Baptist vary quite a bit. A long time ago, I was a summer missionary in Montana. We went to a different church each week. There were some great ones, but a couple had some of the meanest people you would ever wish to meet.
I believe the wheat & tares parable presents a real problem for ALL churches - how do you make sure the wheat dominates? Church discipline is a real part of what is meant by ‘power to loose and bind’, and all churches must exercise that power, or become corrupted by false christians - such as the party of circumcision that Paul opposed and Peter feared in Antioch.
I’m all for godly men affecting our country, but I believe this is done by evangelism. If we have a majority of believers in the country, or even a large minority, the country will do fine. Our current political trends are caused because America has, on the whole, turned its back on God. The coarsening of our culture since I’ve been born is terrifying to anyone who cares for America and loves God.
When I was young, a person who cussed in front of children would have been reprimanded by those around him. TV glorified families, not homosexuals. Shoot - even 20 years ago, I would never have thought anyone would take ‘homosexual rights’ seriously. You have a right to stick what where?! That’s GROSS!
But now it is accepted by the President of the USA.
When I was born, abortion was illegal. Now, Notre Dame honors a baby-killer who would allow post-birth abortions! Where is some of that ‘teaching authority’ & ‘binding’? Why didn’t the Pope step in and TELL Notre Dame to withdraw its invitation, and then investigate how anyone associated with the church could think that was a good idea?
One of the problems with the Catholic Church is that they tried to mix religious belief and political power together - for 1500 years! Not surprisingly, the tares became Popes, and gaining money and power overtook preaching to the lost. That was a huge factor in Luther’s work.
The Reformation took place because of corruption in the Catholic Church. That corruption was inevitable once the Popes became confused about who they needed to follow - Caesar or Christ.
I don’t condemn a state church for the state’s sake - I condemn it for the church’s sake!
Wonderful, Mr. Rogers.
Some can be indeed. The last church I attended the preacher was a real nice man. He was a horse farmer and a country Missionary Baptist preacher. You might know the kind. Pew walker and when he really got in The Spirit the voice characteristics change somewhat into a cadence. It was a type of preaching that as a kid I didn't like as it was loud but when I saw what was happening as an adult understood. They also had to bolt the pews to the floor LOL.
Several things happened to him that hurt him his last few years in the pulpit. It hurt him with what happened to my wife. He knew her life was reaching a turning point for the better when her health was struck. He had watched her struggles and saw what she had overcame only to have a much harder burden placed on her for life. His wife had consoled her many times and helped her st as much as later some Nuns would in the hospital who hid and protected her. Next came his life long friends illness and death. He could not stand to see people the ones he loved suffer. This was mistaken as apathy by some.
One day we learned later he was preaching and obviously had a light stroke.. He walked out the door. No one tried to help him. No one considered he too is all too human and has his own pains and problems. No one offered him an ounce of understanding.
He was a wise spirit filled person to go to for advice and helped me discern a calling I was not sure of that was put on me. It was a calling to minister and must be not taken lightly and requires a lot of soul searching and prayer. Once I said yes too actually and one that was taken from me as soon as I did say yes. GOD knows our futures and knows our capabilities. That would have been more on my plate than I could handle due to other circumstances both then and to come later.