The "Ask a Baptist" Thread

[Eutychus123]

I’m a sister, lol

I don’t mind not knowing about Smyth, because he is not the reason I go to church and he means nothing about what I learn and how we worship. We study the Bible, sing Christian hymns and contemporary songs, have communion, tithe, and have a sermon based on and containing scripture. He may have started the Baptist denomination, but we don’t study about him or hold him in regard or anything… he’s just a man to me. That’s all. I doubt he’d even recognize the Baptist church if he could see it today as I am sure it’s quite different.

I used to be a Baptist, but I never heard of Smyth either. I was an American Baptist. We were taught about Roger Williams and the Rhode Island, founded because the Puritans ran him out of Massachusetts.

 

[Carlan]

Greetings All,

I’m no scholar or hardly no anything about doctrines or can’t even name all the saints. As a Baptist/Christian I know I have so much to learn. I know that in the end we as humans are not perfect and can never hope to be on this earth. God gave us laws to abide by along with rituals, symbols, prayers and earthly leaders. Unfortunately because we are sinners and unpure in the eyes of god we cannot every hope to see him using only these means.

Jesus Christ is the living word and God manifested in the flesh. His sacrifice and ressurrection is sufficient enough for us. I get the feeling reading some responses that people just want to be reassured that they are serving the lord correctly. This is not a competition among christians. If you truly have accepted Christ into your heart then you will try and live by his example until you pass from this plane. Details are worthless if you can’t see the big picture. God is love and we should do well to concentrate on that thought. There is no Catholic heaven, Baptist Heaven, Muslim heaven, Jewish Heaven or Whatever you want to call it. There is just Heaven and Hell. I’m not gonna go into purgatory because I am not well informed on such a subject but the other two are final destinations.

Anyways, God bless you all and I apologize for my grammatical errors as this was typed in a rush.

Welcome IIIamus. Thank you for your post. I did like it. I feel that the bit I highlighted although a fine comment, falls far short of what it is all about. I hope you will continue to share here at Catholic answers and if your mind is open and it certainly sounds to be, you will come to know the truth of what we Catholics believe. Whether you accept what is taught or reject it either way I thank you for being here and ask God to bless you wih his love.Carlan
PS. about purgatory if you have questions, you have come to the right place C

 

[StrawberryJam]

Inspired by the “Ask a Lutheran” thread, I wanted to provide a place for people to ask questions about the Baptist tradition, our practices and church services, etc.

Yes! I have questions!

I was posting on a thread regarding a hypothetical life long catholic who made the huge mistake of missing mass once for golf, and I just could not believe the rationalizations being made on his state of salvation. One catholic poster even tried to espouse a non catholic position that sounded an awful lot like, he never had his heart in it (never saved) to begin with…

I have gone batty wondering about how catholics reconcile this with their claims that the sacraments offer a person special graces from God, and since clearly that poor man had recieved several of them what good were they in the end?

How does a baptist view a man who dies after making a slip up?

 

[sckcd]

I personally don’t like to speculate on others’ salvation, because only *you *really know what is in your heart and whether your relationship with God is genuine or not, but if the man truly had Jesus in his heart I would guess saved. I doubt very many people have the chance to repent every single sin before their deaths so my guess is that once you are saved/confirmed/whatever-you-want-to-call-it and you are sincerely trying to live a Godly life (and you still will sin regardless) that your salvation is probably secure. Just my thoughts, though. I don’t always believe once-saved-always-saved though. Some people (llike Sam Kinison) truly seem to turn their hearts from God… and who knows how God views that. Probably not well…

 

[Xavierlives]

“1) What is the Southern Baptists position on predestination as it refers to salvation?”

God knows in advance who will be saved, but God does not choose anybody to be excluded from salvation. Sadly, some people choose to be excluded by refusing to believe.

As I understand it, predestination is a Calvinist doctrine. We need an “Ask a Presbyterian” thread for that.

Just a side note. I think to understand predestination, omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient mature of God you need two things. A very basic understanding of quantum theory and to have seen the movie Ground Hog Day (at least once).

