WHEN considering the subject of the fundamentals, or fundamentalism, it would do well for one to have an understanding of the terms. Webster’s New World Dictionary defines fundamental thusly, “Of or forming a foundation or basis; basic, essential.” And fundamentalism as, “Orthodox religious beliefs based on a literal interpretation of the Bible and regarded as fundamental to Christian faith.” Funk & Wagnalls defines fundamental as, “Relating to or constituting a foundation; indispensable; basal.” Fundamentalism is defined as: (1) The belief that all statements made in the Bible are literally true. (2) In the United States, a movement among Protestants holding that such belief is essential to Christian faith.”
In recent years fundamentalism and the fundamental movement have increasingly come under attack from those outside of Christianity. Among those are the news media, Norman Lear and his People for the American Way (PAW), the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), National Organization of Women (NOW), Fundamentalists Anonymous – the list is almost endless. Opposition to the Word of God and all it teaches is to be expected by those outside of Christ, the unsaved – “To whom shall I speak, and give warning, that they may hear? Behold, their ear is uncircumcised, and they cannot hearken: behold, the word of the Lord is unto them a reproach; they have no delight in it.” (Jer. 6:10) Again, any Christian who has been taught the Word of God is well aware that such attitude and treatment is to be expected from the unsaved crowd, for as our Saviour taught in John 15:18-20, “If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his Lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.”
Within Christianity there are those, though saved, who have not obeyed the Scriptural command to separate themselves from the world. In making reference to the world, two areas are in mind – (1) The physical world we live in and all of its allurements (2) The religious world and its ecumenical involvement. . . .
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