In his film, Religulous, Bill Maher takes aim at Christian fundamentalism in America attempting to expose the lunacy of it all. (The title is a combination of the words religion and ridiculous.) I found the film worthwhile but wish it had answered more questions. Like, what’s the definition of a fundie and why does any person want to be one? What percentage of Americans think this way? And is this number shrinking or on the rise? Since Bill didn’t answer these questions, let’s give it a try.
The film’s definition of a fundamentalist seems to be churchgoers who take their scripture literally. For Christians, it’s believing in Old Testament stories like Adam and Eve, Jonah living inside a whale, and Noah running around collecting all those animals. It also includes believing in the existence of Hell, Mother Mary as a virgin, and that homosexuality is a sin.
It appears people become fundamentalists for three reasons:
- Jesus loves you
- You enjoy feeling superior
- You’re susceptible to the euphoria of prayer
Fundamentalists are usually born into an already fundamentalist family or belong to the utterly broken and totally screwed up. I don’t think kids from good non-fundie homes wake up saying, “Hey, I want to start believing in this stuff, literally.” But those with battered backgrounds often seek out the help of the church. Why? Because above all else, Jesus loves me. And this form of love is obviously better than the one I should have received from home.
It also appears that as soon as the cameras shut off, fundies began snickering over how dumb they thought ol’ Bill was. Comments like “he doesn’t know” and “he’ll never be saved” could easily have come from this group. One of the pillars of super-faith seems to be the feeling of being chosen or superior. And when you think of it—these people have been ridiculed their entire lives. But thanks to fundamentalism, they’ll soon be the winners sitting atop the mountainside, while condescending, bully-bastards who once taunted them suffer at their feet. (And revenge is so sweet.)
The third reason appears to be the reaction some have to prayer. It’s like the power of prayer is an upper-based addiction like no other. Something chemical is going on here because they’re all high on Christ.
So to summarize: “newbie” fundamentalists want (and need) the love of Jesus, like to feel superior, and are addicted to the euphoria of prayer.
Problem
So why did Bill say we have to be afraid of them? All the fundamentalists in the film seemed harmless. Looked like nice people. Is it because those who believe blindly are susceptible to carrying out bad wishes from an evil command? Are fundamentalists primarily docile people who can become dangerous because they don’t like to think? And is it terrorism we’re talking about, or is it voting largely the same way and their tendency to sometimes carry signs that say “God hates fags,” all because some leader told them?
Solution
What’s popular these days are arguments between atheists and fundies, which are mostly futile. It may be better to acknowledge that fundamentalist-type people exist and treat them accordingly? For example, like we have international agreements to reduce the number of nuclear arms, we could have international faith agreements to remove controversial passages from each other’s scripture, just to keep everyone safe.
Prior to finding this notion absurd, consider that the Catholic Church has altered its canon a number of times. For years, it said babies who died before baptism were sent directly to limbo. And though this was probably a motivation to push followers into practicing early sacraments (since rituals are part of cementing adherence), it created additional suffering for already grieving parents. But the church reversed its policy to unbaptized babies now go to heaven. Furthermore, today the Vatican acknowledges Darwinism as a valid belief system, and sometimes says homosexuality isn’t a sin. (At this rate we’ll have birth control by Christmas.)
Religious authorities must take responsibility for having created this mess. Rules that were necessary in the past have become outgrown in many places. The fault doesn’t lie with fundamentalist-type people, it’s with doctrines like the Bible and the Quran. Blaming fundies is like blaming a three-year-old for falling into a pool. Put up a fence!
Simple-minded people will always be among us and will always require some sort of care. So let’s give them a bible that is simple and pure. One that says everyone goes to heaven (regardless of religion) and there is no hell. We could make it even more positive by putting greater emphasis on one God and less on the messenger. (Plus, we should stop forcing these folks to evangelize and give away all their dough.)
For the sake of fundamentalists, we should rewrite parts of our bibles to clean up the faith. This way everyone gets to follow the rules and we can all get high.
Note: There are many psychological reasons why I would join. It’s an easy answer to natural questions and a straightforward path to heaven. And in places like Europe and CanAmerica, religion is a choice. But in other parts of the world, fundamentalist behaviour can be forced upon you — and most people hate it. (Some don’t.) Remember this before you judge.