What do Baptists believe?

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The main diiference I see between Evangelicals and Traditional Christians is Pietism.

For Catholics and other tradtional Christians, we are saved as a body in the church. And for Evangelicals everything all is based on the individuals and their personal feelings, and sincerity.

Are you “really” saved, you might need to try again?

You see it in worship, every prayer must be extempore, written prayers don’t have the proper “feeling” and might not be sincere. In my years in S Baptist and Evangelical churches I never once heard even the Lord’s Prayer said in unison. They sit in silence, listening to a man at the front pray for them, usually supplying his own Amen.

Such is the individualism, you can even see it in Obituraries. Evengelicals will say, his Lord.
Catholics, and other tradtional Christians will say Our Lord. You don’t even need to see what church the funeral is to know the religion.
 
Bix said:
What is wrong with them witnessing and seeking others to be saved? What is wrong with them using sctpriptures to lead people to accept Jesus??? This is what we, as Christians, are ALL called to do.

You say Catholics need to be aware like they they are some kind of cult. I’m sorry you had bad a bad experience, but I am from the Bible Belt too and have never felt cornered by a Christian. If we are strong with our own faith, we have a nice discussion and maybe learn something about one another.
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Did I say that they were wrong to evangelize? No, I did not.

Did I say that they were wrong to use scripture? No, I did not.

Did I say that Baptists corner people in their evangelism? No, I did not. (Though some people might feel so cornered I suppose.🤷)

Did I even infer that Baptist are cult members? No, I did not.

Your experiences are yours, not mine…not JustAServant’s

What I did say was that they are big into “witnessing” and that many will take Catholics on as a mission to proselytize them away from our most holy faith because they have been taught that we are not Christians.

What I did say was that they are adherents to Sola Scriptura and that they are specifically taught a series of Bible verses for use in their efforts. I also pointed out that that system is not a very good example of the fullness of the truth of the Gospel as found in the New Testament.

The OP asked what Baptists believe, and they are getting insights from many of us who were Baptists for many years, which is realistic and informative.

The fact that your own experiences appear to have been more warm and fuzzy is fine, but I might also point out that that seems to be the exception…and not the rule.
 
Bix said:
Only if that Catholic is behaving in an unChristian manner.

Most people don’t say these things if the other person’s love of the Lord is seen through his actions. Their actions say all. 🙂
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This is not actually true. If I am wearing a crucifix or a miraculous medal, then I can be sure that most any Baptist that is even remotely looking for an opening will target me for his “witness” like a Taliban with an RPG. Even if I’m just standing there being good.
stewstew03 said:
Oh, so… judging a Catholic is okay. I see.
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A very good point. 👍
 
I’ve said my part. I’ve given my view. I’ve been called anti Catholic and a hypocrite… Not by you - please, don’t misunderstand.

The op is now aware there are Baptists who don’t believe these falsehoods. I’m not going to allow myself to be drug into this where clearly, no one is a winner.

God Bless~
 
Calgar said:
No. I have only ever seen it on CAF.
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A while back, we had a discussion about this issue here.

While I’ve met many Baptists who subscribe to a deformed view of “OSAS,” what I’ve heard preached from the SBC pulpit is that OSAS means “those that are saved are saved.” In other words, it is an ex post facto belief that claims the Christian is saved until they demonstrate some other behavior that indicates they were never really a true believer.

In my opinion, that kind of ex post facto theology doesn’t make a meaningful contribution to soteriology doctrine.
 
No Calgar,

I am not inferring that you think we worship Mary. But it saddened me to see a recent post by a young convert who told some fundamentalists he does not worship Mary, but they kept insisting back to him telling him what he was still worshipping her.

So I am sorry for making you feel that way.

I think when people are like that, it is best to avoid any talk of religion.

And that is what we are now doing with our in law…just avoiding any discussion…but express love and support all the time.

There is on one hand a refusal to study history by such who hold these convictions against our faith, and on the other hand the convictions made by judging by appearances, as those brought out by Guanaphore…when he was describing what he interpreted as what he thought was going on inside the people’s heads.

