Why do fundamentalists insist that anything that isn't in the Bible isn't what God desires?

Question

I am sincerely appalled when fundamentalists get out of their seat and make fun of the Catholics (or, for that matter, any other religions). Fundamentalists' beliefs are just as silly as everyone else's, you know. And maybe when God spoke, He did it so fast that the transcriber didn't get His every word during the making of the Bible. Therefore, to do only as the Bible says is just a misguided method.

Answer 1

Because they are pompous windbags who are holier than thou and one day will be living in a vat of fire and brimstone for being so damn closed minded.

Answer 2

This is a good question and the answer would probably be that most christians are indoctrinated to believe that the bible is the literal, infallible word of God and correspondingly that it is the only valid source of knowledge about God. Anyone who has seriously studied the bible is of course well aware that the bible is a seriously flawed document. There are numerous studies and websites documenting the multitude of contradictions and mistranslations which pervade the bible. That being said, I do believe that the bible contains much truth and wisdom. It simply takes study and discernment along with the guidance of our Father to determine which is the truth.

Let's say there are several people looking at a pyramid. The person looking from the bottom perspective would say he was looking at a square. A person from each of the sides would say he was looking at a triangle. A person looking from the top would see a square with an X through the middle. Only by examining all the evidence, from all perspectives can one gather the true dimensions and arrive at the true picture of the actual object - a pyramid. This is how some of us feel about putting together our picture of God. We gather all the evidence we can from all sources to try to put together the truest picture of God we possibly can. Most christians, on the other hand, seem content to just look at the square.

Answer 3

Bibl-olatry is alive and well in some congregations, no doubt. Some don't see a distinction between the Word god gave 4000 years ago and the word God gives today. Many misinterpret Revelations 22:19 (And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.) as ending prophecy and revelation, as though it refers to the entire canon of scripture, which was in fact not settled for several centuries. 22:19 just refers to St. John's Apocalypse as the Bible we have had not yet been assembled.

Other churches leave the door open for revelation that doesn't conflict with what was already given in scripture. Other's, like Carlton Pearson's "New Dimensions" leaves the door open for personal revelation that contradicts orthodoxy. Then of course theCatholic church has the magisterium, i.e. the pronouncements of the Pope ex cathedra, which they claim are binding on God based on apostolic authority transmitted down from St. Peter, that authority being delineated in Matthew 18:18 "18 Most certainly I tell you, whatever things you bind on earth will have been bound in heaven, and whatever things you release on earth will have been released in heaven."

Nothing in scripture proclaims when prophesy shall pass away, and you can make an argument from scripture that apostolic authority can be conveyed by laying on of hands. What you cannot do is make an argument of new revelation which conflicts with the scripture. This is why the notion of Mary as co-redemptrix, something the fans of Mary are lobbying the Pope for is clearly a heresy, and the notion of praying through saints is clearly a heresy, since the scripture says in 1 Timothy 2:5 5 "For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,". Thus, to attempt to establish Mary or anyone else as a mediator between God and men is a heresy.

So, while some Christians do go overboard with scripture worship, you can't dismiss all of the protestant grievances against Roman Catholicism on that basis. Some Roman practices are clearly aberration from NT Christianity, no two ways about it.

But as to your earlier point about silliness, I have often characterized this as an argument over whether Superman or the Hulk is more powerful: both are simply make believe.

Answer 4

I agree with much of what you say. There is a concept called "going to far with the Word" (which I think is found in one of the later epistles), which means reading things into the Bible which aren't there. For example, many ultraconservatives think dancing is a sin, whereas the Bible says no such thing. A few churches think that because a New Testament passage talks about "making melody in your hearts", that church shouldn't use musical instruments. They forget that the early church often had to run its services in secret, which would preclude musical instruments.

What does the Bible say about elevators? Automobiles? Credit cards (though some passages in Revelation might hint at credit cards!)? Does the Bible even mention the Americas or Anarctica, or the North or South Poles, or coffee, or chocolate?

All that said, the Bible does contain wisdom for the ages, including ours, because human nature has remained basically the same, and because God is the same. I do believe from the Bible that God changes his relationship with human beings over history, but the principles of love, faithfulness, obedience to God, mercy, justice, wisdom, and so forth, still remain.

