We, the BaptistBoard, were recently visited by someone famous (a best selling author). Apparently he is not a Baptist though he put forward what seemed to be Baptist-like credentials (yet, i don't think he claimed to be a Baptist). A moderator instructed that as a non-Baptist he should not post in the Baptist only part of the forum and the thread was closed. Regardless of whether he is or not, it is not the reason for this thread. My question is what makes someone not a Baptist? What if they claim to be a Baptist? What would it take for us to deny that they were actually Baptist?
Who's to say that one is not a Baptist?
Discussion in 'Baptist Theology & Bible Study' started by humblethinker, Aug 26, 2012.
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It is usually the poster themselves. They do not identify themselves as Baptist on their profile - and thus they cannot post in the Baptist-only portions of the site.
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I think the bigger question was not so much about this board but about baptist identity and fellowship in general. It almost seems like what makes one a baptist is whether they self identify as such. If someone held traditional Baptistic beliefs but self identified as "nondenominational" then would they not be baptist after all? Take, for instance, a local Bible church. Their members would be accepted into the local Baptist church without having to be re-baptized. Would that same Bible Church member not be allowed to post here on this board unless he identified himself as 'baptist'? -
I can certainly understand why you’ve raised this point. The action was obviously done in bias and motivated by more than a common enforcement of strict rules evident by considering the existing membership here and others who have their books presented in every post by means of their signature or avatar. He didn’t even start the thread and wasn’t sounding as a salesman and yet it was closed, basically telling him he was not welcome here. I thought the action abrupt and rude; it embarrassed me as a regular member of this board, and once again has me questioning whether the environment I place myself in here is really healthy for a person who considers himself a part of the Christian body first and a Baptist second, especially when the “authorities” that be which I place myself under demonstrate such behavior.
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But Benjamin, I mainly created this thread to address the baptists' view of religion. It seems that what goes on here on the board is just reflective of the real off-line world. What do you think of that thought? It seems that in the off-line world of relationships we are too quick to dismiss if they don't self identify as a 'Baptist'. Is this a new 'shibboleth' for us moderns... "Rules are much easier than relationships so just tell me you're a Baptist so I don't have to dismiss you." -
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I'm curious as to who this best selling author was?
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Iconoclast Well-Known MemberSite Supporter
Perhaps it could have been moved to the Other denominations thread, so we could interact with Mr.Stobel to our profit. He was sort of run out of town, in a bizarre fashion. -
Revmitchell Well-Known MemberSite Supporter
Do you guys actually believe it was Lee Strobel? :confused:
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Iconoclast Well-Known MemberSite Supporter
The imput that was offered seemed to be on the money,and he seemed gracious.
Also.....what kind of Loser would make believe they were someone else on a professed christian board. They would have to have quite an empty life to not let their yes be yes, and their no...no.
They ran him off like he had the ebola virus. he could have been moved to the other christian denominations board.
I know several pastors/authors who participate on message boards as they seek to win the lost in any way they can.:thumbs::thumbs: -
HeirofSalvation Well-Known MemberSite Supporter
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HeirofSalvation said: ↑That is what makes you a "Baptist". The "term" Baptist carries with it just about the same basis in authority as the term "Yankee". If you agree with what are understood to be the basic Baptist Distinctives, then you are for all intents and purposes, a baptist. It makes sense to prefer, or even require one to proclaim themselves to in fact BE a baptist, but it is often a matter of what name your church puts on it's sign outside and nothing more. I honestly wish it weren't that way, but it is. We have by our nature, as one of our distinctives a belief in free and autonomous churches. If you are a member of a Church which believes and practices those, then you are essentially a "Baptist"....whether you know it or not, and whether you Want to be called a "Baptist" or not.
The reality of Baptist polity is that we have no control over who uses that word or not. What would happen if the freak-shows at Westoboro "Baptist" Church began calling themselves Westboro "Lutheran"? The denominational authority would immediately demand that they remove that distinction, and an iron-clad law-suit (probably from a pre-made, tried and true form) would be handed to them in about 35 seconds; a law-suit they would win too. But we as Baptists are helpless to do anything about it.
It is unfortunate what happened on that thread. I do not suggest that the Mods should not have addressed it, but quite frankly....it was IMO, rather rude and abrupt. There have been "Baptists" around the world since the time of Christ, they have only regularly been called "Baptists" for a few centuries. But their essential identitly is always the same. I suppose the rule should state that one has to "self-identify" as a Baptist in order to post. If it does, then he wouldn't have been allowed to post in that section. Just remember, Fred Phelps self-identifies as one too. So we are in the precarious position of firing Strobel, and being forced to admit F.P.
A rather better rule should be to establish what are understood to be the Baptist Distinctives, and then require that all posters on the "Baptist Only" forums adhere to them, as a rule of Faith. Strobel does apparently. They are somewhat not even entirely agreed upon by ALL BAPTISTS!!! I find this general source to be one good basic form of those distinctives:
http://allaboutbaptists.com/distinctives.html
IMO....if Strobel has no arguments with those....(and his preferred diet for a pot-luck is fried chicken of course :tongue3:), then he is a Baptist.Click to expand...Click to expand... -
I missed the whole interaction. However, this board was created for active members of a Baptist church. Period. We make room for others and even gave them their own forum, but Baptist only means Baptist only. It hasn't been that long since we had a very similar discussion about my own status as a Baptist who is currently attending both the Baptist church I am a member of and the Episcopalian church my daughter attends.
If I make the leap from Baptist to Episcopalian, I expect to move on down to the other Christian Denom forum and read only in the Baptist Only even though I've been Baptist for 48 years. (okay it's only been 41 since I was baptised) And life will go on.
As for the man claiming to be Lee Strobel, I have my doubts as well. He could have easily verified his identity to a moderator and accepted BB rules on where to post. Sometimes we make life hard on ourselves. -
menageriekeeper said: ↑...this board was created for active members of a Baptist church. Period. We make room for others and even gave them their own forum, but Baptist only means Baptist only.Click to expand...
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And therein lies the problem. It is NOT my definition of Baptist that counts!!! ONLY ANDREW T's definition of Baptist as expressed in the posted rules of this forum counts within this forum!!!
Even my definition accepts that there is a difference between being Baptistic in theology and actually being a current member of a Baptist church.
You guys want the rules changed, petition Andrew T and the mods. Until then, Baptist Only means what the rules say it means.
:eek: Ya'll gotta problem with authority???? :eek:
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