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>It wouldn't be the first time I was mistaken on this list.
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>I thought the Baptists were descendents of Calvinism. You're saying
>they're not?
First off, I'll say that my post was a draft which was meant for my temporary directory, not for general publication. That's a way of forgiving myself for overblown comments, no?
So, their belief in personal salvation because of
>being born again isn't grace but profession of faith? I'll be
>darned. I learn something on this list almost every day.
I guess you're being facetious, but I'm not really feeling stung. Or maybe you're just having fun, which is nice.
I was going to write a big long blah-blah response, but I think a little explanation of 'grace' is sufficient: the Southern Baptists et al. do believe in grace, if grace is decoupled from predestination. If not, then call it salvation. The evangelical churches in general put most of their money on being 'born again', as you say. This I understand as a selling point for the church: join us and submit to our discipline, and you'll count as elected. Calvinist churches, on the other hand, are not traditionally evangelical. The difference here is between preelection and election, or between the ole increase-and-multiply school and the recruitment school.
As for history, you could say that Baptists are descendents of the Catholics. Not very helpful, surely. I'm not really sure that the Baptists in fact are descended from Calvinism (helpful or not) -- I remember in school learning that the provenance of the Baptist church before the 19th century is obscure. Did I learn something misleading in school?
As for 'professions of faith', I'm talking not about theology but about social practice. The benefits of group membership are purchased at the price of group membership. Since its not a club one is born into, one must walk-the-walk, and the Southern Baptists walk that walk with a vengence. One could in theory be a SB in a vacuum, but nobody lives in theory, or in vacuums.
Cheer, david