Books on Psychology of Fundamentalism

The following titles, among numerous others, were found by using a Google search with words: fundamentalism, religion, and psychology.

Peter Herriot, Religious Fundamentalism and Social Identity. Routledge

Ralph W. Hood, et.al., The Psychology of Religious Fundamentalism, Guilford Publ.

Karen Armstrong, The Battle for God, A History of Religious Fundamentalism

There are also numerous articles in journals such as Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, International Journal for the Psychology of Religion, Journal of Psychology and Theology, and the American Journal of Social Psychiatry. A search of Reader's Guide would provide further academic journal resources.

Based on the number of books and articles, this subject appears to be of interest to many researchers. The book by Armstrong, which I have read, is excellent reading and essential for putting fundamentalism in context.

Biblical Interpretaton Attempted

The ChristianCourier.com web site contains the statement, "Jesus affirmed that mankind has existed 'from the beginning of the creation' (Mk. 10:6); this certainly excludes the notion that dinosaurs became extinct millions of years before man appeared upon the planet."

This so-called affirmation of dinosaurs co-existing with mankind by Jesus in Chapter 10, Verse 6, of St Mark's gospel was not about mankind and dinosaurs as the Web site claims, rather it dealt with Jesus's teachings about divorce. Jesus said, "But from the beginning of the creation, God made them male and female." Because of the definitive article, the, that is used in the reference to creation, one must assume that the science book used by Jesus for his education was the Holy Scriptures, particularly the book of Genesis. Jesus's statement about the creation proves that he knew of the biblical story of the creation and that accepted it as an explanation of how there came to be two sexes. In the time of Jesus, evolution was as much a fact as it is today. Jesus and everyone else in his time were simply unaware of evolution. Mark 10:6 does not exclude anything regarding the age of dinosaurs. The fossil record establishes the extinction of dinosaurs millions of years before the evolution of mankind.

Actually, Mark 10:6 possibly excludes the divinity of Jesus. If Jesus is one with an all-knowing, omniscient god, he would have been aware of the role of evolution in the development of sexuality. It is possible, of course, that Jesus was aware of evolution, but chose not to reveal it, because people would be confused by facts too modern for their understanding, and that would have hurt Jesus's credibility. Jesus was by his science education (which was almost none, I would guess) not ahead of his time.

I expect that had dinosaurs and mankind lived at the same time, the bible would have been full of stories about these remarkable creatures, for example: how a Hebrew tribe was devoured and passed into oblivion; how the walls of Jericho and other settlements were built to withstand their carnivorous foraging; how the meat from dinosaurs was unclean, because it was corrupted by the people dinosaurs ate; etc. And, I am sure that the bible would have had many names for dinosaurs besides behemoth, leviathan and dragon because of the great variety of these beasts. Yes, dinosaurs and mankind together would have been a story too big not to tell it in the bible.

The last words of the 'Dinosaurs and the Bible" page in the ChristianCourier Web site sums it up, thusly, "Those who accept the testimony of the Bible are confident that men and dinosaurs did occupy the ancient earth at the same time. We are not dependent upon modern discoveries to confirm that for us. However, when clear evidence does come to light, we should not hesitate to accept it." Yeah, right. If you believe that, you'll believe anything, even dinosaurs and man living on earth at the same time.

Powell Gardens

Friday was a good day for a 40-plus mile trip on US Highway 50 from KC to an arboretum just over the Jackson County line in a rural setting. Powell Gardens is primarily financed by a private foundation with some assistance from other foundation and corporate donors. It is well done. Plant species are identified. Unique settings are crafted, i.e., a large water garden and "Living Wall". The price of admission is nominal. I recommend visiting, although the display of flora could use a larger variety of trees.

