Baptists?

[thessalonian]

There are over 60 denominations of baptists, including Southern, General, American, Landmark, Pino, Seventh Day, Independent (of which are really a denomination in every Church if I understand them correctly), etc. etc. In general they do not believe in sacraments. They do practice baptism but only as a symbol, as they generally believe that you become a Christian when you declare Jesus PLS. The Lord's Supper is only a symbol for them in general, Scripture alone, faith alone. However, I will say these are only generalities. Individual Baptist communities or Churches may hold stronger views on The Lords Supper or Baptism. There is also wide disparity on their veiws on Catholicism. Landmark are perhaps the most "Conservative".

Edited December 31, 2007 by thessalonian

[Brother Adam]

"Do some baptists allow female ministers? Most southern baptists I've encountered don't, but maybe general baptists and others do?"

American Baptists allow female ministers. They are among the most liberal baptists. The best book on denominational beliefs is the "Handbook on Denominations" (Just the facts mam").

[BG45]

Archaeology cat

[quote]Yeah, I know the by-laws in my church growing up stated you had to be baptized as a baptist to receive communion, but not all the SBC churches in the area had that rule, I don't think. I could be wrong about that, though.[/quote]

Yeah ours was a bit more liberal, but also an ABC church. "If you confess Christ as Savior we invite you to the Lord's Table".

[quote]Do some baptists allow female ministers? Most southern baptists I've encountered don't, but maybe general baptists and others do?[/quote]

At least some of the ABC churches I've been to have; such as my church I was raised in. I was accosted over it in Baptist Campus Ministry once by a Southern Baptist that wanted to know how we could have women ministers, and told to prove it by Scripture.

[quote]Our church had some thing about the age of accountability, though, as you said, it wasn't defined. Our pastor wouldn't let my sister be baptized when she wanted because he thought she was too young (age 5).[/quote]

I wish my church had been like that, the way your pastor was with your sister. I know by age ten I was feeling guilty for not having been baptized yet, and most were done before then. Most however, when we discussed our salvation stories in my Senior High School Sunday School Class, said that they didn't realize at the time what it all meant, and they had quietly asked Him again for His presence and to be Saved.
[quote]And to answer the original question, my church taught that Catholics worship Mary, used "vain & repetitious" prayer (i.e. the Rosary), believed you were saved by works, weren't truly saved, and were in a cult. Not all Baptists believe those things, however.[/quote]

If you don't mind my asking, what changed your mind?
(Also, shameless plug for an awesome/frightening documentary: Levi in [u]Jesus Camp[/u] was Saved at age five.)

[Archaeology cat]

[quote name='BG45' post='1440499' date='Dec 31 2007, 05:00 PM']I wish my church had been like that, the way your pastor was with your sister. I know by age ten I was feeling guilty for not having been baptized yet, and most were done before then. Most however, when we discussed our salvation stories in my Senior High School Sunday School Class, said that they didn't realize at the time what it all meant, and they had quietly asked Him again for His presence and to be Saved.[/quote]
She would disagree, as it made her quite upset.
[quote]If you don't mind my asking, what changed your mind?
(Also, shameless plug for an awesome/frightening documentary: Levi in [u]Jesus Camp[/u] was Saved at age five.)[/quote]

I haven't seen Jesus Camp - should I?

I certainly don't mind you asking, though I don't want to completely hijack the thread. I will try to give a rundown of it here later (have to tend to my son now). Feel free to PM me, though, if you want.

[vbbabespx]

Archaeology Cat, you are a convert to Catholicism?? I want to hear your story!!

[jeffpugh]

I have heard of "Jesus Camp" from a friend who I got to come on PM once (Name: Extreme Agnostic). He is in fact, an agnostic of the extreme. He watched the documentary once and shared what it was about with me with giggles and prodding fun at the fundies, and was almost questioning me if I believed it. But I laughed along as well as gave expressions of fright when he told me about them teaching kids that scientists and evolution was evil... they assume the idea of evolution was just Darwinism. Sad. Narrow minded. Funny?

[Deo Iuvente]

I saw Jesus Camp a few weeks ago, It wasn't as weird to me as it could have been, since that was basically my childhood.But looking back on it,I'll never understand the part where they had the children hug the cardboard statue of George Bush while the lady said "This is george bush! let's pray for him." Transubushiation?

