Fundamentalism and the Reincarnation of Fred Phelps

"The Reincarnation of Fred Phelps" (by nakedpastor David Hayward) Fred Phelps, like so many fundamentalists, strongly believed in certain things. His unique contribution though is that he knew how to advertise them. He was an expert in marketing. Fundamentalism is the demand to adhere to a very strict set of doctrines. It doesn't necessarily have to be religious. For example, there can be political, economic or educational fundamentalism. Some people are perplexed that in an age when there seems to be an increase in universality, openness and dialog, there is also an increase in a fundamentalism that is small-minded, closed and argumentative. I claim that the two are directly related. They are reactions against one another. So as we witness an increase in open-mindedness in all its expressions, we will also witness an increase in fundamentalism in all its expressions. The fundamentalist mindset created Fred Phelps, and that mindset remains. Therefore, so does the spirit of Fred Phelps. newsletter    art     community     books