To What Degree or in What Manner do Fundamentalist Religions Change?

[Sunstone]

To what degree or in what manner do fundamentalist religions change?

Let the pettifoggery begin!

 

[MNoBody]

when and to the degree they realize they have been fundamentally off course.
which seems unlikely, since most seem like they are willing to wait till they die to make sure their investment has paid off

 

[sun rise]

To what degree or in what manner do fundamentalist religions change?

Let the pettifoggery begin!

The word 'fundamentalist' carries a lot of baggage along with it.

Often it means rigid, full of absolute and unchangeable rules, reward/punishment based and the judgement that all others are destined for ruin.

It could mean focusing on the essence as someone might who looks at the NT and decides that the fundamental part of Christianity is the two greatest commandment and who consequently pays little attention to the rest.

It could, to my odd brain, refer to Swami Beyondananda who wants to put fun back in fundamentalism Political humor, political satire, new age humor - Swami Beyondananda

But let's for the sake of abstruse pettifoggery assume you mean the first one. To invoke the oracle of biology, something which is rigid and unchanging is dead and thus will decay sooner or later depending on location and state of embalming or mummification.

To take this further over the rhetorical cliff, we have zombies and other undead who shamble around eating brains. In the sense of those who believe that brains are of little value, that's not altogether the purview of bad movies.

Another possibility is the Dr. Frankenstein option with God perhaps paying the role of a good doctor with some divine electricity to effectuate a revival.

 

[shunyadragon]

Fundamentalist make great efforts today to explain away the many citations that Biblically the view of our universes is geocentric.

Also an Old Earth Creationism is becoming more in vogue as with the Noah flood being a regional flood not a world flood.

 

[Heyo]

To what degree or in what manner do fundamentalist religions change?

Let the pettifoggery begin!

By their nature fundamentalist religions don't change much.
But by the principles of evolution they will change when their survival is threatened (haemorrhaging adherents) or die out.
So they will change in a manner that keeps the pews filled and to the degree that the goal is just performed.

 

[danieldemol]

They change enough that from one original fundamentalist religion thousands of sects eventually spring up.

 

[PureX]

Religions are like a toolbox. It's not so much that the tools, themselves, are changed out as that people tend to change the ones they regularly use, over time. And I'm sure that's based on their relative functionality.

 

[ChristineM]

By their nature fundamentalist religions don't change much.
But by the principles of evolution they will change when their survival is threatened (haemorrhaging adherents) or die out.
So they will change in a manner that keeps the pews filled and to the degree that the goal is just performed.

^^^ This ^^^

 

[Vinayaka]

I think it's incredibly difficult for an individual adherent to change. But that doesn't mean the religion won't change. Children of fundamentalists, if exposed to other views, often get out.

 

[Windwalker]

To what degree or in what manner do fundamentalist religions change?

In what ways do malignant tumors in the body change?

 

[Vouthon]

To what degree or in what manner do fundamentalist religions change?

I think the appropriate answer here is dependant on one's definition of 'fundamentalist'.

To be a 'fundamentalist', in the technical definition of the term, implies strict literalism and a return to perceived "fundamentals", in terms of non-negotiable values or doctrines of a given creed.

If that's what one means by fundamentalism, then it is often both inflexible and inherently resistant - one could say impervious - to having those core beliefs challenged or 'changed' in any way to accommodate situations or societies that would desire the fundamentalist to 'compromise' on some of their fundamentals.

On the other hand, fundamentalism is often characterised by a 'radical reactionary' mindset that seeks to "change" mainstream or normative institutional religious frameworks which the fundamentalist deems to have strayed from the path of truth or been corrupted - and thus, in this sense, fundamentalist religions can be capable of seismic "change", just not in a progressive sense.

 

[Samael_Khan]

By their nature fundamentalist religions don't change much.
But by the principles of evolution they will change when their survival is threatened (haemorrhaging adherents) or die out.
So they will change in a manner that keeps the pews filled and to the degree that the goal is just performed.

This is a an excellent explanation.

Example of changes:

Exodus of believers
Government investigation (although this is a benefit to them too because it plays to their persecution complex thus solidifying faith)
Whistleblowers
Loss of assets
Donations decreasing
The discovery of new ways to control their adherents (also accompanied by changes in the understanding of scriptures to support their new position)
Internal politics
Internal conflict

 

[Samael_Khan]

I think the appropriate answer here is dependant on one's definition of 'fundamentalist'.

To be a 'fundamentalist', in the technical definition of the term, implies strict literalism and a return to perceived "fundamentals", in terms of non-negotiable values or doctrines of a given creed.

If that's what one means by fundamentalism, then it is often both inflexible and inherently resistant - one could say impervious - to having those core beliefs challenged or 'changed' in any way to accommodate situations or societies that would desire the fundamentalist to 'compromise' on some of their fundamentals.

On the other hand, fundamentalism is often characterised by a 'radical reactionary' mindset that seeks to "change" mainstream or normative institutional religious frameworks which the fundamentalist deems to have strayed from the path of truth or been corrupted - and thus, in this sense, fundamentalist religions can be capable of seismic "change", just not in a progressive sense.

This perceived "fundamentals" are subjective, and, if it is subjective, then it is prone to change depending on the authorities within the group. Often times cultish fundamentalist groups make changes in their religion to keep adherents on their toes and to be able to become slippery so that opposers find it difficult to target them on any specific point.

They are, indeed, inflexible and inherently resistant to opposition from within the group and outside authorities and in fact play on that in order to strengthen adherents. But if the gradual changes come from the internal authority that all other believers are subservient to, then the changes aren't questioned.

 

[Nakosis]

To what degree or in what manner do fundamentalist religions change?

Let the pettifoggery begin!

Fundamentalism is usually a response to overt criticism. It is an attempt to defend a core set of beliefs. It changes IMO depending mostly on how it is being attacked.