and why are you better off & what led you to that conclusion
Salty, this is the 3rd Baptist I've tried here. Let me relate the experiences.
First, small Baptist with a newly called Pastor. The Pastor had written a book on the "Book of Revelation
s", a word he kept repeating. He had them stacked at the back of the church and he even offered to sign the book when you bought it. I am not kidding. Then he setup a projector and began showing newscasts out of the last few years about Israel. As he was talking, he apparently thought he was the new Jack Van Impe. I got up and left before the service was over. I actually felt as if I was under an unbiblical influence there.
Second Baptist I attended a couple of Sunday services and then a couple of the very small Wednesday night Bible studies where you could chat back and forth. This woman started talking about one of these frauds who claimed to have been taken into both heaven and hell and who has written some book. I sat waiting for the Pastor to gently and lovingly clarify to this woman the fraudulent nature of such an unbiblical claim and the obvious money-making point of it. The Pastor listened and accepted it without as much as a caution on the humility of (assumed) Paul who saw such as recorded for us.
I have told of the 3rd experience. But, I'll add a 4th where I called a Baptist Church Pastor to talk with him and inquire on this church's beliefs and his Pastoral approach so as to not waste my time to go for another useless visit. This Pastor acted as if I was trying to trap him in some doctrinal error and was cold as ice.
I know and expect most members, but not all, will have various beliefs and some questionable and some clearly error. I do NOT expect that from the pulpits in a Baptist church. So, until God moves me to a church, I plan on staying away from these churches I am encountering. I will add, from reading the posted Beliefs of this last Baptist church I explained earlier in this thread, the visit totally contradicted their stated belief system.
In an age of political/religious correctness, I am glad Paul was bold in his description of some religionists, so I do not believe I am being overly critical of these 'so-called' Baptist churches:
“One of themselves, a prophet of their own, said, Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, idle gluttons. This testimony is true. For which cause reprove them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith, not giving heed to Jewish fables, and commandments of men who turn away from the truth.” (Tit 1:12-14 ASV)
In this day, we have access to such full and complete tools for our own Bible study and the ability to go back to a more pure day in the church where Baptists had the courage of their convictions to write them in multi-church confessions. There is no need to waste time with ignorance in the pulpits who do not know what they believe or preach and teach contrary to the very Belief Statements that they post, so until God moves me otherwise, I will remain in my studies from the honorable pillars of faith out of the past and stay out of the churches.
I believe I may have stepped out ahead of the Lord instead of "waiting on God". I have about come to the conclusion I'm better off outside any of the churches in my area. Maybe my local churches are the ones better off. :laugh: