Kevin McCarthy promises to start every Congress with prayer

And would Baptists support that person's right not to violate their conscience, or would they cave into the spirit of the age and persecute them?

 

All Chevrolets are motor vehicles, but not all motor vehicles are Chevrolets.

A “nation,” in a biblical sense, can be a country, but the political structure itself is not a nation. Nowhere in the New Testament do you see Christians attempting to use the government to support the work of the church. Jesus makes it quite clear that the Kingdom of God is distinct from any earthly Kingdom. If you disagree with that, then explain what Jesus REALLY meant. Or don’t you respect scripture enough to cite and explain it?

I said nothing of the sort. If you jumped to that conclusion, you don’t understand much of anything about theology.

What do you call a church that persecutes believers with imprisonment, public whippings, and exile? If you approve of such things, why are you on Baptistboard, since Baptists were prime targets for their evil?

You may find this hard to believe, but the right-wing dread of people laughing at them doesn’t bother me at all. Confident people are not concerned about fools laughing at them. All you are doing is telegraphing your crippling insecurities.

I claimed nothing of the sort, so this is simply a false accusation that you are using to distract from your inability to actually deal with the scriptures I have previously cited.

If you are a follower of Jesus, let’s deal with what he said about these things. Or are you too afraid to show your ignorance?

 

I am also not a fan of the pledge. The “one nation under God” statement violates the separation of church and state. A citizen should not be cajoled into making a theological assertion, especially one that is vague and often distorted.

[wuote]The objective of a Christian government (not a theocracy) is not to force people to be Christians. The objective of a Christian government is to promote Christian worldviews and morality.[/QUOTE]
Why don’t you have faith in the church to do those things, as well as spread the gospel? The early church was extremely successful and transformed Greco-Roman culture without stooping to use the power and authority of the state. When Constantine made “Christianity” the official religion, it began a long period of decline and corruption. We should learn the lessons of history instead of committing the same sins and errors again.

 

False. It is a central tenet of Baptist theology. You are not a Baptist if you reject separation of church and state. Baptists were key players in the formation and passage of the First Amendment.

Sure, but they eventually dropped their state churches (even Massachusetts). Then, when the 14th Amendment was ratified, all naturally-born persons became federal citizens and had their First Amendment rights eventually guaranteed through the 14th Amendment.

You must live in the midst of reasonable people. I have heard screaming rants from fellow employees and church people about persons not participating in the pledge and businesses allegedly leaving out "under God" in their advertising and corporate art. Some people also lost their minds when they didn't immediately see "In God We Trust" on new coinage about 15 years ago.

I'm glad that things are better where you are than they are in Texas.

 

here are some baptist distinctives


Baptist Distinctives | Texas Baptists

 

Just because they say they are Baptists doesnt make them one

 

What makes them a Baptist church if not self identification as a Baptist church?

peace to you

 

Yes. I know of several that affiliated at local, state and national SBC but don’t use “Baptist” in their name.

This isn’t new. Charles Spurgeon is considered a great baptist preacher. His church was the Metropolitan Tabernacle of London.

peace to you

 

The exact words, "separation of church and state" are not in the Constitution, but the meaning is there. Even a casual look at the history behind the creation of the First Amendment demonstrates it. In the same way, the word "Trinity" is not in the Bible, but it is a shorthand way of referencing a biblical truth.

The system software converted your assertion to a smiley, so I don't completely understand your reference, but Baptists have historically (until very recently) advocated separation of church and state. The only reason some "Baptists" had recently deviated from it is due to either ignorance of their own history and the scriptures, or a desire to go along with the evangelical crowd that seeks to control the US government.

 

The distinctive Baptist set of beliefs. If you eliminate any of these, you are not a Baptist.