Non denominational Christians

[Allweather]

I believe if you took a “What we believe as Baptists” course in seven different Baptist Churches you would get seven different answers and thus seven different ‘truths’. I recall an article in the Baptist Herald a year or so ago that applauded the fact that there were so many different Baptist churches with different beliefs. I think the ridiculous point the author was trying to make is that they are “unified in their disunity”:whacky:

This is a good point about Baptists. The one’s I’ve known and debated actually hold the disunity of the Church as something to be happy about. I never quite got what they were talking about, and still don’t. It must be related to the same impulse that makes some Americans value their separateness from the rest of the world, American Exceptionalism, or even the heresy Americanism, which holds that America should be treated as a special case with wide authority to adapt Catholic piety to American ideals of democracy and independence.

 

[TheGarg]

My best friend wants to be a non denominational religion. I think she is very much into the fact that you only need to be ‘saved’ to get to heaven. Any help as to what I can tell her to possibly convert her to Catholosim?

I would never want to be part of the Non-Denomination Denomination

Seriously, just witness what you know, and tell her to study history, scripture, church fathers…and like the others said…prayer and fasting for her…its her journey, all you can do is be an example…

peace of the Lord be with you

 

[Indyann]

Hi:
I just had to reply to this thread with this, there is more truth on the doorstep of a Baptist Church than the is in the whole of the Catholic Church.

forever Baptist
allischalmers

You are so correct. The "truth " of the Baptist Church would fit on the doorstep of the Catholic Church. However, if you want to find the “whole truth” you must step over the thresh hold of the Catholic Church and open your heart to the Holy Spirit to find the wonderous truths God has revealed.

 

[FromTheCrossroa]

Hi:
I just had to reply to this thread with this, there is more truth on the doorstep of a Baptist Church than the is in the whole of the Catholic Church.

forever Baptist
allischalmers

Thats cute. In general, fundamental Baptists are short on charity, shorter on liberty and only extend grace to their own when they can’t live up to the self imposed strict code of ethics of their namesake. I love Baptists and I’ve attended some pretty decent Baptist churches. But their focus is quite narrow and they are missing out on the full beauty contained in the Gospel.

The best thing I ever heard in the Baptist church was a saying from the pastor:

“Baptists don’t curse, dance, drink, or chew…and don’t associate with any that do.”

Of course, I did not know many Baptists who ever held up very well against that saying.

 

[BobCatholic]

My best friend wants to be a non denominational religion. I think she is very much into the fact that you only need to be ‘saved’ to get to heaven. Any help as to what I can tell her to possibly convert her to Catholosim?

There’s no such thing as “non-denominational” - a denomination is a group of believers with a common set of doctrines.

If she wants to be a non-denominational, she either must be wanting to be a non-believer or have no doctrines (Unitarian Universalism)

 

[Malcolm_McLean]

There’s no such thing as “non-denominational” - a denomination is a group of believers with a common set of doctrines.

If she wants to be a non-denominational, she either must be wanting to be a non-believer or have no doctrines (Unitarian Universalism)

A Christian who describes himself as “non-denominational” has rejected the legitmacy of the denomination he was brought up in, or is currently a member of, without rejecting Christianity itself.

That is a very positive and worthwhile step, assuming that the denomination is indeed a schismatic or heretical sect, and not the one true Church.

 

[Guardian333]

Here is an excerpt from Amy Welbourne’s book: Prove It! - Church, Chapter: “Are You Saved?”

**Salvation Is a Process **
“So then, my beloved, obedient as you have always been . … work out your salvation with fear and trembling.” – Philippians 2:12
Salvation Begins With Baptism

• Jesus answered, “Amen, amen, I say to you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit.” – John 3:5
• Infant Baptism – Acts 2:38(NAB), Col. 2:11-15 “Baptism replaces circumcision. Jewish parents covenanted with God, on behalf of their infant son, through circumcision; now, Christian parents covenant with God, on behalf of their children, through baptism.”

Here’s how one useful apologetics source suggests you answer the question, “Are you saved?”

“**As the Bible says, I am already saved (Rom. 8:24, Eph. 2:5-8 ),
but I am also being saved (1 Cor. 1:8, 2 Cor. 2:15, Phil. 2:12),
and I have the hope that I will be saved (Rom. 5:9-10, 1 Cor. 3:12-15).

I am redeemed . . . and like the Apostle Paul I am working out my salvation in fear and trembling (Phil. 2:12), with hopeful confidence in the promises of Christ (Rom. 5:2, 2 Tim. 2:11-13) – but not with a false ‘absolute’ assurance about my own ability to persevere (2 Cor. 13:5). And I do all this as the Catholic Church has taught, unchanged, from the time of Christ.”** - (Catholic Answers Tract “No ‘Assurance of Salvation’”)

 

[FromTheCrossroa]

Being “once saved/always saved” is like getting in a roller coaster car without going on the ride, but pretending you did and going on with your life. You might have parked the car, entered the park, gotten the picture at the entrance, ate the food and walked with other like minded folks, even got on the ride. But, you missed out on the experience God intended. At the end of the day, the only place you may have been fulfilled is in a figment of your own imagination. I wouldn’t hang my eternal hat on a magic sentence, would you?

 

[MrStain]

Being “once saved/always saved” is like getting in a roller coaster car without going on the ride, but pretending you did and going on with your life. You might have parked the car, entered the park, gotten the picture at the entrance, ate the food and walked with other like minded folks, even got on the ride. But, you missed out on the experience God intended. At the end of the day, the only place you may have been fulfilled is in a figment of your own imagination. I wouldn’t hang my eternal hat on a magic sentence, would you?

This was one of those Baptist doctrines I could never get myself to believe when I was still a practicing Baptist. Whenever this would come up in Bible study or Sunday school classes I would usually question this practice by identifying situations where this just did not make sense:

• Professed Christians who left the faith all together
• Professed Christians who rarely show up to Church
• Professed Christians who commit murder
• etc.

I always got the same answer… *"Those people were never **really *saved". “And oh ya, those people who barely ever show up to Church, they are still saved because you are not required to attend Church. It is not a sin to miss Church…it is just a recommendation.” This just seemed like the biggest cop-out to me. It always made much more sense to me that our conversion to Christ is an on-going process and once I actually started studying the scriptures then I knew the truth and it wasn’t what the baptist’s were teaching.

 

[BobCatholic]

A Christian who describes himself as “non-denominational” has rejected the legitmacy of the denomination he was brought up in, or is currently a member of, without rejecting Christianity itself.

That is a very positive and worthwhile step, assuming that the denomination is indeed a schismatic or heretical sect, and not the one true Church.

Right.

But if they’re rejecting one denomination, that doesn’t mean they’re not in another denomination.

Heck, they could easily be a Church of One. The Church of John Q. Public, number of members: 1.