Baptists?

[Farsight one]

[quote]What do they believe that is Heretic about the Catholic Church? Or is it like you said only a few Baptists believe that we are heretic???[/quote]

Well, they're pretty darn extreme, so keep in mind that their beliefs do not reflect on all baptists. For them:

--Catholics worship Mary
--Catholicism is the whore of babylon
--The pope is the anti-christ
etc.

Catholics have gone on there over the years and provided documented proof against some of their claims, and their posts simply get deleted.

They also believe that:

--They, being ordained by God, are without sin (and if ever you post the bible quote that basically goes like "he who claims to be without sin is a liar", they will delete or completely ignore it.

--Anyone who does not physically proclaim with their mouth "I accept Jesus" or "Jesus is lord" or something to that effect is going to hell. This means all babies, all mute and deaf people and all non-english speakers (as to them, English is God's favorite language)

--The world is flat. YES, you saw right. As a side note, one of them claims to be a millionaire 500 times over and owns a private jet. Yet, he refuses to use is wealth to fly to the edge of the earth and snap some photos as proof.

--Volcanos are signs of God's displeasure, therefore Hawaii, since it IS a volcano, is about the most evil place on earth.

--also, being "God's elite", they claim they are allowed to do certain things that other Christians are not such as openly lie and sling insults. (i.e. the ends justify the means)

--oh...and I remember one of them claiming that Chinese rulers have "mind control glasses" that they use to turn people atheist. He even provided a picture, which was clearly photoshopped, though he vehemently denied it.

Edited December 31, 2007 by Farsight one

[st-annes]

[quote name='Farsight one' post='1440349' date='Dec 31 2007, 01:38 AM']They also believe that:

--Anyone who does not physically proclaim with their mouth "I accept Jesus" or "Jesus is lord" or something to that effect is going to hell. This means all babies, all mute and deaf people and all non-english speakers (as to them, English is God's favorite language)

--The world is flat. YES, you saw right. As a side note, one of them claims to be a millionaire 500 times over and owns a private jet. Yet, he refuses to use is wealth to fly to the edge of the earth and snap some photos as proof.

--Volcanos are signs of God's displeasure, therefore Hawaii, since it IS a volcano, is about the most evil place on earth.

--oh...and I remember one of them claiming that Chinese rulers have "mind control glasses" that they use to turn people atheist. He even provided a picture, which was clearly photoshopped, though he vehemently denied it.[/quote]



Do what now?

[BG45]

[quote name='st-annes' post='1440352' date='Dec 31 2007, 01:52 AM']Do what now?[/quote]

Ditto heh. I can't ever recall hearing those things. Although I've heard some people claim to be God's Elite before unfortunately...anyhow, night pham. 22 hours is too long to be up for me.

[Vincent Vega]

After reading through that forum, I am physically sickened to an extent.
I guess it's easy to look down on people when you are one of God's elect, eh?

[Archaeology cat]

[quote name='BG45' post='1440316' date='Dec 31 2007, 04:56 AM']Most churches in the USA have their own Church Constitutions which set out minutae, and therefore a lot of beliefs on smaller issues can vary from church to church. The methods of worship often differ church to church. Communion for example; I never know when going to a different church than normal if the bread and juice is to be received at the front, or passed amongst the pews.[/quote]

Yeah, I know the by-laws in my church growing up stated you had to be baptized [i]as a baptist[/i] to receive communion, but not all the SBC churches in the area had that rule, I don't think. I could be wrong about that, though.

[quote name='BG45' post='1440321' date='Dec 31 2007, 05:02 AM']Marriage: Sure. However, re-marriage is acceptable, as is divorce, usually. Again, might vary by the church/denomination of Baptist.[/quote]

This does vary, as my church did not allow divorce or remarriage within the church if you were divorced.


[quote]Holy Orders: There are ministers yes, male and female, but otherwise little to be found in common except serving God.[/quote]
Do some baptists allow female ministers? Most southern baptists I've encountered don't, but maybe general baptists and others do?

