Final answer:
Fundamentalism in major religions is a reaction to humanist and secular movements, advocating a return to religious principles in opposition to perceived moral relativism and decline. This dynamic shapes contemporary political, social, and cultural debates globally.
Step-by-step explanation:
Fundamentalism in religions like Christianity, Islam, and Judaism can be viewed as a reaction to the rise of humanism and other modern movements that emphasize human reason, secular values, and moral relativism. These fundamentalist movements perceive modernity, with its emphasis on individual freedom and a disconnection from traditional religious values, as leading to moral decline and chaos. They therefore advocate a return to what they see as the foundational truths of their faiths.
In contemporary society, this reaction is evident in various ways. For instances, Islamic fundamentalism rises in response to cultural forces like democratic reforms that promote secular values and social freedoms. As a counter-reaction, fundamentalists push back, seeking a society more in line with their interpretation of Islamic teachings. Similarly, in Christianity and Judaism, certain groups condemn what they see as excesses of secularization and moral relativism, calling for a return to religious principles as guideposts for living a moral life.
These movements and counter-movements manifest in political debates, social policies, and cultural conversations around the world, often influencing the discourse on rights, laws, and the role of religion in public life.