Trump's DOJ Sues Over the [Catholic] Confessional

Catholic League ^ | June 2025 | Bill Donahue

[Cronos]

Well, you’re a Baptist.

Baptists are Protestants and Christians (except probably the Westboro “Baptist”).

historical scholarship places Baptists within Protestantism due to their 17th-century origins in the Reformation’s wake. their modern origins trace to the early 17th century in England, within the broader context of the Protestant Reformation. The first Baptist churches (e.g., John Smyth’s congregation in 1609) emerged from English Puritanism and Separatism, which were Protestant movements. Baptists have their roots in English Separatists (early 17th century), who broke from the Church of England to form independent congregations. Figures like John Smyth and Thomas Helwys, early Baptist leaders, emerged from this Separatist movement, out if Anglicanism.

Historical records do not support an unbroken chain of Baptist-like churches from the 1st century to the modern era. Early Christian communities were diverse but coalesced around a shared apostolic tradition, eventually forming the Catholic Church by the 2nd–4th centuries. No distinct “Baptist” group with consistent doctrines (e.g., believer’s baptism, congregationalism) can be traced through this period.

John Smyth’s congregation in 1609, which adopted believer’s baptism, is considered the first identifiable Baptist church. This places Baptist origins within the Protestant Reformation’s broader context, not as a separate lineage.

[lightman]

Excellent summary.

The Sacrament of Confession is Jesus’ Resurrection Day gift to the Church. (John 20:19-23)