Baptism

[Kitsune]

I go to a Baptist youth group from time to time and find myself rather disturbed at their lack of zealotry. How can anyone in the right mind love an abstract being (Of which no solid proof demonstrates an existence.) more than their children, or spouse? That vexes me to the utmost extent, ergo I came here. Why, or better yet how, can someone do this?...

[CFTraveler]

I go to a Baptist youth group from time to time and find myself rather disturbed at their lack of zealotry

I must be missing something, but:
What does this has to do with Baptism,
It sounds like you're disturbed with their zealotry, not lack of it.
Or am I missing something?

[onefromsomewhereelse]

That being which is abstract to you is personal and real to them.   When and if you get to know that "being" you will be able to call Him "Father".

[Leyla]

Umm. I think Kitsune thinks "Baptism" means "being a Baptist." Kind of like Mormonism is being a Mormon, and Catholicism is being a Catholic.

I went to Baptist Elementary School. They were into some crazy brainwashing with the children. They would try to convince us they had the power to work miracles.

Once, the preacher told us he could turn water into blood, and took this big bowl of water and put his hands in it. I think maybe he forgot to put in the fake-blood tablet or something, because the water didn't turn. Some black girl in the back yelled "Hey! That water's not turning into blood!" She got in trouble.

Then, another preacher told us he could turn himself into a giant, like in David and Golieth. And all he did was stand on a chair. We all "ooohed and aaaahed" like we were expected to, but in private we were all "All he did was stand on a chair."

Then, they took us out Easter and told us if we looked we could see Jesus rising up into the clouds. So we pretended we could see him. "Oh, look there he is, like superman."

We thought all adults were friggin' crazy.  

[Beth]

Leyla,

Was that in Bangladesh??  The reason I ask is that I live in the US, home of the Southern Baptist Church; a fundmentalist Christian sect that greatly frowns upon everything that you have described!!  

The Southern Baptist's here are very strict in their belief that every word in the Bible is true--exactly as it is written--and there are little to no 'bells and whistles' to their worship or beliefs.  

A lot of these Baptists are quite stoic about their religion, and can also be very arrogant about being the 'only ones' that really 'get it'.   This stoicism and arrogance tends to strip away a lot of the potential for exhibiting the passion, or zeal that Kitsune notes the absence of. There are, however, a few fringe churches that do get a bit exotic, most notably a bit of 'snake handling' and such.  

Believe it or not, I was actually raised a Southern Baptist, but needless to say, I have never been able to 'connect with them' even when I was a child.

Now there is also the National Baptist Church who share most of the doctrinal tenets of the Southern Baptists, but they are much more emotive in their worship practices.  I am thinking it is due to the fact that the National Baptists are mostly African-American, and the Southern Baptists primarily Caucasian, that the National Baptists are much more passionate about their beliefs, and usually not stoic at all.

I am wondering if you were perhaps exposed to 'Missionary Baptists'??  If so, then they pretty much preach whatever they want because they have no one to answer to for it and are, therefore, not really representative of the majority of Baptists here in the US.

Just curious...

~Beth

[Leyla]

I am from Bangladesh because I have an ex who loves stalking me over the internet.

I believe Kitsune mis-typed, and meant she was disturbed at their zealotry...loving an abstract being more than their children and spouse.

The events I mention all took place at a button-down, middle class, conservative, Berean Baptist Church. These people only pretend to be rational on the outside.

http://www.alldumb.com/item/17206/
http://www.break.com/articles/tradingspouses2.html

They would herd us children away from our parents, and let the cult brainwashing activities begin.

[Meg]

Leyla - That video is F...ing HILARIOUS!!!