Whats the difference between fundamentalists and evangelicals?

[socalu2fan]

How are fundamentalist and evangelical Christians different from one another?

 

[80sU2isBest]

Originally posted by socalu2fan:
How are fundamentalist and evangelical Christians different from one another?

I think of evangelical as anyone who "evangelizes" - witnesses about the gospel of Jesus Christ.

I thunk of fundamental as anyone who believes that every word of the Bible as true, and inspired by the Holy Spirit.

I fit both profiles.

 

[sulawesigirl4]

the way it usually works...in my experience... is that Fundamentalists are into law and works and tradition while Evangelicals are more into grace and interpreting the Bible in light of the time we live in, etc. I don't fall into either category currently but I was raised around both.

-sula

 

[dream wanderer]

A fundamentalist is an evangelical who is mad at somebody...

(I was raised in fundamentalism

Seriously though..Bob Jones of Bob Jones Uni is a fundamentalist..so is the Rev. Ian Paisley..Billy Grahm is an evangelical.

I think sulawesigirl4 came pretty close...the two tend to overlap. You can have evangelicals who are legalistic...but overall they are less hung up on the 'rules' of Christianity and try to pay more attention to the 'spirit' of Christianity...

Dream Wanderer

 

[80sU2isBest]

Originally posted by sulawesigirl4:
the way it usually works...in my experience... is that Fundamentalists are into law and works and tradition while Evangelicals are more into grace and interpreting the Bible in light of the time we live in, etc.
-sula

The definition of Fundamental Christian is a Christian who believes that the Bible is the inerrant word of God. It has nothing to do with legalism vs. Grace. Fundamentalism was really only given a bad connotation when people starting associating them with people like Robert Tilton. I'm a fundamentalist Christian from the heart of the Bible Belt and believe me that Grace is my favorite topic. I believe in grace as opposed to human works as much as anyone; in fact, probably more than most.

 

[dream wanderer]

I'm glad you do, 80sU2isBest (love your name)

I know Robert Tilton is *not* a fundamentalist...and the poor fundamentalists have a hard time with battling the worst kind of prejudice...

I had bad experiences with it though..the lines from "One" best summarize my experience...and why I left...

You say love is a temple
love's a higher law
love is a temple
love's the higher law
you ask me to enter
but then you make me crawl
but I can't be holding on
when all you've got is hurt

They taught grace but I never felt like anything I did was good enough...so I had to walk away...

However I know enough to know that not all fundamentalists are like the ones I was around or as the cases as portrayed on tv...they are subject to stereotypes worse than anyone!

I'm still a Christian...and I still believe just about everything I did before...but without the hassle of someone looking over my shoulder to keep track if I am following all the 'rules'....which unfortunately was my experiences (I'm glad its not yours) with fundamentalism...

Dream Wanderer

 

[80sU2isBest]

Originally posted by dream wanderer:

They taught grace but I never felt like anything I did was good enough...so I had to walk away...
However I know enough to know that not all fundamentalists are like the ones I was around or as the cases as portrayed on tv...they are subject to stereotypes worse than anyone!
I'm still a Christian...and I still believe just about everything I did before...but without the hassle of someone looking over my shoulder to keep track if I am following all the 'rules'....which unfortunately was my experiences (I'm glad its not yours) with fundamentalism...
Dream Wanderer

I'm sorry about your experiences. Believe me, I've seen it, also. But I guess where we differ is that I reserve the term "fundamentalists" strictly for those who believe that the Bible is the inerrant, inspired word of God. I have a different label for those who call themselves "fundamentals" and yet continue to strive in the law and judge others according to the law. I call them "Judaisers (sp?). In the first century church, Christians who still burdenend themselves and others to the law were called "Judaisers" because they were still holding on to Mosaic law for dear life. But Christ said that Christians aren't judged by the law, because he fulfilled the law.
A funny side note about the term Judaisers. When I was in a college bible study, the leader used the phrase "pungeant judaisers", and at first, I thought he said "PUNCH AND JUDYisers!"

 

[socalu2fan]

Who is Robert Tilton?