Speaking of zealotry, I see that the growing (?) universalism movement among non-denominational “evangelical” churches (in the US) is really giving the fundamentalists heart burn these days.

The fear of there not being a “hell” is at least as threatening, perhaps more so, than Darwin.

Strangely though, the recent IPSOS poll showed that universalism isn’t very popular worldwide, something like only 2% believe in it. Many more people are non-after-life-at-all, or atheists, than the heaven-is-for-everybody types.

I think the problem for fundamentalism (and Catholicism, which seems concerned about this supposed surge of universalism) is that without the zeal to escape Hell the pews (and the coffers) might be more empty.