Any Baptists here?

Sherman said:
The prevalence of oddball beliefs about the nature of God among the KJVO camp is what made me run from it, even though the KJV is my preferred translation.
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Agreed. Myself, I have no problem at all with KJVPREFERRED. The following is something I wrote on the KJVONLY forum some months ago. Needless to say, not many KJVONLYists replied to it....and I VERY much believe that was/is due to inability.



I openly and with no regret or guilt admit that I am opposed to KJVONLYism. I submit that it is a VERY false belief and teaching that has no rational or biblical grounds for existence.

I am also opposed to what it does to those who subscribe to it: The natural result in and to a person of subscribing to the beliefs and claims of KJVONLYism is to personally become part of what can accurately be described as a very rigid, hyper-exclusionary, definitely divisive, disparaging and condemning of others not KJVONLY, and even cult-like group. I am 65 years old, and I have never, ever met a KJVONLYist who did not fulfill this description sooner or later. Not once.

Therefore, I submit that to oppose KJVONLYism may have some parallels to the first century (and others) when Paul and John and others were fighting the gnosticism and Gnostics of their day. (And no, I don't claim to be anywhere near as great as them.) Consider the following things that were true of the Gnostics of their day and are also true of KJVONLYists:

* the claim and belief of having higher, special knowledge and doctrine - "Only the KJV has 'God's words and God's stamp of approval' and therefore only KJV believers are truly enlightened about 'God's truth' and 'the deep things of God';

* the pride, arrogance, elitism and exclusivity of heart and outlook and attitude that naturally flows from the belief and attitude of "WE are the TRUE 'Bible believers'";

* the literal, active looking down on those "not in our special (KJV) club" that naturally flows from that; and judging and denouncing them as
being 'spiritually inferior' or 'carnal', 'unable to see God's truth', 'rejecting God's truth', etceteras, and maybe even seeing non-KJVONLY people as not really Christians at all;

* the causing of confusion and division among Christians that naturally flows from that;

* the segmented biblical attention - KJVONLYists have their special texts that they believe refers to and proves the KJV, like Psalm 12

This isn't all the characteristics of the Gnostics of the first century (or today) by any means, and the true Gnostics back then (and today) had far, far worse false beliefs and teachings than those listed. However, the 5 characteristics of gnosticism and Gnostics that were present back then sure do seem to me to be present in the KJVONLY movement and in KJVONLYists themselves today. So...

What do you think? Are there some parallels between KJVONLYism and Gnosticism?
 
I can see it is indeed rooted in gnosticism. They claim to have a special knowledge, a knowledge that makes the morally and intellectually superior to other Christians, who don't know or either reject these exclusive set of beliefs.

There is another group that KJVO is similar to in some respects, LBGT affirming does have some common ground with the KJVO in that it is a fundamentalism

1. They both believe their issue is a key dividing line between Christians. Those outside it are outside God's will for the church.

2. Both reject Church History and replace it with their own brand of conspiracy theory.

3. Both serve as proxies for acceptable cultural preferences. A KJVO church still looks lost in the 1950's. An LGBT affirming church will not look at you sideways if you talk about the latest foul explicit movie, or you step in there dressed in 'drag'.

4. Both serve as proxies for acceptable doctrines. A KJVO church speaks of rigid roles for men and women. An LGBT church might toss you out if you spoke of complementarianism.

5. Both serve as proxies for acceptable behavior. In a KJV church a member might fall under discipline for drinking a beer or working on sunday. in a LGBT church its anything goes including fornication.

6. Both are rooted in gnosticism. They claim to have a special knowledge that is in accordance with God plan for the Church. Those the refuse to fall in line are somehow evil or out side God plan.

There exists a sharp dividing line between the two though - one is a nuisance and the other is destructive. KJV folks are usually not malicious and I don't believe it is a salvic issue unless their doctrines concerning God gets messed up. But the LGBT stuff is destructive and will pave a path right to hell.
 
Sherman said:
By that I mean members who attend a Baptist congregation? I am a Christian who pretty much blooms where I am planted. My area has 3 Lutheran churches. 1 Catholic, 1 Methodist, and two Pentecostal churches. The Baptist one suited my family's tastes so I settled there.
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What part did doctrine play in your decision?
 
I tend to lean more in the reformed direction which makes the others unsuitable. I have been in pentecostal churches before that they tend to be heavy on the emotion and not have very much substance. I have now recently moved and found an even better Baptist church.
 
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