Or interpreting our faith solely by those in the Church who have committed scandals. Christ said these as such should have a mill stone tied around their neck and dropped in the ocean…so much incredible damage they do that take people, especially the innocent away from the Tree of Life.

The other point drawn out by another Catholic here, is that we are a gathering of people, we do not come to the Lord by ourselves but by our connection with the Lord and each other and that this form of foundation…the ecclesia…helps us also connect to those outside our gathering…‘I was hungry, and you fed Me, I was naked and you dressed Me…’

I automatically feel an afinity with Jewish people because they, too, come to the Lord as a gathering of people.

I read some where that the Protestant mindset is to look up to the Lord to seek His will…and that is holy and good.

The Jews and Catholics see life as in a cycle, we gathering and drawing on the life of the Lord, Who is the Center of our Life. There is a song put out so many years ago with nuns singing, ‘You are the Center of my Life’…

In the ecclesia Deist mindset, as Christ has conquered time and put it back into God’s time…the eternal moment, we have our church calendar revolving around Him, the seasons of A dvent, Christmas, ordinary time, Lent, Easter, Pentecost, the feast days of the saints and martyrs and doctors and virgins and pastors…the vestments and colors at Mass symbolizing these times and peoples. The Orthodox have many saints we in the West are not aware of now…but there is a movement among believers to make us one again.

Afterall, the universal Church was only one just so long ago…
 
andrewstx said:
Calgar, what is wrong with ecumenism? I see it as Christians of various denominations working together based on what they have in common.

Is that a problem for you?
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It’s not a problem for me at all, andrew.

Stewstew and I joke about it because of an old relationship between the Vatican and the SBC.

The SBC used to have a delegation at the Vatican. I’d say 10 or more years ago the SBC left the Vatican because they were too “ecumenical”.

As to the working together part? YES! In this world we live in Christians must work together, or we could be taken apart a piece (did I spell piece right?) at a time.
 
KathleenGee said:
No Calgar,

I am not inferring that you think we worship Mary. But it saddened me to see a recent post by a young convert who told some fundamentalists he does not worship Mary, but they kept insisting back to him telling him what he was still worshipping her.

So I am sorry for making you feel that way.
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You seem to be associating the SBC with Fundamentalist theology. The SBC is not affiliated with the Fundamentist denominations.
 
Calgar said:
You seem to be associating the SBC with Fundamentalist theology. The SBC is not affiliated with the Fundamentist denominations.
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Now Calgar you and I both know the SBC fundamentalists have been purging non fundamentalist out iof the convention for about 30 years.

They have packed the convention with fundamental messangers bussed in en masse to assure the presidency of the SBC goes to fundamentalists only and this has been going on for over 20 years.

The seminaries have been purged of moderates, there are and were no S Baptist liberals.

As we know the president of the SBC names the members and officials of the various boards.

The SBC has purged like Stalin all who are moderates.
 
andrewstx said:
Now Calgar you and I both know the SBC fundamentalists have been purging non fundamentalist out iof the convention for about 30 years.

They have packed the convention with fundamental messangers bussed in en masse to assure the presidency of the SBC goes to fundamentalists only and this has been going on for over 20 years.

The seminaries have been purged of moderates, there are and were no S Baptist liberals.

As we know the president of the SBC names the members and officials of the various boards.

The SBC has purged like Stalin all who are moderates.
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I’m unaware of this. Can you post a source? I actually correspond with certain members of the board so I would be interested in who exactly you believe is a fundamentalist infiltrator.

Also, you haven’t answered my previous question: What is your definition of fundamentalist? Are you saying the SBC is being taken over by the Fundamentalist Denominations? Or are you using some other definition of fundamentalism that I am unfamiliar with?
 
Calgar said:
I’m unaware of this. Can you post a source? I actually correspond with certain members of the board so I would be interested in who exactly you believe is a fundamentalist infiltrator.

