Baptists as the most harmful sect. Baptistism

Each religion has its own characteristics and fans. One of the directions of Protestant Christianity, Baptistism, is the most popular all over the world. According to his rules, many famous politicians and show business figures were baptized. However, when interested in Baptistism, it is important to remember that it is a sect. We suggest finding out who Baptists are.

Baptists - who are they?

The word "Baptist" comes from "baptizo", which is Greek for "immersion". Thus, Baptism means baptism, which must occur in adulthood by immersion of the body in water. Baptists are followers of one of the directions of Protestant Christianity. Baptistism takes its roots from English Puritanism. It is based on the voluntary baptism of a person with strong convictions and who does not accept sinfulness.

Baptist symbol

All directions of Protestantism have their own symbolism. Supporters of one of the popular beliefs are no exception. The sign of the Baptists is a fish, symbolizing united Christianity. In addition, for representatives of this faith, complete immersion of a person in water is important. Even in ancient times, fish personified Christ. The same image for believers was a lamb.

Baptists - signs

You can understand that a person is a supporter of this belief by knowing that:

Baptists are sectarians. Such people always unite in a community and invite others to come to their meetings and.
For them, the Bible is the only truth where they can find answers to all their questions, both in everyday life and in religion.
The invisible (universe) church is one for all Protestants.
All members of the local community have equal rights.
Only reborn (baptized) people can receive knowledge about Baptism.
There is freedom of conscience for believers and non-believers.
Baptists believe that church and state should be separate.

Baptists - pros and cons

If for an Orthodox Christian the teachings of the Baptists may seem incorrect and completely contrary to the Bible, then there may be those who will be interested in Baptists. The only thing a sect can attract is the unification of people who are not indifferent to you and your problems. That is, having learned who Baptists are, a person may feel that he has found himself in a place where he is truly welcome and is always welcome. Can such good-natured people wish evil and guide you on the wrong path? However, thinking like this, a person moves more and more away from the Orthodox religion.

Baptists and Orthodox - differences

Baptists and Orthodox Christians have much in common. For example, the way Baptists are buried is reminiscent of the funeral of an Orthodox Christian. However, it is important to understand how Baptists differ from Orthodox Christians, because both consider themselves followers of Christ. The following differences are called:

Baptists completely reject Holy Tradition (written documents). They interpret the books of the New and Old Testaments in their own way.
Orthodox believe that a person can be saved if he keeps God’s Commandments, cleanses the soul through church sacraments, and certainly lives piously. Baptists are confident that salvation happened earlier - on Calvary and there is no need to do anything additional. At the same time, it is not so important how righteously a person lives.
Baptists reject the cross, icons and other Christian symbols. For Orthodox Christians, all this is an absolute value.
Supporters of Baptistism reject the Mother of God and do not recognize the saints. For the Orthodox, the Mother of God and the saints are protectors and intercessors for the soul before God.
Baptists, unlike Orthodox Christians, do not have a priesthood.
Supporters of the Baptist movement do not have an organized worship service and therefore they pray in their own words. Orthodox Christians consistently serve the Liturgy.
During baptism, Baptists immerse a person in water once, and Orthodox - three times.

How are Baptists different from Jehovah's Witnesses?

Some believe that Baptists are . However, in reality these two directions have differences:

Baptists believe in God the Father, God the Son and the Holy Spirit, and Jehovah's Witnesses consider Jesus Christ to be the first creation of God, and the Holy Spirit to be the power of Jehovah.
Supporters of Baptistism do not believe that it is necessary to use the name of God Jehovah, but Jehovah's Witnesses believe that the name of God must be mentioned.
Jehovah's Witnesses prohibit their followers from using weapons and serving in the army. Baptists are loyal to this.
Jehovah's Witnesses deny the existence of hell, but Baptists are sure that it exists.

What do Baptists believe?

To distinguish a Baptist from a representative of another denomination, it is important to understand what Baptists preach. For Baptists, the main thing is God's word. They, being Christians, recognize the Bible, although they interpret it in their own way. Easter for Baptists is the main holiday of the year. However, unlike the Orthodox, on this day they do not go to church services, but gather as a community. Representatives of this movement profess the trinity of God - Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Baptists believe that Jesus is the only mediator between people and God.

In their own way they understand the Church of Christ. For them, it is like a kind of community consisting of spiritually reborn people. Anyone whose life has been changed by the gospel can join a local church. For supporters of Baptistism, what is important is not churching, but spiritual birth. They believe that a person must be baptized as an adult. That is, such an act is very important and must be conscious.

What should Baptists not do?

Anyone who is interested in who Baptists are should know what Baptists are afraid of. Such people cannot:

Drinking alcohol. Baptists do not accept alcohol and consider drunkenness to be one of the sins.
Be baptized in infancy or baptize your children and grandchildren. In their opinion, baptism should be a conscious step of an adult.
Take up arms and serve in the army.
Be baptized, wear a cross and venerate icons.
Using too much makeup.
Use protective equipment during intimacy.

How to become a Baptist?

