"The Rise of Fundamentalism"
"The Rise of Fundamentalism"
The foundation of fundamentalism is fear. When people feel distance from the Father, they may feel they can’t trust him because he is hard and out to get them. When they believe they can’t please the Father, they get into what the Church has so often gotten into, in almost every denomination, the merit/demerit system. They need to make sure they are right with the distant Father. In Catholicism it takes the form of legalism and near idolatry of the institution. In Protestantism, at least today, it takes the form of fundamentalism. Fundamentalism creates a system of words, bible quotes and techniques for salvation that are supposedly certain, so you can always know the ground on which you stand and keep the feared Father on your side. It’s very popular today in America, and wherever else the family system is collapsing and fathers are absent or abusive. I would say that people who are attracted to fundamentalism are suffering from a lack of masculine energy, a lack of union with the Father. When you are in union with the Father, you don’t need petty certitudes to overcome your fear. You can relax with God; you can even feel free to make mistakes. You resonate with the words of the Father, “This is my beloved son, in whom I am well pleased,” and such perfect love casts out all fear (1 John 4:18).
from A Man’s Approach to God by Richard Rohr
The foundation of fundamentalism is fear. When people feel distance from the Father, they may feel they can’t trust him because he is hard and out to get them. When they believe they can’t please the Father, they get into what the Church has so often gotten into, in almost every denomination, the merit/demerit system. They need to make sure they are right with the distant Father. In Catholicism it takes the form of legalism and near idolatry of the institution. In Protestantism, at least today, it takes the form of fundamentalism. Fundamentalism creates a system of words, bible quotes and techniques for salvation that are supposedly certain, so you can always know the ground on which you stand and keep the feared Father on your side. It’s very popular today in America, and wherever else the family system is collapsing and fathers are absent or abusive. I would say that people who are attracted to fundamentalism are suffering from a lack of masculine energy, a lack of union with the Father. When you are in union with the Father, you don’t need petty certitudes to overcome your fear. You can relax with God; you can even feel free to make mistakes. You resonate with the words of the Father, “This is my beloved son, in whom I am well pleased,” and such perfect love casts out all fear (1 John 4:18).
from A Man’s Approach to God by Richard Rohr
posted by LuisVelasco @ 7:17 AM
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