Don't many Baptists follow their pastor's words and head everything they say? Doesn't this make Baptists a personality cult on the local church level?
2007-11-30 16:07:18 · 44 answers · asked by hossteacher 3 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Many Baptist take very word their Pastor says as if it were the word of God simply because they can apply a bible verse to what they say. Isn't that a cult? It is not truth, but only the following of a Pastor. Yet Baptist accuse the Catholic Church of being a cult church because of the Pope. But the Pope was appointed by Christ in givng the keys to Peter and saying that the gates of hell will never prevail against the Church. Baptists are cultist in that they take their Pastors words over everything else. At least the Pope has a divine appointment in the bible.
2007-12-01 04:50:35 · update #1
There are no main line Christain Churches today that promote the use of "idols." Only idiots who think that the Catholic Church does because of its use of statues. Statues only represent a person. They are not the person and you really can't represent God. If you are dumb enough to think that Catholics pray to stone, then your ignorance of the Catholic Church is what you need to deal with.
2007-12-01 04:54:01 · update #2
Oh yah, I forgot, your attacking me proves your point. DAH
2007-12-01 04:55:32 · update #3
Some of my family members are baptists. (I don't go to church myself.)
In general, they seem to base their beliefs on the New Testament. They don't seem the least bit cult-like to me.
2007-11-30 16:11:47 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
You did mean "heed", right?
I'm a former Baptist, now Catholic, so I have no vested interest in defending the denomination. But I can tell you from my own experience that you're off base on this one. The Baptists churches are far from "personality cults"; for those, you may look to the much-hyped no-particular-denomination "mega-churches", the most prominent of which are built around the personalities of their pastors.
But the Baptists? No. Individual congregations may develop a fondness for their pastors, but that's a far cry from cult behavior. Been to a Baptist church lately? Those folks are all carrying Bibles for a reason; the word of God is their authority, not the word of Pastor Goodguy.
2007-11-30 16:27:37 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
Anyone who follows the minister/pastor/priest rather than the Bible could rightly be called a cultist; to call the Baptist Church is general a cult fails tom recognize the many godly men who have led churches without the cult of personality.
2007-11-30 16:10:51 · answer #3 · answered by Louis Z 1 · 3⤊ 0⤋
I think there are some that are leaning toward being a cult when they unquestionably follow a pastor's advice without consulting the bible first.
Baptists and Evangelicals have a bad rap because they seem to do this, but in reality any religion can turn unhealthy and maybe even anti-bible.
I say that if you are a christian, you should read your bible and keep up with what you pastors are preaching and question anything that ultimately contradicts what God is truly asking for. as human beings pastors make mistakes and should not be leaned on blindly.
2007-11-30 16:15:29 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
Any church that believes and follows in God's word as it is written in scripture, which is real simple, is blessed and led by our Lord Jesus Christ. I can't speak for any Baptist churches that I haven't attended but all the ones I have attended and my current church are following God's word. Our pastor is as human as everyone else. We are all sinners and God will let his children know if we are being led by a man that was not walking in His word.
It is definitely not a cult but a gathering of believers in our Lord Jesus Christ.
2007-11-30 16:21:37 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
No, the Baptist churches are not considered cults. But, yes many people do what they are told by men but that isn't what Christians are supposed to do. The bible is the true word of God and we need to read it for ourselves. Leaders in a church are there to teach and lead but those who attend have to make decisions for themselves too. We have knowledge of good and evil and the name of a church has nothing to with God's church. Church names and denominations have nothing to do with who is a christian and who will be in heaven with Christ. Be careful too, not to be too critical. All churches have good people and some that are undesirables too. Good luck and God Bless.
2007-11-30 16:18:22 · answer #6 · answered by Jan C 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Do you even have a minute understanding of what you are talking about?
The answer to your question is no.
The Baptists teach and preach sound doctrine. I went to Baptist churches for many years, when I went.
Once I was drawn to Christ, and began to really study, and seek God, I realized that although they taught sound doctrine, and truth, it is a dead religion. No room for the Holy Ghost there. No room for the person that wants to really PRAISE and WORSHIP God! The altar is proof of this. In any Baptist church that I ever went to, that altar was there for when you got saved. Period. Or to rededicate your life. Otherwise, you didn't go to the altar, or someone might wonder what it is that you keep doing to need to go to the altar so much.
I am now a full-gospel Pentecostal believer. Our altars get used. A lot. I may go to the altar in the morning, then again at the evening service.When you feel the need to use that altar, you use it. That's what it is there for. I love to praise and worship Christ. God seeks such to worship Him. Can you even begin to wrap your mind around that?
2007-11-30 16:25:40 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
1st of all, they were 1st called baptist when they were baptized, in the old words"mudheads" &were thrown into the arena for entertainment for the Romans when they were baptised, for it showed their loyalty to Christ rather than Ceaser.
2nd. If you obey everything your preacher says, & not have a relationship of your own w/the Lordd/you'll fall for anything. Baptist were here 1,000's of yrs before others were & as long as there is a
God on this earth, there will be! They do read the Bible & take IT as fact, & study it for themselves!
2007-11-30 16:19:18 · answer #8 · answered by Yotepha 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Well they do tend to follow what there taught rather than looking in the Bible for themselves but NO, there definatly not a cult because in order to be a cult you have to be outside the mainstream, and christianity is definatly NOT outside the mainstream. The majority of people believe in God and Christ.
2007-11-30 16:12:02 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
yes i would say so because all tho they say they follow the bible but really it is the pastor... its kinda a brain washing thing not that im saying pastors are evil or anything im sure many of them dont mean to do it but since the people of the church see the pastor as some one to look up to as being all good and a role model or what ever it is easy for the pastor to say something that he believes in like vote conservitive right or hint at or let his people no thats what he believes and many will do as he says yes he could say thats what god wants but i dont think that is the case most of the time but some times yes ... more midieivl times tho... then i think they knew what they were doing.... the church was pretty evil 1600s-1800's
2007-11-30 16:14:35 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 2⤋