Anyone can become a Baptist. To do this, you need to have a desire and find the same believers who will help you start your path in Baptistism. In this case, you need to know the basic rules of Baptists:

Be baptized as an adult.
Visit the community and receive communion exclusively there.
Do not recognize the divinity of the Mother of God.
Interpret the Bible in your own way.

Why are Baptists dangerous?

Baptistism is dangerous for an Orthodox person for the very reason that Baptists are a sect. That is, they represent a group of people who have their own views on religion and their own beliefs in their correctness. Often, sects use hypnosis or other methods in order to convince a person that they, being with them, are on the right path of salvation. There are frequent cases when sectarians, through fraudulent means, take possession of not only a person’s consciousness, but also his material means. In addition, Baptistism is dangerous because a person will follow the wrong path and move away from the true Orthodox religion.

Baptists - interesting facts

Orthodox and representatives of other religious beliefs are sometimes surprised by certain things, such as, for example, why Baptists have a sauna in their church. Supporters of Baptistism respond that here believers cleanse their bodies of accumulated chemicals that do not allow further spiritual progress. There are many other interesting facts:

There are 42 million Baptists worldwide. Most of them live in America.
There are many well-known political figures among the Baptists.
Baptists recognize two positions in the church hierarchy.
Baptists are great philanthropists.
Baptists do not baptize children.
Some Baptists believe that Jesus atoned for sins only for the elect, and not for all people.
Many famous singers and actors were baptized by Baptist supporters.

Famous Baptists

This belief was and is of interest not only to ordinary people, but even to famous personalities. Many popular people were able to find out who Baptists were through personal experience. There are such celebrity Baptists:

John Bunyan- English writer, author of the book "Pilgrim's Progress".
John Milton- English poet, human rights activist, public figure also became a supporter of the world-famous movement in Protestantism.
Daniel Defoe- is the author of one of the most popular works of world literature, the novel “Robinson Crusoe”.
Martin Luther King- Nobel Peace Prize laureate, ardent fighter for the rights of black slaves in the USA.

Baptists are a sect of peculiarly lost people, which has nothing to do with the Church of Christ and the salvation of God. They, like all sectarians and heretics, study the Bible incorrectly, falsely and erroneously. Turning to them and communicating with them is a sin that causes grave harm to the soul. This is what is considered in Orthodoxy. Why? Let's try to answer this question.

Baptists are a Protestant sect that appeared in 1633 in England. Initially, its representatives were called “brothers”, then “baptized Christians” or “Baptists” (Baptisto from Greek means immerse), sometimes “Catabaptists”. The head of the sect, at its inception and initial formation, was John Smith, and in North America, where a significant part of the followers of this sect soon moved, was Roger William. But here and there the heretics soon divided into two, and then into several factions. The process of this division continues to this day, due to the extreme individualism of the sect, which tolerates neither obligatory symbols and symbolic books, nor administrative tutelage. The only symbol recognized by all Baptists is the apostolic symbol.

The main points of their teaching are the recognition of Holy Scripture as the only source of doctrine and the rejection of the baptism of children; Instead of baptizing children, blessing them is practiced. Baptism, according to the teachings of Baptists, is valid only after the awakening of personal faith, and without it it is unthinkable and has no force. Hence, baptism, according to their teaching, is only an external sign of confession of a person already “internally converted” to God, and in the action of baptism the divine side of it is completely removed - God’s participation in the sacrament is eliminated, and the sacrament itself is relegated to the category of simple human actions. The general character of their discipline is Calvinistic.

According to their structure and management, they are divided into separate independent communities, or congregations (hence their other name - congregationalists); moral restraint is placed above doctrine. The basis of their entire teaching and structure is the principle of unconditional freedom of conscience. In addition to the sacrament of baptism, they also recognize communion. Although marriage is not recognized as a sacrament, its blessing is considered necessary and, moreover, through the elders or generally officials of the community. The moral requirements from members are strict. The apostolic church is set as a model for the community as a whole. Forms of disciplinary action: public admonition and excommunication. The mysticism of the sect is expressed in the predominance of feeling over reason in the matter of faith; in matters of doctrine, extreme liberalism predominates. Baptistism is internally homogeneous.

His teaching is based on the doctrine of Luther and Calvin about predestination. Baptism differs from pure Lutheranism by its consistent and unconditional implementation of the basic tenets of Lutheranism about the Church, the Holy Scriptures and salvation, as well as hostility towards Orthodoxy and the Orthodox Church, and an even greater tendency towards Judaism and anarchy than in Lutheranism.

They lack a clear teaching about the Church. They deny the Church and the church hierarchy, making themselves guilty of the judgment of God: Matthew 18: 17 If he does not listen to them, tell the church; and if he does not listen to the church, then let him be to you as a pagan and a tax collector.

