[b]There seem to be two schools of Christians.  There are those who are kind and loving and show what would be considered the fruit of the spirit.  Then there are the fundamentalists/extremists who seem to give Christianity a bad name.  These are the ones who rejoice whenever there is a natural disaster hoping that Jesus is coming with it.  The May 21 judgment day crowd would be an example.  They seem to lack any real soul, but just recite the bible like zombies.  They use the scripture that one should not be luke warm to justify their crazy actions.  These are the ones who do not believe in divorce, mistreat their wives and children, do not go to the doctor, cannot have a conversation without quoting abundant scriptures, alleniate themselves from friends and family, all in the name of the bible.  There does not seem to be anything positive going on here.  My question is for Christians, do you consider fundamentalist Christians to be the same as you?  Or, are they seen as misinterpreting scripture or even worse, mentally ill?[/b]

joyuchesun:

[b]There seem to be two schools of Christians.  There are those who are kind and loving and show what would be considered the fruit of the spirit.  Then there are the fundamentalists/extremists who seem to give Christianity a bad name.  These are the ones who rejoice whenever there is a natural disaster hoping that Jesus is coming with it.  The May 21 judgment day crowd would be an example.  They seem to lack any real soul, but just recite the bible like zombies.  They use the scripture that one should not be luke warm to justify their crazy actions.  These are the ones who do not believe in divorce, mistreat their wives and children, do not go to the doctor, cannot have a conversation without quoting abundant scriptures, alleniate themselves from friends and family, all in the name of the bible.  There does not seem to be anything positive going on here.  My question is for Christians, do you consider fundamentalist Christians to be the same as you?  Or, are they seen as misinterpreting scripture or even worse, mentally ill?[/b]

I'm not a christian but I can't help but chip in.

Since their actions as you pointed out are based on the same scriptures you read, then they're as christian as you. The only difference between them and the liberal christians (not regular christians because most christians are fundamentalists) is one of interpretation of the scriptures; but then anyone can interpret the bible to suit her own purposes.

[b]Fundamentalist/Extremist Christians may be sufferring from mental illness. The problem here is that religion is often seen as a good thing, so it is difficult to question someone who is acting in extreme religious ways. Bipolar disorder, schizoprhenia, and psychosis can all present themselves as hyperreligiosity.

Hyperreligiosity is the ill-fitting grasp of the role of religion and God in one's life. It is the disability that can lead to killing in the name of God, or isolation from others in the name of religion. Hyperreligiosity happens most often when one thinks that have been chosen by God to spread a message, or are that God is compelling them to do certain things. There are psychological reasons why a person with hyperreligiosity needs to have the assurance that they are acting acording to their God's will.

The hyperreligious notion of God can be a frightening one. It is a God that can be full of wrath, and who demands that people live for him, instead having one's own life improved. Some might think that their hyperreligiosity is justified by the biblical command to love God with all one's heart, all one's mind and all one's strength. However, this only helps to feed the disorder. One should seek professional help if experiencing these symptoms. [/b]