Baptists

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LisaH

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Is it just me, or are Baptists particularily thick-headed?
What are your experiences with trying to explain Catholicism to them? Any successes?
 
They are, by and large, some of the most wonderful people you would care to meet…but they do seem to have a serious problem with liturgical services in general. We have good Baptist friends who we will have to inform shortly that we’re moving to the Catholic Church. I dread the conversation…
 
::raises hand wildly::

My husband is good friends w/ a family of 5 brothers, whom I affectionately refer to as the “baptist brothers.” They are all about 40 years older than me, so they thought I was fresh meat when I came on the scene. They were a little surprised when I put up a bit of a fight and actually had a response to their objections!

I find that they change subjects when cornered, refuse to answer questions, and appeal to the Roman Road at every chance. There’s also a whole lot of “God has annointed me,” and “I know b/c God told me.” I speak only about the brothers, and not about baptists in general.

Their ideas about Catholicism are skewed, but they refuse to believe me when corrected.

It’s totally frustrating. They still make Catholic jokes all the time (particularly pedophile priest comments). As my dad used to say, they shoot at kings.
 
Well, I’m living proof that Baptists aren’t hopeless :D. But I had to take the scenic route to the True Church by way of agnosticism and atheism. But I got here!

There are so many kinds of Baptists, it’s impossible to generalize – I used to have a list of around 250 separate competing and conflicting Baptist denominations – not including each of the jillions of Independent Baptist churches. They usually don’t like each other, and they definitely don’t like Catholics.

Interesting fact: Nine-tenths of Baptists live in the United States (or they did in 1979 when the revision of Separated Brethren by William J. Whalen was published).

I lost the list in a computer crash. Steve Ray has some of them listed at his website (he’s a former Baptist also) –
www.catholic-convert.com/

Recommended reading for Baptists: Steve Ray’s Crossing the Tiber. Another good one: * Born Fundamentalist, Born Again Catholic* by David Currie.

JMJ Jay
 
Most of the Baptists I know are sincere in their faith and very well intentioned. When the topic of religion comes up my conversations with them have always been respectful. I don’t know that I’ve ever said anything that God was able to use to help any return to Rome, but they are all still friends.
 
Well, as someone who was raised in a “moderate” Southern Baptist family, I can honestly say that not all Baptists are thick-headed. 😃
Depends on how strong fundamentalist they are - at least that’s been my experience. The more moderate ( less fundamentalist) the Baptist, the more open I think they are.
The more fundamentalist a Baptist (think Southern Baptist Convention), the harder you may have it.

I’m not Catholic yet, but on the journey there. 😃 Loved Stephen Ray’s book. It’s a good book for Baptists. 🙂
 
Well, this Southern Baptist discovered the truths of the Catholic Church all on his own–with considerable help from the Holy Spirit and some very good Catholic authors 😃

DaveBj
 
I was once Baptist, at least my parents still are. The thing that strikes me the most is their objection to any kind of government, their own or others. In my mind, that is their big objection to the CC, the magisteriam (sp?). They come up with a lot of other arguments, but it comes down to being ruled by an authority. After all, God is their authority and the CC is a man made institution. I have had many conversations with these folks and the one thing that they all have in common is, once they get wound up, they get loud and they talk a lot. You can’t get a word in edgewise… At least the ones I know. Anyone else notice this, or is it just me?
 
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JackPaul:
…They come up with a lot of other arguments, but it comes down to being ruled by an authority. After all, God is their authority and the CC is a man made institution…
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I wouldn’t describe Jesus Christ as JUST a man. 😛
 
I have found that for whatever reason, certain fundamentalist protestant faiths must spend a lot of time talking about Catholics.

I always suggest that if their faith had anything of substance to discuss, they could spend more time doing that, than running down my Faith.

I have found Baptists to be of a very strong OSAS (Once Saved, Always Saved) mindset. Once a Baptist is “saved”, they are saved. There is no need to be in right relationship with God, and I am very uncomfortable with how some discuss the subject of sin (I have had some tell me that once saved, they are incapable of sinning, and are perfect).

My experience with these faith bodies is very limited (there is a church down the street that canvasses the neighborhood once in a while), so I am not claiming that these experiences are representative.

But some congregation members somewhere are getting this type of message.
 
Years ago, when I had drifted away from the Church (being very poorly catechized, and too lazy to correct that lack myself) I went to a Baptist church that was in Minneapolis. I didn’t hear any direct anti-Catholicism there, but simply fervent preaching.