So, historians date the emergence of Baptistism to the beginning of the 17th century. At this time, part of the radical wing of the Puritans, representatives of English Calvinism, came to the conclusion that infant baptism “does not correspond” to the New Testament and therefore one must be baptized at a conscious age. The head of this community, John Smith, baptized himself (by pouring water on his forehead), and then his supporters. It is curious that Roger Williams, the founder of the first Baptist community in the USA, also baptized himself (although, according to another version, he was first baptized by a member of the community, who was obviously not baptized himself, and only then Williams baptized everyone else). These facts can be used for polemics with Baptists - is it possible to justify self-baptism with the Bible? In this regard, we can also use the fact that the most popular Baptist preacher of the 20th century, American Billy Graham, was baptized three times! He was first baptized as a child in the Presbyterian Church, then Baptist as an adult, but then he became a member of the conservative Southern Baptist Convention, and according to the rules of that denomination, even those baptized in other Baptist groups are baptized. Ask Baptists to clarify whether baptizing the same person three times is justified by the Bible? Let's say that baptism in childhood is invalid for Baptists, but Graham was baptized twice consciously in different Baptist groups! At first, Baptistism was not particularly popular, since the Protestant world was dominated by representatives of “liturgical Protestantism” - Lutherans and Calvinists. In essence, Baptistism was a radical wing of Calvinism, and on most fundamental issues adhered to strict Calvinist positions. For example, they adhered to the doctrine of double predestination - the dogma that God, even before the creation of the world, without any reason, decided to save some people and send others to hell. In our country, Baptists appeared at the end of the 19th century and were often associated with the activities of foreign missionaries.

The first surge in the popularity of Baptists occurred during the years of Soviet power - 1917-1927, which Baptists themselves call the “golden decade”. At this time, the Soviet government was trying with all its might to destroy Orthodoxy, but Baptists were treated noticeably more liberally, since it was considered to have suffered from the “tsarist regime.” However, from the late 20s, persecution of Baptists also began. The next surge of Baptist activity in our country occurred in the late 80s - early 90s. The Protestant missionary expansion of the 90s increased the number of Baptists in our country several times.

Controversy with Baptists

Baptists, like other neo-Protestants (Adventists and Pentecostals), like to emphasize their own religiosity and spirituality, in contrast to the Orthodox, who, in their opinion, are for the most part non-believers and generally lost sinners. Here we must immediately make a reservation that in our country in post-Soviet times a specific situation has developed when the vast majority of people call themselves Orthodox, but in reality they are not, therefore it is completely incorrect to judge Orthodoxy by them. Any religion must be judged by the people who actually profess it. Yes, the Orthodox have many sins, and one cannot help but see this, but we do not propose to judge Baptists by pop singers, alcoholic Britney Spears and drug addict Whitney Houston, or by presidents, adulterer Bill Clinton, who actively lobbied for gay rights, or Harry Truman, who ordered the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, which immediately killed about 200,000 people. But all these people were raised in the Baptist spirit and never (at least publicly) renounced their faith. So let's compare those who are considered models of piety in one or another confession.

Note that Baptists, like American evangelicals in general, read several chapters from the Bible every day, and usually know at least several hundred verses by heart. Consequently, the Orthodox must not yield to them in this. Here it is worth recognizing that reading the Holy Scriptures in the Orthodox environment, alas, is often not a daily activity - although this is not prohibited by the Church, but, on the contrary, is approved by it. Of course, for the Orthodox, the interpretation of Scripture is mediated by Tradition, and Baptists believe that they interpret the Bible directly, and in this case there is a reason to talk about the status of Scripture in Orthodoxy and neo-Protestantism. Baptists often say that the Bible alone is sufficient for salvation - in which case, ask them how this is justified by the Bible itself? The words of Christ “man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God,” which Baptists usually cite as evidence, do not prove anything, and the thesis “Scripture alone” cannot be accurately derived from them.

After all, the Baptists did not take their interpretations directly from the Bible; Jesus did not appear to each of them face to face and dictate which interpretation of Scripture was true. Baptists borrowed their interpretations from the sermons of the pastor, certain books of their own tradition, as well as from their own experience and the experience of their fellow believers. If we go to any Baptist bookstore, most of the books there will not be editions of the Holy Scriptures, but books reflecting the spiritual experience of American evangelicals, or their Russian brethren (the latter, however, are much smaller). Consequently, Baptists also have their own sacred tradition, only it covers not the experience of the Church over 2000 years, but the experience of radical Protestants over the last 400 years. Thus, the difference between Orthodoxy and Baptistism is not the difference between Tradition and Scripture, but the difference between Tradition and traditions.

As a rule, Baptists agree that they have tradition, but at the same time they say: but the Scriptures are more important than tradition. It all depends on what you mean by tradition. Of course, the Orthodox do not equate the status of the books of Scripture with, for example, the status of the works of the Church Fathers. The Bible as the word of God is infallible. However, for the Orthodox, Scripture is part of Tradition, i.e. continuous church experience of communion with God. The Church's communion with God existed even when there were no books of Scripture. But even now, when there are books of Scripture, communion with God exists not only on the pages of the Bible, it is characteristic of the Church everywhere and always. Otherwise, where would Scripture itself and its true interpretations come from? Baptists often say that the Church is not needed for salvation - Scripture alone is enough, which supposedly gave birth to the Church. But who created the Scriptures? Obviously, members of the Church. Ask Baptists: How do we know that the Bible should include exactly the books that are included in it today? Why do the Orthodox include 77 books, and the Baptists - 66?

Did Christ or the apostles say anything about this? No. We will not see in the Bible itself any list of canonical or non-canonical books. Some books of the Bible are not quoted anywhere else in its other books, or never mention the Name of God (eg, Song of Songs). What are the rational criteria for recognizing certain books as biblical? It is clear that there are no such criteria - the criterion here is only in the inspiration of the Church of Christ. In the same way, it can be shown to Baptists that all their external criteria for the correct interpretation of the Bible are easily destroyed: for example, the principle that the darker passages of the Bible are interpreted by means of the “clearer” ones. But who will decide which parts of the Bible are clear and which are not? Different confessions address this issue in different ways: for Catholics it is obvious that the Bible speaks of purgatory, for Calvinists it is clear that salvation cannot be lost, and for Pentecostals there is no doubt that the Bible “permits” speaking in tongues. After all, neither the prophets, nor Christ, nor the apostles said which fragments of the Bible are “clear” and which are “dark” - it all depends on the subjective choice of one or another Protestant denomination. This means that the true interpretation of the Bible is not ensured by compliance with certain logical rules - grace is necessary, poured out by God through the Church.

Otherwise, we will get the “chaos of interpretations” that we see in Protestant confessions. Ask your interlocutor - where does this chaos of opinions come from, often on very important issues? This only demonstrates that quotations from the Bible by themselves do not prove anything - fragments from the books of Holy Scripture can be cited to support many, even completely opposite positions. And vice versa, the same verse can be interpreted in exactly the opposite way, say, the words of Christ “let the children come to me” for the Orthodox serve as an argument in favor of infant baptism, i.e. children are not alien to the action of grace, but for Baptists this is an argument that children, even without baptism, are not alien to God, since they have a different view of the meaning of baptism. Of course, an Orthodox Christian should know those quotations from the Bible that are given in defense of Orthodox teaching (they can easily be learned from books like the “Anti-Sectarian Catechism” by the priest Nicholas of Varzhansky), but it should be remembered that these quotations as such will not be so conclusive for Baptists. At best, they will convince your opponent that you are as familiar with the Bible as he is.

It must be borne in mind that, despite good knowledge of the biblical text, the vast majority of Baptists have a poor understanding of the history of the Church, or even, for example, the history of the Reformation. That is why among Baptists they want such fakes as, for example, the film “For the Orthodox about Orthodoxy”, which in terms of the level of lies is quite comparable to Dan Brown’s “The Da Vinci Code”, and in its intellectual narrowness is somewhat reminiscent of Soviet atheistic propaganda. In this situation, it is necessary to remind Baptists that Christ promised that His Church will always exist, its existence in history is continuous (see Matt. 16, 18). However, Baptistism appeared only in the 17th century, and many of its doctrines were not known during the first 15 centuries of Christian history - was the Church, contrary to Christ's words, mistaken in fundamental matters of faith for 1500 years?! Your interlocutor will most likely say that the Church was not mistaken in the dogmas about the Trinity and the God-manhood of Christ, and the rest, they say, does not matter. But how does it matter when Baptists accuse the Orthodox of idolatry and paganism? If they are “serious”, then how can one trust such a Church at all? But it was the Church that approved the New Testament canon, it was she who defended the truth of the Trinity of God and the doctrine of the Incarnation in the fight against heretics. How could the “pagans and idolaters” do this?! Conclusion - the Church remained the Body of Christ all this time.

Finally, Baptists profess the doctrine of salvation by faith alone, but it was not known to Christians until Martin Luther, i.e. until the 16th century. Luther himself considered it the most important dogma of Christianity. It turns out that the Church of 15 centuries did not understand at all how a person is saved? So, the gates of hell defeated her? And here you can draw the attention of your interlocutor to the person who first began to talk about salvation by faith. As you know, Martin Luther was far from a saint - he constantly cursed his opponents in the most obscene terms, proposed exterminating Jews and killing German peasants. Can we believe that it was this man who, for the first time in 15 centuries, correctly understood the doctrine of salvation? Another leader of the Reformation, Calvin (and Baptistism grew out of his teachings and still adheres to many doctrines associated with Calvin), persecuted dissenters in Geneva as best he could, not even stopping at the death penalty. Of course, many crimes could also be committed in the name of Orthodoxy. But here we are talking about people who laid the fundamental foundations of Protestant dogma - after all, all Protestants, despite many disagreements, still believe in salvation by faith. And if the people who “discovered” this dogma are like that, then how can you continue to listen to their opinion, passing it off as evidence of Scripture?

The defense of the Orthodox doctrine of salvation in a dispute with Baptists can be structured as follows:

1. Emphasize that the words of St. Apostle, beloved by Protestants. Paul about “justification by faith” (Rom. 3:28) mean that a person is saved independently of “the works of the law,” i.e. Old Testament law. The apostle speaks only against “earning salvation”, relying on works, but he nowhere claims that a person does not participate in his salvation. Ap. James, on the contrary, emphasizes that faith without works is dead.

