Warning Buzz words

[Terrie]

I was wondering lately, what are the buzz words that people should watch out for that signal you may be dealing with a fundie cult of personality, and not just an overly conservative church. I know they big two I've noted tend to be:

Independent and Baptist in the same phrase. This give us our old-fashioned, fire and brimestone types like Gothard and PP.

the other one I watch for is "non-denominational." This gives us our hipster fundies like Mark Driscoll.

Any others?

[lemonhead]

Lately I'm seeing the word "season" a lot--as in, "The Lord has told me that blah blah blah during this season of my life" or "I really fucked up but that's just part of that season of my ministry" or "in that season of my life I was a douchebag but now god has revealed to me in a new direction."

Yeah, no. Seasons are for weather, not ass-holiness. If you're an asshole all the time, that's more like a climate disorder, not a seasonal mishap :D

[Odd1Out]

Lately I'm seeing the word "season" a lot--as in, "The Lord has told me that blah blah blah during this season of my life" or "I really fucked up but that's just part of that season of my ministry" or "in that season of my life I was a douchebag but now god has revealed to me in a new direction."

Yeah, no. Seasons are for weather, not ass-holiness. If you're an asshole all the time, that's more like a climate disorder, not a seasonal mishap :D

I hate the 'season' saying too.

[jerkit]

There are plenty of nondenominational churches that are not fundie cults. I would not put that terminology in this category.

[Jasmar]

I also would argue that Mark Driscoll is not a hipster. Hipsters aren't MANLY MEN, tend to have an artistic bent, and generally aren't organized enough to form plans for, much less build, an empire.

He's really just a redneck that drinks expensive beer.

[RosyDaisy]

There are plenty of nondenominational churches that are not fundie cults. I would not put that terminology in this category.

This! I attend a liberal, non-fundie, nondenominational Christian church. Please don't assume that nondenominational = fundie or cult.

[DomWackTroll]

The “gift of prophecyâ€! Think it’s easy to be right all the time, normals? Well, it’s NOT!

“I am not boasting of a ‘gift of prophecy’. While I know I must be grateful for what God has created in me, I quite loathe the ‘driving compulsion’ that usually makes people mad at me and gives me ulcers. Please know…I don’t choose to be so annoying. It is a compelling force that robs me of rest and unless you have it, you probably don’t know what a burden it is.â€

generationcedar.com/main/2012/08/to-my-christian-friends-family-who-have-chosen-public-school-things-i-need-you-to-know.html

[Geechee Girl]

Dominion is a key buzz word for me.

[Palimpsest]

Fundie churches do increasingly seem to be co-opting the term nondenominational. Except that they don't mean open and accepting of any denomination. They mean that it doesn't matter what kind of Christian you are -- you are a field ripe for harvest, grist for milling, a plum for picking. Basically it's a lure for the unsuspecting.

True nondenominational churches may need to start calling themselves ecumenical if the Fundies keep this up.

Definitely Independent and Baptist together. Off the top of my head, other buzz words: The Great Commission, Bible believing, KJV only (or any bible translation only), Satan is a living being, saving the unborn, and the word "desire" when used in a context other than love or lust.

[DomWackTroll]

"flesh," "inerrancy," "authority," "spheres"

[Knight of Ni]

Place like Bob Jones University don't even try to hide the fact that they're fundies. In their student handbook it states that all student's are required to attend a fundamental church in the community. It goes on to give instructions where to find the list of approved churches that students are allowed to attend.

[salex]

Reclaiming the 7 Pillars/mountains/spheres of Culture

Dominion

prophecy

equipping

prayer warrior

forerunner (though that may be local with IHOP)

values

focus (focus driven life, focus driven ministry)

[jerkit]

Reclaiming the 7 Pillars/mountains/spheres of Culture

Dominion

prophecy

equipping

prayer warrior

forerunner (though that may be local with IHOP)

values

focus (focus driven life, focus driven ministry)

What context is forerunner used in?

[Mandysue]

The Bates started the Bible Church of Wahtever.

I would say if the church name had Bible in it.

The Duggar Holiness Church of the Bible Believing Independent Baptist.

[salex]

What context is forerunner used in?

carm.org/ihop They’ve been told that they are “forerunners†of Christ in the same way that John the Baptist was. They’ve been told that the orthodox views of Christianity are weak and it’s up to them to restore the “true†message of the Gospel, using their new “powers from God†to start a revival that will win souls for the Kingdom." [6]

I live to darn close to these people, really

.ihopkc.org/ihopu/

[utter solitude]

"burden", in the context of "God gave me a burden" or "Jesus put a burden on my heart".

I have never heard this said outside of fundiedom and the Mormons and JWs that have tried to convert me.

[Terrie]

There are plenty of nondenominational churches that are not fundie cults. I would not put that terminology in this category.

Maybe, but every charismatic cult of personality masquerading as a church that I've run across tends to call itself "non-denominational." Its certainly a signal to look closely at the church.

[artdecades]

does "soul winning" count? I see it used by the PP, but googling it only turns up stuff about "soul winning" without ever defining it.

I would add "Bible Believing Christian". I am not too familiar with different branches of christianity, but that seems to be one I see a lot in fundie circles. It seems to be used not only to say that they are bible literalists (IE creationism, etc) but it implies that those other christians are less than because they don't believe the bible like the fundies do.

[Callipygian]

Testimony!

[Mandysue]

Purpose, purposed

[church_of_dog]

Convicted! (unless they mean by a court, lol)

[RosyDaisy]

Most churches have a website, blog, Facebook or some other social media page. So, instead of looking for fundie buzz words, just Google the church in question. Problem solved.

[jerkit]

Several of these are all frequently used in mainstream non-cultish Christian churches. I agree with checking the website. Slapping a cult label on "testimony" and" "non-denominational" and "convicted" seems...extreme.

[formergothardite]

A couple of weeks ago I got a FB message from a friend inviting me to the new church her husband is starting. This woman was not raised in church, is a nurse, her kids are in daycare, she has tattoos, they drink, they dance, they wear shorts, you would not look at her and think she was a fundamental Christian. I politely declined and went to look at the church website. The core belief of this church is not really that far off from some of our crazy fundies. Women can work, but they have to be submissive. Spanking is a biblical commandment. Gay people are going to ruin America and there needs to be more Bible believing churches who will rise up and fight the avalanche of wickedness that is gay equality( :roll: like there is a lack of those in NC). Girls need to be taught to keep themselves "pure". Evolution is a lie from Satan and we need to get Creationism in public schools. Public schools have removed God and that is why children get shot in them. They are going to start a prayer team to try and pray God back into the local schools. The Rapture is coming soon and we need to get ready. Everyone who has not prayed the sinners prayer will go to hell for eternity.

I have been finding, at least where I live, that it is becoming harder to tell who is a fundie based on appearances alone. This woman does not look like a Duggar or Maxwell but believes a lot like them. I am not actually friends with her on FB so I asked how she was doing and got a long reply about how she just found out most birth control really causes abortions and she is depressed thinking about all the babies she has murdered. She is a fucking nurse. She should know better and before she got into whatever church she was in before they got sent as church planters she did. I think instead of looking for buzzwords or how people dress you need to look at core beliefs.

[Marian the Librarian]

"Multi-generational faithfulness."

(Translation: Control-freak parents; undereducated, live-with-mom-and-dad-for-life sons and daughters.)

See also: "Family economics."