Is Fundamentalism New?

Here is one message I received as a result of us starting up 21st Century Network. I have also added my reply. An interesting debate!

Message
What do you mean, the "growth" of religious fundamentalism? Hasn't it always been a force to be reckoned with throughout the centuries? The Cathars, the Huguenots, whole Latin American tribes, the Armenians, were slaughtered in the name of some belief or other. It is just that we are more informed than ever, and react quicker, but this is nothing new! The lethal combination of ignorance & intolerance unfortunately rules a large part of the world, Eastern and Western bigots are brainwashed by politicians dressed in robes...

Reply
You are right religious intolerance has always existed. The Cathars suffered terribly at the hands of a Church using power to maintain the status quo. I think what is different now as Karen Armstong argues in her book "The Battle For God" is that fundamentalism today uses the concept of "reason" to argue their traditional case. Before the enlightenment then belief was based on custom and myth. Today people use reason in a way that creates irrational intolerance. It is this that we oppose - and this goes for the secular extremists too - the free market international gloablisers who impose an economic religion on people in the name of reason

Most of this reason is suspect and is often no more than a projection of fear or self-interest. What we hope to do is encourage those who believe in tolerance, with any religion or none, to come together as a cultural force to act as an overwhelming counter force to this because if we do not then our freedoms are in danger and our life diminished.