2. Christ's parable of the sower insists that although people can believe in Christ, they regularly fall away from the faith and do not bear fruit, i.e. salvation depends on man, and he can either accept it or reject it. But even after accepting this gift, he then often rejects it, therefore, there can be no talk of guaranteed salvation.

3. Christ’s words that the believer is saved are spoken by him either after healing, and therefore do not have the meaning of eternal salvation, or it is implied that the believer is a person living by Christ, and not just mentally accepting Him, i.e. salvation depends on works.

4. The Bible (both the Old and New Testaments) is full of calls to constantly repent, consider yourself a sinner and keep the commandments. What would be the point if salvation were immediately guaranteed without the possibility of losing it?

5. Russian Baptists admit that salvation can still be lost, but ask them - are you sure that you are saved? They will say “yes, let’s go to heaven right now.” This means that they are sure that, despite their sins, they will still be in heaven, i.e. You can sin, but this does not affect your guaranteed salvation and does not lead to falling away?

6. Baptists claim that at the very first moment of turning to God, when they accepted Christ as a “personal Savior” (pay attention to this expression - the Church has nothing to do with it, God saves everyone one by one), God forgave them all their sins, and therefore, although they sin, their sins are not such for God. The question arises: firstly, how can all sins be forgiven in advance? Of course, nothing is impossible for God, but the doctrine according to which you are forgiven sins that have not yet been committed, for which you have not repented, looks very strange! It turns out that God forgives in advance uncommitted murders, thefts, and adulteries? But then you can safely sin! Of course, Baptists will not be able to draw such an absurd conclusion, but does this not mean that their original doctrine is incorrect? If a student is told before starting his studies that he is guaranteed a diploma with honors, and his studies will have virtually no effect on this, will he study with full diligence?

7. If salvation does not depend on man (and this is what the doctrine of salvation by faith advocates), then Baptists, like other Protestants, have only one way out - the doctrine of strict predestination. This means that God does not want to save everyone for reasons incomprehensible to us. Can Baptists believe in a God who is love, but not for everyone, but only for the elect?

It is important for the Orthodox to clarify that the Church has never believed that salvation can be “earned.” Orthodoxy has never believed that a person can have “merits” before God. The Roman Catholic Church was inclined towards this, but in Orthodoxy, for example, there were no indulgences. Orthodox Christians do not believe in merit, but in the fact that a person interacts with God in the process of salvation and freely participates in his own salvation. And therefore, you cannot be sure in advance that you will be in heaven - a person can fall away from God at any moment. Yes, salvation is by grace - Orthodox and Baptists agree here, but mercy is always unobtrusive and non-violent, and it does not save if you don’t want it. And in order to dispose a person to grace, to drive out sin, certain “exercises” are necessary, which in themselves do not save, but with the help of God they turn out to be useful (hence fasting in Orthodoxy and other “asceticism”). The Baptist does not need this, since the doctrine of instant salvation believes that sin has already been cast out and will no longer annoy you. The Orthodox remember the words of the Apostle: “If we say that we have no sin, the truth is not in us.”

Baptists often raise the issue of venerating saints and icons, accusing the Orthodox of paganism and idolatry. In this case, the Orthodox should immediately ask: has the Baptist read in at least one Orthodox book calls to worship wood and pray to paints? Does he seriously think the Orthodox are so stupid? Make a reservation that we are arguing about the actual position of Orthodoxy, and not about the “opinions of grandmothers.” It is also necessary to clarify that the commandment “thou shalt not make for yourself an idol” also presupposes that one must not make “any images,” but for some reason Baptists easily violate this clause and depict Christ or biblical events.

Here it is necessary to explain how the Orthodox differentiate between veneration, which belongs to the icon (image) and worship, which is due only to God (the prototype). We wait only for God for salvation, but He gives it to us through the Church, through His saints and His shrines. He doesn’t need this type of salvation—we need it. In the Bible we see that people are saved through people. Don't Baptists read the Scriptures that have come down to us through His saints—God didn't dictate the Gospel to them directly. In the same way, we see God saving people through material shrines, such as the ark and the temple, as in the Old Testament. Baptists say: “But in the New Testament there are no direct commands to paint icons!” Not really. But there are also no direct commands to celebrate Easter and Christmas, and there are also no hymns from the Baptist collection. It’s just that all Christians understand: what is acceptable is what is not prescribed by letter, but corresponds to the spirit. So the veneration of shrines corresponds to the Christian spirit. Man consists of soul and body, therefore it is natural for him to be sanctified through material shrines. Hence the temple, icons, water in baptism, bread and wine in communion, hence the ritual - through material things we show the beauty of the Heavenly Kingdom. Where rituals have been abandoned, the service is simply boring. It's like New Year without a Christmas tree, sparklers and gifts - in black suits and with gloomy faces.

