Please take time to read this if you are interested in depth, I would really like to hear what the Christian yahoo community has to say about this (most of whom are protestant, i believe). i got no answers at all...
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20081008225447AAkD6b0&r=w
Tiger, very interesting...I did not know that they only baptize in the name of Jesus...is this all of them? because I really thought they did so in the name of The Trinity. Great answer
You got no answers because few people are willing to read that much text. This forum is for questions and answers. Not read and discuss. Specific questions are far more effective on Y!A.
Brother, if you are expecting Protestants to answer this, they will not. To know whether they are truly following Jesus and thereby God, consider these aspects;
1. Jesus Christ came on earth for the salvation of the entire world. Jesus did not come for a particular class. But in the case of Protestants, they have made classes and segregation to receive baptism, to offer prayer etc. When children went to Jesus, Apostles hindered them which made Jesus angry. He told them not to hinder them. Here on earth, there is no way to be in Christ other than baptism, which they deny for kids.
2. Matthew 28 (19,20): "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age."
The above commandment by Jesus is very clear about baptism. Jesus commands here his disciples to baptize people first in the name of the father, the son and the holy spirit and then to teach them to observe all he has commanded. This is what Apostolic Churches are doing exactly. They baptize a person first to make him a member of Christ's body, and then teach him to live a life according to the will of God. But protestants defy this commandment by baptizing only adults. They also do not baptize in the name of the father, the son and the holy spirit, but in the name of Jesus only.
If I keep writing about their malpractices, it will never end. Protestants are not driven by Holy Spirit; it is some other spirit, for sure.
Salvation... had a good answer, so I am not sure what you mean when you said you have no answers at all. He said that baptism is for people to make a formal decision as a way to confess their faith and babies cannot do that.
By the way, one of those splinter groups was a group that later became known as the Seventh day Adventists.
I thought the writer had done a very good job writing about the history of the Baptists and their offshoots, and in describing some of their customs.
Also TiGer was off on the baptisms, the churches that I know of baptize in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Do not be so biased, there are too many different churches for all to be the same, perhaps he witnessed a baptism that was unto Jesus, but I have not seen such a baptism and I have been to quite a few different Protestant and Baptist, and Catholic churches.
Lets be frank here!!! In one area, the writer speaks about "The Church" and in another He speaks about "Protestantism" and another he is leading into "Catholicism" or "Church of Englandism" the Puritans, and then He runs off about Baptism. It's a mess to say the least!!!
Personally speaking, I don't care about "Religion", because too many say things about it that just aren't true and others have no real idea of what they think. They simply attack, because they are confused!! Here some things to think on.
"For God so Loved the world (Us) that He gave his only Begotten Son" That's the first thing you should understand, Jesus Christ is the Son of God. "That who-so-ever believer on HIM should have everlasting Life" This is a simple gift from God to you and me, but a awful Sacrifice that God made, because WE crucified Jesus Christ. Each of us had a hand it His Crucifiction, because of OUR sin. The Blood of Jesus Christ, on the Roman Cross, covers our sin and declares us fit for Heaven, in our time.
The writer also makes many statements concerning Baptism. First the Person accepts Jesus Christ as his Savior and forgiveness of his sin. THEN......as a statement to the world.....that person is Baptised. This is an outward reflection.....to the world.....of becoming a "New Creation", by God. A baby does not have the ability to know the difference between right and wrong, therefore the baby can not declare his sinful nature. Once the baby becomes older and realizes his dis-function in Life through sin, he makes his choice and then is baptized. "Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to all Nations" a baby can not understand that, until.....he/she gets older and is able to choose.
The differ ant factions of "Baptists" has nothing to do with the Salvation brought to all by Jesus Christ. That is simple Faith!!
In all of this, there was nothing stated about "3 score and ten years" being our average life span, 70 years. The reason for the 70 years, is so that we have the time to consider our Salvation or the lack there of.
Religion......is a man made thing......man's effort to understand the Bible, whether they do or not, is between God and them. People are not without ignorance!! That being the case, it comes down to that person, Praying and reading the Bible, gaining understanding and discernment, then choosing wisely according to the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.
Circa this and that means nothing and only serves to confuse people, when what they really need is to know that God Loves them and wants to save them from Eternal dist ruction. It should always be kept simple, but factual and always according to the Word of God, the Bible.
God does not consider "Protestantism", "Catholicism", Hinduism or anything else, those are of man, God considers the Heart only!!!
On Protestantism...Please Answer!!!?
