Why I Am A Baptist Christian

[johnnys4life]

Baptists rely on the divine inspiration of the authors of the Bible, and the accuracy of scripture. The New Testament was written by the people who were right there with Jesus while he walked on earth, and were told to write down what they had seen and heard. The believer is encouraged to study the Bible daily and to ask God's Holy Spirit for guidance in knowing how to interpret it for themselves. If you fail and interpret it wrongly, it is usually because you are either just learning and God will show you the truth in time, or you aren't listening to his leading in your life. Perhaps the noise of the world and all your other worries are drowning out his voice, or perhaps you just aren't reading and praying enough!

They believe that Baptism is a significant spiritual and physical act which tells others of your repentance, acceptance, and symbolic death, burial, and resurrection to a new life in Jesus Christ. Full submersion baptism is important because it signifies a willing to die completely to your old, sinful self, and rise up again as a new creature, willing to be molded by the hand of God.

Much emphasis is put on a personal, devoted relationshiop with the living Jesus in your life. I am a Baptist not because I believe it is the one true religion and one true church, but because I believe that Christianity is the one true religion and one true church, and I know I can find like-minded believers within the Baptist churches with whom to fellowship and learn from, and sometimes even relate a thing or two about a thing or two concerning my walk with Jesus.

I don't believe any one denomination is perfect. There are many Baptist preachers and probably whole congregations of Baptists who have fallen into faulty doctrine and beliefs, but the important thing is to follow God and what his Word says, and not feel that your own personal church is the biggest Authority out there.

 

[keevelish]

said true-

certainly Baptist is not THE way, but Christianity. I am a Baptist because I seek to be independent of the world and also believe that Baptism is the first commandment of God following salvation. I am independent, fundamental and believe that God's word is inspired and perfect (complete and without error).

you know, there are truly so few fundamentalist Bible believers here on this web site. It would be nice to find a few who share my beliefs. So many people here are way too liberal.

 

[betweenangelsandinsects]

How do you Baptists feel about the Gnositc Gospels? Because they were from the time of Christ written from people who were with Christ. I ask this because Baptists rely on the sacred scriptures so much.

Betweenangelsandisnects

 

[betweenangelsandinsects]

I am sorry I ment the Gnostic Gospels, as in the dead sea scrolls and such.

Betweenangelsandinsects

 

[magnolia]

we don't accept anything that is not inspired scripture. Those books that are in the canonized scripture (66 books) are accepted as God's word and all else rejected. Other writings may be valid in some parts but those who canonized the Bible rejected other candidates based on historical, biographical, writing style,scriptural, prophetic, and contradictory errors between writings.
Paul didn't just write the epistles that are canonized. He did have other writings, but these had errors in them and were not inspired. We can't treat these as scripture then.

 

[magnolia]

We can gain some insight from other writings, but we are not to take them as God's infallible word. These other writings can show us what others thought about the historical events surrounding the actual events recorded in scripture, but we can't base any hard truth on them. It's the same as me reading a book written by a Christian, which may have scriptural insights, but is authored by an imperfect human and may still have errors. We don't believe that God's inspired word has any errors. We reject the gnostic gospels just as we reject the apocrypha as scripture. This of course does not mean that they were not good writings. Shakespeare is good writing too, but we believe that the 66 books of the bible are the only holy spirit breathed scripture.

 

[angellous_evangellous]

Johnnys, I had you figured for a Catholic. I'm a Baptist too, ROFL!!!!! :biglaugh: :biglaugh: :biglaugh:

I can understand your good ol' pride in Baptist heritage.

I will most likely not remian a Baptist for long, as you can imagine. However, the good ol' Bible-thump'n Baptists literally changed my diapers, nourished me, and fed me the Word of God my whole life, and if they'll take me I just might serve. There are some great strengths in Baptist polity, mostly in the way they handle their missions money. Unofrtunately, Baptists have the most radical views on the nature of Scripture (inerrantcy and some believe in verbal inspiration, both of which are convincingly rejected even here in RF), the nature of the Lord's Supper (purely symbolic), and force other Christians to be immersed in order to join the local church (Baptists therefore reject infant baptism and some Baptists reject all other denom's baptisms).

Ah well, we can roll around like pigs in the somewhat refreshing mudbath of Baptist heritage. Just don't let Falwell or Paterson in my slop!!

 

[magnolia]

angellous, I thought you were catholic!

 

[angellous_evangellous]

My camoflage worked!!! Alrighty then!!

 

[wellmanj]

I am a Seventh-Day Adventist. How does the Baptist Church compare with the SDA Church? You mentioned that Christianity is the only true religion and the only true church. Does that mean we are all going to be saved even if we are all in different Christian churches?

 

[johnnys4life]

I am a Seventh-Day Adventist. How does the Baptist Church compare with the SDA Church?

That is a big question. I went to a Seventh-Day Adventist church for a year or so, so I can answer it a little. They are different in many ways. Baptists don't put as much emphasis on the Sabbath day, and most don't celebrate it on Saturday, though they do believe you should take a day of rest every week.
They are less works oriented, not to say they don't do good works, I have yet to see a Baptist church that doesn't, but they put more emphasis on preaching the gospel and having faith, as well as living a moral life - that can vary a lot by church, but they are less likely to put as much emphasis on going out and doing good works in the community than the SDA church.
Many SDA's believe it is wrong to eat meat, or at least, certain kinds of meat, because of what it says in the old testament. It is very rare to find many vegans in a Baptist church, or anyone who thinks that eating certain meats is not right - although I and my husband both try to keep kosher. They just don't feel it is important what you eat or drink, as long as you are a faithful Christian. They would probably refer you to the book of I Corinthians, and to this verse in Mark Chapter 9: 18“Are you so dull?” he asked. “Don't you see that nothing that enters a man from the outside can make him ‘unclean’? 19For it doesn't go into his heart but into his stomach, and then out of his body.” (In saying this, Jesus declared all foods “clean.”)