In the Old Testament, believers knelt before the ark and the temple; today Christians kneel before icons. When Baptists ask, isn't this idolatry? - ask them, if a young man knelt in front of a girl, declaring his love for her, is this idolatry? Are American Protestants who kneel before their country's flag and kiss it committing idolatry? Or do they just love their homeland? Why is it possible to kneel in front of the US flag, but not in front of the icon of Christ?

As for prayers to the saints, Baptists must immediately be told that the Orthodox do not believe in certain “merits” of saints, they do not deify them, and do not put them on the same level as Christ. Any prayer to the saints is a prayer to Christ. We ask the saints to pray to our Lord so that He will help us with His grace, and not the saints help us with some of their own magical powers. Let's ask the Baptists - do you ask your fellow believers to pray for you, realizing that your prayers alone are not enough, because you are far from being as holy as Christ? In the Church, everyone prays for each other, and everyone asks each other for prayers. The Orthodox simply claim that this prayerful connection between members of the Church is not interrupted even when the saints find themselves in heaven - thanks to Christ, thanks to the fact that we are one body in Christ, the saints pray for us in heaven, and can hear our prayers addressed to him on earth, which is confirmed by the entire history of the Church. If Baptists are confident that a mother’s prayer for her children has great power before God, and they ask their mothers to pray for them, then why do they deny this to the Mother of Christ Himself? These are the ones whose prayers are strong before God, stronger than any mother on earth.

It is very important to discuss the issue of the Sacraments with Baptists. You can limit yourself to only baptism and communion. The main disagreement is this: Baptists do not need the sacraments for salvation. This is their delusion. After all, if baptism and communion are not necessary for our salvation, then why should we be baptized and receive communion at all? Christ commanded us to baptize all nations and give communion to everyone, but according to Baptism we can easily do without this. Does this mean that Christ commanded nonsense? Baptists say that the main thing is faith. Yes, faith, but faith presupposes that we believe that Christ commanded us to perform baptism and communion for our sanctification and salvation, otherwise it turns out that our faith is absurd. Believe that baptism and communion will not affect your salvation in any way, believe that they are only signs - this is the Baptist creed! In connection with this understanding, it is difficult for Baptists to understand why we baptize children, because a child cannot “indicate” that he is already saved. But the Orthodox have a different meaning - in baptism a person is given grace for liberation from sin, giving birth to eternal life. Baptists will not argue for long that children are not strangers to God’s grace and need salvation, but then why not baptize them with a baptism of grace? For Orthodox Christians, baptism is a healing medicine. Would Baptists be willing to give their child medicine when he is sick, even though the child does not know what he is sick with or how the medicine works? This is why the Orthodox advocate infant baptism.

Likewise with the sacrament. Just eating bread and drinking wine, remembering the suffering of Christ - this is important, of course. Only then is it better to read the Gospel. But to commune with Christ Himself is necessary for salvation, because if we are not one with Christ, then how will we enter heaven with Him? Simple bread and wine will not save anyone - only the Body and Blood of the Lord Himself. So communion is appropriate only if it is a saving sacrament, and not just a “rite of breaking bread,” in which Christ, in fact, is not present. Where the saving sacraments have disappeared, we see a dull service, pop music and very bad poetry. Did the Lord really come down to earth to give birth to only this?

Prot. Nikolai Varzhansky. Anti-sectarian catechism. - M., 2001.
Spiritual sword. – Krasnodar, 1995.
Deacon Andrey Kuraev. Protestants about Orthodoxy. Heritage of Christ. 10th edition. – Klin, 2009.
Priest Daniil Sysoev. A Protestant's walk through an Orthodox church. – M., 2003.
Deacon Sergius Kobzar. Why can’t I remain a Baptist and a Protestant in general. – Slavyansk, 2002.
Deacon John Whiteford. Scripture alone? – Nizhny Novgorod, 2000.

They are called Baptists. The name comes from the word baptize, which is translated from Greek as “to dip”, “to baptize by immersing in water.” According to this teaching, one must be baptized not in infancy, but at a conscious age by immersion in consecrated water. In a word, a Baptist is a Christian who consciously accepts his faith. He believes that a person's salvation lies in wholehearted faith in Christ.

History of origin

Baptist communities began to form in the early seventeenth century in Holland, but their founders were not Dutch, but English Congregationalists who were forced to flee to the mainland to avoid persecution by the Church of England. And so, in the second decade of the 17th century, namely in 1611, a new Christian teaching was formulated for the English, who, by the will of fate, lived in the capital of the Netherlands - Amsterdam. A year later, the Baptist Church was founded in England. At the same time, the first community professing this faith arose. Later, in 1639, the first Baptists appeared in North America. This sect became widespread in the New World, especially in the USA. Every year the number of its adherents grew with incredible speed. Over time, evangelical Baptists also spread throughout the world: to the countries of Asia and Europe, Africa and Australia, well, and both Americas. By the way, during the American Civil War, most black slaves accepted this faith and became its ardent followers.

