Fundamentals of the faith.

This came across our department listserv yesterday: an article on the true meaning of the term "fundamentalist Christian." While Catholics don't always fall into this grouping, we could all certainly use to read this short piece when they are picking a new pope for the world as I type this. Some folks have mentioned some of the author's points on this very blog, in comments to posts about religion or tolerance. It seems to hit home, it does. I think, if Jesus were alive and living in American, he'd think that Pat Robertson was a jackass. W.W.J.D.? He'd love everyone and want everyone to have the chance to express their love for other people; he'd want everyone to be able to marry whoever they want to. He'd tell us that wars are stupid if there's no immediate threat. What are we fighting, the Crusades again, only this time to spread democracy? W.W.J.D. about abortion rights? I don't know where he'd stand on the issue, but he certainly wouldn't stand outside of abortion clinics calling people baby-killers and sinners. That's hate speech, and he preached love, right? I saw some people on the side of a busy road in Maryland last summer with gigantic photos of dead fetuses that sorta looked like babies, and they were shouting that we were all evil and going to hell. For my part, I stuck my head out the window, told them they were "fucking sick" and drove my car a little too fast and a little too close to their picket line on the side of the road. I probably cut a bunch of people off on my way home after that, since I was angry and spreading it. Hate only breeds more hate, as it did in me that day. On a lighter note, W.W.J.D. about coffee? He'd drink too much of it and then blog about things he didn't really think about all that much. Wait, that's W.W.JohnnyDo~