Really?
I find baptists who emphasize separatism often have difficulty getting along with the baptist church down the road that also emphasizes separatism who they probably separated from over something a while back.
This observation is not just from Carters attempts at unity but any attempts.
Some of you guys are just plain mean...goodness what ever happened to being charitable towards those who disagree with us?
I really hope a unity meeting goes well, how we (Christians generally, Baptists specifically) collaborate and cooperate speaks volumes to an unbelieving world.
Too often we have reinforced our sterotype that we just fight and bicker all the time when we could be expressing statements of grace and love to those watching us. I'd sign up for this meeting, if for no other reason than to at least listen to what my brother in Christ has to say and see what we can do together to accomplish something for the Gospel. :)
2 Thess 3:6 Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition which he received of us.
A quick look at the first two chapters of the Book of Acts shows the first Church increasing by thousands of members.
They were carrying out the great commission before the day of Pentecost.
Where the Apostles went exactly may not be revealed. That churches were planted is recorded throughout the NT.
The pattern has not changed.
These were all autonomous bodies, answering to Jesus only.
They had no earthly vicar nor hiearchy, in spite of Constantine and the Pontiff.
How wonderful it is:
the autonomy of the NT Church.
I have found that your statment is true....because I've encountered some of that meanness, and in pure stupity, I fought back, and became just as mean with those who were mean to me. You did a great job of stating the truth, and not resorting to meanness in your comment. Congrats!
why not try and email President Carter----and ask him to give you his "take" on salvation---see if he will tell you if a muslim must be born again just like us Christians in order to enter the Kingdom of Heaven
See if he will tell you the same of the mormons and JW's and catholics
To say that we are all one big happy family hand in hand heart to heart---muslims can come to God their way, JW's their way, mormons their way and we Christians our way is just plain idiotic and sheepishly stupid
If this were a game of Baseball this is where President Carter is taking just a little bit too big of a lead off of First Base and is fixin' to get----how do they say????------"Picked Off!!!!!!!"
I disagree. Most Baptists would have no problem at all doing 'good works' with J. Carter. It is when he organizes a convention that is in direct opposition to conservatives, and is so blatantly political, that many would balk.
I believe I made the same comment in one of my threads above
It wouldn't bother me to hammer nails or saw lumber or just whatever as one of Jimmy's crewmembers---at Habitat
But
as Ernist T. Bass would tell Barney
"If he keeps talkin' I'm gonna keep balkin'!!!"
When he begins to "Superglue" people of all faiths together and begins to say, "Lets worship God together!!!"----thats when I chisel my way loose!!!!! and on my way out the door I leave an Old Testament reminder
I don't see how trying to get Baptists to be more united is equated with getting people of different faiths together to worship God.
Are you saying that the various Baptist groups are different faiths?
1. Do you know his stances officially and can provide adequate documentation? I really would like to know btw.
2. I believe one can be saved and be a practicing Roman Catholic. :)
Two more things here:
1. This is character asassination and just plain mean spirited, the kind of thing I was pointing out is plain mean. As a fellow believer I will respectfully ask you to please repent of this mean spirited dirge. If anything this man is a Christian, his theological stances at a side, and a leader...he deserves a modicum of respect.
2. I thought this thread was about bringing Baptists together, something I heartily endorse. Why are we now talking about pluralism and universalism?
Attempting to unite Baptists is nothing new----Baptists of all sorts have been atttempting that sort of thing way before Carter was even in diapers!!!!
So what he is doing there is nothing new
Its the idea of what sort of theological "package" Carter carries with him to those "uniting" meetings thats spooky!!!!
He's about as liberal as they come----and part of his liberal approach is the universal Fatherhood of God---and that people of all faiths need to get in under the fatherhood umbrella----the universal fatherhood of God is a doctrine of heresy!!