agedman.
I understand that by your continual posts about the RCC and those who hold the amillennial view of eschatology that you are trying to slime those like me. Doesn't bother me a bit. I have lived in the midst of the "rapture ready folks" since 1960.
Are you not rapture ready? Sad, if you aren't.
Even though I spent several years studying and teaching in a university I was naive. I thought the only people who believed in a literal 1000 year reign were the Watchtower folks; the Jehovah's Witnesses {or "no-hellers" as they were known in the coalfields, and amongst Old Regular Baptists, where I was raised}. I was greatly surprised when I learned that mainline Christians like Southern Baptists held similar views after GOD saved me in 1965.
It is a marvelous work of God to save a blasphemer and denier of the faith as I was. I rejoice the Father would grant any to be saved, me the least of all.
First: You should know that Baptists did not come from the RCC and there is nothing in Baptist churches that smacks of an RCC origin as there is in Protestant Churches.
However, as this thread has uncovered, there are some areas in which the two hold common ground - I don't, but the typical SBC may. In fact, FBC Plano, TX had the pulpit supplied by the St. Marks (if I recall the church) priest on a Sunday, and the people were so enthralled, they desired him to be invited back, again. Not much separation there, I would say.
Second: You should know that pre-trib-dispensationalism was not conceived until about 1830; long after the Baptist Church was tolerated among the Protestant groups. Pre-trib apologist Dr Thomas Ice names "John Nelson Darby" as the Father of "pre-trib-dispensationalism"? {http://www.raptureready.com/featured/ice/ttcol.html}
{http://www.pre-trib.org/data/pdf/Ice-JohnNelsonDarbyandth.pdf}
Spout all you desire about Darby, I already showed how he took from others. But that doesn't matter, because the "pre-trib" views may or may not be held by those who are Pre-Mil. It is simply a scheme that can be applied or not to the Pre-Mil doctrine. That you desire to see them as a single entity is not correct. There are those who are Pre-mil who are not pre-trib.
Third: You should also understand that the 1800's gave birth to the Seventh Day Adventists, the Mormons, the Jehovah's Witnesses, and as noted above, pre-trib-dispensationalism, among other groups.
You are attempting to use guilt, by associating a block of time to some development of a scheme. I could just as well lump the Civil War, Spanish - American war, Wounded Knee, California Gold Rush, Texas Independence, Louisiana Purchase, ... into the same time period and come up with some far fetched thinking, too.
Fourth: You should also understand that history shows that the RCC promulgated early on some doctrines held by pre-trib-dispensationalism in an attempt to blunt the impact of the Reformation. {http://christianitybeliefs.org/end-times-deceptions/jesuit-end-times-antichrist-deception/}
Frankly, I have looked over some of the information and cannot find much if any supporting documents for the contention that the pre-trib views (much less that of the Pre-mil doctrine) are actually founded upon some grand conspiracy by the RCC.
Especially when the Pre-Mil doctrine has been around for over 2000 years as evidenced by the teachings of the Apostles and Polycarp.
So, unless there is more first hand documentation that person can offer to support the conspiracy claims he makes, I don't put much credit in this person's writings. Just creating a story is not documentation.
Fifth: You should understand that the doctrine that the Church, for which Jesus Christ died, fails its mission and its pre-trib removal is not the historic Baptist doctrine.
Actually, Pre-mil doctrine IS the historic view of the Baptists. The "church" failure in which you fear, is EXACTLY what the Lord Jesus taught. The current world system will NEVER be a friend to the church, and most certainly two world wars did not enhance human kindness any better.
What WILL the a-mil folks find? That the one world peace of the first years of the tribulation will only be a trick and bring confusion by the enemy.
Here is my problem with what you are trying to discredit.
First, I have shown FIRST hand evidence that Polycarp was a student taught by the Apostle John.
Second, it is the account by nearly EVERY historical and biblical scholar that Polycarp was Pre-mil.
Third, the Apostle John would NEVER tolerate error among his students and especially one what would become the very epitome of scholarship, Christian character, church leadership, and steadfastness in the faith even to this day.
Fourth, you consider "pre-trib" is "pre-mil" and that is just not correct. Pre-trib can be a view held along side Pre-mil, but the basic Pre-mil position is that Christ physically returns to the earth and rules while the enemy is bound for a literal 1000 years.
When the "rapture" occurs is (imo) a secret in which only the Father has knowledge. "But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone."
So, OR, it comes down to you attempting to discredit what is doctrinal, and place credit upon that which is in error.
Consistently and from the beginning, the Papists have propagated the a-mil view - that is a historically accurate statement.
Consistently the Papists have done so (imo) because they cannot come to terms with their alignment with the enemy of Christ, and the blaspheming corruption to the truth of the Scriptures.
Being Pre-mil is one standard and area of separation from the Papists, and one that should be held by every Baptist, but sadly isn't.
) that were written by Papists with the direct purpose of exalting the papist views.