Are ANY types of fundamentalism a good thing?

Question

Be you an Atheist, Christian, Muslim, Jewish, Buddhist or anything...is being fundamental in your beliefs a good thing?

Fundamentalist Atheists for example go out of their way to persuade other people there isn't a good - that surely isn't a good thing if it upsets people or takes away hope from desperate people? Believe what you want to believe right?

It is argued that fundamental religious views led to believing unquestionably and literally every single word in their holy texts and that they are told. (E.g Christians believing the world is 5000 years old.)

Is this sort of unwavering faith a good thing? Everyone refers to suicide bombers as fundamentalist muslims afterall...

This isn't meant to spark a religious debate, I'm merely asking - is any type of fundamentalist belief, totally uncomprimising and unwilling to listen to other people's point of view, a good thing?

Answer 1

Fundamentalism - the belief in, and usually the strict adherence to, the basic or "fundamental" ideas of a system of thought.

This is not necessarily a bad thing. It can be a good thing when you are speaking about learning a skill like playing a musical instrument. It only becomes counterproductive when sticking strictly to the fundamentals becomes an obstacle to real growth and creativity.

Answer 2

I imagine the Fundamentalists will answer this differently than the non-fundamentalists (of many faiths). I would say, in terms of Christianity, that Fundamentalism has blocked God from time to time (Such as in the fight against ending slavery). I believe that anytime we think we absolutely have it 'right' we have forgotten who is God.

Answer 3

The Atheist Fundies are the worst