Baptist Pros And Cons

Many Baptist can trace their origins to the early church, a period when churches consisted of committed worshippers who were baptized upon confession of faith as adults. Their beginnings have also been traced to medieval sects who protested against baptismal theory and practice. However, the Baptist faith is most commonly traced back to John Smyth and the Separatists who started the General Baptist Church in 1609. (McBeth) Baptist Churches did not start developing in the American colonies until mid-17th century. However, like any other religion they have their own uniqueness and pros and cons. There are several different factors that make the Baptist religion stand out from other religions. One of the main ones is the method of baptism.
Some other churches baptize as infants, but the Baptist Church believe in believer’s baptism (McBeth). A believer’s baptism is an ordinance performed after a person professes Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, and it is symbolic of the cleansing of remission of their sins. This usually consists of lowering the candidate in water backwards, while the pastor recites the Trinitarian formula of Mathew 28:19. (King James Version) Another unique factor in the formation of the Baptist Church is that with separation of church and state, early Baptists played an important role in the struggle for religious freedom. In fact, many early Baptist were imprisoned and even died for their faith. One of the important figures in this struggle was John Smyth, a former Anglican priest. He taught that true worship should be from the heart rather than reading a liturgy (McBeth). The Baptist Church still holds this view today. In addition, many conservative Baptist opposes all gambling, alcohol, tobacco, and some even prohibit dancing and movies. These beliefs also set the Baptist faith apart from others. Like other religions, Baptists have a lot of positive values. Baptists believe that the Bible is the final earthly authority on all matters of doctrine and life that it addresses. Peter 3:18 states “For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God.” This is one of the biggest positives the Baptists believe. (King James Version) The Baptist church also believes in the religious freedom for all, spreading the gospel and good works through missions, and the equality of all people. Even though there are a lot of positives teachings of the Baptist Church, there are many things that might be seen as negative. There is not a lot of unity among Baptist churches. Many Baptists use the church’s eternal security teaching (once saved, always saved) as a license to sin. In some Baptist Churches, members are told suicides go to heaven when they are backslidden which means born again. Believe it or not, some Baptists still have their own opinions on the reasons why Christ died for all the people or not. With so many religions out there, it is up to the individual to choose their beliefs. The Baptist religion has a rich history and its own unique set of beliefs and teachings. Some of these beliefs may be seen as positive, while others may be seen as negative. It is up to an individual to research, study and pray about which religion is right. There is only one that will fill the heart.