The Gardens is featuring until October a "Jurassic Park" exhibit of dinosaurs, life-size replicas of these prehistoric creatures placed here and there amidst the flora. There are interpretive plaques sponsored by the soon to be extinct Aquila that explain the geologic history, scientific concepts and each species of dinosaur exhibited. The only out-of-place representation on these plaques was a small cartoon logo of a Flintstones-like character leading a smiling Dino-like creature by a leash. What was this? It undermined the science that was show-cased by the plaques and exhibits, giving impressionable young minds the idea that humans and dinosaurs co-existed. Could it have been a salve for the fundamentalist Christians who might view the exhibits, skip the text of the plaques and affirm their wacky biblical interpretations of man co-existing with dinosaurs from the sixth day of Creation? I think Powell Gardens has some explaining to do, because with this cartoon logo they trashed their own exhibit.

Real Reason for Changing Teacher Certification

Now, we know why the school voucher proposal of the KBOE wingnuts was shelved. The KC Star of February 4, 2006, reports that Bob Corkins (styled as Kansas education chief, rather than its mischief) proposes to loosen requirements for teachers granted three year provisional certification. It is clear that, for a bill providing vouchers to be enacted, that the recipients of public funds would be required to meet the same standards that apply to public schools. The proposal for school districts to set their own requirements for provisional licensing of teachers who do not have education degrees would remove an obstacle, faced by private schools, to meeting the state's requirements . First, remove the requirement, then propose vouchers. The science standards were seen as an impediment to vouchers, now teacher certification is a hang-up. Be wary of the real motives behind other proposals of the wing-nuts to "reform" public education. Be assured, the best interest of children is not the guide, rather it is about tapping the public trough to support private schools.

Who's Calling the Shots?

I cannot conceive of six fundamentalist Christians from the right wing of the Kansas Republican Party (wing-nuts for short), who form the majority of the ten member Kansas State Board of Education, deciding to change the State science standards without some common impetus. My reason for not imaging their behavior as the spontaneous, coincidental acts of six independent-minded individuals is their divergent backgrounds and geographical dispersal. Who is responsible for the plan to amend the science standards by attempting to cast doubt on evolution and changing the definition of science? The likely culprits from Kansas include, but are not limited to:

Steve Abrams, Ark City Vet and experienced KBOE Chairman
John Calvert, a retired attorney and intelligent design (ID) promoter
Bob Corkins, former anti-tax lobbyist and new Education Commissioner
Officers of Kansas Republican Assembly, wing-nut central and sponsor of FAIR
Unnamed co-conspirators: financial backers, fundamentalist preachers, etc.

Seldom is unanimity of purpose achieved in the political arena without a common framework of ideological statements. Surely, a manifesto exists that sets forth the plan to change the school standards. But, unless one is a member of the cabal to undermine science, one would not be privy to such a document. Perhaps, an apostate will expose a written plan of action that directs the behavior of the wing-nuts on the KBOE.

Because similar efforts to undermine science are being made in other states, there is likely national coordination of the program attacking science. The broader the conspiracy, the more likely its tenets are written. The more widely such a document is disseminated, the greater the likelihood that it will be exposed. I'm wondering and waiting. Who will reveal it?

New Science Standards - A Trojan Horse?

The furor caused by fundamentalists on the Kansas State Board of Education (KBOE) by their changes to the science standards is portrayed as creationism versus Darwinism, an attack on public schools, introducing religious education into public schools, and a slew of other cultural controversies. However, because fundamentalists prefer home schooling their children or sending them to private fundamentalist Christian schools, why would they care about the content of science standards for public schools in Kansas? For those fundamentalists who believe the Holy Bible's creation story and who seek no further scientific explanations of the origin of life, why would they change the definition of science itself to include the study of non-observable supernatural phenomenon? Is this really action of the KBOE about evolution versus creationism or about public school students learning about the so-called theory of intelligent design?

