RW FundiMentalists - Misguided, Mentally Ill, Misogynistic or Malevolent?

[Mr_Spock]

Poll question: RW FundiMentalists - Misguided, Mentally Ill, Misogynistic or Malevolent?

As the Fundies return from their Churches today - what is their motivation? How do they justify the hatred - the wanton spewing of anger toward their fellow Americans by their leaders as witnessed by all of us in this country? How do they differentiate themselves from the Islamo-fascist people they love to hate? Why don't they see that their hypocrisy is so obvious, even an intelligent child can see it? How come they don't realize that Jesus was a passivist and was completely against this sort of hate speech? Are they not as thoughtful as children? What do you think drives the RW FundiMentalist mindset the most?

Are they driven by a Misguided belief that their's is the only right religion and anyone who does not believe is going to Hell?

Are they lacking certain adult coping skills because the Church has (mis)guided them since they were a child making them, well, Mentally Ill (or at least sociopaths of a sort)?

Is much of the machismo - "strike the enemy dead" - and all that goes with this "our church is better than yours" just a reflection of the lack of confidence the men have - is all this fake machismo and "going to hell" talk just Misogynistic bluster?

Or are Fundies truly evil - the spawn of bad genes and continuous hate speech?


Which of these four M's do you think describes the RW FundiMentalist mindset the best?

[MountainLaurel]

1. More of 3&4

Although mentally ill in the context of being sociopathic: which is ironic considering that most of the fundies think that mental illness really doesn't exist -- it's a matter of lack of prayer, and psychology being an example of secular selfishness in the U.S.

Been there, done that, and still have the panic attacks about the Rapture to prove it.

[Mr_Spock]

3. Yeah, I had to draw the line somewhere - thought having "misguided"

as the combiner with the others was the least harsh - trying to be nice. So far people are going for broke...

[silverstateD]

2. well at first.....

i thought 2 and 4 were a little over the top but then i figured that each catagory pobably represents an equal percentages of them with misguided holding a slight lead.

[TallahasseeGrannie]

4. These are all interesting thoughts

regarding a cultural group in this country. While it might be nicer for us all if they toe'd our nice secular line, I frankly don't think they are near the danger people think they are.

In fact, I am coming rapidly to the conclusion that the fundamentalist movement in the US is being successfully used by very greedy and selfish individuals who are at the top. THEY REPRESENT A VOTING BLOCK. PERIOD. They have us all freaked about religion and family values and stay out of our bedrooms, etc, because it is all a red, red herring. The real issues are the ones that have been there for generations: power and greed. Today these take the form of movements like Corporate socialism (a term I just learned, by the way, here on DU), massive agribusinesses, the food industry, gambling, and a host of other high stakes enterprises.

And we play right into their hands by picturing the bad old fundies on their way home from church while these other hands steal all the cookies out of the jar.

[Ladyhawk]

5. Having been a fundy and seen it from the inside, I must disagree.

These people are misguided and really believe god is telling them what to do. This makes them very, very dangerous. I was dangerous as hell as a fundy. I hurt people. I helped crazy people take over this country and the saddest part of all is I thought I was doing what was right.

My family is full of fundies and what they do is further enabling a fascist state.

I recommend that you read Leaving the Fold by Dr. Marlene Winell. I think it will open your eyes to the damage fundamentalism does to children raised in the "faith" as well as the larger social problems caused by people who will believe absurdities and commit atrocities. Also, Holy Horrors is an excellent book that highlights what happens when religious extremists gain control over government.

Underestimate the fundies at your own risk. :(

[TallahasseeGrannie]

7. I appreciate the links and recommendation

I am fascinated reading about religious extremists of all stripes. I look forward to it.

However, do you feel that are actually as dangerous the folks I mentioned in my post?

Also, in your research, what have you learned about numbers? Are their numbers increasing, decreasing, the same, etc.? That is important to know. I know they represented a huge voting block, about 30 percent.

I just can't shake my impression that for the neocons they are in the right place at the right time and very useful.

[MountainLaurel]

9. Ditto

These people have nothing less than a theocracy in mind.

[Greyhound]

13. Thank you for posting this.

Would you consider starting a post telling us more about this movement from the inside? Most refugees from the fundies that I've known are too ashamed and don't/won't talk about it, and anything I'd write would be hearsay (maybe heresy?).

[Mr_Spock]

14. I'm interested as well...

:D

[OnionPatch]

6. I think each one is a mix

of all different aspects with several common threads. I do think it is a mental problem but I'm not saying they're insane. Just run of the mill insecure or fearful. Misguided is the other one that most of them have in common. Feeling superior sooths their insecurity and fearfulness, so the mysogenistic and machoism aspects appeals to many of them.

No, I don't think they're evil. Just all screwed up.

[PatrioticLeftie]

8. Other

Just plain evil

[Mr_Spock]

15. Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeevil

:D

[NYC Liberal]

10. Either they are, or the god they believe in is.

;)

[mitchum]

11. They fear both death and difference

[undergroundpanther]

12. they are bullies

in an abusive relationship with a bigger bully. They are trapped in a mind game of of of lets play master and servant and think the very existence of civilization itself depends on all of us playing it together.

Problem is THEIR kind of civilization requires obedience to masters seen and useen..mine and some others do not need a master to force them to be good people in a certain way a symbolic way.
They are just good people who are good to people because it is their nature.

Some people are so used to being dehumanized,abused and humiliated in life they feel a world where there is no domination is scary because they do not know a life without it. And so never developed relational skills to deal with a world without masters,so they FEAR freedom from social domination and authority symbolic or literal.

Fundies kinda are like an abused kid who's placed in a foster home that treats them with kindness. The kid flips out pushes limits tests boundaries waiting for the slap and rebukes, and because he fears life without masters,because he is unwilling to master himself,or does not know how to, he longs to be back in the home where he was beaten and neglected.Sometimes Traumatized people do not easily trust kindness and freedom because abusers use those as tools to dominate,..and when they do not know the rules of the"game" and think every things a game and fear the anger of masters that is no longer there they do not know what to do or think because they've never had the mental freedom to do or think about what they want to be,they had to obey or else..So, because they are traumatized,so they invent a master and obey that hoping it's a good master but always fearing the whip. For fundies God is their parents...because they never grew out of their traumas or could put them on the people and circumstances that humiliated and shamed them growing up so they internalized it to cope..