[quote]Age again varies by the church/denomination of Baptist in question. Some use a fuzzy concept called the "Age of Accountability" which defines no real age. I've known people be "born again" in their 80s, but most of my peers did so before age ten.
You can be "saved" whenever you ask God into your heart. You can do it in church, in the woods, anywhere really. Although I find the idea of Chick Tracts in the bathroom really...disturbing, from the point of view that it makes my mind equate God with waste on a subconscious level.[/quote]

Our church had some thing about the age of accountability, though, as you said, it wasn't defined. Our pastor wouldn't let my sister be baptized when she wanted because he thought she was too young (age 5).


And to answer the original question, my church taught that Catholics worship Mary, used "vain & repetitious" prayer (i.e. the Rosary), believed you were saved by works, weren't truly saved, and were in a cult. Not all Baptists believe those things, however.

[thessalonian]

There are over 60 denominations of baptists, including Southern, General, American, Landmark, Pino, Seventh Day, Independent (of which are really a denomination in every Church if I understand them correctly), etc. etc. In general they do not believe in sacraments. They do practice baptism but only as a symbol, as they generally believe that you become a Christian when you declare Jesus PLS. The Lord's Supper is only a symbol for them in general, Scripture alone, faith alone. However, I will say these are only generalities. Individual Baptist communities or Churches may hold stronger views on The Lords Supper or Baptism. There is also wide disparity on their veiws on Catholicism. Landmark are perhaps the most "Conservative".

Edited December 31, 2007 by thessalonian

[Brother Adam]

"Do some baptists allow female ministers? Most southern baptists I've encountered don't, but maybe general baptists and others do?"

American Baptists allow female ministers. They are among the most liberal baptists. The best book on denominational beliefs is the "Handbook on Denominations" (Just the facts mam").

[BG45]

Archaeology cat

[quote]Yeah, I know the by-laws in my church growing up stated you had to be baptized as a baptist to receive communion, but not all the SBC churches in the area had that rule, I don't think. I could be wrong about that, though.[/quote]

Yeah ours was a bit more liberal, but also an ABC church. "If you confess Christ as Savior we invite you to the Lord's Table".

[quote]Do some baptists allow female ministers? Most southern baptists I've encountered don't, but maybe general baptists and others do?[/quote]

At least some of the ABC churches I've been to have; such as my church I was raised in. I was accosted over it in Baptist Campus Ministry once by a Southern Baptist that wanted to know how we could have women ministers, and told to prove it by Scripture.

[quote]Our church had some thing about the age of accountability, though, as you said, it wasn't defined. Our pastor wouldn't let my sister be baptized when she wanted because he thought she was too young (age 5).[/quote]

I wish my church had been like that, the way your pastor was with your sister. I know by age ten I was feeling guilty for not having been baptized yet, and most were done before then. Most however, when we discussed our salvation stories in my Senior High School Sunday School Class, said that they didn't realize at the time what it all meant, and they had quietly asked Him again for His presence and to be Saved.
[quote]And to answer the original question, my church taught that Catholics worship Mary, used "vain & repetitious" prayer (i.e. the Rosary), believed you were saved by works, weren't truly saved, and were in a cult. Not all Baptists believe those things, however.[/quote]

If you don't mind my asking, what changed your mind?
(Also, shameless plug for an awesome/frightening documentary: Levi in [u]Jesus Camp[/u] was Saved at age five.)

[Archaeology cat]

[quote name='BG45' post='1440499' date='Dec 31 2007, 05:00 PM']I wish my church had been like that, the way your pastor was with your sister. I know by age ten I was feeling guilty for not having been baptized yet, and most were done before then. Most however, when we discussed our salvation stories in my Senior High School Sunday School Class, said that they didn't realize at the time what it all meant, and they had quietly asked Him again for His presence and to be Saved.[/quote]
She would disagree, as it made her quite upset.
[quote]If you don't mind my asking, what changed your mind?
(Also, shameless plug for an awesome/frightening documentary: Levi in [u]Jesus Camp[/u] was Saved at age five.)[/quote]

I haven't seen Jesus Camp - should I?