[Dismas]

[quote name='Deo Iuvente' post='1440774' date='Dec 31 2007, 09:07 PM']I saw Jesus Camp a few weeks ago, It wasn't as weird to me as it could have been, since that was basically my childhood.But looking back on it,I'll never understand the part where they had the children hug the cardboard statue of George Bush while the lady said "This is george bush! let's pray for him." Transubushiation?[/quote]

Isn't George W. Bush a Methodist? I thought there was something of a rivalry in the South... Eh, I guess I'd have to see the movie.

[Archaeology cat]

[quote name='vbbabespx' post='1440613' date='Dec 31 2007, 08:34 PM']Archaeology Cat, you are a convert to Catholicism?? I want to hear your story!![/quote]

Feel free to PM me for the full story. For the abbreviated version, I grew up around my Catholic cousins (some of whom are on PhatMass ) who taught me some of the teachings of Catholicism. My aunt is very good about making sure people know what the Church truly teaches. I would take those things back to Sunday School at my church, and promptly get myself in trouble when I didn't agree that the Hail Mary was somehow blasphemous. My church was extremely conservative, and fairly anti-intellectual, while I've always been raised by my parents to question and research (another thing that got me into trouble). So I read the Bible from cover to cover (Protestant Bible, that is), and didn't feel that my church was truly following it, though I also recognised that my understanding of things in the Bible changed as time went on. In college I met more Catholics who taught me more and made me research more on my own. When I came to understand and believe in the Real Presence, I knew I had to be Catholic.

So that's the abridged version. I'm perfectly willing to discuss in more detail elsewhere, just don't want to hijack the thread too much. God bless!

[quote name='Dismas' post='1440842' date='Jan 1 2008, 05:21 AM']Isn't George W. Bush a Methodist? I thought there was something of a rivalry in the South... Eh, I guess I'd have to see the movie.[/quote]

Guess it depends on where you are, but we definitely had a rivalry with the Methodist church down the road (not even .5 miles away)

[BG45]

Sorry to have derailed a bit with the Jesus Camp comment...

SMM, I know the scene you're referring to without even having to watch the film again. The homeschooling scene with the book on Creationism, and how Global Warming and Evolution are both hoaxes. Cute looking video called "creation adventure" the kids are watching right before it.

Deo Iuvente, same on the childhood to an extent. I think on the whole praying over Bush, it was supposed to be a form of laying on hands...

Dismas, to built on AC with the rivalry bit; my church didn't officially have one, but one of my references jokingly told me he didn't give references to Methodists. Mom went Methodist after the church split, she had to go through a one video class and answer a worksheet on it...

[CatholicAndFanatical]

BG, not to hijack the thread but you seem pretty knowledgeable about the Church, may I ask why you are not Catholic?

Brother Adam! Glad to see you

[SanctitasDeo]

[quote]Isn't George W. Bush a Methodist? I thought there was something of a rivalry in the South... Eh, I guess I'd have to see the movie.[/quote]

I live in the South. There is definitely a rivalry down here, but at the same time, the 'real' Christians are perfectly willing to band together against the evil atheists, heretics, infidels, cults, and unbelievers.

I think that most Baptists have no problems with Methodists when it comes to Catholics, and no problems with Catholics when it comes to Mormons, less problem with Mormons when it comes to JWs. Thankfully, most people are fairly rational.

[Deb]

I tried to register at Baptistboard.com and they refused me!! Hmmm, maybe I should not have said that I was Roman Catholic.
I did read several posts on different subjects and all I can say is that if these people think they are Christians, they had better hope they are saved by faith alone. Very sad and disturbed people. I shall pray for them.

[BG45]

[quote name='CatholicAndFanatical' post='1441573' date='Jan 3 2008, 12:12 PM']BG, not to hijack the thread but you seem pretty knowledgeable about the Church, may I ask why you are not Catholic?[/quote]

I had a reply typed out here, but after I passed 1500 words, I decided to post it on my blog, and just link, so as not to completely hijack the thread...

[url="http://mindmirage.blogspot.com/2008/01/reply-to-phatmass-question.html"]http://mindmirage.blogspot.com/2008/01/rep...s-question.html[/url] Hope this answers your question.