You mentioned that Christianity is the only true religion and the only true church. Does that mean we are all going to be saved even if we are all in different Christian churches?

Another biggie! Well, according to the gospels, salvation is through Christ, so if you are a true follower of Christ, by definition, you are a Christian, and saved.

 

[johnnys4life]

Johnnys, I had you figured for a Catholic.

Yeah, I get that a lot, even from people I'm close with. I have to say I do consider it very much at times.
I'm a Baptist too, ROFL!!!!! :biglaugh: :biglaugh: :biglaugh:[/QUOTE]Oh I could've guessed that.

I can understand your good ol' pride in Baptist heritage.

I will most likely not remian a Baptist for long, as you can imagine. However, the good ol' Bible-thump'n Baptists literally changed my diapers, nourished me, and fed me the Word of God my whole life, and if they'll take me I just might serve. There are some great strengths in Baptist polity, mostly in the way they handle their missions money. Unofrtunately, Baptists have the most radical views on the nature of Scripture (inerrantcy and some believe in verbal inspiration, both of which are convincingly rejected even here in RF), the nature of the Lord's Supper (purely symbolic), and force other Christians to be immersed in order to join the local church (Baptists therefore reject infant baptism and some Baptists reject all other denom's baptisms).

Ah well, we can roll around like pigs in the somewhat refreshing mudbath of Baptist heritage. Just don't let Falwell or Paterson in my slop!!

When it comes to missions money, the American Baptist leaders have made a lot of mistakes in recent years, giving money to causes such as Indian Shaman to bless a conference, and feminist groups with questionable morality, which thier parishioners didn't actually support, leading to a great decrease in donations during the past few years. In thier defense, they are still one of the most generous congregations.

The innerrancy of scripture is taught all across the fundamentalist movement of the Protestant church, and also by the Catholics as well.

 

[Druidus]

Lukas, I think that is a wonderful philosophy. You'll fit in great with us!

I am a Druid, and our core belief is also love. I too respect all religions/non-religions. Frubals to you!

 

[LUKAS]

It's me again. I'm not quite sure what a "frubal" is. do you guys give it to me? what are they for?? well, that's all I wanted to know. So far I have 38 frubals and I don't know what that means.
I know this ain't the place to ask, but...
thanks to you all, guys

 

[Druidus]

Frubals are given when we think a person has said something admirable, or even because they are new. You can see your given frubals by clicking on "User CP" at the top site bar.

 

[Melody]

I'm not affiliated with any religion...a deliberate effort on my part...although lately I've been attending a Baptist church. Mainly because I wanted to hear more biblical teachings. This church is not as conservative as the last baptist church I went to but I wouldn't classify it as a liberal church either. I'm not sure baptists could be considered liberal and still adhere to the bible...can they?

 

[angellous_evangellous]

I'm not affiliated with any religion...a deliberate effort on my part...although lately I've been attending a Baptist church. Mainly because I wanted to hear more biblical teachings. This church is not as conservative as the last baptist church I went to but I wouldn't classify it as a liberal church either. I'm not sure baptists could be considered liberal and still adhere to the bible...can they?

That all depends on which kind of "liberal" you are referring to, and how "conservative" a point of view you are coming from. Furthermore, it depends on how convicted you are to "adhering to the Bible" you are - how much non-adherence can you tolerate, and how do you define adherance?

I would consider a "liberal" as not adhering to the Bible if they take a biblical passage and apply an interpretation which says precisely opposite of what the passage explicitly says. I see it literally every day in my studies, and it is a widely accepted practice.

I will give you an example:

1) Paul and Jesus both object to sexual contact before marriage, and Paul and John are explicitly against homosexuality
2) For some, to adhere to Scripture means to be against pre-marital sex and all forms of homosexuality
3) However, these days folks are redefining words, applying interpretation techniques that say that God calls people to homosexuality (which is not in Scripture), and saying that to be faithful to the text, one should be gay if they are gay

However, to be liberal in the Baptist point of view, you can believe the following, which I think is ok interpretation:

1) Believe that Gen 1-11 is a theological reflection and not literal
2) Drink alcohol (seriously, I have friends fired from ministry positions for this)
3) Allowing divorced ministers
4) Allowing gay people to worship in church
5) Singing choruses instead of hymns
6) Changing the carpet in the church
7) Condoning birth control
8) Allowing women to be in ministry
9) Not worshiping Bush
10) Allowing interratial marriage (seriously - I was actually asked to give someone a pastoral visit by a fellow minister because of inter-racial dating!! :banghead3 )


and so on..

 

[Melody]

4) Allowing gay people to worhsip in church

You're joking....right?

 

[angellous_evangellous]

You're joking....right?

Not at all. I know several gay folks who worship in Baptist churches, but do so in hiding. Whether legitimate or not, they are terrified of not being accepted, which I suspect is rooted firmly in reality.

 

[Melody]

Not at all. I know several gay folks who worship in Baptist churches, but do so in hiding. Whether legitimate or not, they are terrified of not being accepted, which I suspect is rooted firmly in reality.

What can I say, but...sad. I don't know whether the church I'm going to would do that although I'm absolute certain that they would not allow a gay pastor and they might not allow them to become an official member since the philosophy of the church is that to be a member you have to abide by their philosophy...which in this case is to adhere to the bible (their interpretation obviously).

I had a feeling J4L was baptist but I had you, Nathan, pegged as a Catholic. Oops.