Spread of Baptistism in Russia

Until the 70s of the 19th century, people in Russia practically did not know who Baptists were. What kind of faith unites people who call themselves this way? The first community of adherents of this faith appeared in St. Petersburg, its members called themselves Evangelical Christians. Baptistism came here from Germany along with foreign masters, architects and scientists invited by the Russian Tsars Alexei Mikhailovich and Peter Alekseevich. This movement was most widespread in the Tauride, Kherson, Kyiv, and Ekaterinoslav provinces. Later it reached Kuban and Transcaucasia.

The first Baptist in Russia was Nikita Isaevich Voronin. He was baptized in 1867. Baptistism and evangelicalism are very close to each other, but they are nevertheless considered two separate directions in Protestantism, and in 1905, in the Northern capital, their adherents created the Union of Evangelists and the Union of Baptists. In the first years of Soviet power, attitudes towards any religious movements became prejudiced, and Baptists had to go underground. However, during the Patriotic War, both Baptists and evangelicals again became more active and united, creating the Union of Evangelical Christian Baptists of the USSR. After the war, they were joined by the Pentecostal sect.

Baptist ideas

The main aspiration in life for adherents of this faith is service to Christ. The Baptist Church teaches that one must live in harmony with the world, but be not of this world, that is, obey earthly laws, but honor only Jesus Christ with one’s heart. The basis of Baptistism, which emerged as a radical Protestant bourgeois movement, is the principle of individualism. Baptists believe that a person's salvation depends only on the individual himself, and that the church cannot be a mediator between him and God. The only true source of faith is the Gospel - the Holy Scripture, only in it can you find answers to all questions and, by following all the commandments, all the rules contained in this holy book, you can save your soul. Every Baptist is sure of this. This is an undeniable truth for him. All of them do not recognize church sacraments and holidays, and do not believe in the miraculous power of icons.

Baptism in Baptistism

Adherents of this faith undergo the rite of baptism not in infancy, but in adulthood, since a Baptist is a believer who is fully aware of why he needs baptism and treats it as a spiritual rebirth. In order to become a member of the community and be baptized, candidates must later go through repentance at a prayer meeting. The baptism process includes immersion in water, followed by the ceremony of breaking bread.

These two rituals symbolize faith in spiritual union with the Savior. Unlike the Orthodox and Catholic churches, which consider baptism a sacrament, that is, a means of salvation, for Baptists this step demonstrates conviction in the correctness of their religious views. Only after a person fully understands the depth of faith, only then will he have the right to go through the rite of baptism and become one of the members of the Baptist community. The spiritual leader performs this ritual, helping his ward to plunge into the water, only after he was able to go through all the tests and convince members of the community of the inviolability of his faith.

Baptist attitudes

According to this teaching, the sinfulness of the world outside the community is inevitable. Therefore, they advocate strict adherence to moral standards. The Evangelical Christian Baptist should completely abstain from the use of alcoholic beverages, the use of curses and curses, etc. Mutual support, modesty and responsiveness are encouraged. All members of the community should take care of each other and help those in need. One of the main responsibilities of every Baptist is to convert dissenters to their faith.

Baptist creed

In 1905, the First World Convention of Baptist Christians took place in London. On it, the Symbol of the Apostolic Faith was established as the basis of the doctrine. The following principles were also adopted:

1. Only people who have been baptized can be adherents of the Church, that is, an Evangelical Christian Baptist is a spiritually reborn person.

2. The Bible is the only truth, in it you can find answers to any questions, it is an infallible and unshakable authority both in matters of faith and in practical life.

3. The universal (invisible) church is one for all Protestants.

4. The knowledge of Baptism and the Lord's Vespers are taught only to baptized, that is, regenerated people.

5. Local communities are independent in practical and spiritual matters.

6. All members of the local community have equal rights. This means that even an ordinary Baptist is a member of the community who has the same rights as a preacher or spiritual leader. By the way, the early Baptists were against it, but today they themselves create something like ranks within their church.

7. For everyone - both believers and non-believers - there is freedom of conscience.

8. Church and state must be separated from each other.

Members of evangelical congregations gather several times a week to listen to a sermon on a particular topic. Here are some of them:

About suffering.
Heavenly mess.
What is holiness?
Life is in victory and abundance.
Can you listen?
Evidence of the Resurrection.
The secret of family happiness.
The first ever breaking of bread, etc.

Listening to the sermon, adherents of the faith try to find answers to the questions that tormented them. Anyone can read a sermon, but only after special preparation, acquiring sufficient knowledge and skills in order to speak publicly in front of a large group of fellow believers. The main worship service for Baptists is held weekly, on Sunday. The community sometimes meets on weekdays to pray, study, and discuss information found in the Bible. The service takes place in several stages: sermon, singing, instrumental music, reading of poems on spiritual themes, as well as retelling of biblical stories.

Baptist holidays

Followers of this church movement or sect, as it is commonly called in our country, have their own special calendar of holidays. Every Baptist reveres them sacredly. This is a list that consists of both general Christian holidays and solemn days unique to this church. Below is their complete list.

