Featured Overrun with catholics

I agree, and I don't understand what it is that people are afraid others will find objectionable about a Baptist church. Maybe if I lived in a part of the country where there were none or very few Baptist churches, I would understand better. Are Baptist churches and baptists stereotyped in such places? If so, what are the stereotypes?

 

I would agree that the name "Baptist" for many Catholics connotes many stereotypical views for Catholics not familiar with baptist. Many, upon hearing the name "baptist" will envision a white racist, southern preacher shouting at the top of their lungs damnation upon everyone they meet, preaching a gospel not of love but of God's hatred of humanity save for a few. It is an unfortunate stereotype and unfair. But also it doesn't help for Westboro baptist doing things that get them plastered all over the news. Also Hollywood is also to blame in their depiction of baptist. However, the same can be said of Catholics. Ie people believe every priest is a pedophile, the Vatican runs the mafia, Jesuit priest are evil spies infiltrating all other Christian organizations under an assume identity even playing husband and wife with nun spies. So the stereotyping goes both ways and extreem bad people in both groups and Hollywood feed into those stereotypes. It seems that no matter what Christian group you are with Satan will use every opportunity to corrupt the image of those faithful to Jesus Christ.

 

I see. You based your comment on your opinion and just want to argue semantics because you did not like another persons word choice.

 

the 'church" was founded by 2 Grads of DTS, who decided to plant a church into metro Detroit area, and whoe early membership was mainly converted catholics!

After few years of being in store fronts and high schools, bought own building and decided to split off into 2 seperate churches, and at that time the one that I am with joined the great Lakes baptist association for baptists!

Might not like use of the term, but the "originators" in the earthly sense of the church had that beginning!

 

Guess that we would not qualify as being really baptists, as we started with human being forming up the initial assembly!

 

Well, if the disaffected Roman Catholics don't want something 'too different', there are certainly the Eastern Orthodox or Anglican Churches (or Lutheran Church, for that matter).

 

Yeah, but aren't the worship practices in emergent churches pretty different than the RCC worship (I admit I'm not as familiar with their worship 'styles')? I was speaking of those RCCs that DIDN'T want something too different from what there were used too--these may be disaffected by the pedophile priest scandal, for instance, but otherwise like the comfort of the Liturgy/Eucharist. (This emphasis on traditional liturgy and Coummunion can be found in the Churches I mentioned in the post above)

Of course, for those who are dissastified with the Catholic worship experience in general, I agree that someting like emergent churches or seeker-friendly evangelical churches (mega-churches or in coffee shops) might be more appealing.

 

Actually emergent churches are adopting a lot of the rcc practices. This mainly concerns the worship of the elements, even calling it the eucharist, and practices of eastern mystics.

 

Originally Posted by The Biblicist
Properly baptized believers covenant together to become a New Testament congregation under the authority of a preexisting church and/or its ordained representatives.


Anyone baptized "In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit."

 

It is odd to me that people would be against brothers and sisters in Christ meeting together for formal corporate worship and deciding to organize in order to meet the requirements of the laws of the land as a church. This, in no way, goes against Scripture.

 

You know very well that the RCC isn't a denomination. It is, however, part of THE Church founded by Christ - HIS Church built upon Peter.

WM

 

Albert Barnes was born in 1798. He (as well as I) would disagree with you.

Let's take a look at just one verse and then what Albert Barnes says about it:

Revelation 17:4 And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication:

 

Let me congratulate you for stuffing such a large amount of untruth into two sentences -- quite an accomplishment.

 

I don't know about hard pressed as I was a member of a SBC church for many years. In fact, I help build a couple of SBC up in this area as well as up in Maine. And I still recieve the news paper for the SBC. I don't know why they still have me on their mailing list since I made a public departure. However, I still like to keep tabs on what's going on and keeping appraised of whats happening. Certainly there are fewer SBC churches and they have to fight with other denominations for membership. It seems like the fastest growing denomination in this area is the AOG churches or Charismatic knock offs.

Why do Catholics dominate this area? Well, it has to do with a lot of History for this area. Many German immigrants originally established themselves here which is why there are large numbers Catholics, Lutherans, Amish, and Mennonites in our area. Also Catholics resupplied (so to speak) when many Irish immigrants came over during the famine in Ireland in the late 1800's. Not long after the Irish came the Italians. So large number of Catholics immigrated to this country and settled in the North East. Down south settlements originally were English and Scots and Northern Irish all with Protestant backgrounds and not as many of the Germans, Irish, Italians (Catholics) moved south when these groups immigrated. Out West Catholics numbers are due to the Hispanics living in that area. Also I've noticed that those diocese where Catholic Bishops don't water down the Catholic faith with the Liberal movement that took hold in 1962 at the Vatican II council are able to maintain Catholic Membership because they properly instruct their layity. Dioceses that do not loose their members because they aren't being faithful to Jesus Christ and the consistent teaching of the Catholic Church. And in the North East of the US there is a mixture of both types of diocese.

Does that answer your question?

 

That is neither the definition of New Testament salvation, baptism nor a New Testament congregation nor is that obedience to the Great Commission.

"Anyone" includes unregenerate unbelievers but scripture rejects that.

"baptized" by Biblical definition rejects all modes but the type that identifies being "buried" with Christ - immersion.

"in the name" does not merely refer to a VERBAL FORMULA but to obedience to His instructions about baptism. Note no such VERBAL FORMULA can be found in the book of Acts. Indeed there is no consistent VERBAL FORMULA found in the book of Acts. Hence, this is more than a mere verbal formula but obedience to the commands of Christ in regard to baptism. Meaning, to be baptized "in the name" means that baptism is for believers only. That baptism is by immersion only. That baptism is administered by those authorized in the Great Commission only. That baptism precedes and is the necessary prerequisite to church member (Mt. 28:19 prior to verse 20; Acts 2:41 "added to").