On Becoming un-Baptist Part 4:
Why I am glad to have been a Baptist
In
my previous posts, I have explained how I ceased to be a Baptist (ecclesiology, theology of baptism, and practice of baptism). I do not want to give anyone an impression
that I have nothing but stones to hurl.
I am very grateful for many things that I learned and experienced in
baptistic circles. There are virtues and
practices I observed in others which I continue to admire and aspire to attain.
Knowledge of the
Bible
While
I may differ on how I interpret and understand the Bible, Baptists (at least
most the ones I was exposed to) placed a great emphasis on knowing and reading
the Bible. I often find myself
whispering along with Bible readings in church because I have the entire
passage nearly memorized from repeated encounters in my youth.
Love of God and neighbor
I
met many people who loved God and their neighbors far better than I did or do
now.
Tithing
This
may sound strange to some, but it was quite a culture shock when I was in
church and we were given pledge forms for how much we were going to give in the
calendar year (this has happened in more than one non-baptistic church I have
attended). From my youth I had learned
and practiced that I ought to give 10 percent.
That is tithing 101, which I heard explained from the pulpit on several
occasions.
Importance of
owning one’s faith
Baptistic
circles stress the importance of owning your faith. I was taught that it was important to know
what I believed, make it my own, and live it out.
Sincere people and
good friends
I
met many people of simple and pious sincerity.
I made friends that will last a lifetime. Even if I disagree with them on many points,
I know that they come to their views honestly and without any maliciousness.
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