Could it be that the real reason behind the new science standards is to pave the way for school vouchers? The science standards as proposed by the KBOE are not mandatory for local school boards. But, for the Kansas legislature to approve a bill enabling a system of vouchers to pay for students who attend private schools of religious instruction with public funds, it is conceivable that students receiving vouchers would be required to receive instruction that conforms to the state educational standards. Science standards that did not include supernatural causes would not be acceptable to fundamentalist Christian religious instruction. Thus, changing the science standards would remove a barrier for school vouchers, and perhaps even create the impression that the money would be used for a public purpose, i.e. meeting state educational standards.

The actions of the KBOE members who have made a mess of the science standards don't seem to be about science at all. They have demonstrated by their public remarks that they lack an understanding of science. Rather, their actions appear to be merely a means to an end, namely, paving the way for the use of public funds to pay for religious instruction. The real effort in opposing the actions of the KBOE should be directed toward defeating the proposed school vouchers. The reasons for opposition should be based on the defects of the school voucher proposal - misuse of public funds, inappropriateness for rural Kansas, damage to public education, and other problems it would create for our social and economic welfare.

Evangelism and My Freedoms

For evangelicals, "born again" Christians, the ultimate religious authority is the Bible. Evangelicals feel that they have a mission to convert others to Christ, whom they believe is the sole means for salvation from eternal damnation through the forgiveness of sins by none other than the deity who created the universe and still rules it today. I am not an "evangelical". I believe there are many paths to salvation, or not, all being equally valid.

Evangelicals are free under our national Constitution to hold and to act on their religious beliefs. They are free to attempt to get others to accept their religious ideas based on their literal interpretation of the Bible. They are free to proselytize when invited, but not when unbidden. An example of the latter is their effort to promote and introduce the teaching of creationism as real science into public schools. To prevent this unwanted intrusion of a religious-based pseudo-science into our public schools, public advocacy of literal interpretations of the Bible should be banned. Evangelicals should not be free to spread their biblical nonsense, which is no more free speech than yelling "Fire" in a crowded, dark theater.

Evangelical, fundamentalist Christians cannot be stopped from interpreting the Bible literally, but they should be stopped from attempting to impose through public policy decisions the faulty ideas that result from their literal interpretation of the Bible on others. If an evangelical is elected to a legislative post and they vote for their religious beliefs, they violate the time-honored separation of church and state.

Simply put, the Constitution guarantees my right not to hear their evangelical B.S. and protects my right to freedom from their religion.

Wedge Issue Opportunity

Leaders of the "church of Jesus Christ", as they like to refer to their dominion, claim that they returned George W. Bush to the White House and that many federal and state elected representatives owe their offices to the voting power of thier "Christian" followers. It is probably safe to assume that a goodly number of these evangelical fundamentalist Christian conservative (EFCC) voters are also believers in young earth creationism (YEC). After all, a criterion for an evangelical or fundamentalist is a belief that the Bible is the inerrant word of God. Accordingly, an EFCC/YEC would believe, among other things regarding our planet, that God's creation (the biosphere (except as altered by the Great Flood), including all animals and plants in their present from) came about in six 24-hour days, that the earth is about 6,000 years old, that Adam and Eve were real people, and that the theory of evolution is a godless, materialistic religion that undermines people's moral beliefs. It is time that politicians from George W. Bush on down be asked unequivocally to state whether they too are young earth creationists like their EFCC/YEC supporters. Probably, some are, but those who are not should be asked to repudiate publicly YEC and affirm their acceptance of the theory of evolution as a valid explanation of the present-day world.

Sex education made easy

To counter the evangelical Christian right (ECR), mainstream America needs strategies that:

• Target realistic, practical goals based on reason rather than faith, and
• Demonstrate to sub-cultures the benefits of an inclusive society.

For example, public school sex education classes usually teach abstinence as the best way to prevent teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted disease, while also telling students about birth control. Teaching abstinence with birth control is not a mixed message; it is based on reason and practical experience. The goal of sex education is giving young people full information about sexual relations, so they can choose appropriate behaviors and understand the consequences of their actions. Fundamentalist Christians think only abstinence should be taught, presumably to preserve innocence and delay responsibility of youth deemed unable to control their behavior because of immaturity. Biblical references that support abstinence until marriage may be cited as the basis of their beliefs. Clearly, the opposing viewpoints of mainstream America and evangelical Christians are not reconcilable. The latter is committed to achieving its vision of god's plan and is unlikely to cede its position, thus insuring that schools either endure ongoing controversy or capitulate to bad policies.

