Contributor's Week Concludes

“Religious fundamentalism is dangerous because it cannot accept ambiguity and diversity and is therefore inherently intolerant. Such intolerance, in the name of virtue, is ruthless and uses political power to destroy what it cannot convert.”

~Peter J Gomes

First, to clarify: in my head, if not in the heads of others, there is an important difference between the deeply religious person and the fanatically religious person. The first is uplifted and refined in their humanity by their sense of connection to the divine. The second, the type I feel this quote is talking about, is confined by a worldview that allows for no growth, only enforcement.

Second, to rant: the dangers of religious fundamentalism have been appallingly demonstrated throughout history. Part of the rub of it, to me, is actually found in the etymology. 'Fundamentalism' comes from the Latin word for foundation--which, when you think of it, exists only so other things can be built on top of it. A foundation without a house is just a slab of concrete--the whole point is that so every house can be grounded in something shared but be allowed to express itself individually. I may be mixing my metaphors here, but I'm very afraid that our world is trending more and more towards unambiguity. I don't care if you're right or left or whatever--just don't be black and white. (Thanks Justin for the quote and for making me write about something other than pretty words that confirm my version of the world.)