The Christian Landscape: Modernism vs. Fundamentalism

I am a fan of the Phil Vischer Podcast, and have followed the career of the creator of Veggietales through his formation of Big Idea picture group, his lost of the company, and continuance in Big Idea while forming his new venture Jelly Telly.  I own the entire set of What's In the Bible? videos and had given a review of one of them.  While I appreciate his efforts to defend and expand the Christian faith, I am put off by the general tone his podcast has toward conservative elements in the Christian Church.  He points out the wild-eyed "crazy Christians," and notes the off-hand comments of Westboro Baptists (deserved) and Phil Robertson (undeserved).  Concepts of power-bases and cultural adaptation of the faith are difficult concepts to use as filters for authentic Christianity, but I have this disdain for those who label the fundies" as rabble-rousers who distort the faith.

I hold to conservative Christianity, but would strain at the "conservative" label.  Too politically charged in these Political Correctness days.  I would hold to the concept of "confessional."  To me, Christianity is creedal, a fellowship of believers in the "one true faith."  Mr. Vischer lays a great deal of importance to the "personal relationship in Christ.  Important, but equally solipsistic. To cast dispersions on those who don't wish to conform but be transformed, the cultural issues are quickly reduced to a matter of loving the world and those things in the world.  We must debate between the doomed present world (the Titanic version) and the world to be restored in Christ (a true version of Christian utopia).  But to his credit, Mr. Vischer does his thing with a sufficient amount of tact, if it does get laced by humorous quips (and perhaps too many of these, as they tend to break into the comments of his fellow hosts and infrequent guests).

Mr. Vischer's criticisms of the fundamental branches of the faith needs to be tempered with maybe one thought.  This past Sunday, one of the hymns was "It is Well with My Soul," by Horatio Spafford.  The fellow was part of the conservative evangelistic movement of Dwight Moody.  The hymn was written in response to a horrible tragedy that took the lives of his four daughters in the sinking of the Ville du Havre (which is the name of the hymn's melody).  Mr. Vischer suffered the lost of his original business venture Big Idea, much in the same way Spafford endured much financial and personal loss in 1871.  Whatever one may feel towards the doctrinal tenets of the other, each has walked in the shadow of despair, but overcoming same.

Modernists may lampoon fundamentalists views on literal interpretation.  Fundamentalists may question the modernists' definition of omnipotence.  Both sides need to grow firmer in the faith, and life's blows may be divine impulsions to bury the rancor and appreciate the views the other may hold and express.