Fundamentalist cult in Arizona

[William Thornton]

Chris, read Krakauer's Under the Banner of Heaven or any of a number of book on Mormon fundamentalism, Mormon polygamous offshoots and then get back with us on how similar they are to anything SBC. The word fundamentalist can cover so much territory it is hardly appropriate to apply it to us and them alike.

The business of the fundy Mormons is shameful. See Elizabeth Smart for a recent example.

[Sandy]

[rdenton]

[Poppy Wells]

[Jonathan]

[William Thornton]

[Sandy]

First, to Timothy--notice that in my comparison of these Mormon fundamentalists to Southern Baptist fundamentalists, or Christian fundamentalists in general, I did distinguish between action and conviction of belief, if not in doctrinal detail. From a doctrinal perspective, there is no comparison. Mormon fundamentalism in its various forms strips away the layers of "revelation" received by prophets since the time of Brigham Young, and attempts to find a way to practice things which both Joseph Smith and Brigham Young considered "essentials." Most of these relate to practices which are socially and morally extreme. Christian, and Southern Baptist, fundamentalism resorts to a literal interpretation and application of the Bible filtered through the lenses of rural, Southern American culture of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Their practices don't tend to be as extreme as polygamy or blood sacrifice.

I believe there is a difference between "conservatives" and "fundamentalists," and most Southern Baptists aren't "fundamentalists." From what I read from his posts, I consider William, for example, a conservative, but not a fundamentalist.

Outside of doctrine, however, there are many similarities. They tend to separate themselves socially. They pull their kids out of public school and either home school or collect them in private schools that practice a curriculum of indoctrination. They have a "we're right, everyone else is wrong" attitude. They teach "exclusive salvation," which generally implies that you must follow their specific doctrine or you aren't going to get your eternal reward. They refuse to be ecumenical in any way, even with other fundamentalists.

[Hal Eaton]

[Jonathan]

[Sandy]