Comments on: Riffs: Scot McKnight on “Why I Am Not Roman Catholic or Eastern Orthodox”

By: Andrew

Andrew — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 14:27:16 +0000

Glad you’ve also pointed to this post. McKnight’s thoughts got me thinking – the mark of a truly excellent blog – and I’ve posted my thoughts in a recent post, “Why aren’t you Catholic?” The difference between Scott and I, however, is that I’ve struggled with the draw to swim the Tiber for years and the urge is, of course, becoming stronger. But I am – and it appears that I will remain for now – fully within the Protestant fold. Alas, this whole Christianity thing gets more complicated by the day.

Peace & blessings,
Andrew

By: Brian

Brian — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 18:32:57 +0000

Aliasmoi,

While the AG may not keep centralized baptism records in Springfield, or even at each district office, I’m sure many local churches have them for people baptized there, and I believe most of them do provide a certificate of baptism stating the date of the service and signed by the pastor.

By: erin

erin — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 15:19:07 +0000

Thanks so much for this. I love my reformed church but have watched dear friends walk on over to the Greek Orthodox parish down the road. I admit it has produced great anxieties within me as I suddenly realized I was pretty much completely ignorant of church history and why I believe what I believe. My church is probably halfway filled up with eager -and awesome- Southern Seminary students and i’ve always struggled just a little bit (i’m the stubborn argumentative type). I’m ok with not agreeing 100%. I claim neither Calvinism nor anything else… only Christ. I do feel a lack of tradition. I get tired of hearing quotes from Stott and Piper and the like when my heart is usually quickened and encouraged by Dostoevsky, Tolstoy, Merton, the Saints… however, my church preaches the Gospel every Sunday… a life changed by the Gospel – every facet of it. We are heavily involved in the community and have ministries from the arts to music to street clean-up to mentoring in order to engage and “evengelize” the community we’re in. We call each other out and push each other towards Christ and towards a sacrificial life. Jesus + nothing else. I don’t think I could ever leave that no matter what my discontent.

I do still carry a lot of confusion though. Most of this conversation seems to stick in the RC vs. Protestant camp. Scot’s article seemed to lump RC and EO together. But, of course, EO do not claim that at all. Each claims to be “the one true church”. And it seems to me, in my incredibly light and bare study of the two, that EO would claim the more moderate stance… not in terms of their confidence in succession, etc. but in terms of certain doctrinal beliefs (purgatory, Mary, etc.). There are certainly great similarities to the Protestant eyes though. How is one to really separate the two fairly? or where do they seem to speak the same thing?

Also… I was wondering if you could expound a little more on the difference between reading Scripture WITH Tradition vs. Scripture THROUGH Tradition.

Finally, are there any resources, biblical passages, what-not that speak confirmatively of the Church as the invisible universal body of believers?

(i apologize for my wordiness. if only one question can be answered. i will be very grateful)

By: Joel

Joel — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 04:35:50 +0000

Interesting, John. I knew Lutherans and Piskies were sometimes granted dispensations, but this is the first I’ve heard of a Baptist. Baptists don’t have the same concept of holy orders those churches do, so it seems strange.

I stand by what I said before, though. Protestants need good pastors, too. If Michael believes he’s where God wants him, we’ve got no business trying to convince him otherwise. If God decides different, He knows where to find Michael.

By: Joel

Joel — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 01:59:14 +0000

When I converted, (with 2 valid baptisms), I was told that I only needed to confess the sins that I did after the rite of acceptance.

Really? I did the whole 22 years going back to my baptism at age 9. I stepped into the confessional and said, “Bless me father, for this is going to take a while.”

And my baptism in a Baptist church was perfectly acceptable, even though I didn’t have written records. I probably could have gotten them, but nobody was all that insistent on it, as long as it had been trinitarian.

By: John O'Leary

John O'Leary — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 01:27:23 +0000

iMonk wrote: “Were I to go to Rome, I would never preach again and never teach again. I would be a Wal-Mart greeter with 37 hours of doctoral study all for the sake of being in communion with a sacramental system once a week.”

T’aint necessarily so.

http://tinyurl.com/5guksb

By: Giovanni

Giovanni — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 19:24:39 +0000

My Wife who is a Southern Baptist does have her baptism records.

By: Aliasmoi

Aliasmoi — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 13:47:12 +0000

That might be it Anna – since my friend would have been baptized in a Baptist church, so I’m sure it was done in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. I also don’t have any documentation of my baptism. I don’t think that particular denomination even keeps baptism records. I know the AG doesn’t.

By: Anna A

Anna A — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 01:59:15 +0000

Greg,

When I converted, (with 2 valid baptisms), I was told that I only needed to confess the sins that I did after the rite of acceptance. (That’s early into the process, when the person is basically placed under the protection of the Catholic Church.)

Another reason for a rebaptism in the Catholic Church is when a person doesn’t have documentation of their first one. (and the priest is supposed to add some words to emphasize that it is just a conditional baptism.)

By: Greg DeVore

Greg DeVore — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 23:58:33 +0000

I knew a woman who married an RC (she must have married him 60-70 years ago) and was rebaptized as an RC even though she had been baptized as a Lutheran. She was my neighbor growing up. I think this was her choice so that she would not have to confess sins before her RC baptism. She would only be obligated to confess sins after baptism.