I was first introduced to religious fundamentalism by a girl I went to high school with.

I did choir with her for two years and during those two years we were not allowed to sing Christmas carols such as "Silent Night," "Joy to the World," "Mary Did You Know," or any other carols that referred to Jesus and his birth. I later learned that the reason for this was because her religion believes that Jesus was born in the summer rather than the winter. She was also not allowed to attend prom, homecoming, or any school dances or to be part of the school musical because her religion viewed dancing as a sinful act.

Religious fundamentalism can be defined as "the belief in the absolute authority of a sacred religious text or teachings of a religious leader, prophet, or God."

I was always incredibly confused by this one girl's religious beliefs. I was taught that religion gave people a sense of purpose and fulfillment. I couldn't possibly fathom how a religion that was so incredibly controlling could be fulfilling in any way, shape, or form. I personally identify as a secular humanist, which means that I believe that one can lead a fulfilling and ethical life without the influence of theism.

However, just because I personally do not believe in the existence of God(s) does not mean that I hate or dislike those who do. One of my best friends is a non-denominational Christian who strives to go to church every Sunday. We often sit down and have wonderful conversations and debates about our belief systems and we have learned an awful lot from each other. I greatly cherish my friendship with her because she truly has helped me to develop a more informed opinion on religion because I see how her relationship with God comforts her and makes her a better person. I have absolutely no issue with religion as a whole.

However, religious fundamentalism is incredibly toxic and must be stopped.

I began researching fundamentalism to get a better idea of what it is and during that process I stumbled upon a YouTube channel called "Girl Defined." You may be familiar with one of the more well-known videos (which has since been taken down due to backlash) "How to Wear Makeup in a God Honoring Way."

I fell down the hole and watched nearly all of their videos and I am quite frankly disturbed, disgusted, appalled by their religious beliefs.

The way they speak about their God is eerily similar to how someone would speak about an abusive boyfriend. "We can't have premarital sex because God doesn't like it," "I can't wear a swimsuit in public because God will think I'm a slut and won't like me anymore," "If I break any of God's rules I will never live it down and he will punish me."

One could go as far as to say their beliefs are cult-ish.

Religious fundamentalism has been shown to be an incredibly harmful belief system. Fundamentalism has been linked to what neuroscientists and psychologists refer to as "magical thinking," defined as "making connections between actions and events when no such connections exist in reality." "Magical thinking" is also parasitic because without it fundamentalist ideologies could not survive and propagate. Those who practice religious fundamentalism have been shown to rely heavily on intuitive thought instead of analytical or reflective thought. Piaget's theory of cognitive development states that the substage of intuitive thought takes place from ages 4 to 7.

This sounds to me like those who practice religious fundamentalism suffer a form of brain damage because their religious beliefs do not allow them to think critically.

This lack of cognitive development is what allows this religious ideology to continue to survive and means that they take most statements at face value and have never questioned someone in a position of power (e.g. their pastor or the elders in their church).

Christian fundamentalists are also champions of purity culture.

Purity culture puts a religious emphasis on saving sex until marriage and that dating (or courting) should only be done with the intention to marry. There is absolutely nothing wrong with deciding that saving sex until marriage is the best option for you personally. However, the Christian fundamentalists I've seen believe that you shouldn't so much as think about sex until you are married. This means that they do not believe in comprehensive sex education.

Children and teenagers of fundamentalists are not taught about safe sex, birth control, STDs, pregnancy risks, or the fact that sex should be an enjoyable experience. They are simply expected to avoid anything having to do with sex and relationships for the first 20ish years of their lives and then to have it all figured out on their wedding night.

Children and teenagers of fundamentalists are also taught that sex is something they should be ashamed of. Women who have had premarital sex (even if it was non-consensual) are considered "impure," like a piece of chewed-up gum on the sidewalk. The religion also places a large amount of shame on those who have masturbated even if by their definition they are still "pure." Purity culture shares a distinct similarity with rape culture in that it promotes the gender stereotypes that women are passive and men are aggressive.

I could go on for an eternity about how harmful religious fundamentalism is to those who practice it.

There are plenty of reliable resources and countless studies done that prove religious fundamentalism hurts those who practice it. Please consider looking into them and educate yourself on the dangers associated with the ideologies. Religious fundamentalism hurts everyone involved whether they realize it or not. Religious fundamentalism is incredibly toxic and must be stopped.