My friend Adele describes fundamentalism as holding so tightly to your beliefs that your fingernails leave imprints on the palm of your hand... I think she's right. I was a fundamentalist not because of the beliefs I held but because of how I held them: with a death grip. It would take God himself to finally pry them out of my hands. (p.17-18) Rachel Held Evans
About This Quote

Fundamentalism is a belief system that has a strong belief in literal interpretations of the Bible. Fundamentalism is also a term that relates to a person who holds on to his or her beliefs with a death grip. In this quote from the book by Audrey Hepburn, Adele describes her friend as being a fundamentalist. Adele describes her friend as being stubborn and annoying to those around her because of how strongly she holds on to her beliefs.

She also goes on to say that she herself was a fundamentalist because of the way she held onto her beliefs. This quote shows how even people who do not hold on to their beliefs as tightly as those described above can be described as being fundamentalist.

Source: Evolving In Monkey Town: How A Girl Who Knew All The Answers Learned To Ask The Questions

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More Quotes By Rachel Held Evans
  1. Like all who search for truth out of fear, I desperately wanted someone else to tell me exactly what to do.
  2. God's ways are higher than our ways not because he is less compassionate than we are but because he is more compassionate than we can ever imagine.
  3. What a comfort to know that God is a poet.
  4. Caring for the poor, resting on the Sabbath, showing hospitality and keeping the home–these are important things that can lead us to God, but God is not contained in them.
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