Back in November I was featured in an article by Mike Duran as part of the Anti-Evangelical Hate Machine. After outcry from many of you that SFL didn’t really belong in this category, Mike asked me if I’d consent to answer some interview questions to help set the record straight on exactly what SFL is and why it exists.
Thanks to the astute reader who submitted this from the bowels of fundyland. Be safe, my friend.
For the rest of you, do feel free to make up your own acrostic with the flower of your choice.
I never cease to wonder why people at the same time claim that
1) I am not talking about their brand of fundamentalism because THEIR church/pastor/camp/choir/bus ministry/church dungeon is NORMAL.
AND
2) They’re upset at me for making fun of crazy fundamentalism (that again they aren’t actually a part of in any way, shape, fashion, or form).
So if I’m not goring your ox then when all the crying? There’s something very strange there. Perhaps it’s just that they really, really don’t want to have to take “Independent Fundamental Baptist” off their church sign to keep from being associated with the crazies. If that’s the case then that ship has long since sailed, my friend.
Case in point is this creatively spelled e-mail from “Jason”
I came across your website about 6 months ago. I attend an IFB church.
I have been there since 13. Our church is not perfect but we have not
experienced the stupidity that you write about. Our Pastor doesn’t
preach his opinions, doesn’t degrade women, use the pulpit as a
whipping post etc. In fact we don’t do much anymore with other IFB
churches. I think that there is an arrogance about men yelling that
they are ifb’s. I stick with Christian. Baptist history is so rich but
what happens when the name begins to take on a different meaning. I
guess what I am saying is that I follow the Bible. I see the nonsense
but I was curious about who you are. I’m not a fan David Cloud but I
am not a fan of you neither. All I am saying is that your not helping
Christianity by your “humor.” I’ll be honest and say that if you put a
microscope over my life you would find alot of imperfection. I see no
credibility in what you do. Your site just adds to confusion as you
sew discord and write about foolishness.(Jason)
Thank you for that note, Jason. I’ll try to take it easy on sewing discord. Perhaps I’ll take a turn at doing macrame with discord instead.
Today is a Monday with everything that implies. I woke up late. Then I took a typhoid pill which is making me feel tired and sick (more on that in a big announcement tomorrow). I got to work and was immediately slammed with multiple people wanting my attention for tasks that I have little interest in doing. All this and I haven’t had a cup of coffee in five days. It’s a Monday of Garfieldian proportions.
From where I sit now I can see that this is nothing unusual. It’s not a failure of character to get a little stressed and grumpy. It’s not a “bad testimony” to not grin like a manic mannequin through each hour of the day as if the very souls of those around me depended on the strength of my cheek muscles. This tiredness is not unique to me. This crabbiness is normal. Into each life some Mondays must fall.
The beautiful treasure of our light is hidden inside fragile clay jars but He remembers that we are only dust. Don’t fret. Don’t add the stress of self-condemnation to the already busy day. You’ll feel like smiling some other time. And someday we’ll all have coffee again.
So how is your Monday so far? I’d love to hear about it.
As time passes and Independent Baptist Fundamentalism begins to fade in our collective rear-view mirrors, there is a realization that slowly begins to dawn: “Everybody is somebody’s fundy.” Unless you believe absolutely nothing, have a strong opinion on absolutely nothing, and never ever draw a line between right and wrong, wise and foolish, or the Eagles and all those other loser NFL teams, someone at some point will probably accuse you of either being a fundy or “acting just like them.” And the accusation will probably come from someone else who acts in their own way like a bit of a fundy too. We all have our moments.
Let not your heart be troubled when the label fundy is flung at you like a Holy Hand-grenade. Sometimes this word is used in complete ignorance and the person who is leveling that accusation may simply be unaware of the massive baggage that surrounds the word “fundamentalist” for those of us who spent years being proud of that title. More frequently, however, when this accusation is hurled it is done so because the person hurling it knows that it’s the quickest way to raise your ire and start a fight. After all, what better way to gain an upper hand than by accusing someone of being the very thing they loath? The Internet is full of such who delight in nothing more than performing verbal hit-and-run attacks.
So what shall we do then when we are called fundamentalist for no greater crime than believing that some thing is true and worth defending? The answer is simply this: refuse to engage the fight. Return blessing for cursing. Love your enemies. And smile a lot so they’ll wonder what you’re up to.
For in some way we all have beliefs that are fundamental. We all have core principles we cannot compromise. We all believe in something and that belief shapes us both inside and out. But we can surely do better than to fling the word “fundamentalist” at those with whom we merely disagree as if it is the most distasteful thing we can think of. Let’s save that word for the real fundies. They rather seem to enjoy it.