When I first started blogging a few years ago, I was introduced to this word: fundie.
Even though the term carries a negative and derogatory tone to those who use it, it has been my experience that a “fundie” believes what the Bible actually says. How can I make such a claim? Because I have been called one many times.
Therefore, a fundie is someone who holds to the fundamentals of the Christian faith.
The definition of fundamental is serving as, or being an essential part of, a foundation or basis; basic; underlying. Notice the words foundation and basis, especially. Therefore, concerning Christianity, anything other than fundamental is a straying away from the core truth of God’s Word.
The opposite of a fundie might be called a liberal.
Why the word was invented. It should be noted that the only reason some of us have been called fundies is because a drifting away from core truths of God’s Word has taken place among professing Christians, or else… we would all be fundies. There would be no need for the word to have ever been created.
So, my questions are:
Is there a point at which one can “liberate” themselves from the salvation they so desperately need?
I’m not talking about losing one’s salvation. Christ makes it quite clear in many places we can’t lose our salvation [John 6:37-40]. I’m talking about never arriving at that salvation because the fundamentals of the Christian faith have been abandoned from the beginning, like, for example, the existence of Hell or that Christ is the only way to God.
What more is there for Christians to liberate themselves from when Christ has already liberated us from the bondage of sin and death?
[John 8:31-32; Romans 8:2; Galatians 5:1]
One of my online Christian friends recently remarked on one his facebook comments “…back when I used to be a fundie…” during a conversation. What he is really saying, whether he realizes it or not, is “…back when I used to believe the fundamentals of the Christian faith… “. What exactly he means by this, I do not know. I just find it very sad.
Well, here’s an excellent article by Randy Alcorn on the subject. It’s the catalyst for this commentary.
Does the Word “Evangelical” Mean Anything Anymore?
In it, he asks this question:
While it is healthy that there is a big tent of Bible-believing evangelicals who disagree in a variety of interpretations and practices, and while anyone is certainly free to depart from and deny an evangelical faith, is it reasonable to suggest that there is a point where if you no longer believe that the whole Bible is true, and you deny core truths evangelical Christians historically believed, it is misleading and even nonsensical to continue to call yourself an “evangelical Christian”? Or an “evangelical” pastor, university, ministry or publisher?
What are your thoughts?
P2ALM 
3 responses to “Christian, have you ever been called a “fundie?” Why not?”
personally, i believe Mr. Alcorn should have divulged the name of the author he spoke with. especially since the author is apparently quite influential.
If loving our Lord Jesus Christ and believing that God is able to keep His Word intact and incorruptible by “men” (who by the way, He created) makes me a fundie, I proudly wear that badge of honor.
God’s Word is incorruptible.
Salvation is a one time deal, Christ’s power is infinite and so is His promise and ability to keep me saved.
I’m a proud fundie, but disciple and believer in Christ first.
“it has been my experience that a ‘fundie’ believes what the Bible actually says.”
Believing what the Bible says and understanding what it actually means are not the same thing. Someone can easily believe that the Bible actually says what the that person believes it means and thereby be a fundamentalist even though that person is wrong.
I am not a fundamentalist because I do not believe all of the things that fundamentalists (namely the IFB types) commonly think the Bible says and means.
God is the source of my doctrine, not the Bible so I am not sola scriptura as fundamentalists are. And unlike fundamentalists I ackowledge the authority of the Church and the necessity of having an ongoing relationship with the Holy Ghost because without such a relationship I have no mechanism whereby God can tell me I am wrong about what I believe.
The Bible doesn’t tell us that the days of Genesis chapter 1 are 24 hour days even if they were solar days, and we have archaeological data and documentary records from the ancient world as well as recent observations (following the Indian Ocean and Chilean earthquakes) that tell us that the earth’s 24 hour solar days are not constant. So unlike a fundamentalist I am not willing to be dogmatic about the age of the earth.
The Bible supports an episcopalian polity, not a congregational polity that fundamentalists usually follow.
The Bible doesn’t mandate tithing for Christians, as many fundamentalists believe.
The Bible does not mandate baptism in a certain way or even mandate baptism at all as a prerequisite for salvation as fundamentalists believe.
Eternal punishment for un-repentant sinners does not mean eternal physical torment. Fundamentalists preach eternal hellfire so they can put a veneer of righteousness on their own unwillingness to forgive their enemies.
“a fundie is someone who holds to the fundamentals of the Christian faith.”
By whose standards? Who other than the Lord God is the arbiter of the fundamentals of the Chistian faith?
“Christ makes it quite clear in many places we can’t lose our salvation [John 6:37-40].”
Assuming that your salvation is legitimate in the first place. It is possible to claim to have salvation when you don’t sincerely want it. It is possible to make a false declaration of faith when you are simply seeking to get something out of God in the here and now only to reject God when He doesn’t live up to the end of the bargain you believed He had made with you. But such a false declaration of faith now does not preclude you from making a sincere declaration of faith something in the future.