Several strategies have been tried to deal with the sex education controversy. Studies have determined that abstinence only programs result in higher teen pregnancy and STD rates among those receiving abstinence only sex education, and this information has been widely disseminated, to no avail. Schools have permitted students to opt out of sex education classes during presentations on birth control, however self-exclusion is alienating and fails to achieve the educational objective for all students. Birth control information has been kept in sex education classes over objections of ECR parents, encouraging them to become single-issue school board candidates who, if elected, are ill-suited for a policy-making role in school governance. Other strategies that are variations of the foregoing attempts to deal with the controversy have also undoubtedly been attempted without resolving the issue.

A sex-education strategy based on reason would teach youth that self-control is beneficial, that knowledge - rather than innocence - is a defense against temptation, and that a responsible youth is a better adult. The strategy would combine character building with sex education. Sexual self-control, life-skills knowledge, and moral maturation are traits that enhance the ability of members of a sub-culture to function in a diverse, inclusive society. Training in methods of self-control, using knowledge in decision-making, and taking responsibility for one's actions should preface sex education topics like abstinence, birth control methods or sexual awareness. Surely, curriculum specialists could garner sufficient course content to prepare sex education teachers to present character-building information as a prelude to sex education.

The counter to the ECR's objection to information about birth control information is that students are taught the virtue of self-control by resolve over refusal, knowledge over innocence and responsibility over capriciousness. Remember that the Christian Right's policy positions are biblical and not reasonable. Therefore, no change will occur in their mind-set. However, members of mainstream American culture will understand that sex education is better when it is based on reason rather than scripture, and they will support fully informing students.

Culture War Strategy

In an earlier posting, I postulated evangelism (fundamentalism), messianic and persecution complexes, and money as motivating the evangelical Christian right (ECR) attempts to dominate mainstream America. However, identifying these behavioral influences does not explain how an individual ECR member acquires these traits. An individual's behavior is determined by the culture in which they are socialized, a process of personal development, involving family, peer pressure, education and other formative life experiences. The United States has many diverse lifestyles that form sub-cultures within the broad culture of American society. To attempt to list all of the distinct sub-cultures would amount to cataloging the diversity of the nation, a task beyond the scope of this essay. The socialization context of the sub-culture, rather than its process, determines the behavioral traits of its members.

Within mainstream American culture, Christian fundamentalism (and its extension, evangelism) forms a sub-culture with its own institutions. Fundamentalist churches, schools, political organizations, and media, and fields of art (Christian literature and music) and pseudo-science (creationism and intelligent design) exist in parallel with the institutions, arts and sciences of mainstream American culture. Socialization in this fundamentalist sub-culture produces members of the evangelical Christian right whose ethos provides the rationale for extending itself into mainstream American culture.

Christian fundamentalist sub-culture and mainstream American culture overlap in several aspects and differ in others. For example, overlap occurs in the economy and health care, while differences exist in entertainment and education. Fundamentalists work and shop in the same places as mainstream Americans, and use the same medicines and health care providers. Fundamentalists have special entertainment venues for vocal music and literature. Fundamentalist schools feature a curriculum that includes religious doctrine and pseudo-sciences. Of course, a few businesses in the general economy stress a sub-culture orientation, i.e. Christian bookstores and various tradesmen, professionals and service providers who advertise their Christian ethos. There are also artists and writers with a Christian identity who have mass appeal.

