Why would Fundies, who really believe, want theocracy?

[Nikia]

I suppose that I am referring mainly to Christian Fundamentalists here and other places in the past and Muslem Fundamentalists in various countries. There are other people who are Fundamentalists of various religions and see their believes as important to themselves and other believers but have no desire to force it upon others.
If you require everyone in a certain country to follow the religious laws of your brand of religion and ban other religions or persecute them under the law, doesn't that actually lessen one's religion.
For example, in a free society, a Muslem woman might choose to wear a burkha as an expression of her religious beliefs and because she believes that it is the right thing to do under her beliefs (I am aware that not all Muslems believe this, by the way). If all women in a particuliar society are required to wear one by law, facing severe penalties if they do not, doesn't that negate that part of their religion as an expression of their beliefs if both the devote and those doing it only out of fear do it, rather than just the devout.
Jews, Mormons, Catholics, and Funadamentalists Christians in my personal life have all shared with me that their relgion was more important to them and other members of their faith who they encountered when they lived in places where they were a minority. When they lived in places where they were a majority, they and/or members of their faith took their religion for granted and were considerably less devout. It might seem contradictory, but if society is taking care of religion for them, people seem less likely to make an effort to take care of religion for themselves.
It has been argued that the reason that America is more religious than Europe is because America has a history of religious freedom and no particuliar state relgion where Europe has a history of religious persecution and state sponsored religion. In many of those countries, even now, over 95% will claim to be a particuliar religion, but few really believe or attend services.
Didn't Jesus tell his followers that they are to be in the world but not of it?
Religion is most sincere when it is a personal choice, not something that is imposed by state or society. Why don't Fundamentalists realize that?

[Warpy]

1. Eden

They want to recreate the garden that Adam and Eve were thrown out of when they gained the knowledge of good and evil. They think if we're all kept ignorant, we won't discover sin. They think if they pass enough laws enforcing prayer and restricting the rights of women, we'll all suddenly turn saintly and the whole earth become Paradise. They would love a world where no one would ever challenge their beliefs or dare to disagree with them.

They've been here before and have done this in small communities and have managed to create hell on earth very nicely.

As for me, I think the whole Eden story has been misinterpreted. After all, the snake told them the truth. They did gain in knowledge when they ate the fruit. They didn't die. It was the garden's god who lied about that stuff.

America is more religious than Europe because America didn't endure 2 world wars fought on its soil with a Depression between them. It's easy to believe when tragedies and human idiocy are kept at a distance.

[agates]

2. Read this article, it might help to understand

The article is entitled "Shame and Guilt In Religious Fundamentalism"

"Religious fundamentalists are shame-bound persons in shame-based systems. They are guided by a set of rules generally designed by those in positions of power, who require conformity in order to be acceptable."

http://jmm.aaa.net.au/articles/14422.htm

[tanyev]

3. I've thought about this, in the context of their obsessive need to

control other people's behavior. I think it's an inadvertent admission that they are unable to control THEMSELVES from adultery, porn, drugs, alcohol, etc. Their assumption is that nobody else is able to resist those temptations, either. Therefore, the govt. must come in and save us all.

[badgerpup]

6. AAAAYYYYY-MENN!!!

:applause: :yourock: :toast:

[movonne]

4. I think that most of these fundies are told what to do by the church and

they follow..no matter how sleazy the minister they never question.

[Warren Stupidity]

5. You need to read up on dominionist ideology.

The theocratic right seeks to establish dominion, or control over society in the name of God. D. James Kennedy, Pastor of Coral Ridge Ministries, calls on his followers to exercise "godly domininion ... over every aspect ... of human society." At a "Reclaiming America for Christ" conference in February, 2005, Kennedy said:

Our job is to reclaim America for Christ, whatever the cost. As the vice regents of God, we are to exercise godly dominion and influence over our neighborhoods, our schools, our government, our literature and arts, our sports arenas, our entertainment media, our news media, our scientific endeavors -- in short, over every aspect and institution of human society.

http://www.theocracywatch.org/

These people are our own taliban. They are part of the troika of asshats ruling our nation.

[wishlist]

11. Your post explains it well. They believe they are imposing God's will

They are so certain of their moral superiority and the correctness of their ideology that they do not believe in freedom of choice and real democracy.

[eppur_se_muova]

7. Some fundamentalists don't.

Historically, Muslims considered working in government to be beneath a religious man -- those who did go into gov't were regarded as somewhat 'tainted'. When Ayatollah Khomeini made the Islamic Revolution in Iran a political, as well as a religious revolution, he broke radically with centuries of tradition.

Christianity, of course, has that famous line about "giving unto Caesar what is Caesar's, and unto the Lord, what is the Lord's" (IIRC, which I probably don't exactly).

And in Israel, there are fundamentalist Jews who refuse to get involved in politics because they feel that it is up to God to decide the fate of Israel.

That's the thing about religion, you can use it to justify sensible decisions or thoroughly senseless ones, and it works about as well either way, just because you say it does, and beliefs are beyond debate.

Edit to get the sense of the answer right.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

8. I believe that fundamentalists of whatever stripe

tend to put blinders on when it comes to other's belief system. They have this notion that theirs is the only right way, so there is no reason to go beyond a supreficial look at another's point of view. This is very unlike the spiritual practice of more liberal faiths; one Sufi practice, for example, requires the student to look at a situation in depth from another's point of view. This can be quite enlightening regarding understanding of the other person hold that view and also of yourself as you react to that view.

[Evoman]

9. I don't know

Do they look back at the middle ages and think...man, I want that.

It makes no sense.

[TallahasseeGrannie]

10. Truly?

You want the real answer?

Because they are stupid.

[NMMNG]

12. Control

They want to control everyone and everything.

[Proud_Democratt]

13. Nail on head answer!!!!!

:toast:

[catbert836]

14. They're insecure in their beliefs

I know that sounds like I'm being obtuse, because your OP mentioned "really believe". The fact is the fundies we are so familiar with aren't very sure of their beliefs, and having more people believing the things they do, by coersion or otherwise, is a psychological validation of their faith. As you say, those who are on firm ground with their faith have no reason to want a theocracy.