Fundamentalism – Core Characteristics

Fundamentalism is a new challenge, and various manifestations of fundamentalism haunt the world. It has taken almost all countries in its fold; it is a war without any ceasefire. It does not know any boundaries, rules, or regulations. It is undeclared against democracy, freedom, civilization, and humanity. Fundamentalism, directly or indirectly, is a war against the fellow human beings waged by few bigoted and criminal-minded people. They killed innocents and had a self-made ideology for justification of their violent acts.

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Core Characteristics of Fundamentalism

The fundamentalism has some core characteristics, which put it apart from other theories and non-theories. The fundamentalist ideology is guided by the biased and one-sided view of any reality. It considers its viewpoint as ultimate truth or reality, brooking no opposition and modifications in its dogmatic stand. Another feature is that they believe in going back to the original and definite or stationary source.

For a fundamentalist, it is everything. And tries to defend it by going to any extent of violence and killings of the innocents. Moreover, a fundamentalist interprets the present reality about the original or the stationary source, and its interpretation. The fundamentalist does not have faith in democracy and conversation or dialogue, to sort out communication and mono-dialogue, shutting the input channels.

Scott Bidstrup wrote, “The belief that they are right, without any question, justifies, in their minds, taking upon themselves the right to impose their point of view, by force if necessary”. Doctrinal rigidity and conformity are another characteristic feature of fundamentalism. It is not open to any perspective or line of action which does not conform to its doctrine. Moreover, its conviction is just a closed case, where there is no scope for the appeal and negotiation. Its conviction is so unassailable that it would be nothing short of hitting the wall if one wants to reason out with them or their position.

Another feature of fundamentalism is that it has its creed and rules & regulations. Chauvinism and hypocrisy are just other hallmark features of the fundamentalism. The preaching of goodness and boasting about humanity and some universal values, while doing exactly the opposite of what they stand for, is the defining characteristic of fundamentalism.

The Fundamentalist Mind

The mind of a fundamentalist is secretive, inhumane, and negative. Their mind and its negative aspects require to be studied from the clinical point of view. James Warner Bjorkman delves into the mind of fundamentalists and accounts them as invariably so doctrinaire and uncompromising that it admits no contradiction, no qualifications, no betrayal of essentials, and no compromise with the enemy. He terms their mind as anti-intellectual.

A fundamentalist is obsessed with his creed or the belief system, and his thinking and perspective are guided by it. He is so possessed by his creed that there is no scope for other perspectives and thinking. For the attainment of his goals, which are narrow and dogmatic, he can resort to any means and can stoop to any level. He can seek the support of an enemy of the enemy, even if he may be his enemy as well. Secretiveness is another feature of fundamentalist mind.