A question we are sometimes asked is: “Why the name Unfundamentalist? Wouldn’t it be better to define yourself by what you’re for, rather than what you’re against?”
Christian fundamentalism—and fundamentalistm of other varieties—is defined by and vigorously promotes everywhere authoritarianism, the oppression of women, homophobia, xenophobia, the “danger” of education, corporal punishment, a literal and inerrant view of scripture, “all or nothing” thinking, and a God whose primary function is to judge and punish.
We are for none of those things, hence our name.
Also, there is nothing wrong with defining oneself by what one opposes, if what one opposes is prevalent and evil. Martin Luther defined himself by opposing the wrongs of the Catholic Church. Gandhi defined himself by opposing the British occupation of India. Martin Luther King, Jr. defined himself by opposing racism.
To state that you oppose a negative is a positive.
We are not, however, purely oppositional. What we stand for and believe in is here.
John Shore, advice columnist for the Asheville Citizen-Times (the major daily newspaper of Asheville, North Carolina) is the founder of Unfundamentalist.
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