No.
You use the term to refer to the Catholic Church as betrayed by your posts here.
Otherwise it would be impossible for a Christian to leave the Catholic Church (histoircally it has meant the "universal" church, not the religious organization that was formed by the Roman Empire in the 4th century AD). The Catholic Church has claimed a history that was not theirs.
So do some baptists.
Like I said, I am not trying to get you to look outside of wherever you are.
I believe that God has people where He needs them, or where they need to be.
It's like Cypher said in the Matrix - "ignorance is bliss".
The Catholic Church grew out of the catholic church, but at the same time it became something else.
You are speaking of Smyth, BTW, who was a baptist (not sure what type) for a very short time and wanted to join the Mennonites (but never did).
Hence your confusion (Mennonites and Anabaptists are baptists - but not necessarily the other way around).
A "baptist" is someone who affirms "believers baptism".
Some add other criteria to this, but basically believers baptism is always the common distinctive.
Well the obvious answer is that if you don't like it don't come on theis forum because that is what you are and that is what you are clled --- A PSEUDO CHRISTIAN CULT
I see, so it's so much for mutual respect on this site then, hey my friend?
But really, members of a sect started by one man have no room to talk is all I can say.
"Put them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers, to obey magistrates, to be ready to every good work,
2 to speak evil of no man, to be no brawlers, [but] gentle, shewing all meekness unto all men.
3 For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another.
4 But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared,
5 not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;
6 which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;
7 that being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life." ( Titus 3:1-7 ).
I don't see much frespect from you Romanists, who are here under false colours, Non Baptist Christians.
From another board:
Even Romanists baptised adults. Augustine who is often reported that Augustine brought Christianity to England. That is a blatant lie. Augustine brought Catholicism to England. There was already a church here amongst the Britons. Augustine baptised 10,000, it is said in the River*8 Swale in Kent in which cluding the Saxon King of Kent. It is also said he baptised 10,000 in the River Swale in Yorkshire, including the King of Northumbria. When he went to Wales to try to convert the Christians there and they refused, he murdered 1,000 of them.
Note*1, Although the history books say 10,000, when I hve seen t written it was XM
Note **2, The Swale in Kent is not a river but a strip of water between the Isle of Sheppey and the Mainland.
From the above you will see that there were true Christians here before Catholicism.
You Romanists are on this board sailing under false colours, (Non Baptist Christians)
I have known a few. Some very pious and then some out drinking and carousing on Saturday night and then in church on Sunday.
I see, so there are different Baptist sects within the Baptist sect? LOL!
We don't pretend, we are the first Christian Church. Surely you remember where St. Peter (our first Bishop/Pope) was given "the keys",
who in turn passed them onto his successors? (Got you!) :Biggrin
History is very clear here, it was John Smyth started the Baptist faith tradition and there were no Baptist leaders who were known as "The Early Church Fathers" of the early centuries.
In the end that is ultimately true, but it is important that the correct information is given to the faithful and that is where the Church comes in.
Think of "baptist" like "conservative".
Is conservative a sect?
Of course not.
What "evangelical"? Is that a sect?
Not really.
Is "western" a sect? No.
These are descriptive.
But there are many sects that are Baptist (for example, I am a Southern Baptist).
I know you believe Catholics were the first church. Church of Christ members believe they are the first and only true church.
Some Baptists believe they are.
These myths help people who do not understand the nature of the catholic church (the Bride).
Do they have a purpose.
I am not sure. Jim Jones or David Koresch didn't to my knowledge deny the gospel in an unorthodox manner, but they surely seem to meet the definition of being a cult.
When the personality of the leader demands total subservience by his flock to the point of death or complete control of every facet of their lives, that to me signifies a cult.
A cult follows the teaching of man and interprets the scripture by that.
SDA's take.Ellen Whites writings and makes the scripture conform, same as Catholics take the Pope, Councils, and tradition and read that into the scripture.
JW's and Momons do the same.
Couple this with the threat of loss of salvation if you do not stay faithful to their teaching and you have a cult.
Yes, completely. I was basing my "cult" opinion on the what I remembered them for. If they claimed "Messiah" status they were completely unorthodox in outlook. Now, did the founder of SDA do the same? The Mormons? JW's? Did they all claim Messiah status?
Just prophet status, not Messiah. Of course all off them claiming special revelation from God does seem close. Also, I believe David Korean was an SDA before getting his messiah complex.
You mean like the followers of the ex- Anglican minister John Smyth? I see them following his lead on the scriptures. Like someone said earlier, the term cult could be applied to every faith tradition then.
Every one who went off and started their own Christian faith tradition considers themselves a prophet, don't they? They received some special revelation from God that the place where they were at was not doing things right, so they up and started their own little church. How nice.
Not quite the same. The book of Mormon was supposedly dictated by the angel Gabriel.
Ellen White claimed heavenly visions (some quite conveniently).
I.don't think the Wesley's to take one example ever made any such claim. When I say prophet, in these cases, think old testament prophet, receiving and communicating some special message from God.
Problem is much of it contradicts the revealed Word of God.
I will remember Baptist= conservative each time I listen to all the American Baptist Convention pastors denying the virgin birth, physical resurrection of Jesus, His Diety, and embracing the Divine Feminine! According to local ABC pastors, the bible is an archaic book, full of inaccurate stories and irrelevant to today's society.
Oh, yeah!
Protestants live in a fantasy world.
Christianity of antiquity is demonstrably Catholic.
We can provide the names of Catholic bishops, writings, Councils, archaeological sites, saints, martyrs, liturgical prayers, Scriptures, psalters, epitaphs, art work, even the names of her opponents, etc. from each century, beginning with the first.
The same cannot be said for Protestantism.
Trying to find Protestantism in antiquity is like trying to find the Sasquatch, Loch Ness Monster, or South Georgia Snipe.
It is the same as "conservative" or "liberal" or "charismatic" or "trinitarian".
These are descriptive terms (not one sect but descriptive of many sects).
I am glad it helps, though.
It is strange (being a Baptist) to encounter people who really think "Baptist" a sect or denomination.
It shows a bit of ignorance that could be prevented with a little study (just like Baptists who accuse Catholic doctrine of teaching people to worship statues).