Fundamentalists of all stripes-Christian, Muslim, Jewish, Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist-share a common goal: to return to the fundamentals of their respective religious traditions. For some, this means doctrinal purity; for others, it means adhering to the traditions' original practitioners. Fundamentals may vary, but all fundamentalist groups-of whatever stripe-share a desire to protect their religious texts from interpretation and innovation.

Fundamentalists often perceive secular society as hostile to their religious beliefs. Secularists, they contend, are indifferent to religious doctrine and lax about enforcing secular law.