The Ten (or more) Commandments of Christian Fundamentalism

In my memoir What’s So Confusing About Grace? I recount my experiences growing up fundagelical. The term “fundagelical” is (as you probably guessed), a portmanteau of “evangelical” and “fundamentalist,’ and in my opinion that descriptor ably captures the distinct characteristics of my religious and cultural upbringing.

So fundamentalism is a big part of being fundagelical. This morning I tweeted seven commandments of fundamentalism and I invited others to share their own proposed commandments. I received several intriguing responses (with more coming in) and have added a few of them to my original list.

Thou shalt vote Republican
Thou shalt oppose abortion
Thou shalt protect gun rights
Thou shalt support the military
Thou shalt oppose gay marriage
Thou shalt make America great again
Thou shalt oppose evolution
Thou shalt support Israel unapologetically
Thou shalt only support abstinence-only sex ed
Thou shalt deny climate change
Thou shalt have no Creed but the Bible (which is a creed)

Not surprisingly, some of these are particular to the American experience (notably 1, 3, and 6, and to a lesser extent, 4), while others are of comparatively recent vintage (i.e. 5 and 10).

In What’s So Confusing About Grace? I note another “commandment” which could well be included on this list: Thou shalt read the Bible literally where possible.

Which other “commandments” would you include on a fundamentalist list?

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