I certainly don't mind you asking, though I don't want to completely hijack the thread. I will try to give a rundown of it here later (have to tend to my son now). Feel free to PM me, though, if you want.

[vbbabespx]

Archaeology Cat, you are a convert to Catholicism?? I want to hear your story!!

[jeffpugh]

I have heard of "Jesus Camp" from a friend who I got to come on PM once (Name: Extreme Agnostic). He is in fact, an agnostic of the extreme. He watched the documentary once and shared what it was about with me with giggles and prodding fun at the fundies, and was almost questioning me if I believed it. But I laughed along as well as gave expressions of fright when he told me about them teaching kids that scientists and evolution was evil... they assume the idea of evolution was just Darwinism. Sad. Narrow minded. Funny?

[Deo Iuvente]

I saw Jesus Camp a few weeks ago, It wasn't as weird to me as it could have been, since that was basically my childhood.But looking back on it,I'll never understand the part where they had the children hug the cardboard statue of George Bush while the lady said "This is george bush! let's pray for him." Transubushiation?

[Dismas]

[quote name='Deo Iuvente' post='1440774' date='Dec 31 2007, 09:07 PM']I saw Jesus Camp a few weeks ago, It wasn't as weird to me as it could have been, since that was basically my childhood.But looking back on it,I'll never understand the part where they had the children hug the cardboard statue of George Bush while the lady said "This is george bush! let's pray for him." Transubushiation?[/quote]

Isn't George W. Bush a Methodist? I thought there was something of a rivalry in the South... Eh, I guess I'd have to see the movie.

[Archaeology cat]

[quote name='vbbabespx' post='1440613' date='Dec 31 2007, 08:34 PM']Archaeology Cat, you are a convert to Catholicism?? I want to hear your story!![/quote]

Feel free to PM me for the full story. For the abbreviated version, I grew up around my Catholic cousins (some of whom are on PhatMass ) who taught me some of the teachings of Catholicism. My aunt is very good about making sure people know what the Church truly teaches. I would take those things back to Sunday School at my church, and promptly get myself in trouble when I didn't agree that the Hail Mary was somehow blasphemous. My church was extremely conservative, and fairly anti-intellectual, while I've always been raised by my parents to question and research (another thing that got me into trouble). So I read the Bible from cover to cover (Protestant Bible, that is), and didn't feel that my church was truly following it, though I also recognised that my understanding of things in the Bible changed as time went on. In college I met more Catholics who taught me more and made me research more on my own. When I came to understand and believe in the Real Presence, I knew I had to be Catholic.

So that's the abridged version. I'm perfectly willing to discuss in more detail elsewhere, just don't want to hijack the thread too much. God bless!

[quote name='Dismas' post='1440842' date='Jan 1 2008, 05:21 AM']Isn't George W. Bush a Methodist? I thought there was something of a rivalry in the South... Eh, I guess I'd have to see the movie.[/quote]

Guess it depends on where you are, but we definitely had a rivalry with the Methodist church down the road (not even .5 miles away)

[BG45]

Sorry to have derailed a bit with the Jesus Camp comment...

SMM, I know the scene you're referring to without even having to watch the film again. The homeschooling scene with the book on Creationism, and how Global Warming and Evolution are both hoaxes. Cute looking video called "creation adventure" the kids are watching right before it.

Deo Iuvente, same on the childhood to an extent. I think on the whole praying over Bush, it was supposed to be a form of laying on hands...

Dismas, to built on AC with the rivalry bit; my church didn't officially have one, but one of my references jokingly told me he didn't give references to Methodists. Mom went Methodist after the church split, she had to go through a one video class and answer a worksheet on it...