The Fundamentalists: Part One

It’s been said every life is a story and every story, though most of us refuse to accept it, deserves to be told, and I tend to subscribe to that theory because the alternative is unthinkable to me. There are those, however, that have no problem regarding our existence as simply a matter of chance nothing more or nothing less, a cosmic raindrop in an infinite ocean of possibility. And I’m not knocking that way of thinking. In many ways, it is liberating, or at least it appears so. But I’ve never been able to take that leap. God and his role in our life, or lack thereof, has always been intriguing to me.

There’s a school of thought that believes we choose our destiny prior to birth, but that seems a little screwed to me. I don’t know about you, but if given a choice, I’d choose a story filled with espionage, gunfights and copious amounts of gratuitous sex because let’s be honest here, all those things are extremely cool, especially the copious amounts of gratuitous sex. But if this theory is to be accepted, I chose something far more benign.  

            On the other hand, however, maybe life isn’t preordained at all. Maybe we write our own story in hopes of understanding the complexities and hardships of this thing we call living. Or maybe it’s a little of both and we play our roles within the confines of a cosmic screenplay. But the one thing I have learned is this: Hardships and trials, though not pleasant or desirable if processed properly, can create a beautiful and compassionate soul. 

            Of course, I have no idea why life can be so exhilarating one minute and exasperating the next. But it is, and we all struggle to find our own way to cope with life’s realities. And I think that is why religion is such a powerful force within humanity.

It offers absolute truth to those who are willing to follow its rules and regulations. The only problem is, which religion is correct and which rules do we follow?

            For me, that question was answered quickly. You see, I am a product of the Bible belt or flyover states as some are fond of calling them, but that’s complete bullshit! The people that reside here are some of the hardest working, hospitable and compassionate people you’ll ever meet. There’s just absolutely no room for discussion when it comes to religion, which is kind of strange when you think about it. Fundamentalism of any kind by its very nature is rigid and harsh. The fact that most fundamentalists are more compassionate than their theology allows speaks volumes to me. But I don’t have a crystal ball, and I can’t see into people’s souls, so I’ll leave it at that. 

Now that’s not to say that there isn’t any hippie-dippy, love thy neighbor, universal health care, marriage equality advocates that reside in our little vacuum, but they’re in the minority. Religion, however, and fundamental Christianity in particular, is by far the prevailing mindset. It all seems so innocuous, really, and for many people, it may very well be. But for a thirteen-year-old boy with a strict authoritarian father, a mother doing her best to survive in a volatile situation and siblings getting married at eighteen years old just to get away from it all; God and his wrath is a very serious and real danger.

            Religion, in my opinion, is supposed to be a sacrament pointing us toward something higher than ourselves. But when taken as a literal fact, and sprinkled with a healthy amount of shame and fear, religion becomes something far more sinister; it becomes a means of control and abuse. I know those words sound harsh, but that doesn’t change the fact that they’re true. Anytime someone claims to know the mind and the will of God for your life, run!