In Reply to: Re: Don Lattin on using the words "cults" and "fundamentalist" posted by Peabody on December 09, 2006 at 15:10:16:
The problem with some definitions are that they have no clear boundaries. When we say catholic, protestant, bauptist, etc. we are talking about more clear boundaries than when we say fundamentalist.
In my view is a matter of how one divides up the pie. One can belong to many different categories, sometimes contradictory. I think that everybody carries a certain amount of fundamentalism on some particular area. The Family has a lot of fundamentalist beliefs, but it also includes a large amount of beliefs that are not. One can be fundamentalist on one or many aspects of religion or politics or whatever, without being a fanatic about it. It is not fundamentalism what blinds people and closes minds to other types of thinking or ideas but fanaticism that makes fanatics believe the supremacy of their ideas above all others.