"Why I Left the Baptist Church"

http://www.thebiblespeaks.com/Articles/FalseTeachings/Denominationalism/Baptist.htm ^ | Grover Stevens

[bremenboy]

For instance, the claim that Baptists teach that you are saved by prayer is just one example of a number which demonstrate a misunderstanding of the truth.

Maybe as a baptist preacher it is different where you preach.

but every Baptist preacher that I have spoken with taught that you have to call on the name of the lord to be saved and then they tell me that the way to do that is ask Jesus into your heart.

Question do you tell people to ask Jesus into their heart? If so how do you ask without Prayer?

[bethelgrad]

I’m a Navy chaplain endorsed by a Baptist-like denomination. I run into a Marine or Sailor every now and then who brings up some of the same straw-man points as you did. What I’ve found in common with all of them is that they are more concerned about legalisms than about grace or becoming more Christ-like. That’s the real error, being hung up over form rather than substance. The real litmus should be how much the individual reflects the glory of Christ and how much the denomination or local church body encourages that reflection.

What you’ve just done is demonstrated, for all the world to see, the end result of how a handful of uneducated individuals can make the Bible say whatever YOU want it to say by stringing along a handful of prooftexts.

[LiteKeeper]

There is difference between “being saved by prayer” and praying to be saved. “Prayer” is a means of communicating with God, not a means to salvation. We are saved by the grace of God, and that grace, like a gift, is received by communicating with God. It is not the prayer, it is God!

[WileyPink]

No, I didn't read the whole thing. But, I did notice who it was posted by and to whom they pinged. It's the same people who bash dispensationalist so I take it for what it's worth. I've been a baptist all of my life and have never heard of half the stuff that I did read. These people teach that baptism is a must for salvation.

http://www.thebiblespeaks.com/Articles/Baptism/OneBaptism/baptism.htm

Several of the links from their site links to the Church of Christ.

Yea, I'm sure they, "have no animosity whatsoever against Baptists." I'll stick to the Bible. False teachers are everywhere.

[cdcdawg]

the whole world cursed Falwell? Seemed more like just a handful of leftist morons.

[Millee]

ROFL!! Doesn't mention dancing does it??

[Iscool]

Lots of folks would define talking to God as prayer...I talk to God all the time...We have a personal relationship...

John and some of the apostles baptized with water...And everytime you (and the Catholics) see 'baptize' in the bible, you think it means water (And every time you see water, you think it means baptize)...

So when you baptize someone, do you 'water' them??? Nope...You immerse them...Baptize means immerse, NOT water...

So again, some of the apostles baptized (immersed) folks, AFTER they believed...But then what did Jesus say???

Act 1:5 For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.

Is any thing missing there??? You're right...There's no water...It's not there...

John baptized (immersed) with water, BUT NOW (instead), you will be baptized (immersed) with the Holy Ghost...

See what happens when you ignore the scripture??? You need a Spiritual baptism and you never got it...You can fall into a lake, or someone can spit on you and some good religious person will baptize you...

But no one can baptize you into Christ, except Jesus Christ...

So now you know why the Baptists call themselves Baptists...It's because the people that claim to be the 'TRUE' church have trouble reading the scripture and the Baptists have to show that they have separated themselves from that group...

[Canticle_of_Deborah]

This is a nice break from the endless ‘why I left the Catholic/Protestant/Mormon church for ______.

Baptist to nothing. That’s different. Never expected to see this.

[WileyPink]

...but every Baptist preacher that I have spoken with...

Which one did you talk with?

Seriously, I don't know any Baptist preachers who don't preach this...

Romans 10:9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. Romans 10:10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

Is that "confession" praying yourself into salvation? I don't think so.

In Christ, Wiley

[WKB]

From what little I did read I figure:
1 He never was a Baptist to begin with not a saved one anyway.
2 He has been duped by a "water baptizing group"
3 He has been duped by a tongue speaking group.
4 or all the above.

As far as water baptism being essential for salvation is concerned, their anchor verse is Acts 2.38
Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Repent, be baptized and receive the Holy Spirit

But in Acts chapter 10 that same Peter reverses the formula.
44While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message.
45The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles.
Then Peter said,
47 “Can anyone keep these people from being baptized with water? They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have.”

Repent,receive the Holy Spirit and be Baptized

.

As far as being Baptized in the Name of Jesus Christ as opposed to being Baptized in The Name of The Father, The Son and The Holy Spirit.

Jesus said
Matt. 28:19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in£ the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

As I told my wife's Jesus name only uncle:
You do what Peter said if you want to but I believe as long as I do it the way JESUS said do it, I'll be safe.

[deaconjim]

I didn’t waste the time it would take to read all of this, but the parts that I did read tell me that the guy really doesn’t have any idea what Baptists believe.

[cdcdawg]

Having reviewed the website, I found the phrase “played church.” This is right out of the “Church of Christ.” Everybody else “plays church.” Everyone else is going to Hell, and many will tell you just that. No piano or organ in church. Full submersion baptism necessary for salvation. I agree with them on a variety of things, disagree on others. Their arrogance with regard to their own beliefs, and ignorance of the beliefs of others are irritating.

[Larry Lucido]

LOL!!!

[WileyPink]

As I told my wife's Jesus name only uncle: You do what Peter said if you want to but I believe as long as I do it the way JESUS said do it, I'll be safe.

LOL...AMEN!

[WileyPink]

I checked his posts and found that bremenboy seems to criticize any faith or denomination. Judge for yourself.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/user-posts?name=bremenboy+

[markomalley]

Thanks for posting this!

[litehaus]

Brings to mind the OLD JOKE----

You a member of any organized religion? NOPE! I'm a Baptist!

[StAthanasiustheGreat]

I’m not a big fan of this thread, its the Baptist-bashing equivalent of the “Why No One Should be Catholic” thread of 3 months ago. I guess I have a fundamental problem with something that builds itself completely upon the negative, rather than the positive. Just my humble opinion.

[Petronski]

I guess I have a fundamental problem with something that builds itself completely upon the negative, rather than the positive. Just my humble opinion.

There is a certain pattern to this, isn't there?

[Ditter]

I didn’t go to the website (good for you) and I didn’t read the entire article (just couldn’t do it) but I did have the pastor of a church of Christ tell me if I didn’t get my parents (who belonged to another church) in there that they were going STRAIGHT TO HELL and it would be MY fault for not getting them there! (sorry about the run-on sentence but I was on a roll) I was only 12 and just decided on my own to attend the C of C down the street from my house. I was so mad I have never set food in a C of C since and never will. The Baptist aren’t too high on my list either after a little incident with the Sunday school teacher's wife.