One of the dangerous seductions of fundamentalist religious belief systems is their absolute certainty and conviction of being correct. This seduction is powerful because in an increasingly unpredictable and complex world, fundamentalist faiths provide certainty, structure, identity and a sense of belonging.
This is one of the reasons why leaving fundamentalism is so challenging for people. It is not simply a matter of no longer believing what we were taught; we have to learn how to develop a sense of certainty and security for ourselves that is not based on rigid doctrines. We have to create a new identity or rediscover our original identity, which was lost in playing the role of a “good believer”, and we have to develop a new sense of belonging and learn how to live with uncertainty.
For many people, particularly those of us who have been brought up in fundamentalist faiths, the period of leaving and coming out into the world can be difficult and disorientating as we learn to re-create ourselves anew.
The Seduction of a Closed System of Belief
All major religious faiths or belief systems, whether Islamic, Catholic, Protestant, or Buddhist, have a fundamentalist stream. The stream that I grew up in and eventually left was Irish Protestant fundamentalism.
While these streams of fundamentalism may carry different religious names, they all share common characteristics.
Absolute Certainty and Infallibility
Fundamentalists believe they have the ultimate truth grounded in sacred texts or divinely inspired doctrines.
When I was growing up, the King James Version of the Bible was considered divinely inspired by God, which meant that every word was “God-breathed” and, therefore, correct. The earth was created in five literal days. The animals went into Noah’s ark two by two. Science and archaeology were either ignored or twisted to conform to the Biblical narrative. Arguments were resolved in one of three ways:
- A bible verse being mis-applied to the situation.
- A statement along the lines of “God says”; or
- Being accused of lack of faith because I asked a question no one wanted to answer or couldn’t answer.
The rigidity of infallibility leads to a lack of openness to new information, which makes the system self-reinforcing.
Rejection of Pluralism and Dissent
Internal dissent or any questioning by an individual of the fundamental tenets of the faith is met with coercion to conform. This coercion manifests in various ways. It often begins with soft pressure, which includes informing the person that they are being prayed for. Members will meet with the person over coffee to check in on how they are doing and to caution them against the dangers of the devil and unbelief. If the individual continues challenging the coercion, the response typically escalates to ostracism and more overt social and psychological pressure to conform.
Any attempt to hold alternative perspectives or views is actively discouraged. These alternative perspectives may come from believers of the same faith. For instance, in the fundamentalism I grew up in, there existed a hierarchy of Christian leaders and authors deemed trustworthy and valuable, descending to those who were considered to have little to no worth because they held alternative views that were seen as undermining fundamentalist Christian beliefs. Reading or listening to these suspect leaders would result in coercion to conform.
Us vs Them Mentality
Most fundamentalist groups divide the world into believers and non-believers. This dualist view enhances the sense of community within the group and enables outsiders to be seen as corrupt, misguided, rebellious or waiting to be ‘saved’ and join the community.
The outcome is a sense of exclusivity, whereby those within the group see themselves as special, chosen by God to be rescued from the evil world.
Authoritarian Structure
Most fundamentalist groups have a hierarchical authority structure where questioning the leadership and any views expressed by that leadership is considered as rebellion against God and divine authority. This ensures that any internal criticism is suppressed and reinforces the closed nature of the belief system.
The Seduction of Fundamentalism – Why it’s so hard to leave
When we read about fundamentalism’s common characteristics, we may think closed systems of belief are not seductive. On an objective level, we are correct. Fundamentalism seduces through its promises at a psychological, emotional, and social level.
The seductive promises of fundamentalism are:
The Psychological Appeal of Religious Certainty
We have a deep-seated psychological need to understand the world. We create meaning to lessen uncertainty, strengthen our social ties, and cope with the existential anxiety that comes from contemplating and facing the fundamental aspects of our existence.
Closed belief systems, like fundamentalism, offer absolute certainty and provide answers that followers believe are correct to life’s significant questions, such as:
- What is the purpose of life?
- What happens after death?
- How should I behave?
- Who are my allies, and who are my enemies?
In contrast, open-ended belief systems (such as secular humanism, liberal religion, or agnosticism) can be unsettling for many individuals because they lack clear, definitive answers.