Answer 5

The Bible is the errant, fallible, uninspired word of man. The God of the Bible reflects the wants and desires of the people who wrote it.

"Fundamentalist" is simply a label for those who strictly adhere to the Bible's teachings and commands. They are the true followers because they actually put into practice what is demanded of them.

Today people have become moderate with their beliefs. As time, technology and science advance faith unsurprisingly retreats.

As an atheist, I encourage people to read the Bible. Nothing seems to persuade the rational mind to the side of the non-believer than the Book.

Answer 6

Yes a fundamentalist is a radicalist.Fundamental means that a forming foundation or basis or principles.According to Irene Handono formerly a catholic in her book Islamic Claims,she wrote that almost 90 % of our Bible are false or wrong .So anything that is in Bible are not our God's desires.That is why our God Almighty gave us the complete and last updated God's life guidance for all humanbeings in this earth The holly book called Al Qur'an.God gave it part by part ,step by step the holy book's verses in 22 years through our last prophet Muhammad in Mecca and Medinah.The holy book has 30 chapters and 114 surahs and its verses are 6 236 paragraphs.It is started by Al Fathaah the first opening surah and ended by surah An Naas (human being).It was brought by Jibril angel as messenger of Allah the only one God.
In this holy book God reiterated that Jesus is not the son of God.He is only a prophet who had no father.Adam is a prohet who has no father and mother .It is a God's miracle.God stated also that there is no trinity.The holy spirit is Jibril angel.

Answer 7

There are a couple of was to look at laws, and many regard the Bible as law.

The first way is to do only what the law says you can do, and nothing else.

The second is to assume that if the law doesn't specifically tell you not to do something, you're free to do it.

Take the Ten Commandments as an example.

"Thou shalt not kill" is clear and specific. However, some people might suggest that beating someone until you've nearly killed him is acceptable, since it isn't specifically outlawed.

One of the roles of the various religions has been to interpret the books they believe in -- the Bible, the Koran, the Talmud.

What makes fundamentalists fundamentalists is that they believe their books are the literal truth, with little room for interpretation. To fundamental Christians, Jews, Muslims, and others the truth begins and ends in their sacred texts. More liberal adherents interpret their sacred books in ways that reflect the evolution of society.

Answer 8

First of all, I apologize for anyone who has given you the wrong idea of who God is. You obviously have been given a wrong impression of what God desires. I grew up believing what I was told and in fact my "teachers" missed the big picture. We get caught up in the rules of the Bible, but forget why they are there. In fact most people don't question why God commands certain things. I finally stopped to question what I claimed to believe in, and began reading/studying the Bible to find the answers myself. You also might want to go to the source to understand where these fundamentalists are coming from, instead of making accusations without support. You'll be wiser for it.

Answer 9

I'm not sure but I think they say, anything that is not in the Bible is not the truth.
Thereby you will know when someone is lying or trying to put a false teaching on you.
There is a mainline religion that says things that are contrary to what the Bible says.
If the Bible says don't do it, then why do they do it?
It is because they don't read the Bible or believe what the Bible says.

You have a choice, believe and follow the Bible and throw out your religion.
Or believe your religion and throw out the Bible.

Answer 10

You have a limited view of God.You think he can create all the universe, the earth , all animals and humans yet he is somehow unable to get his word right in the bible?Thats like trying to say Albert Einstein couldnt multiply fractions .
It would help to study the bible some and it will help you realize that "fundamentalists" aren't being silly or bigoted but just specific and real to what God requires of us

Answer 11

Fundamentalists anger me in nearly every respect but this:

They at least have the resolve to make an attempt to defend the thing their entire lives are based on.

By saying that some of the bible should be followed while some is not necessary... you in essence say that you want to call youself Christian, but are uncomfortable with all that entails. If one part of the bible is wrong, then who's to say what parts are right?

I feel that people who call themselves Christian, yet don't believe in biblical inerrancy should take responsibility for themselves. The bible is full of so much error, and what is good is by no means exclusive to it, that there's no point in trying to hang on to any of it in a misguided attempt to make yourself feel better in relationship to your environment.

You can be a great human being, and have nothing to do with the bible. You can even believe in a supreme being without having to carry all the dogmatic baggage that come with Christianity. Just let it go.