Fundamentalism
Fundamentalism originally referred to dissident Christian groups who went back to the words of the Bible because they felt that the institutionalised church no longer represented the true teaching of Christ. In the USA today, though, fundamentalist Christianity has become very powerful and is influencing government policies by supporting political parties in return for politicians promoting Christian ideas. This is undermining one of the founding principles of the US constitution, the separation of church and state, which is supposed to ensure that no religion is prioritised over any other and that citizens of all religions and none are treated equally.
Burning cross, symbol of bigotry
The greatest tension across all the religions and their sub-groups is over the question of whether the doctrines can respond to a changing world or whether they must be handed down unchanged from generation to generation. The most orthodox leaders, whether they are rabbis, ayatollahs or Baptist preachers, argue that the rules of their religion are god-given so they cannot – and must not – be changed. To protect their position and the integrity of the faith, as they see it, they must wield authority over their followers. If an individual transgresses the rules, they must be punished or perhaps threatened with eternal punishment. If the transgression goes beyond prescribed limits, they must be excluded from the community. In the church this is called excommunication; other religions have other means of casting out dissidents.