Also, you haven’t answered my previous question: What is your definition of fundamentalist? Are you saying the SBC is being taken over by the Fundamentalist Denominations? Or are you using some other definition of fundamentalism that I am unfamiliar with?
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I am afraid I no longer have the source, it was a real paper and ink book and AFAIK never was put on the net. I bought it used from a used book sale at the local library a paperback that I read and discarded since I live in a trailer and have little room to store books.

Most of that post came from that book and my own observation. I belive that book was published by the “independant baptist fellowship”? but I am not sure. That group at one time was headed by the pastor of FBC Midland Texas. They are in that convention and the SBC conncurently.

I am not the one you asked about fundamentalism. But I define a fundamenalist as a worshipper of the bible, one who interprets the bible literally, who believes that God instantly zapped all life into existence in 6 24hour days in present form.

Most fundamentalists blend the theology with far right Republican politics.

The SBC is becoming a fundamentalist denomination it’self.
 
andrewstx said:
I am afraid I no longer have the source, it was a real paper and ink book and AFAIK never was put on the net. I bought it used from a used book sale at the local library a paperback that I read and discarded since I live in a trailer and have little room to store books.

Most of that post came from that book and my own observation. I belive that book was published by the “independant baptist fellowship”? but I am not sure. That group at one time was headed by the pastor of FBC Midland Texas. They are in that convention and the SBC conncurently.
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I honestly haven’t heard of this. I’ll poke around. 🙂
andrewstx said:
I am not the one you asked about fundamentalism. But I define a fundamenalist as a worshipper of the bible, one who interprets the bible literally, who believes that God instantly zapped all life into existence in 6 24hour days in present form.

Most fundamentalists blend the theology with far right Republican politics.

The SBC is becoming a fundamentalist denomination it’self.
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Well, we do not worship the Bible.

If we interpreted the Bible literally, don’t you think we’d do communion a bit differently?

The SBC is not a fundamentalist denomination. If the fundamentalists have been taking over for 30 years they aren’t doing that good of a job.
 
Calgar, I beleive the name is really Cooperative Baptist fellowship. It is composed of mostly conservatives who object to the political wrangling that goes on at convention. IE bussing in herds of fundamentalist messengers who assure the presidency stays in fundamentalist hands.

Politically I object to the far right who have no problems proclaiming they are pro-life but at the same time are for wars (good business wars), executions, social security, mediciad and medicare, and the affordable health care act.

It seems the only lives they are interested in saving are those of pre-born babies.

I had a crippling stroke nearly 10 years ago,which left me unable to work, drive a car, walk or dress and groom myself without assistance. So naturally I oppose moves to deny finacial help to those unable to work or care for themselves.

I base my use of “bible worship” on a pastor who used the phrase “God said or says” in every message when quoteing the bible. The bible to me is not God, or dictated by God.
 
However, Baptists/Fundamentalists and many other Protestants read John as symbolic.

Reading John symbolically is denying the miracles of the Old Testament as well as Christ’s feeding of the thousands as well…all precursors to the Eucharist as well as the tradition of belief and practice going back to Christianity’s beginnings.
 
andrewstx said:
Politically I object to the far right who have no problems proclaiming they are pro-life but at the same time are for wars (good business wars), executions, social security, mediciad and medicare, and the affordable health care act.
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Ah, I understand now. You aren’t talking about fundamentalist theology, you’re talking about the right.

I’m pro-life and I’ve fought in wars (and supported them). I also like social security and medicaid. I don’t know why you think there is some issue with that.
andrewstx said:
I had a crippling stroke nearly 10 years ago,which left me unable to work, drive a car, walk or dress and groom myself without assistance. So naturally I oppose moves to deny finacial help to those unable to work or care for themselves.
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That’s terrible. I pray for your recovery.

I’m also disabled, but by injuries sustained in the middle east. I’m still young, and most people are taken aback (some even get angry) when they find out about my disability.

I don’t know any SBC motions to deny care to disabled people.
andrewstx said:
The bible to me is not God, or dictated by God.
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I don’t understand. You don’t believe that the Bible is the word of God?
 