Psychological Comfort and Cognitive Closure
The Need for Cognitive Closure Theory, developed by Kruglanski and Webster in the 1990s, explains why people vary in their tolerance for ambiguity. Some individuals have a high need for closure and often:
- Prefer clear, black-and-white answers rather than complex, nuanced ones.
- Feel discomfort in ambiguous or uncertain situations.
- Are more likely to accept the first explanation they encounter and stick to it stubbornly (freezing); and
- Rely on stereotypes and simplistic thinking to make quick judgments.
A closed belief system such as Fundamentalism gives people who have a high need for closure by providing:
• Clear moral guidelines (e.g., “This is right, that is wrong”).
• A singular, authoritative source of truth (e.g., sacred texts, religious leaders).
• A rejection of opposing perspectives, making the world feel simpler and more predictable.
For individuals who struggle with uncertainty and have a high need for cognitive closure, fundamentalist beliefs serve as a psychological refuge that shields them from doubt and existential anxiety.
How Fundamentalism Creates a Strong Social Identity
Social Identity Theory (SIT), developed by Henri Tajfel and John Turner (1979), explains how individuals derive their sense of self from the groups to which they belong. According to SIT, people categorise themselves and others into social groups (e.g., nationality, religion, political affiliation) and develop an in-group (us) vs. out-group (them) mentality. This identification fosters group loyalty and self-esteem, as individuals seek to enhance their own group’s status while sometimes discriminating against out-groups.
Fundamentalist groups:
- Provide social support and close-knit relationships.
- Offer a shared purpose and mission.
- Reinforce a strong in-group identity, fostering loyalty and cohesion.
This allows individuals who feel isolated and lonely to develop a sense of self from the fundamentalist group to which they belong. It also allows the person to feel they belong to an ‘in-group’ that enhances their self-esteem and sense of belonging.
The sense of social identity is one reason people experience identity loss and social alienation when they try to leave a fundamentalist group. Often, their sense of self is so deeply tied to the religious community that stepping away feels like betraying their own identity, which is why many people leaving fundamentalism struggle to redefine who they are outside the group.
Moral Clarity and a Defined Purpose
In an era of moral relativism and ethical complexity, fundamentalist ideologies provide:
- Clear rules for living.
- A sense of divine or historical destiny.
- A missionary or activist role, in which members feel responsible for “saving” others.
In my situation, growing up in a fundamentalist environment, feeling disconnected and lonely from people around me, with a father who thought I was never “man enough” thinking I was “called by God” to be a minister at 15 years of age, gave me a defined purpose that held me through those years of confusion, isolation and emptiness.
The sense of mission and moral righteousness that I felt by being called by God provided a sense of significance and destiny that held me during my adolescent years and became problematic when I left the ministry and tried to navigate my exit from fundamentalism. For years, I battled a sense that I was a failure because I had left the ministry.
Many people are drawn to fundamentalism not just because it explains life but because, like me, it gives us a role in a cosmic struggle between good and evil.
Why Leaving Fundamentalism Feels So Difficult
Leaving becomes challenging once a person has been or is deeply committed to a fundamentalist system.
One reason leaving is challenging is the sunk cost fallacy. This is a cognitive bias in which people continue investing in something (time, money, effort) because they have already invested so much in it, even when it no longer benefits them.
For fundamentalists, faith is not just a belief system—it’s a lifelong investment of time, emotions, identity, and relationships. This makes leaving incredibly difficult because when you have committed years of your life to a cause and your identity and sense of self-worth are intrinsically involved with the group, admitting you are wrong feels like a personal loss.
Many of us fear social rejection from our families and fundamentalist community, and there is also the fear of “What if I am wrong?” Many experience guilt, shame and trauma for wanting to leave.
Healing from Religious Trauma and Reclaiming Your Identity
When people do not understand the certainty, sense of identity, moral clarity, community and existential security fundamentalist groups provide, they often do not understand the complex challenges for people trying to leave these groups and reclaim their identity and sense of self outside the fundamentalist group.
Having been the son of a fundamentalist Minister and then a Minister myself before leaving the church and fundamentalism, I understand some of the challenges that people experience when trying to leave. You do not have to navigate leaving fundamentalism or dealing with religious trauma on your own. I provide mentoring support to assist people in reclaiming their sense of self and inherent uniqueness.
Contact me to see how I can assist you.
