The Fundie Bashing Game

There is an odd game played on the net known as "Fundie Bashing". It is a game of contradictions.

The rules are said to be one thing, known to be another. The goal is said to be one thing, known to be another.

What is the goal? The goal is simple: To fight those theocratic fascists who would impose their view of the Bible on everyone in the world at the point of a gun. To resist those who would wish to bring back burning witches at the stake. To oppose those who wish not only to overturn Roe vs. Wade, not only to repeal the 19th amendment, but to remove the shoes from the feet of all women.

Well, that's the stated goal. But since those who actually do believe all that are damn few, and since they are further busy running the American government, and thus do not have time to post as much as they'd like, the actually known goal is a bit different.

That goal is this: To harass and harangue any sincere believer in the message of Christ. To accept any belief of anyone as perfectly valid for them...unless that belief involves the Christian God. To discuss as if it were sane, the myths of any group of tribal savages or modern malcontents, but to hoot with laughter over stories of Virgin Births. To accept any illogicality of any belief system, but to relentlessly expose any misplaced comma in the Bible.

What are the rules? They are simple: To use love and tolerance to oppose the hate and bigotry of the Fundies. To use common sense and logic to explain the fallacies of those who cling to ignorance and superstition. To enter into dialogue to attempt to guide them to a better path, a more tolerant path, a more life affirming path.

Well, those are the stated rules. But since those who have a lot of love and tolerance are relatively few, and since common sense, logic and dialogue are difficult things, the actually known rules are a bit different.

Those rules are this: To dismiss any Christian out of hand with ridicule and contempt. To rely heavily on ad hominem. To lay at their feet every crime committed by anyone who was ever in any way associated with Christianity, and hold them responsible. To hold their beliefs up to a staggeringly high level of scrutiny, such that no belief system of man could last a minute under that kind of expectation of accuracy and consistency. To tell them their views and prove those wrong. To expect of them perfection in the following of their philosophy as we understand it, when few of us could accurately summarize our own code of ethics, let alone show much adherence to it.

Even the name is odd. For we call it "Fundie Bashing", but it is actually to all appearance little more then "Christian Persecution".

Now as it happens, there are people, and groups of people, who actually play the game as it is supposed to be played. These people and groups perform an invaluable service in exposing some of the hate filled agendas of the far right wing Christian Fundamentalists.

The Christian Identity Church. Racists. The 700 Club. Homophobic and Misogynistic. The Institute for Creation Research. Anti-Science and Education.

To name but a few of the bad fundamentalist groups. They need opposing, and often times, it is an easier to use the bad methods of ad hominem and ridicule to expose them. Proving the theory of evolution involves a knowledge of basic biology and the latest works in the field, and that is hard. Yukking it up about Cain's wife is far easier!

I don't actually mind people using the poor methods on the truly bad Fundie groups. Keep in mind the audience, I always say. And your audience isn't typically equipped to handle a logical dissertation on the properties of self-replicating nucleic acid molecules.

However...trouble starts when such "lower" weapons are used on those who are not fundamentalists. Who are not attempting to put their cowboy boots in a homosexual's face. Who have no desire to steal women's shoes.

These are just sincere believers in the message of Christ, which as they'd say if they got a chance boils down to little more then "Accept him in your heart, love God, and love your neighbor as yourself."

A little wordier then the "Harm none" of the Wiccans, but means about the same. And Goddess/God, who cares? So long as the love and peace are there?

To often these sincere Christians get dismissed. Or get attacked by those who'd not be able to withstand any real onslaught of actual fundies.

That's not nice.

The trouble is, and the reason why so many good Christians get assaulted on the boards, is because the good ones often times have the sins of the bad ones taken out on them. And also, there is a class of non-Christian which is really more "anti-Christian" then non-Christian.

Fake atheists are the main ones who fall into that category. You show me a Wiccan or Pagan, and I'll show you a sincere seeker of truth who would easily get along with real Christians.

You show me your average atheist on these boards, and I'll show you an insecure hater who'll ally with any faith or creed so long as it isn't the one he was raised in!

These are the fake atheists, the ones who were molested by priests, or who's parents were too strict with them, or had a bad time in Catholic School, or who's life sucks so bad they need a big powerful god to blame.

So their attitude is more accurately expressed by picturing them saying, "I hate you God, so I'll show you! I'll not believe in you, so there!" (*stomps little foot*)

We've all seen this type. We see little else. Whole communities of them exist where they pass the time trying to outdo each other in who can post a more profane and sacriligious post. Who has the sickest Jesus Joke. Who can find the most inaccuracies in the Bible. Who can tell the story of the dumbest Christian ever. And of course, they compete with each other over who hates fundies the most.

Then a Christian enters. The Christian will want to spread his ideas - which means he is as of 99% of us on the net, for what the hell else are the rest of us doing, if not sharing our ideas? We sure aren't seeing a movie together.

The Christian will know that he is going to be ratpacked. He will know all the likely objections. And he'll know his odds of escaping with any semblence of dignity are small. What courage to enter anyway, and actually identify himself.

The only other groups that get grief are the racists and the Rand followers. But not even the Aryans and the Anarchists get the same level of malice that Christians get, the same contempt, the same ugliness.

In fact, so bad is it, that I've had people tell me in email they were Christians, but they tell me only "in confidence" because they know they'd never be able to be taken seriously if others knew.

Were they racists, they'd be viewed with contempt for lack intelligence, but would be feared for their vengefulness. Were they admirers of Ayn Rand or Capitalism/Libertarianism they'd not be feared, but there'd be respect for their intelligence.

In neither case would they get half as much.

But a Christian? They're viewed as dumb by the same people who know that the Christians won't fight back very hard. Not the good ones, anyway. The ones that get it the hardest.

The opening shot is for the leader to post some smarmy and fake "Don't preach to us, we've had enough of that kind of thing here. No offense."

No offense? Imagine a Wiccan being told that! Or a Socialist! Or any other group! No, all others get to explain first, only Christians get that. And of course, they get more, for the manager saying that is really Net Talk for, "Release the hounds."

Then the others descend on him.

Typically, since Christians just so happen to be people, some of them will get quite angry. And be told off for not being as nice as Jesus. Or they'll quietly take it. And be accused of playing the martyr. Or try to explain. And get shrill cries of, "Quit preaching!". Or attempt to just post regularly on other topics. And be accused of "not answering because he can't."

Well, true enough, the Christian can't. Not for not having some answers - but for there being nothing a Christian can do that will in any way get him the respect that a person who worships the cows or the trees would take for granted.

Now. Don't get me wrong. There are some smugly annoying fundie fools out there. The kind that will post 13 chapters of scripture as proof, and if you address all but three verses will tell you that you didn't answer them. And if you answer all, they'll calmly tell you that isn't what those verses "really" mean. And if you explain that whole "I have a dictionary and can read English" thing, they'll say that your heart and mind are closed to the truth.

And they'll do all they can to let you know what hell bound, immoral dumbass you are.

But they aren't all like that. In fact, few of them are. And I think it's time a distinction was made. Not believing in Jesus does not automatically make someone smart and good. Believing in Jesus does not automatically make someone dumb and bad.

Dean West