To be fundamentalist about religion is considered fanaticism, which leads to extreme stands and actions to protect one's beliefs and to uphold them above all else. This sounds like something to be avoided at all costs... is there any other way to read this?

Yes. I am fundamentalist Christian and I am far from fanatic. I hold to certain core beliefs that are conservative and Scripturally based. When you say the word fanatic, the word is used to describe someone who will go to any and all extremes to promote their viewpoint. That would include killing someone who did not agree with me and then believing that the killing was justified. That would include terrorism if I felt it promoted what I believed. I am not fanatic. The ultra liberal "Christian" and the media use fanatic often to describe a person who does not abscribe to the popular culture.

Yes your believe on what a fundalmental is, are completely false and sided to believe that true faith is wrong. A true fundalmentalist merely believes firmaly in their faith and in a way not to accept changes in it merely for social or changes in morals of a society.

Depends on what that fundamentalism is about.

If someone interprets and acts on their religious book as a means of getting power at the expense of others, run...

If another understands that the fruits of their salvation are:
Galatians 5:
22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness and self-control

Who would not want to be a fanatic:D





Grace and peace

I think that fanatic can be linked to the term zealot used in the Bible. A zealot is one who is passionate about their beliefs. This is my desire, to have passion for my Jesus above all else.

During 1800s, Anthropologists had a problem as to
how to classify human beings. One researcher
proposed the expression "intelligent animal".
After advanced studies on monkeys, it was dropped.
Another researcher proposed "tool using animal".
After observing some animals making wooden tools
and sharpening them with knife like stones, it was
dropped. Another researcher proposed "weapon using
animal". A decade ago, a rare film was shot by an
amateur in an African forest. One short monkey was
hit very badly by a big monkey. The short monkey
prepared a wooden knife using stones and hid it on
the top of a tree. After some days, when the big
monkey came to attack the short monkey, it ran up
to the tree for the weapon it has hid and killed
the big monkey. The one thing that the
anthropologists found with any group of human
beings, even if they did not have contacts with
the out side world for thousands of years, has
spirituality with some form of religion. So, man
is a "spiritual animal" if you want to call him
that way.

The Upanishads say that "Manush" (human) was so
named because he has "Manas" a mind higher than
that of the animals which realizes the divinity in
creation. It was present since the creation of
human beings. Religion is the characteristic
feature of most of the human beings. It was not
attained through reasoning using mind. Illiterate
tribes located in inaccessible forests also have
religion. It is as eternal and as unchanging
as the Almighty. Disbelief by a few will not
affect it.

"The percentage of atheists in the world is less
than 5%"

http://www.positiveatheism.org/india/s1990c48a.htm

"Atheists are all scientists" ?

http://www.non-religious.com/statistics.html

Religion is not a blind following. It is a sub-consciously driven
group ritual. It calms the 'collective unconscious' mind. The
religious culture brings unity and belongedness among the followers.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collective_unconscious

" Are Atheists More Depressed than Religious People?

In recent years, the view that religious belief and
participation in religious acts of worship has a positive
effect upon the well-being of man..."

http://www.secularhumanism.org/index.php

"Is a Belief in God Beneficial? Or, What's an Atheist to Do?

1) Religious attendance is correlated with longevity.
2) Religious belief has been associated with lower levels of depressive symptoms.
3) Religious beliefs may help with addiction.
4) Religious attendance is correlated with lower blood pressure.

http://jewishatheist.blogspot.com/2006/01/is-belief-in-god-beneficial-or-whats.html

To be fundamentalist about religion is considered fanatism, which leads to extreme stands and actions to protect one's beliefs and to uphold them above all else. This sounds like something to be avoided at all costs.... is there any other way to read this?
An observation! One of the most interesting things about american evangelical and Protestant experience is the almost unnoticed tendency to encourage an extreme or fanatical position.

Clergy tend to teach a 24/7 idea of religion in America which contrasts with many ancient and modern systems of religious practice which require regular attendance at festivals and periodic offerings at shrines and holy places but not 24 hours per day and seven days a week religious piety.

Many times one can hear the clergy preaching we don't want any "luke-warm Christians" in this church. Thus, while castigating the "zealots" of the first century they oftenencourage a "zealotry" in the 21at century!

Sherwood2