Questions to/about fundamentalists

[BListon]

If Catholics are not Christians, then why do fundamentalists sing hymns that were written by Catholics? Ex. Jesus, the Very Thought of Thee (St. Bernard of Clairvaux), Faith of our Fathers (Fredrick Faber: a Priest), Be Thou my Vision (St. Dallan), Here I am Lord (Dan Schutte),etc.

 

[robwar]

they might not be aware that they are written by Catholics. Also, because they are so beautiful and speak to universal Christian truths that even fundamentalists sing them. This also includes a number of Christmas carols such as Silent Night, The Twelve Days of Christmas etc etc.

 

[George_Stegmeir]

Most American Fundamentalists are not very well educated people. Most of them have only a secondary school education, if that. They rely almost entirely on their Preacher for information about religious beliefs and interpretation of the Bible.
For many American Fundamentalists, when they disagree with their Preacher, they simply find a church with a Preacher they agree with.
As for their so-called semenaries, most of them are not accredited by any academic institution of higher learning as are secular colleges and universities. Most of them are “Bible Schools” where much of the learning is by rote.
Advanced learning is not encouraged by many Fundamentalist preachers because they have found that when their members do get a higher education, they leave Fundamentalism behind them and either drop religion altogether or become members of one of the mainstream Christian religions, including (oh! the Horror) Roman Catholicism.

 

[JHow]

Maybe the same reason I hear protestant hymns in Catholic churches: music director chose it, it’s in the songbook, hymns are exactly theological dissertations.

 

[pangaious]

Most American Fundamentalists are not very well educated people. Most of them have only a secondary school education, if that. They rely almost entirely on their Preacher for information about religious beliefs and interpretation of the Bible.
For many American Fundamentalists, when they disagree with their Preacher, they simply find a church with a Preacher they agree with.
As for their so-called semenaries, most of them are not accredited by any academic institution of higher learning as are secular colleges and universities. Most of them are “Bible Schools” where much of the learning is by rote.
Advanced learning is not encouraged by many Fundamentalist preachers because they have found that when their members do get a higher education, they leave Fundamentalism behind them and either drop religion altogether or become members of one of the mainstream Christian religions, including (oh! the Horror) Roman Catholicism.

Most of these statements are either not true or only half true. In other words, the latter contain some truth in them but also have the opposite.
There are many educated Fundamentalists, although there are many who are not and the same can be said for every denomination, although its higher in some. Even though they take what their pastor says seriously, many fundamentalists interpret the Bible themselves. There are degrees of this and it runs the spectrum. But, you can be correct on this one, in most cases, not all.
Leaving a Church when they disagree with what is taught there is common eveywhere or we would not have any converts to Catholicism. Also, I think you, in your entire post, are referring to small non-denominational churches and splinter groups. The Baptists, Assemblies of God and Churches of Christ and others have seminaries and colleges that are accredited.
There are Evangelical seminaries that are accredited. So, they encourage their people to go there instead of a mainline one where the historical critical method is used. I remember in the 70’s and 80’s the Bible Institutes that you refer to. Those are not so prevalent now and they fit much more the description you made.
Finally, it should not come as a surprise to you that conservative evagelicals and fundamentalists agree with catholics more than they agree with protestant mainline denominations.

 

[George_Stegmeir]

Most of these statements are either not true or only half true. In other words, the latter contain some truth in them but also have the opposite.
There are many educated Fundamentalists, although there are many who are not and the same can be said for every denomination, although its higher in some. Even though they take what their pastor says seriously, many fundamentalists interpret the Bible themselves. There are degrees of this and it runs the spectrum. But, you can be correct on this one, in most cases, not all.
Leaving a Church when they disagree with what is taught there is common eveywhere or we would not have any converts to Catholicism. Also, I think you, in your entire post, are referring to small non-denominational churches and splinter groups. The Baptists, Assemblies of God and Churches of Christ and others have seminaries and colleges that are accredited.
There are Evangelical seminaries that are accredited. So, they encourage their people to go there instead of a mainline one where the historical critical method is used. I remember in the 70’s and 80’s the Bible Institutes that you refer to. Those are not so prevalent now and they fit much more the description you made.
Finally, it should not come as a surprise to you that conservative evagelicals and fundamentalists agree with catholics more than they agree with protestant mainline denominations.

In my reply to this subject I did not intend to include the Baptists, Assemblies of God, Churches of Christ. Yes, they may be lumped into the Evangelical pile, but these churches are in the mainstream of American Protestantism. What I was talking about are the myriad of independant “store front” churches that proliferate in the Southern part of the US and are so popular amongst blue collar and lower class people …and some of the mega churches that are so popular on TV…that seem to outsiders to be more like money machines than religion.