5 Beliefs That Set Fundamentalist Christians Apart From Other Denominations

Five doctrines outline the basic beliefs of Fundamentalist Christians, according to The Thoughtful Christian. They are the virgin birth, the satisfaction theory of atonement, the bodily resurrection, the miracles of Jesus, and the unerring word of God.

Here are five beliefs held by Fundamentalist Christians that set them apart from some Christian denominations:

1. Literal Interpretation of the Bible: According to "Understanding Christian Fundamentalism," the most crucial aspect of fundamentalist Christian beliefs is that all of the words in the Bible, preferably the King James Version, are to be taken literally.

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The Bible, the one and only word of God, is the authority in all matters of life, including its prophecy of the future.

Spiritual ambassador Steve McSwain of The Huffington Post explained a fundamentalist perspective on the story of creation in the Bible, "The Creation Story in Genesis is an actual account of how the universe was created by God in six literal days of a 24-hour duration."

2. One Way to Heaven: The Thoughtful Christian explained the fundamentalist perspective of the satisfaction theory of atonement. Upon birth, all of humanity is sinful in nature and deserves death as a punishment.

However, our sins were atoned when Jesus paid the price by dying on the cross. Accepting Him as your savior and believing the five fundamentals are the keys to salvation.

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3. Bodily Resurrection: The "bodily resurrection" in Fundamentalist Christianity refers to the belief that Jesus' resurrection involved his physical body, as well as his spirit. According to The Thoughtful Christian, a Fundamentalist believes that everyone who has been saved will also experience a physical resurrection of the body, not just of the spirit.

4. The Nation of Israel: From a Fundamentalist Christian perspective, Israel is God's chosen nation and will play a key role in the end of human history, according to McSwain. Any nation that stands against Israel will do so at its own peril.

5. No Room for Debate: There are several issues within a fundamentalist doctrine that have no room for debate. According to McSwain, one of these is that abortion is always murder and the second is that homosexuality is "a sin against nature and an abomination to God."

In his book, "What People Ask About the Church," author Dale Robbins explained that the term "fundamentalism" is commonly used by a liberal society and the news media to refer to groups that they wish to label as extreme.

He said that, for this reason, the term "Fundamental Christian" would be better defined in modern times by the phrase "Orthodox Christian."

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