01.12.06
You’re Baptist, aren’t you?
“You’re Baptist, aren’t you?” So my friend Bob started the conversation. He has lately started visiting a non-denominational church and wanted to run some thoughts by me. He knows that I am baptist and have a Masters of Divinity from a Southern Baptist Seminary. However; he also knows that I am not a typical baptist.
Now, what do I mean by “not a typical baptist”? Well, I drink alcohol for one thing. Sure, a lot of baptists drink, but the stance of the Southern Baptist Convention(SBC) is that the consumption of alcohol is wrong, immoral, a sin. So a lot of baptists are closet drinkers. An old joke illustates this point…..
Q: What’s the difference between a baptist and a methodist?
A: A methodist will say ‘Hi’ in the liqour store.
I am Pro-Choice. I do not believe in Inerrancy as defined by a lot of conservatives. I do believe that “All scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness” (II Timothy 3:16). I believe that all believers are capable of reading and interpreting the Bible. I also believe that every Christian should be a member of a local church and attend it. Individual study is great, but group discussion and debate can help prevent wild intrepretations.
So, I am not “Typical”.
Lately, I have been attending a Catholic church. My girlfriend and her 2 sons are Catholic. Again, not typical. I know some baptists that just barely believe that Catholics are Christian. And others who believe that Catholics are not Christian. My mom is resigned to the fact. She says, “at least he’s going to church”.
Even with all the differences I have with the main stream Southern Baptist church, I am still baptist. I believe in “Adult Baptism”, that is baptism of believers. I believe in the “Priesthood of the Believer”, that is that all are ministers. I believe in “Soul Competency”, that is everyone can read and interpret the scriptures. To me, these are the basic doctrines that make a baptist. And I wholeheartedly believe every one of them.
So yes, I’m baptist.
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Rants and Raves » If you can’t believe the Bible… said,
January 13, 2006 at 4:09 pm
[...] Yesterday, as I was posting You’re Baptist, aren’t you, I resolved that I would not address Inerrancy in my blog. Then the Raleigh News and Observer published If you can’t believe the Bible…. I couldn’t believe it. Here was the topic I didn’t want to address. [...]
Bob’s Place » Blog Archive » Oh this could get interesting! said,
January 23, 2006 at 2:25 pm
[...] Don’t get me wrong, Ken is actually a fairly quite kind of person, but if you do get him started it is usually fun and interesting. And it would appear that I did indeed “get him started� at least a little. [...]
A Scout’s Campfire » Why Scouting said,
October 25, 2006 at 11:14 pm
[...] I have rarely been accused of being an extreme conservative, and am usually extremely inclusive. But I still work with Scouts, in spite of the Official Policies that I may or may not agree with. Why? I am an Eagle Scout. I enjoy camping, hiking, backpacking and working with young people. This is not the first time I have disagreed with the stance an organization to which I belong has taken. See my personal blog on “You’re Baptist, Aren’t You” for more details on that. [...]