Is this a Baptist forum?

[koko081012]

I am baptist... However I hit the wrong button when. Creating my profile and do t know how to change it.

 

[FreeinChrist]

I can fix it.

 

[FreeinChrist]

Check it now.

In the future, start a thread in the Member Services Center and an admin can help.

 

[koko081012]

I can fix it.

Oh hey!! Thanks!!!

 

[Mary of Bethany]

There is a strong Calvinistic influence coming into the Southern Baptist Convention USA through the largest SBC Seminary, The Southern Baptist Seminary, Louisville KY where the President, Dr. Albert Mohler Jr., is a staunch supporter and promoter of Calvinism.

A leading SBC seminary professor who is an Arminian is Dr Roger E Olson at George W Truett Theological Seminary, Baylor University, Waco TX.

So these two prominent professors confirm your experience that there is a mixture of Calvinists and Arminians in SBC churches. However, that is not so with the Arminian Free Will Baptists and General Baptists.

Oz

This is interesting to me. I grew up in Southern Baptist churches in Texas, not too far from the Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth. I was in my 30s when I quit attending Baptist churches in about 1991. I don't think the churches that I grew up in were nearly as Calvinistic as a lot of the Baptist posters here seem to be.

Do y'all agree that the SBC has become much more Calvinist, or did I just miss it somehow?

Mary

 

[JM]

This is interesting to me. I grew up in Southern Baptist churches in Texas, not too far from the Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth. I was in my 30s when I quit attending Baptist churches in about 1991. I don't think the churches that I grew up in were nearly as Calvinistic as a lot of the Baptist posters here seem to be.

Do y'all agree that the SBC has become much more Calvinist, or did I just miss it somehow?

Mary

Hi Mary,

Historically, the SBC was a Calvinist/Reformed school. If you look at the Abstract Principles, they are "abstracts" taken from the Reformed London Baptist Confession of Faith, 1689.

It's a return to roots if anything.

If you notice under the heading of Repentance the words from the LBC1689 are lifted and repentance is referred to as "an evangelical grace." Under Faith, "It is wrought in the heart by the Holy Spirit, and is accompanied by all other saving graces, and leads to a life of holiness." Under the Fall of Man, the AP denies freewill and declares, "his posterity inherit a nature corrupt and wholly opposed to God and His law, are under condemnation, and as soon as they are capable of moral action, become actual transgressors." The SBC was Calvinistic to say the least.

Yours in the Lord,

jm

 

[FreeinChrist]

This is interesting to me. I grew up in Southern Baptist churches in Texas, not too far from the Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth. I was in my 30s when I quit attending Baptist churches in about 1991. I don't think the churches that I grew up in were nearly as Calvinistic as a lot of the Baptist posters here seem to be.

Do y'all agree that the SBC has become much more Calvinist, or did I just miss it somehow?

Mary

It became more Calvinist, and less open to any variance with it.

 

[Mary of Bethany]

I didn't know that. I don't think that document meant anything to the SBC in the time I was there. I only ever remember the Baptist Faith and Message (? or something like that) being referred to. Looking back I realize that the theology seems like a mixture of Calvinist and Arminian. We believed in "making a decision for Christ", yet we also believed in "once saved always saved". And maybe single predestination but not double predestination; total depravity but not limited atonement. At least, that's the way I remember it.

Mary

 

[JM]

It became more Calvinist, and less open to any variance with it.

The Founders of SBC were Calvinists, Dagg (pictured in my avatar was the first Pres) and Boyce (first Pres of SBTS and second Pres of the SBC) were Calvinists and very Reformed. To be a President of either assembly you had to subscribe to the The Abstract Principles which was adopted by SBTS in 1858.

 

[JM]

I didn't know that. I don't think that document meant anything to the SBC in the time I was there. I only ever remember the Baptist Faith and Message (? or something like that) being referred to. Looking back I realize that the theology seems like a mixture of Calvinist and Arminian. We believed in "making a decision for Christ", yet we also believed in "once saved always saved". And maybe single predestination but not double predestination; total depravity but not limited atonement. At least, that's the way I remember it.

Mary

Think of it like Toll Houses or Amulets to ward off the Evil Eye in Eastern Orthodoxy. Those are common beliefs and practices but not Orthodox teaching. They are deviations not doctrine.

I know...I use to attend an Orthodox church.

Yours in the Lord,

jm

 

[LordDuncanBurneWilke]

Toll Houses

Good old toll houses!

 

[JM]

Good old toll houses!

There is no defence for the teaching...it's clearly borrowed from the Egyptian pagan religion. EO's have written against it.

 

[LordDuncanBurneWilke]

There is no defence for the teaching...it's clearly borrowed from the Egyptian pagan religion. EO's have written against it.

I agree. It was something that I disliked when I ventured into EO.

 

[JM]

I agree. It was something that I disliked when I ventured into EO.

Good thing it's not an "official" teaching...the evil eye amulets, anything thoughts? Is that official?

 

[LordDuncanBurneWilke]

Good thing it's not an "official" teaching...the evil eye amulets, anything thoughts? Is that official?

Doubtful. Probably comes from the same idea as the toll houses. Makes people feel better I think. If they have an object that a priest blessed as an amulet to fight 'evil' then they will believe it and it will help them kinda thing. But it's not 'proper' doctrine.

Also take into account that these things were common in times when literacy was not great. While a good Baptist today will have his Bible for assurance, an illiterate person in the early Church had no Bible or even the ability to read it if he did possess one. Amultets, icons and other such things was the best he could get for assurance that God was with him.

 

[JM]

It's like altar calls, decisional regeneration, etc. in Baptist churches I guess. Just makes people "feel" more spiritual, or "feel" like they are doing something but it's not really a "Baptist" doctrine. (see Finneyism)

 

[Mary of Bethany]

Good thing it's not an "official" teaching...the evil eye amulets, anything thoughts? Is that official?

I've never come across it, only ever heard about it online. My impression is that it's more of a cultural thing among mediterranean people and is nothing more than superstition.

 

[JM]

It does seem as though the forum has opened up to whoever wants to teach no matter if they are Baptist or not. Baptists can differ and argue enough among themselves we don't need "others" to help.

Not much has changed.

 

[JM]

Same old stuff.

 

[twin1954]

Same old stuff.

Unfortunately.