Why are people hesitant to call themselves Fundamentalists or Evangelicals?

Question

What is the distinction between the two?
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Answer 1

Fundamental Christians follow a strict interpretation of what the bible says.
For example: Whether or not to drink. The bible only tells us not to be drunkards, but it also says, "If your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out." so If alcohol can cause you to become a drunk, then no one should drink.

Evangelicals believe they must, must, follow the instruction from Jesus to go out and make diciples of all the nations. Their goal is to bring the Word to every person, and then Jesus can return.

Both have gotten very negative reputations due to the extreme believers that follow them. Not all who follow them are extreme, but the ones who are extreme are very extreme.

Answer 2

Usually fundamentalist is used in a negative connotation to address those who views are held in the extreme. Also - fundies is another negative word to adress those who beliefs are in the minority because of their extreme views.

A lot of people use the word more losely today - refering to all Christians as funadmentalists who don't fall in the liberal crowd. Which means if a Christian sticks to their religion and speaks out against abortion, homosexuality, adultery, sex before marriage etc. they are considered fundamentalists.

Which is why many don't like to call them selves fundamentalist Christians - it has become a derogatory term.

Evangelical is a different matter. It means people who actively engage in trying to convert people to the faith. I see many Christians every day who chose this title for themselves. Even though people associate some negativity with this word, it is not as bad as fundamentalist. Evangelicals can be more reserved or be as out spoken as those preachers you see on the street. The main thing that seperates them from others is the hands on approach they take to religion and the rigorous attempts to converts.

Answer 3

Because the term is often used as an insult, and because there are lots of Bullies for Jesus like James Dobson and Jerry Falwell who use "evangelical."

An evangelical does not have to be a fundamentalist or even conservative. They believe in sharing the Gospel and are Protestant--that's basically it. A fundamentalist is a conservative who takes the Bible literally. That's really what the Jerry Falwells, etc., are.

Answer 4

In comparative religion, fundamentalism has come to refer to several different understandings of religious thought and practice, through literal interpretation of religious texts such as the Bible or the Qur'an and sometimes also anti-modernist movements in various religions.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fundamentalism

The word evangelicalism usually refers to a broad collection of religious beliefs, practices, and traditions which are found among conservative Protestant Christians. Evangelicalism is typified by an emphasis on evangelism, a personal experience of conversion, biblically oriented faith and a belief in the relevance of Christian faith to some cultural issues. In the late 20th century and early 21st century, such Protestant Christians, and their churches and social movements, are often called evangelical to distinguish them from Protestants who have a tendency towards more Liberal Christianity.

Note that in continental Europe the word Evangelical is often understood to mean simply Protestant, or specifically Lutheran, as a literal translation of the German "evangelisch". In Germany, churches of the Protestant religious tradition known as Lutheran in the USA and other parts of the world are referred to specifically as Evangelische (literally "Evangelicals"). This does not correspond to standard use in English. See more under "Usage" below.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evangelicals

Answer 5

People who call themselves fundamentalist or evangelicals are Spiritual LOSERS and create the BIGGEST sin by lying and deceiving brain-washed / brain-dead people into believing their religion's BS.!
There is NO distinction between the 2 !

Here's how you can make the correct distinction from religion and the ignorant fundamentalists and evangelicals:

Create a private, personal, direct, divine Relationship with Our Creator and save your Soul from religion.

Only with Our Creator's Love and Peace will we be Truly Free!

Love and Believe in Our Creator;
Love and Believe in Yourself.

"religion is Spiritual fraud"; "religion is the Worse invention of humanity" - Jesus Christ, Buddha and any other being with Spiritual intelligence.

Without God, there is No Love; Without religion, there are No Wars!

Answer 6

They tend to overlap, and I have not seen many hesitatnt to be very open and vocal about it. Evangelical's are characterized by their mission to "spread the word," while Fundie's are more about literal interpretation of the Bible.

Answer 7

because fundamentalists or evangelicals give christianity a really bad reputation, and most christians are realizing it, thats why many born agian types try to say they dont belong in a religion, but a relationship, even though it is a religion.

Answer 8

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