The conflict between Christian fundamentalist sub-culture and mainstream American culture, the so-called culture war, occurs mainly within the institutions where the members of the former interface with members of the latter. In public schools, conflict occurs over the appropriateness of books read in literature classes, science education that contradicts biblically based pseudo-science, and abstinence teaching policies in sex education. In government, conflict occurs in areas such as the legality of abortion, judicial interpretation of the law and school finance. The ECR has the initiative in the culture war. Mainstream America is in a defensive posture, because of its ethos to respect diversity, and needs a strategy to counter the assault on mainstream American values. To be successful, the strategy must have realistic, practical goals based on reason rather than faith. The strategy must demonstrate the benefits of an inclusive society to all sub-cultures, including the members of the evangelical Christian right.

Motivators for the Evangelical Christian Right

What motivates evangelical Christian right (ECR) members to propagate their beliefs? Irrespective of the issue, the answer is found in four areas.

First among ECR motivating factors is a psychotic condition called the messianic complex. It is defined as a delusion of having a mission from god to save the world. Intrinsic in Christianity is evangelism. Messianic belief goes beyond evangelism. It is rooted in a personal relationship with a god who has told the believer to accomplish god's plan for humankind. I suspect leaders of the ECR movement would admit to both messianic and evangelic motivations. To do less reduces the fervor and validity of their roles.

Secondly, the evangelical mission itself provides a motivational framework for adherents to support the ECR position on issues. Evangelical characteristics are found at http://www.nationmaster.com/encyclopedia/Evangelical-Christian:
1. Being a "born again" Christian.
2. Using the Bible (God's revelation) as the ultimate religious authority.
3. Sharing one's beliefs in the gospel with others to convince them to convert.
4. Focusing on Christ as the means for salvation and the forgiveness of sins.
5. Describing God as the all-knowing, all-powerful, perfect deity who created the universe and still rules it today.

Being "born again" stresses a personal relationship with god much like a messianic complex, although for the former hearing god's voice is not needed, merely an indwelling of god's spirit. Justification for many ECR issue positions is based on scriptural interpretation. Beyond sharing the gospel, the ECR broadcasts its worldview as an extension of the gospel. For them, Jesus is not only the way, failure to accept their position, as supported by Jesus' teachings, is a denial of god's truth. And, since ECR beliefs hold that god is without error and omniscient, their belief in god is a mandate for action.

Third, the Christian persecution complex reinforces ECR motivations. Being persecuted for their beliefs can be taken as a badge of honor for Christians. The gospel includes admonitions about persecution, that believers should expect it. When ECR members experience opposition to the worldview they espouse, disagreement with their position is taken as an attack on them as followers of Christ. Just like Christ's death on the cross for his teachings was ultimate persecution, so the opposition they receive is found to be without merit, merely a fulfillment of the scriptural expectation of persecution. A member of the ECR is motivated to achieve the full Christian experience and emulate Jesus by adhering to the issue positions of the ECR, even if it means ridicule or worse.

Finally, money is a motivator of the ECR. The multitude of radio stations, television networks, evangelists, fundamentalist mega-churches, Christian bookstores, home-school products, lobbying groups, political action entities, etc. all depend on money, and vast amounts of it, to sustain and expand their existence. The money stream supporting the ECR's efforts is provided by believers who are energized to be donors or customers by the propaganda disseminated by the ECR mass-communication infrastructure. Maintaining an aroused constituency requires old issues be reiterated with fresh tenets and new issues raised to fuel the ECR propaganda machine. The large salaries and extensive perks enjoyed by the ECR juggernaut leaders motivate them to hone the infrastructure and keep their issues in their constituent's attention.

The messianic and persecution complexes, the tenets of evangelism and the need for financial resources all motivate the Evangelical Christian Right in their efforts to dominate political and social thought in the United States. What will motivate opposition to the Evangelical Christian Right? I suppose visiting the Focus on the Family Web site might do it. Perhaps the words of John Fitzgerald Kennedy (1958) will help motivate opposition to the religious right:

"There is an old saying that the course of civilization is a race between catastrophe and education. In a democracy such as ours, we must make sure that education wins the race."