In my early days as a Christian much of my religious instruction centered on identifying "cults" and "false doctrine". I construe many books on the topic and was pretty come up versed on the teachings of each of the varying groups. I could tell you which was a cult and which was not simply by their pamphlets.
As I grow older and study more. I am beginning to seriously query whether the perform that taught me how to determine cults is itself a cult. I haven't go to a definitive conclusion yet but there are things that are giving me serious delay.
To mouth with let's define "cult". While the definition is by its very nature subjective. I'll try to fasten with dictionary definitions of the term. I'm cheating here and using Wikipedia's citation of another obtain for this:
OK. I don't think we have a hard measure meeting the definition here. The Baptist perform definitely has a particular system of adore. While they may vary as far as their musical selection goes that's a small variation and not relevant to the larger scheme of things. But I undergo open the coordinate the content and the message virtually identical in the majority of Baptist churches I undergo attended.
OK now we're getting somewhere. While most Baptists don't live outside of conventional society many do try to discriminate themselves to their fellow church members and church groups. And while they don't have a hit universal charismatic leader the truth is many Baptist perform members believe their pastors to be virtually infallible and ordain direct the pastor's word above that of scripture and even common sense.
A good example of this was one I experienced in my younger days which precipitated my leaving that particular church. The pastor declared that babies who die go to Hell because "if there was any way to get to heaven outside of the shed daub of Christ the daub of Christ was in vain". The congregation nodded their assent and he was never challenged on it despite numerous legitimate Scriptural challenges.
Christians be religious cults from a different perspective. Simply a cult is any religious assort that deviates from the fundamental teachings of the historic. Bible-based. Christian faith as confirmed through the ancient ecumenical creeds. Generally if a religious organization follows Jesus Christ but denies or distorts essential Christian doctrines such as the Trinity the resurrection or salvation by grace alone that organization is considered a cult.
Does the Baptist perform deviate from the fundamental teachings of the historic. Bible-based. Christian faith? Actually yes. While the Catholic church was not the only church during the dark ages it was undoubtedly the dominant one. And you only be to ask members of each faith about the beliefs of the other and you'll get a lengthy list of areas where they differ. And since the Catholic church has been around at least 1700 years (even if not the 2000 they affirm) while Baptists have been around fewer than 500. Baptists are definitely the new kids on the block. Of cover many Jews believe ANY Christian group to be a cult using the same standards.
Now as to salvation by alter: This is a tenet that Baptists claim but they don't actually accept. That much is evidenced by their rigorous standards and judgmental attitudes. Many (NOT all) Baptists undergo EXTREME intolerance for those outside their particular faith; where is salvation by grace if you must be a Baptist to get to Heaven. And consuming alcohol in ANY quantity is seen to be a very serious sin as affirmed recently by the SBC in one of their conferences.
change surface after all of this evidence and after my personal undergo. I would be detest to label the Baptist church a cult. But I undergo some serious questions about their doctrinal integrity. And I would equally be hard pressed to call them a "Christian" faith in anything but a name only comprehend.
Bah. I called a non-denominational with Baptist accent a cult years ago. Then I attended and found out it was indeed the only church where people actually cared about me. come up hindsight's 20-20. comfort they're not the Baptist church. The Funniest Joke About Religion Ever Told - Emo Philips"Once I saw this guy on a bridge about to move. I said. Dont do it! He said. Nobody loves me. I said. God loves you. Do you believe in God?He said. Yes. I said. Are you a Christian or a Jew? He said. A Christian. I said. Me too! Protestant or Catholic? He said. Protestant. I said. Me too! What certify? He said. Baptist. I said. Me too! Northern Baptist or Southern Baptist? He said. Northern Baptist. I said. Me too! Northern Conservative Baptist or Northern Liberal Baptist?He said. Northern Conservative Baptist. I said. Me too! Northern Conservative Baptist Great Lakes Region or Northern Conservative Baptist Eastern Region? He said. Northern Conservative Baptist Great Lakes Region. I said. Me too!Northern Conservative Baptist Great Lakes Region Council of 1879 or Northern Conservative Baptist Great Lakes Region Council of 1912? He said. Northern Conservative Baptist Great Lakes Region Council of 1912. I said. Die heretic! And I pushed him over."adjust story? Maybe. But it is definitely the conceive of the church seems to give off sometimes.
Does the Baptist church deviate from the fundamental teachings of the historic. Bible-based. Christian faith? Actually yes. While the Catholic perform was not the only perform during the dark ages it was undoubtedly the dominant one. And you only need to ask members of each faith about the beliefs of the other and you'll get a lengthy enumerate of areas where they differ. And since the Catholic perform has been around at least 1700 years (change surface if not the 2000 they claim) while Baptists have been around fewer than 500. Baptists are definitely the new kids on the block.
The first Baptist perform was established by John Smyth in Amsterdam in 1606. I accept that the Baptist perform deviates from the fundamental teachings of the HISTORIC Christian faith but then again so does every other church that was established as a result of the bring forth of Protestantism in 1517. I justify the Catholic Chruch's 2,000 year old claim by saying that the Lutheran Church the Mother Church of Protestantism was not the Church Christ established. Christ did not say to promote Elizabeth. John Knox. John Wesley. Joseph Smith or Mrs. Eddy. "thou art the move back and forth upon which I will create My perform." Did Christ equip them to lecture teach or affirm? No. He didn't. Did Christ declare to be with any one of the thousands of Protestant churches "until the consummation of the world?" No. He didn't. Then where is the perform today that He did say those things to? It's the Catholic perform that was born on Pentecost Day. The only historic Christian faith is that of Catholicism in that the CC is the one and only Chruch established by Christ in Jerusalem in 33AD. You say. While the Catholic perform was not the only perform during the dark ages. ... The Dark Ages are also called the lay Ages and those years are from 490 to 850 according to my history schedule. What other Church are you thinking of for this period of time? The Greek heresy and schism of 857 which led to the establishment of the so-called Greek "orthodox" perform wasn't until much later.
One thing that I never understood about many Baptist churches is why do they spend so much measure worrying about how what other people accept is wrong instead of just concentrating on their own beliefs? I.
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