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In my mind Historic Fundamentalism as a movement was a good thing.  Sure, there were probably excesses.  Human are normally people who go to extremes in almost everything they do.  The goal and the purpose seems to have been honorable, however.

What went wrong?

Why is fundamentalism now distrusted and maligned?

Why is “fundamentalist” synonymous with “extremist”?

One of the issues is the fact that separation became an issue.  Some decided that they would rather not separate from error, but dialogue with those in error in an attempt to win them over.   Personally, I don’t think this has as much to do with the demise of fundamentalism as a movement as the following issues do.

Fundamentalists began to retreat from culture.  Instead of engaging and transforming culture, fundamentalists began to isolate themselves.  They did so to such an extreme that Carl F. H. Henry wrote a book entitled “The Uneasy Conscience of Modern Fundamentalism”.  His contention was that the fundamentalists’ understanding of the Scriptures should have led them to social activism in a redemptive context.  They failed in that respect.

In their retreat from culture and their separation from those in error fundamentalists began to separate from one another over various non-fundamental issues (dress, hair, Bible translations, music, etc.).  They committed a sort of intellectual and spiritual incest by creating their own institutions of learning and actively resisted learning from evangelicals or anyone else, choosing to recycle their students by bringing them into their faculty.  (This is a generalization, but it is an observation from this writer’s experience.)  This led to further isolationism, a clannish spirit within fundamentalism, as well as a growing anti-intellectualism.

Here we are today with fundamentalists struggling to find their identity.  They wonder what a fundamentalist is.  What does he believe?  And, should we even care?

It is this preacher’s contention that it does matter, and that we should care.

It is for this reason that we have this blog.  We long to call people back to the fundamentals of the faith.  We long to help those who have been hurt by extremism.  We long to point out error for the sake of helping those who are in error.

We have been down the extremist route, but we are Fundamentally Changed, though we are Fundamentally The Same.  We are fundamentalists with a capital “F”.  We have not abandoned that.  We have abandoned legalism.  May we encourage you, dear reader, if you are in legalism, to do the same?

Related articles

• If You Wish to Speak Against Fundamentalists, Read Fundamentalists (pastoralmusings.com)
• Fundamentalist Hermeneutics (pastoralmusings.com)
• Fundamentalism and Hate (pastoralmusings.com)
• Historic Fundamentalism and Young Earth Creationism (pastoralmusings.com)
• Fundamentalism, Funeral Protests, and Koran Burnings (pastoralmusings.com)

In a day when customer service is rarely in the service of the customer, XM/Sirius has listened to those who called and emailed asking them to keep Enlighten, the Southern Gospel station, on the air.

Kudos to XM/Sirius.  Thanks for listening to your customers.

This is the official statement from Enlighten:

enLighten Channel to Continue
on SiriusXM Satellite Radio

Southern Gospel channel to be heard on SiriusXM Limited Engagements, channel 18

enLighten also on SiriusXM Internet Radio

NEW YORK – May 3, 2011 – Sirius XM Radio (NASDAQ: SIRI) said that starting May 4, enLighten will be heard on SiriusXM Limited Engagements, channel 18.

Beyond satellite radio, enLighten continues to be available on SiriusXM Internet Radio, and available through the SiriusXM App for the Apple iPad, iPhone and iPod touch, and several BlackBerry and Android-powered smartphones.

enLighten is the home to great Southern Gospel music from artists like Gaither Vocal Band, Gold City, and The Inspirations.

Related articles

• Have Your Say About EnLighten Channel On Sirius/XM Radio Ending May 4th (dekerivers.wordpress.com)
• Sirius and XM to consolidate channel lineups (autoblog.com)
• SiriusXM to reorganize its channels, drivers to reprogram presets (news.consumerreports.org)
• Sirius XM Had A Great Quarter Thanks To New Car Sales (crunchgear.com)

enLighten is moving to channel 805 on SiriusXM Internet Radio, where you can continue to hear great Southern Gospel music from artists like Gaither Vocal Band, Gold City, and Inspirations. SiriusXM Radio continues to feature other Christian music options including Christian hits on The Message (channel 63). Additionally, we are adding more Southern Gospel music programs to The Message (channel 63). Every Sunday from 6:00am to 9:00am ET and 9:00pm to 12midnight ET, The Message will feature special Gospel Programming including shows hosted by Bill Gaither, Daniel Britt, and Paul Heil. The Message will also continue with its weekly Sunday Praise program from 9:00am to 3:00pm ET, playing the best in praise and worship music. Also, SiriusXM’s Bluegrass Junction (channel 61) will continue to air the “The Gospel Train” featuring Bluegrass Gospel music, Sundays from 8:00am to 11:00am ET, with a rebroadcast on Wednesdays from 9:00pm to 12midnight ET.

via Channel Number Change FAQs – SiriusXM Radio.

Here is the contact information (ht: DM) if you wish to ask them to continue enlighten on Sirius XM:

• Phone (Sirius): 1-888-539-7474
• Phone (XM): 1-800-XM-RADIO or 1-877-291-5304
• Email: customercare@siriusxm.com.
• Mail: Mr. Scott A. Greenstein; President, Programming; Sirius XM Radio; 1221 Avenue of the Americas, 36th Floor; New York, NY 10020
• Mail: Mr. Mel Karmazin; CEO; Sirius XM Radio; 1221 Avenue of the Americas, 36th Floor; New York, NY 10020

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How often do we actually take the time to assess what we believe?

How often do we compare our belief system with Scripture?

Do we ever stop to think that there is indeed the possibility that we may be wrong?

Would it harm us to study for the purpose of ascertaining how our principles, doctrines, and practices line up with biblical truth?

I’ve often thought of people adamantly refusing to obey the Scriptures, but how many of us carelessly and ignorantly disobey them by refusing to examine ourselves, our creeds, and our practices?

“To the law and to the testimony: If they speak not according to this word, It is because there is no light in them. ” (Isaiah 8:20)

One doesn’t have to fit the description of his favorite enemy to actually be very similar to these people.  We only have to be careless enough to not study, examine, and think about things.