"The label fundamentalist is being claimed simultaneously by people who would deny it of each other."

[Greg Linscott]

Actually Grande, at least at Starbucks, is “Medium.” Using it the way you do, one might think you’re not really a coffee drinker, just a poseur!

I just revealed that I am a “home-brewer…” :D

That can still be OK, Greg…as long as you use an acceptable bean and method. Please tell me it’s not Folgers in a coffee pot…or worse yet…a peculator!

Actually, I am FPP… French Press Preferred, with a strong leaning towards the Arabica family of whole beans…

I like Venti hot chocolates myself…but I don’t go to Starbucks that often.

Good stuff. We even see this here on SI - we’re all ‘fundamentalists’, but my ‘fundy’ is a LOT different from some of you other guys. It’s probably even slightly different from Dave Doran and probably different from Stephen Jones’ ‘fundamentalist’. It’s not quite John MacArthur Fundamentalist, though.

I’d like to see some of us sit down and write a definition of Fundamentalist. My guess is that we’d get at least three completely different doctrinal positions and statements. I prefer the [URL=http://www.vor.org/truth/1689/1689bc00.html 1689 London Baptist Confession[/URL] myself.

When I go out for a drink I always like it straight up- Coffee that is.

Same with labels and Doctrine. Straight up please.

So those of us who don’t drink coffee are NOT fundamentalists?

I am about to separate from you heretic coffee drinkers, and only fellowship with milk drinkers.

Can I get an Amen in the house!

Lest we get too hung up on the coffee illustration- I am just saying that the label is still not wholly without value, though it is clear that it will need qualifying. I was trying to illustrate, however, that most things do. I am a Calvinist. I am a Baptist. I am a Christian. All of those labels are good as far as I am concerned- but I also want to define them in a specific context. There are people who also identify with those labels I would rather not be identified with personally- because they would define them differently. For that matter, I am an American. But who’s defining? President Obama? Sarah Palin? Hugo Chavez? Do I mean that I reflect a certain set of ideals, that I am a citizen of this country, or that I live on one of the two American continents?

“Fundamentalist” has similar issues, as I see it.

If you drink decaffeinated are you considered “Sanka”fied?

[Ron Bean] If you drink decaffeinated are you considered “Sanka”fied?

That’s good. I can immediately tell we are joke-brothers.

Robert Young used to advertise Sanka many years ago, and the joke was, “Robert Young was in WWII in the Navy. He sanka lot of ships.”
I’m just repeating!

Another great article and thread has lured me from my lurker status (plus it’s spring break at my college so I have a bit more time than usual). BryanBice’s comments have also been my & my family’s experience when traveling and/or looking for a church home after moving to a new area.

As a fairly frequent reader of science fiction (shout-out to the esteemed SI publisher!) it is sometimes interesting to contemplate the future development (dare I say evolution?) of certain branches of Christian Fundamentalism with regard to fashion & the Bible. With much attention to dress (dresses/culottes for ladies and short hair for men, plus suits w/ ties for Church services) along with a required archaic-language version of the Bible, ‘real’ fundamentalists might have unique clothing (Amish?) and an unreadable version of the Scriptures (compared to the general population) when the year 2110 or 2200 rolls around…

@BryanBice

It may sound “overboard,” but I’ve learned generally to shy away from visiting a church if it’s Yellow Pages ad says “fundamental.” 9 out of 10 times (OK, not statistically accurate, probably) when we’ve visited such a church, it’s been either redneck, KJVO extremist, or both.

I’m not naming the town but it was in the Smokey Mtns region. We arrived in the area on Saturday and checked into our lodging. Driving around town we found a church with the large “Fundamental Baptist” sign.

Attended on Sunday …. WOW! What a shock. There was no discernible thought trend to the preaching. It’s like the guy just got up there opened his mouth and kept preaching until he was tired.

[Jim Peet] @BryanBice

It may sound “overboard,” but I’ve learned generally to shy away from visiting a church if it’s Yellow Pages ad says “fundamental.” 9 out of 10 times (OK, not statistically accurate, probably) when we’ve visited such a church, it’s been either redneck, KJVO extremist, or both.

I’m not naming the town but it was in the Smokey Mtns region. We arrived in the area on Saturday and checked into our lodging. Driving around town we found a church with the large “Fundamental Baptist” sign.

Attended on Sunday …. WOW! What a shock. There was no discernible thought trend to the preaching. It’s like the guy just got up there opened his mouth and kept preaching until he was tired.

Been there; heard that; didn’t fill out a visitor card!

One preacher in a church we visited had the habit of leaving the platform and getting up close and personal with the congregation while he, uh…preached. Have you ever had someone standing two feet in front of you screaming in your face? (I suppose that might happen in boot camp…)

Another preacher in a church where we were guests yelled so loud it hurt my ears…and he even stayed in the pulpit!