The Southern Baptist Convention has taken a sharp conservative swing in the last few decades.

The Baptist Faith and Message was revised in 2000 (BFM2000), and the revision is not without concerns, as expressed by The Center for Baptist Studies, Mercer University, 1400 Coleman Avenue, Macon, GA:

"Some have built-in suspicions of BFM200 because it was crafted by the “party” who succeeded in a two-decade effort to take control of the SBC. One Baptist editor describes the implied scenario behind this distrust:

Twenty-one years ago a master plan for the repositioning of the SBC would have looked something like this. Elect SBC presidents sympathetic to fiercely conservative principles. Appoint like-minded trustees to govern SBC institutions. Hire to the staffs of convention agencies employees who buy into the SBC’s rightward shift. Create a new SBC infrastructure that reflects a more conservative direction. Rewrite the history of this era with the victor’s spin. Revise the SBC theological statement, the 1963 BFM, to codify the new, more fundamental, direction of the SBC. With the release of the report of the Committee on the BFM last week the final stage of this reimaging is set in motion (Religious Herald, May 25, 2000, p.8)." link: centerforbaptiststudies.o…ldayfm2000.htm

The article goes on to voice concerns that the revision committee was made up exclusively of those who are sympathetic with the new leadership. Adrian Rogers, a three-time President of the Southern Baptist Convention, was quoted as saying, “If we say ‘pickles have souls.’ then the seminaries must teach that pickles have souls” (Fort Worth Star Telegram October, 1998):

MAINSTREAM MESSENGER
Vol. 1, No. 3 November 1998
SO MUCH FOR ACADEMIC FREEDOM . . . !
by Gene Garrison

“Adrian Rogers, a leader of the takeover movement, said at the meeting. Of Southern Baptist seminary professors, he said they must teach, “whatever they are told to teach. And if we tell them to teach that pickles have souls, then they must teach that pickles have souls!” Those were his exact words. Everybody in the room heard them.”
Link: mainstreambaptists.org/mob/somuch.htm.

Peace,
Anna
 
Be very careful in listening to anything from the mainstream baptists, Anna.

Mr. Prescot is a liberal activist who supports abortion, stem cell research, the LGBT agenda. He and his ilk also deny the inerrancy of the Bible.

The mainstream baptists are just that. Mainstream. Whatever is popular at the moment.
They hide their agenda behind words like “traditional” and “mainstream”.
 
Calgar said:
Ah, I understand now. You aren’t talking about fundamentalist theology, you’re talking about the right.

I’m pro-life and I’ve fought in wars (and supported them). I also like social security and medicaid. I don’t know why you think there is some issue with that.

That’s terrible. I pray for your recovery.

I’m also disabled, but by injuries sustained in the middle east. I’m still young, and most people are taken aback (some even get angry) when they find out about my disability.

I don’t know any SBC motions to deny care to disabled people.

I don’t understand. You don’t believe that the Bible is the word of God?
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What Ireally meant to say (thanks stroke) is then right ooposes social security, SSI, medicaid and medicare, the affordable health care act (minus abortion funding) afwdc, anyuthing involving federal funding. Since my stroke made me unable to work, I depend on SSI and medicaid to survive. For those who think SSI and welfare recipients are getting rich, I would like to see tehm survive on the $695 SSI I recieve a month.

I am very sad to hear of your dissablity, it is really tough I know from personal experience. I too was fairly young when I had my stroke, it aged me instantly. When I went in hospital with the stroke I had dark blond hair, When I came to 10 days after I was salt and pepper.

The SBC is nearly unananamously republican, and the republicans oppose financial care for the disabled.

It depends on what you mean by word of God. I don’t believe that God wrote or dictated the bible to human robots.

I don’t belive the bible is without human (name removed by moderator)ut. And I don’t belive that God prevented the human authors from mistakes historical or scientific.

I belive that God inspired the bible, but did not dictate it. I belive that God gave his word to fallible humans.
 
Thanks Anna for puting into comprehensible words what are largely my own thought about the SBC and I am too intelectually incapable of saying myself.
 
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