Edit: Oh yes, I spent four hours on that... x.x

Edited January 4, 2008 by BG45

[Brother Adam]

As a former moderator at BB.com I would have pity for them, most of them have been brainwashed by fundamentalist propaganda. Most of the moderators and many of the outspoken anti-catholics in the other religions board have no excuse, but many of them are simply following the tag line of what they grew up with. They really believe that Catholicism is the spawn of satan and want Catholics to "get saved" because they just don't have a clue.

[HS_Dad]

[quote name='Brother Adam' post='1441899' date='Jan 4 2008, 12:15 AM']As a former moderator at BB.com I would have pity for them, most of them have been brainwashed by fundamentalist propaganda. Most of the moderators and many of the outspoken anti-catholics in the other religions board have no excuse, but many of them are simply following the tag line of what they grew up with. They really believe that Catholicism is the spawn of satan and want Catholics to "get saved" because they just don't have a clue.[/quote]

While I love Brother Adam... I must warn you that you should be highly skeptical of Brother Adam on topics about Baptists. He has never had a clue about Baptists in a broad sense. He was a member of a very small fundamentalist group of Baptists (The General Association of Regular Baptists) and always drew heavily from his quite atypical perspectives. Brother Adam's opinions of Baptists are about as reliable as Jack Chick's opinion of Catholics.

If you would like to learn more about Baptists, please read academic books, learn about Roger Williams, read Evangelicals and Catholics together, writings of Richard Land, ChristianityToday.com, etc.

This is a great link: [url="http://www.ncronline.org/mainpage/specialdocuments/Interview_Harorld_Segura.pdf"]http://www.ncronline.org/mainpage/speciald...orld_Segura.pdf[/url]

The primary concerns of Baptists with Catholicism are regarding the lack of emphasis in Catholicism on conversion... The fact that the bulk of Catholics globally are "sacramentalized but not evangelized" as many Catholic leaders have put it..... historical issues related to the tendency of Catholicism in the past to denounce democracy\religious freedom and to to use instruments of state power to oppress minority Christians brothers and sisters.

These concerns are felt so deeply that it can be expressed in ugly ways at times as apparently some (such as former General Association of Regular Baptists members) can attest. However, many Baptists are not so ideological and have a strong emphasis on personalism and evangelism... That is why John Paul II had a surprising appeal for Baptists and Evangelicals worldwide who weren't as prone to fundamentalism... Much of what you hear from Brother Adam regarding Baptists is a gross oversimplication from a small data sample.

God bless.

[Brother Adam]

While I love HS_Dad... I must warn you that you should be highly skeptical of HS_Dad on responses about Brother Adam's Posts. He has never had a clue about Brother Adam's posts in a broad sense. He ignored the fact that Brother Adam said he was talking about the Baptistboard and not baptists in general and always draws heavily from his quite atypical perspectives. HS_dad's opinions of Brother Adam are about as reliable as Jack Chick's opinion of Catholics.

Much of what you hear from HS_Dad regarding Brother Adam is a gross oversimplication from a small data sample.

Edited January 4, 2008 by Brother Adam

[thessalonian]

I can affirm Brother Adam's comments about Baptistboard. It is quite anti-catholic. I was over there around the time BA was and I think we even went round the block once or twice about Catholic/protestant issues. But that was a long time ago.

[CatholicAndFanatical]

I second what Thess said. I too have been a part of that board some years ago..it is the devils pit.

I believe I can speak for 99% of the people here and say that Brother Adam knows what he is talking about and is held with very high regard here.

[CatholicAndFanatical]

[quote name='BG45' post='1441898' date='Jan 4 2008, 01:14 AM']I had a reply typed out here, but after I passed 1500 words, I decided to post it on my blog, and just link, so as not to completely hijack the thread...

[url="http://mindmirage.blogspot.com/2008/01/reply-to-phatmass-question.html"]http://mindmirage.blogspot.com/2008/01/rep...s-question.html[/url] Hope this answers your question.

Edit: Oh yes, I spent four hours on that... x.x[/quote]

** void Thread_HiJack() { **

Dude, your blog is right on!

Scott Hahn is amazing isn't he? I think im going to have my Fiance read him or listen to one of his conversion tapes I have. I feel bad, but I forgot all about Scott Hahn until just now.

As for fear..Mother Angelica said it best: Having fear is not the problem.
Doing nothing because you fear is the problem.

I come from a Pentecostal background, I know EXACTLY how you feel about being ridiculed for your belief. Hang in there.

**} //END THREAD HIJACK **