"LC" <LC_____@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:fjmreq01m2s@enews2.newsguy.com...

The "Good Book" certainly has brought about more than its share of
extremists over the centuries:
Historian: First English Bible Fueled First Fundamentalists
Heather Whipps
LiveScience.com Tue Dec 11, 8:55 AM ET
"The translation of the Bible into English marked the birth of religious
fundamentalism in medieval times, as well as the persecution that often
comes with radical adherence in any era, according to a new book.
The 16th-century English Reformation, the historic period during which
the Scriptures first became widely available in a common tongue, is often
hailed by scholars as a moment of liberation for the general public, as
it no longer needed to rely solely on the clergy to interpret the verses.
But being able to read the sometimes frightening set of moral codes
spelled out in the Bible scared many literate Englishmen into following
it to the letter, said James Simpson, a professor of English at Harvard
University.
[...]
The rise of fundamentalist interpretations during the English Reformation
can be used to understand the global political situation today and the
growth of Islamic extremism, Simpson said as an example.
"Very definitely, we see the same phenomenon: newly literate people
claiming that the sacred text speaks for itself, and legitimates violence
and repression," Simpson said, "and the same is also true of Christian
fundamentalists."
http://news.yahoo.com/s/livescience/20071211/sc_livescience/historianfirstenglishbiblefueledfirstfundamentalists

Well, well. If it isn't old "cut-n-paste" himself.

"LC" <LC_____@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:fjmreq01m2s@enews2.newsguy.com...

The "Good Book" certainly has brought about more than its share of
extremists over the centuries:

Historian: First English Bible Fueled First Fundamentalists Heather
Whipps
LiveScience.com Tue Dec 11, 8:55 AM ET

"The translation of the Bible into English marked the birth of
religious fundamentalism in medieval times, as well as the persecution
that often comes with radical adherence in any era, according to a new
book.

The 16th-century English Reformation, the historic period during which
the Scriptures first became widely available in a common tongue, is
often hailed
by scholars as a moment of liberation for the general public, as it no
longer needed to rely solely on the clergy to interpret the verses.

But being able to read the sometimes frightening set of moral codes
spelled
out in the Bible scared many literate Englishmen into following it to
the letter, said James Simpson, a professor of English at Harvard
University. [...]

The rise of fundamentalist interpretations during the English
Reformation can be used to understand the global political situation
today and the growth of Islamic extremism, Simpson said as an example.

"Very definitely, we see the same phenomenon: newly literate people
claiming
that the sacred text speaks for itself, and legitimates violence and
repression," Simpson said, "and the same is also true of Christian
fundamentalists."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/livescience/20071211/sc_livescience/

Well, well. If it isn't old "cut-n-paste" himself.