These two things show how God can be everywhere, know everything, change anything or change nothing. Don’t get me wrong, I am not saying our timeline is in constant flux or anything. I am saying God is not limited by time. He is the Alpha and the Omega. The beginning and the End. He was there, is there, and will be there. When you recognize that God is not looking at our clock to keep time, then you get a much more broad understanding of His nature.

 

[Carlan]

Yes! I have questions!

I was posting on a thread regarding a hypothetical life long catholic who made the huge mistake of missing mass once for golf, and I just could not believe the rationalizations being made on his state of salvation. One catholic poster even tried to espouse a non catholic position that sounded an awful lot like, he never had his heart in it (never saved) to begin with…

I have gone batty wondering about how catholics reconcile this with their claims that the sacraments offer a person special graces from God, and since clearly that poor man had recieved several of them what good were they in the end?

How does a baptist view a man who dies after making a slip up?

hi Strawberry, well,missing the one hour a week that we are to honor our God, according to the ten commandments, to Catholics is very serious business. If a person frivolously and deliberately:sad_yes: does not attend mass everyweek they sin and must repent of it and cannot receive Eucharist until after sacramental confession. If his life becomes in immanent danger before receiving the sacrament of reconciliation he must, in his heart, make a perfect act of contrition for any serious sins committed.:sad_yes:Carlan

 

[Xavierlives]

I think a probelm that all Protestants have to some extent is that in order to justify their theology, and particular christian beliefs it is necessary for them to prove the Catholics are wrong about theirs.

Ooo… I disagree. Not once have I ever justified my faith based on proving Catholics wrong. My faith does not revolve around “protestant.” My faith revolves around God’s teachings. I think the overall differentiation between Catholics and Protestants is more sematics. (Don’t go overboard with this generalization). Catholics view the Bible literal. The Eucharist is the body and the blood. Protestants view the Bible more figurative. Communion represents the body and the blood.

Thats just the way it is. The Catholic Church is the oldest Christian denomination, and Protestants need to justify leaving it. They see themselves as “reformers”, and to be a reformer you muist first point out what is wrong that needs changing. Speaking for myself It doesn’t bother me, and I welcome a good debate. Besides when I see other denominations attacking the Church I see it as a sort of compliment. We are the original Christian Church. They can’t go anywhere without bumping into us.

Yes to oldest.
No to justify leaving it.
Maybe to “reformers,” but I don’t.
Yes to liking debate.
No to attacking.
No to the original.
No to bumping.

Ok. With the fun out of the way, I think most Protestant (reformers) embrace the five Solas, although they don’t really know or classify them that way. Where a Catholic is regimented, protestants are not. We are the hippies. Ooops… I digressed into fun thoughts again. Five Solas… grace alone, scripture alone, faith alone, christ alone, glory to god alone. The problem is most of these smack in the face of Catholicism.

Now, I am an an inclusive Christian. I believe God is a merciful yet just God. He has a plan for every who was, and is, and will be. I am thankful that he is God and I am not. I do not believe you have to be Baptist (since this is the Baptist thread) or Catholic, or Protestant. The church is the body of believers from any or all of the denominations of Christianity.

Alas, this is not a “Ask a Protestant” Thread.

 

[GeorgeSword]

Five Solas… grace alone, scripture alone, faith alone, christ alone, glory to god alone. The problem is most of these smack in the face of Catholicism.

I don’t really see how Grace Alone or Christ Alone conflict with Catholicism, at least in a very basic sense. Grace Alone in the sense that we are saved by the Grace of God, not by our faith or works, though these things may merit grace, and Christ Alone in the sense that we believe worship is due to God (Christ) alone, and that it is only through Christ’s sacrifice that we are saved. Glory to God alone, also, in a very basic sense, if by glory we mean worship.

 

[Xavierlives]

I don’t really see how Grace Alone or Christ Alone conflict with Catholicism, at least in a very basic sense. Grace Alone in the sense that we are saved by the Grace of God, not by our faith or works, though these things may merit grace, and Christ Alone in the sense that we believe worship is due to God (Christ) alone, and that it is only through Christ’s sacrifice that we are saved. Glory to God alone, also, in a very basic sense, if by glory we mean worship.

