David French considered the nature of fundamentalism in the New York Times on Sunday. It is not clear why this and why now, but having lived near Bob Jones University for many years, it caught my attention. It’s not his first swing at fundamentalism. Fundamentalism is dangerous, French believes (gift link):

If you’ve ever encountered true fundamentalists, you know why. When you combine eternal stakes with absolute certainty, it produces the kind of people who are happy to be cruel in the name of God.

I’ve long said that fundamentalism is not about the content of what you believe but how. Thus, it’s not unique to religious faith. Fundamentalists are rigid, dogmatic, judgmental, uncompromising, black-and-white thinkers. You probably know a few.

To the fundamentalist, disagreement is proof of apostasy. But it can be even worse than that — if you’re wrong, then you might lead other people into error, and that makes you dangerous.

That’s one reason fundamentalists of all stripes are often such zealous censors. A fundamentalist can see every person who’s wrong as a kind of Patient Zero in a potential pandemic of paganism. And don’t think for a moment that fellow believers are spared the fundamentalists’ ire. They’re a chief target. They have no excuse for their errors, and they receive the most vitriol of all.

. . .

There’s a chill in the air that’s more than seasonal. Mary and Joseph couldn’t find room at the inn. Many of their son’s followers can’t find room in their hearts.