I can't trust "fundies", can you?

**Peter** · 18th June 2012, 08:17 PM

I have a number of fairly good acquaintances at work that you'd call christian fundamentalists. They seem to be fairly normal people about everything but religion. When it comes to religion I notice I treat then as if they were psychopaths. IOW, I treat them just like I would treat anyone who heard voices in their heads. In normal conversation I can almost see them straining as they ask themselves, what would jesus do? I can't trust them because they don't think for themselves, their moral framework is interpreted from an old storybook. I feel as if they could justify anything based on what their preacher told them last Sunday or how they interpreted a particular passage in the bible. They are, to me, perfectly and completely psychotic because they are capable of doing anything and justifying it to themselves with their faith.

Does anyone else feel this way about christian fundamentalists or fundies from other religions?

**Cephus** · 18th June 2012, 08:29 PM

I don't trust fundamentalists farther than I can throw them. I really don't much trust anyone religious, or anyone delusional, because they've already demonstrated they can't deal with reality on reality's terms. They cannot handle certain parts of their lives in any way rationally, why should I think they're going to deal with me that way?

**truthreality** · 18th June 2012, 08:29 PM

Quote by: Peter

I have a number of fairly good acquaintances at work that you'd call christian fundamentalists. They seem to be fairly normal people about everything but religion. When it comes to religion I notice I treat then as if they were psychopaths. IOW, I treat them just like I would treat anyone who heard voices in their heads. In normal conversation I can almost see them straining as they ask themselves, what would jesus do? I can't trust them because they don't think for themselves, their moral framework is interpreted from an old storybook. I feel as if they could justify anything based on what their preacher told them last Sunday or how they interpreted a particular passage in the bible. They are, to me, perfectly and completely psychotic because they are capable of doing anything and justifying it to themselves with their faith.

Does anyone else feel this way about christian fundamentalists or fundies from other religions?

In a thread in which I was debating with Queststatement he admitted to the acts of genocide in the Bible but defends these acts because "God ordained it". This is a dangerous mentality. Islamic fundamental terrorists use the same justifications for their actions.

**Jack** · 18th June 2012, 08:30 PM

I recently discovered that the general manager (and his daughter who also works there and in fact hired me) and IT manager where I work are both evangelical Christians, just a hop, skip and jump away from fundamentalists. Knowing that has only affected our interactions in two ways; I don't swear or make any comments of any kind on religion around them and I only discuss business with them. Thus far we get along just great. I don't think it's necessary to interject my opinions on religion into a workplace that has nothing to do with that.

In general I often find fundamentalists hard to socialize with since all they want to talk about is religion and are generally humorless. You may think from my posts here that I must discuss and debate religion all the time, but actually the topic rarely arises away from Volconvo. Most people who know me casually have no idea what I think about the gods and those who know me well know my views and avoid the topic if it discomforts them.

**Peter** · 18th June 2012, 08:39 PM

I'd also like to turn this around and ask if the theists here can trust atheists who think for themselves without consulting a storybook.
I can only guess that a few, the ones with such incredibly warped views of atheists, are incapable of trusting me any more than I am capable of trusting them.

I guess this is just another example of the incredible divisiveness of religion in general.

**Angry Citizen** · 18th June 2012, 09:58 PM

In normal conversation I can almost see them straining as they ask themselves, what would jesus do? I can't trust them because they don't think for themselves, their moral framework is interpreted from an old storybook.

Is it really that much different from interpreting moral framework from a very recent book? I've seen dunces even here on these boards who seriously take Christopher Hitchens, Noam Chomskey, and myriad vegan scammers for their guardians of morality. Between them and Jesus, hell, I'd take Jesus.

**ruksak** · 19th June 2012, 07:24 AM

I don't particularly trust anyone until they earn it. I've worked with a few fundies over the years that seemed like good folk to me. They were brainwashed as children, most often, and they seem quite tethered to their morals.

Honestly, a real snake in the grass is the 'pseudo-Xtians'. Those people whom go to church every once and awhile (Easter, X-mas etc) and claim to be Xtians yet know very little about their own supposed religion.

**Peter** · 19th June 2012, 10:36 AM

Quote by: ruksak

I don't particularly trust anyone until they earn it. I've worked with a few fundies over the years that seemed like good folk to me. They were brainwashed as children, most often, and they seem quite tethered to their morals.

Honestly, a real snake in the grass is the 'pseudo-Xtians'. Those people whom go to church every once and awhile (Easter, X-mas etc) and claim to be Xtians yet know very little about their own supposed religion.

I don't find the casual christian to be near as creepy as the fundie. Since the casual christian is so ignorant of the "good book" they don't spend much time trying to figure out gods instructions within it. They aren't constantly listening for a tiny voice in their skulls. It's the fundie and their obsession with finding meaning or even justification for their own actions that scare me. We all know that the bible can and has been used to justify almost anything.

**xx_mortekai_xx** · 19th June 2012, 10:43 AM

Quote by: Peter

I have a number of fairly good acquaintances at work that you'd call christian fundamentalists. They seem to be fairly normal people about everything but religion. When it comes to religion I notice I treat then as if they were psychopaths. IOW, I treat them just like I would treat anyone who heard voices in their heads. In normal conversation I can almost see them straining as they ask themselves, what would jesus do? I can't trust them because they don't think for themselves, their moral framework is interpreted from an old storybook. I feel as if they could justify anything based on what their preacher told them last Sunday or how they interpreted a particular passage in the bible. They are, to me, perfectly and completely psychotic because they are capable of doing anything and justifying it to themselves with their faith.

Does anyone else feel this way about christian fundamentalists or fundies from other religions?

very much so. I have some trouble trusting anyone who defers to an 'infallable' deity to make moral decisions.

**ruksak** · 19th June 2012, 11:08 AM

Quote by: Peter

I don't find the casual christian to be near as creepy as the fundie. Since the casual christian is so ignorant of the "good book" they don't spend much time trying to figure out gods instructions within it. They aren't constantly listening for a tiny voice in their skulls. It's the fundie and their obsession with finding meaning or even justification for their own actions that scare me. We all know that the bible can and has been used to justify almost anything.

Agreed on the 'creepy' factor. Every Sunday as I drive past these multi-million dollar churches with packed parking lots I am left boggled as to how the fuck we can be in the year 2012 and so many otherwise intelligent people still subscribe to such archaic tradition. How can it be? What could explain this?

Concerning trust though, at least the fundies seem to function toward their beliefs with zealotry and conviction, which denotes some semblance of trust and consistency.

With pseudo-Xtians, we have people seemingly operating under an attempt at soul insurance 'just in case' there is a Xtian God. Christianity is awesome for these types of disingenuous folks. It doesn't matter what they do, all that is needed is to ask for forgiveness and they are cleansed, the church need not lose business to people whom enjoy pornography, drugs, drinking and marital affairs.

I know a few folks (some family) that are complete frauds in concern to their Christianity. They seemingly only go to church as an attempt to raise their social status. They also believe that it is somehow impossible to teach children morals without the fear of everlasting punishment for immoral behavior.

So, to that end, I could honestly say I'd place trust in a fundie over a casual Xtian.