~martyr550

New Evangelicals is a spreading fundamentalist Christian ideology that supports civil religion, intolerance, and strict interpretation of the bible, as well as the idea of being 'Saved,' an often brute way of forcing a person to accept Christ, such as telling them that sin is death, and if you accept Jesus into your life, you will gain eternal life. I've seen people just come up to me on the streets and explain to me the passage that says that very thing, then ask me if I'd like to accept Jesus into my life. The problem is, it doesn't work that way. It's like Christian-by-numbers. Rather, it is a delicate process, with the aim being to show a person what being a Christian is like, through kindness and acceptance.

The Southern Baptists, while not the most forgiving and accepting of churches, was overrun with New Evangelicals some years back, and some branches, such as the Texas Baptist, have noticed this and split from the main church.

On another note, it is interesting that this fundamental Christian ideology arose in the 60s, around the same time that the fundamental Islamic ideology arose. It is often true that fundamentalist movements rise when life is bad, but they aren't the best of things for the proliferation of peace. Intolerance is not the Christian, nor the Islamic way, as both preach peace. Even the famous Jihad is an internal struggle first and foremost before it is an external struggle. Christians and Muslims alike are on a constant struggle to follow God's path, which is precisely what the most important Jihad is. To be a Christian is to be an imitation of Christ, and Christ would have accepted anyone as a brother, regardless of faith, ethnicity, sexuality, profession. He was a man who would speak to prostitutes and show them God's love, not just give them a choice of heaven and hell and expect them to choose right off the bat.

I consider myself a progressive - if slightly liberal - Christian. I abhor the rising trend of Fundamentalist (or New Evangelical) Christians, and I extend my condolences and compassion for anybody who has ever been approached on the street by somebody wishing to 'Save' you. It takes many years for somebody to even make an educated decision of who God is, much less accept Him unconditionally. I wouldn't have anybody accept Christ for fear of eternal "hellfire and damnation". That isn't Christ's way, that isn't the Christian way.