The Power And Problems Of An Evangelical Approach, To Anything
# 5 : It is always a broadsword, never a scalpel.
Evangelicalism is an ardent form of Protestant Christianity which believes in the doctrine of salvation through grace alone. That salvation can only be achieved through faith in Jesus’s atonement, that the Bible is God’s authoritative doctrine over mankind, and that the ‘born again’ experience is crucial for all souls demanding zealous efforts to spread the message of Evangelical Christianity to every living soul. Many people of faith share similar beliefs but what raises them to the level of Evangelical is the absolutist way of looking at everything and the ultimatum style way of with every circumstance and situation.
Religious Evangelicalism can trace its roots as far back as the mid-1700s to movements like Puritanism, Quakerism, and Moravianism but this form of zealous and aggressive belief is not relegated solely to the realm of religion. Any aspect of life involving personal opinion and perspective can give rise to an absolute way of thinking bolstered by fanatical devotion.
We can see the signs of Evangelical devotion at work in debates over which political party should be in power, which singers are better than others, if pineapple belongs on pizza, cats or dogs, whether or not Amelia Earhart is still alive somewhere. Unflinching and canonizing certainty can plant firm in any space involving personal emotional connected to an idea.
Obsessive fanatical devotion has persisted throughout history because it can be a powerful and persuasive force. People who are zealously convinced can be very convincing, which can make them very appealing to anyone feeling lost or powerless. The more powerless we feel the more we will cling to declarative certainty in someone else, regardless of the subject of their certainty.
They could be absolutely wrong or their premise could be completely ridiculous but if they are certain enough about it we feel drawn to them. Certainty implies a sense of safety, or at least potential safety, and when we are feeling powerless we will grasp for any source of perceived safety we can.
Whether the belief is religious, political, philosophical, or one of personal opinion if our belief is strong enough functioning as a…