How fundamentalism hurts societies

[undergroundpanther]

Something to think about......

http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1374/is_n5_v57/ai_19804301

This link between corporal punishment and fundamentalism builds on consistent findings that fundamentalists tend to be authoritarians. To measure this, Bob Altemeyer's Right-wing Authoritarianism scale is generally accepted as reliable. As discussed in the Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion (1995) by Gary Leak and Brandy Randall, "individuals who score high on the RWA scale are prone to aggress against unpopular or unconventional groups, feel morally superior and self-righteous, possess a mean-spiritedness that is coupled with vindictiveness and a `secret pleasure' when others experience misfortune, and appear prejudiced toward out-groups."

Given the indiscriminativeness of authoritarians' prejudice, Altemeyer and Bruce Hunsberger labeled them "equal-opportunity bigots, disliking all `different' people regardless of race, creed, or color." Research by Linda Wylie and James Forest of the University of Manitoba also found that authoritarianism is highly correlated with religious fundamentalism and an important predictor of racial and ethnic prejudice, homophobia, and punitiveness.

[politicat]

1. huh.... proves out in some of the things we're doing.

My freethought group is trying to get corporal punishment banned in the public schools in Colorado. (We don't care if you do it at home, but it's not something to be delegated to the schools.)

In getting this done, we queried all of the school districts in the state, and the ones that still allow CP (blessedly few) are the ones in the most conservative, authoritarian regions. They also have a highly fundamentalist religious nature.

Thanks for the link - this will make the measure easier to promote with our sponsors.

Pcat

[no_hypocrisy]

3. If you need help removing corporal punishment from your public schools,

see if Freedom From Religion will assist in filing a lawsuit on your behalf.

http://www.ffrf.org

[politicat]

4. We have backing from our parent organization, Atheist Alliance.

As well as working within the legislative system.

Pcat

[TwentyFive]

2. My uncle (who is a Fundy) - beat the crap out of all 3 of his kids

He used to put welts on them for getting less than A grades, or not cutting the grass to his standards.

Yes - these kids (my cousins) are just as screwed up...one is a hopeless drunk, the other is obsessive compulsive, and the youngest was the least affected, but has written off the entire family.