Current Event on Uniting the Baptist Community

The Christian Post reporter, Audrey Barrick, published this news article today ( 11 OCT 07 ) on their web site:

Southern Baptist Head Expresses Concern Over Negative Image

LINK BELOW

http://www.christianpost.com/article/20071011/29668_Southern_Baptist_Head_Expresses_Concern_Over_Negative_Image.htm

• Note: the Internet citation above may disappear in the future, so we have preserved it for you here.

I don't know how long the article will remain accessible so I?ll include my comment of concern here on the board for continuity:

Frank Page, president of the Southern Baptists reportedly said, "There are forces at work today to try to divide and distract Baptists from our primary mission. We cannot allow methodological differences, generational gaps, or stylistic preferences to divide us"

Methodological differences?
Generational gaps?
Stylistic preferences?

Are these the issues that have divided the Baptists into more than 52 different entities? If Frank Page believes this, then he might as well stay home and sit this one out as well!

No, the many factions have divided over more serious issues than what Page perceives. They are divided over the basic doctrine of Christianity. How are you going to unite these groups that cannot agree on the requirements that God has proclaimed for SALVATION?

?   Is a man "Saved and Sealed?"

?   Did God, by His divine pleasure, predestine who would be saved and damned?

?   Will a man lose his salvation if he fails to live up to the "Christian Life"?

?   At what point might a man lose his salvation if he does "Backslide"?

?   If a man loses his salvation by sin, can he EVER be saved again?

?   If a man leads a mediocre lifestyle after salvation, does that mean he was never saved to begin?

?   Must a man be water baptized to be saved or is it just a ritual of demonstrating "an outward sign of an inward change"?

?   If a man must be water baptized to be saved, will sprinkling suffice or must it be done by submersion?

?   If a man is saved, will the indwelling of the Holy Spirit be evident by the speaking of unknown tongues?

Folks, these are MAJOR differences in SALVATION requirements! These CHRISTIANS ARE NOT EVEN SAVED because they don?t know the REQUIREMENTS!

Furthermore, their LEADERS don?t know EITHER! How can you send evangelists into the mission field when they can?t even determine the BASIC SALVATION requirements! What is the lost heathen in a foreign land going to have to do to be SAVED?

I don't mean to just be picking on the BAPTISTS here, because the other denominations are certainly NO BETTER OFF!

This isn't a disagreement over when the 'catching up' happens; folks, THIS is SERIOUS DOCTRINAL IGNORANCE! I'm telling you now, the Christian community is in a MESS and isn't even aware of it. Each one of these fellows THINKS he is saved because he's bought into some man's concept of religion and learned a lot of rhetoric that sounds spiritual. What the Christian community has today is 99 1/2 percent superstition. Narrow is the PATH folks. FEW of these are going to FIND IT!

Frank Page and all the other leaders of these religious sects and factions need to go back to the scriptures and learn 'WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED'? These aren't divisions caused by generational gaps, or stylistic preferences. Frank, you have got some real problems here and your problems are with GOD!

BOC560