Brothers and Sisters?

[Carrye]

I have called people my brother or sister in Christ...I would not put Roman Catholics in that category, simply becuase if our doctrine is so different how can we be brothers and sisters?

I think of brothers and sisters as sharing the same 'blood' or beliefs and I just don't see that with Catholics because we are seperate from each other and come from different lines and for that reason we are called protestants or 'seperated brethren' I believe is the official term.

"Separated brethren" are brethren (brothers and sisters) who are separated.

Although separated, we remain brothers and sisters.

I respect your opinion, Sobresaliente, but I agree with Liz. My sister lives in the Midwest, and I in California. We are separated brethren right now. When I return to the Midwest, we won't be. But we were brethren the entire time.

 

[Spence06]

I thought we all shared the same core beliefs concerning Jesus and God? Is that not the core?

Anyone that believes in the Trinity, and follows the Nicene or Apostles creed is my brother or sister.

Hello my brothers and Sister of the Baptist Faith!

 

[moeowo]

Southern Baptist (typically) don't hold to any creed. (I can't speak for other types of Baptist.) I couldn't quote you from either of those. It's doesn't mean that for the most part we don't believe what is written in them. We do have a thing called the baptist faith and message but it's not a requirement to believe it fully. It's a general guideline that we have.

We actually have 2 versions of it so I'll post both.

http://www.iclnet.org/pub/resources/text/history/bfam.stm.txt

http://www.utm.edu/martinarea/fbc/bfm.html

As for the same core beliefs not we don't. Catholics (from the one's I've talk to) believe that salvation is a process and that baptism and the sacraments as part of that road to salvation. Baptist see salvation differently. We don't baptize infants and believe salvation comes when you accept Christ as your Lord and Saviour (not through any means of Sacrament...we don't even have sacraments in the same way the catholics do) and only after that do we baptize. There are more but it's too much to get into.

I will say the greatest difference is the way we view scripture. Catholics(again from my talks with several catholics) the Bible and Tradition as holding the same weight with the Pope as the final authority in interpreting it. Southern Baptists (again I can't speak for other types of baptists) for the most part hold the bible as the final authority. The priesthood of the believer (every Christian) is the one who interprets scripture not a leader. We of course listen to our preachers and look to them for guidence but we don't have a leader of all the Southern Baptist the way ya'll have the pope.

Hope this makes sense.

I thought we all shared the same core beliefs concerning Jesus and God? Is that not the core?

Anyone that believes in the Trinity, and follows the Nicene or Apostles creed is my brother or sister.

Hello my brothers and Sister of the Baptist Faith!

 

[sobresaliente]

I thought we all shared the same core beliefs concerning Jesus and God? Is that not the core?

Anyone that believes in the Trinity, and follows the Nicene or Apostles creed is my brother or sister.

Hello my brothers and Sister of the Baptist Faith!

The same core beliefs in Jesus and God...nope

We do not believe that Jesus's body, soul, and divinity can be contained in a consecrated host....we don't believe a piece of bread can become God.

Believing an inanimate object without any signs of life can become Jesus is definitely not the Baptist idea of God

We believe we can know God has saved us and heaven is our destination....Catholics do not

We don't believe saints can be mediators to God nor that they can hear our prayers or would want to.

We don't believe in coming to Jesus through Mary as Catholics do.

There are many things that Catholics declare as dogma that Baptist's and its churches have never held to...so no I do not count Roman Catholics as brethren.

They are apart from us doctrinally...and if doctrinally, then spiritually as well.

Sobresaliente

 

[Grimace]

Bleechers made a comment in one of the threads, though I don't remember which, about trying to define who is and is not a brother or sister in Christ. I often refer to Baptists as my brothers and sisters, and have done so in this forum. I'm wondering whether that's seen as inaccurate or offensive.

I don't see that as either inaccurate or offensive, sister

 

[costlygrace]

I call any Christian a brother or sister until and unless I see clear evidence that they are not. (Or unless they tell me not to! Which people usually don't ) And that doesn't have to do with doctrine or denomination, but with the heart. Whether they are loving and compassionate and caring or not.