrectly thought was the "gifts of tongues," and have since grown into a formidable Pentecostal church. The rest circled the wagons around five "essential" truths of the faith that they would defend, at all costs, against the onslaught of secularism. They were "Fundamentalists" in the eyes of the unbelieving world.
The advent of Billy Graham moved many of them into what would be called "Evangelicalism." The "Evangelical" later came to include just about everyone, Fundamentalists, Pentecostals, Charismatics and later the Moral Majority's political element and James Dobson's family element. Most recently, mega-churches, the Emergent Church Movement and portions of mainline denominations that fight against abortion and the same-sex marriage agenda came into the fold. At one time, the survey asked me a "yes" or "no" question if I was an "Evangelical." Their question was based on the perception of an Evangelical as one who is born again and seeks to proselytize. Well, I am "born again" and also seek to evangelize others so I had to answer "yes," although I am more accurately to be described as a Reformed Christian holding to the traditions of the Reformation. To the secular media, everyone is grouped together, adding much confusion to any national debate on religion.
Returning to the original question, and my answer of 90% favorable to Christian Fundamentalists; nearly a century ago they set out to defend the essentials of the Christian faith as they saw them, and this they remained true to. They experienced, and continue to experience, severe ridicule. They sometimes defend the gospel against encroaching non-Christian religions such as Mormonism, when many more "successful" Christian elements have deemphasized the gospel itself in order to appear tolerant. They remain a key ingredient in the hope of seeing America return to a God-fearing nation. Jerry Falwell was the quintessential Fundamentalist. He may have made unsound ministry decisions from time to time but his unflinching proclamation of Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior on news shows such as "Nightline" is what will always be etched in my mind.
So why 90% and not 100%? Fundamentalism has within it a hard-bitten element that has lowered the banner of "law and grace" and raised the banner of "law only." There will always be the Fundamentalist" element in the church. It will remain relatively ineffective in reaching the secular world but if I can continuously examine myself then I can learn much from their steadfastness in the faith against all odds. The same can be said of other elements within Christianity that are branded "Evangelicalism." Still, what is necessary for the church to strengthen and influence this nation, is a return to the Reformation banners of salvation by "Sola Gracia," grace alone, through "Sola Fide," faith alone, in "Solus Christus," Christ alone, also "Sola Scriptura," Scripture alone, and "Sola Deo Gloria" to God alone be glory!