Some months ago the subject of religion came up on an e-mail list I belong to, a list connected with a hobby of mine. Politics and religion have a way of coming up…anyway, I ran into a Baptist who was just…well, I don’t know how to put it charitably. He filled his posts with ALL CAPS and LOTS OF EXCLAMATION POINTS!!! I suppose that is a substitute for rational discussion. The Church was the WHORE of BABYLON; I was a MOUTHPIECE of SATAN, who practiced Satan’s DARKEST CRAFTS…and so on. I answered very calmly and tried to address the gross misrepresentation of my faith. I got nowhere. The man was utterly closed to reason. Now, he was from the South—Arkansas, I believe, and so I’m wondering if the Southern strain of Baptists are more…um, ardent than the northern variety. However, I noticed an earlier post mentioned that there were several different denominations, so maybe he was a member of the lead-paint-chip-eating branch. I’ve also had some conversation on an anti-Catholic forum that seems to be filled with this kind of Baptist. I have to say, it has left me with a very negative impression of the intelligence and charity of the adherents to this denomination.
 
🙂
I’m not Catholic yet, but on the journey there. 😃 Loved Stephen Ray’s book. It’s a good book for Baptists. 🙂

Which book is that? :cool:
 
I’m running into the kind of Baptists Sherlock is speaking of on an on-line forum.

The thing that really surprised me was that so many of them think that the King James Bible is GOD’S FINAL WORD FOR MANKIND. If you don’t use the KJV you are using a “perverted” or “corrupted” version of the Bible. I’d never heard that before.

Only they have the “true” interpretation of the Bible because they are “guided by the Holy Spirit”.

So not only are they sola scriptura, they are KJV only.
 
LisaH,

Yes, that KJV only business is curious, isn’t it? ALL OTHER TRANSLATIONS ARE HERESY!!! The forum I’ve visited is called “Former Catholics for Christ” and seems to be well-supplied with this kind of Baptist. I only post occasionally, not because I think I’ll convince any regulars (they are beyond the reach of reason) but in the hope that my attempt at correcting the misrepresentation of Catholicism there might reach the casual lurker or visitor.

They seem to have a fondness for, shall we say, a certain “style”: ALL CAPS!!! EXCLAMATION POINTS!!! BIBLE VERSES IN COLOR!!!

Not to mention the absolute certainty that Catholics are going to hell, while they alone possess truth. Aargh…
 
MGeising,

I think the book is “Crossing the Tiber” by Stephen Ray.
 
In my particular denomination (Calvary Baptist Church, Southern) I learned in Sunday School and heard regularly from the pulpit that the Catholic Church was the Whore of Babylon and the Pope was the anti-Christ. (This is straight out of the mouth of Luther.) And Catholics were going to hell, for sure. I prayed on my knees, in front of my chair (was I worshiping the chair 😛 ?) for those idol-worshiping, Satan-believing, evil, deceived and deceitful Catholics. One ought not to go near them for fear of contamination. (Or, one might learn the truth :D).

I’ve encountered many Baptists on the Internet who must have received the same kind of indoctrination I did. I thank God for the opportunity to unlearn this bull-oney.
 
I think those kind of Baptists are more prevalent on the net. Mainly b/c they can find like-minded people.

I lived in South Mississippi. I know many Southern Baptists and Southern Fundamentalist Baptists. I find that b/c the South is really big on being friendly, that even though there might be big disagreements on theology that usually the discussion isn’t brought up. SOME people might make their ‘statements’ by refusing to go to infant baptisms or 1st communions, or even not stepping foot in any other church than theirs (even if its another Baptist church), but that is basically as far as it goes. People don’t want to be really confrontational. Well…except when they are trying to ‘save’ you, but they have to be nice to try to do that.
 
I married a baptist 26+ years ago… she still goes to the baptist church every once in a while, she attends the Catholic Church with me and our 4 children normally…

She just can’t seem to make the decision to jump ship and come on in… that’s probably my fault… :rolleyes:

My guess is when we plant her parents 6 feet under then she will take the dive… i hope…

i love her… 👍
 
I know and have known many from all different non-catholic traditions and as well as baptists and I’ve found the level of their objectivity is directly proportional to the strength of their faith. If they are serious about their “understanding” of their faith and their relationship with God, no matter how misguided, they seem so to be more defensive and argumentative and vice-versa. We all struggle with our faith, and at those times when our faith is weakest it can be very disconcerting when someone is pointing a finger under your nose telling you why they are right and you are wrong… :o
 
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Sherlock:
Yes, that KJV only business is curious, isn’t it? ALL OTHER TRANSLATIONS ARE HERESY!!! The forum I’ve visited is called “Former Catholics for Christ” and seems to be well-supplied with this kind of Baptist.
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I’ve been to that sight before too, and I think those people are not the normal variety of Baptists. I only recall a handful of individuals that did any major posting like you described, the worst being GloryBe. With regards to him, he revealed in one of his posts a few months back that his ex-wife is Catholic, and I think a lot of his hatred for Catholicism stems from his failed marriage. Instead of blaming himself or his wife for the divorce, he found that the Catholic Church makes a good scapegoat.

All in all, most Baptists are really good people. Many of them do have misconceptions about Catholicism, and I think that a large majority of those that “hate” the Church were either indoctrined that way or were involved in a heartbreaking or traumatizing experience with a Catholic that didn’t know or practice their faith very well. The best thing we can do is to show reveal their misconceptions through our own lives, and of course to pray for them.

Peace
 
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