Well, the grace alone would be that I do not need to do anything to access God’s plan of salvation. I can make an honest conversion. An hour later sin. Die, and his grace alone is enough to save me.

As I recall, Christ alone would be, the absence of the Pope or “Saints.” Christ alone is sufficient.

This is but a vague memory from my “protestant” schooling.

 

[Carlan]

Well, the grace alone would be that I do not need to do anything to access God’s plan of salvation. ***I can make an honest conversion. An hour later sin. Die, and his grace alone is enough to save me.***As I recall, Christ alone would be, the absence of the Pope or “Saints.” Christ alone is sufficient.

This is but a vague memory from my “protestant” schooling.

G’morning Xavier,Sounds good but not so, The biggie here is sin, must repent of that nasty act and then off you go to the heavenly place.
So we Caths don’t believe in the once saved always saved doctrine of some Protestants. It is like this with us, we have been saved , are being saved and hope to be saved.

Now if you wish, this thread would be a good place to get down to the nitty gritty.:thumbsup:Carlan

 

[greggy53]

Ooo… I disagree. Not once have I ever justified my faith based on proving Catholics wrong. My faith does not revolve around “protestant.” My faith revolves around God’s teachings. I think the overall differentiation between Catholics and Protestants is more sematics. (Don’t go overboard with this generalization). Catholics view the Bible literal. The Eucharist is the body and the blood. Protestants view the Bible more figurative. Communion represents the body and the blood.
Yes to oldest.
No to justify leaving it.
Maybe to “reformers,” but I don’t.
Yes to liking debate.
No to attacking.
No to the original.
No to bumping.

Ok. With the fun out of the way, I think most Protestant (reformers) embrace the five Solas, although they don’t really know or classify them that way. Where a Catholic is regimented, protestants are not. We are the hippies. Ooops… I digressed into fun thoughts again. Five Solas… grace alone, scripture alone, faith alone, christ alone, glory to god alone. The problem is most of these smack in the face of Catholicism.

Now, I am an an inclusive Christian. I believe God is a merciful yet just God. He has a plan for every who was, and is, and will be. I am thankful that he is God and I am not. I do not believe you have to be Baptist (since this is the Baptist thread) or Catholic, or Protestant. The church is the body of believers from any or all of the denominations of Christianity.
Alas, this is not a “Ask a Protestant” Thread.

I have been told by a few others in this thread in a very Christian and polite way that I am not “playing nice” with my Proetestant brothers. I don’t hink that is the case, but as my mother used to say " If ten men tell you you are drunk you better go lay down."
So, I will defer to the other Catholics on this thread. I will continue to monitor, and perhaps learn from them.

 

[GeorgeSword]

Well, the grace alone would be that I do not need to do anything to access God’s plan of salvation. I can make an honest conversion. An hour later sin. Die, and his grace alone is enough to save me.

In the sense that we understand it, Grace Alone would be that salvation comes, as I said above, from grace alone.

As I recall, Christ alone would be, the absence of the Pope or “Saints.” Christ alone is sufficient.

In our sense, Christ alone is sufficient for our salvation and it comes only through Him.

 

[Xavierlives]

G’morning Xavier,Sounds good but not so, The biggie here is sin, must repent of that nasty act and then off you go to the heavenly place.
So we Caths don’t believe in the once saved always saved doctrine of some Protestants. It is like this with us, we have been saved , are being saved and hope to be saved.

Now if you wish, this thread would be a good place to get down to the nitty gritty.:thumbsup:Carlan

Yeah. I was explaining it.

 

[Xavierlives]

I have been told by a few others in this thread in a very Christian and polite way that I am not “playing nice” with my Proetestant brothers. I don’t hink that is the case, but as my mother used to say " If ten men tell you you are drunk you better go lay down."
So, I will defer to the other Catholics on this thread. I will continue to monitor, and perhaps learn from them.

Well I appreciate your kind words (or lack of mean ones). I probably shouldn’t be saying anything on this thread because I am not Baptist and this is Ask-a-Baptist.