Any Sunday is the day of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
The first Sunday of each month according to the calendar is the day of breaking bread.
Christmas.
Baptism.
Meeting of the Lord.
Annunciation.
Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem.
Holy Thursday.
Resurrection (Easter).
Ascension.
Pentecost (the descent of the Holy Spirit on the apostles).
Transfiguration.
Harvest Festival (exclusively Baptist holiday).
Unity Day (celebrated since 1945 in memory of the unification of evangelists and Baptists).
New Year.

World Famous Baptists

The followers of this religious movement, which has spread in more than 100 countries of the world, not only Christian, but also Muslim, and even Buddhist, are also world-famous writers, poets, public figures, etc.

For example, the Baptists were the English writer (Bunyan), who is the author of the book "The Pilgrim's Progress"; the great civil rights activist, John Milton; Daniel Defoe is the author of one of the most famous works of world literature - the adventure novel "Robinson Crusoe"; Martin Luther King, who was an ardent fighter for the rights of black slaves in the United States. In addition, major businessmen the Rockefeller brothers were Baptists.

Some even ask what is the difference between Baptists and Christians. Unfortunately, the atheistic propaganda of the Soviet Union left its mark on the hearts and minds of people, and very little attention is paid to issues of faith. That is why such questions arise. Who are Baptists, and how do they differ from Christians... It’s funny for any knowledgeable person to hear such questions. Because Baptists are Christians. Because a Christian is a person who believes in Christ, recognizes Him as God and the Son of God, and also believes in God the Father and the Holy Spirit. Baptists have all this and, moreover, they share a common apostolic creed with the Orthodox, and the Baptist Bible is no different from the Orthodox Bible, because the same synodal translation is used. But there really are differences, otherwise they would not be called Baptists.

The first difference between Baptists and Orthodox Christians lies in the very name of this branch of Christianity.

Baptist - comes from the Greek baptizo, which means to baptize, to immerse. And Baptists, based on the Holy Scriptures, perform baptism only at a conscious age. Infant baptism is not performed. Baptists take the basis for this from the following texts of the Bible:

“So now we also have a baptism similar to this image, not the washing of carnal uncleanness,
but the promise of a good conscience to God saves through the resurrection of Jesus Christ” - 1
Pet. 3:21.

“Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature. Who will believe and
be baptized, he will be saved” - Mr. 16:15-16; Acts 2:38, 41, 22:16.

Water baptism according to the Word of God is performed on those who believe in Jesus
as his personal Savior and experienced being born again. You can read what being born again is in the Gospel of John in the third chapter. But the point is that a person must believe in God and then be baptized. And not the other way around, as is done in Orthodoxy. Because Baptism, according to Baptists, is not only a sacrament, but also a promise, which is also written about in the Bible Pet. 3:21. .

“Behold, water: what prevents me from being baptized?.. If you believe with all your heart, you can. He answered and said: I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. And he ordered
stop the chariot: and both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water; and baptized him” - Acts. 8:36-38, 2:41, 8:12, 10:47, 18:8, 19:5.
Baptism is performed by ministers through immersion in water in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
“Go therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit” - Matt. 28:19.
The believer's baptism symbolizes his death, burial and resurrection with Christ.
“Do you not know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, so that, like Christ,
raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we also walk in newness of life. For if we are united with Him in the likeness of His death, then we must also be united
likeness of the resurrection” - Rom. 6:3-5; Gal. 3:26-27; Col. 2:11-12. When performing baptism, the minister asks questions to the person being baptized: “Do you believe,
that Jesus Christ is the Son of God? Do you promise to serve God in a good conscience?” - Acts 8:37; 1 Pet. 3:21. After an affirmative answer from the person being baptized, he
says: “According to your faith, I baptize you in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.” The person being baptized pronounces the word “Amen” together with the minister.

The second difference between Baptists and Orthodox. Icons and saints.

If you have been to Baptist Houses of Prayer, you have probably noticed that there are no icons there. The walls may be decorated with gospel paintings, but no one prays to them. Why?

Theological debates in this area have been going on for centuries. But the most reasonable argument of the Baptists is that the icons depict saints. Saints are not God, but people. People cannot be omnipresent like God, who fills the entire Earth with the Holy Spirit. And when a person turns to another righteous person who has lived a righteous life and even performed miracles and may be in heaven, then how does the prayer get to the saint? God, who is Omnipresent, will hand it over to a saint, so that this saint, for example, Nicholas the saint, will then hand it over to God again!? Not logical. But few people think about how prayer gets to the saint. Also, few people think about whether prayer to a saint is communication with the deceased, which is prohibited in the Bible. The Orthodox respond to this by saying that everyone is alive with the Lord. Well, yes, they are alive. and those who are alive in hell, and those who are alive in heaven. Why did the Lord give the ban then?! It turns out that the Orthodox are violating God’s prohibition. This is the difference. Therefore, Baptists do not pray to the saints who are depicted on icons. Baptists pray only to one God, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, and there is no sin in this, even from the point of view of the Orthodox.

The third difference between the Orthodox and the Baptists.

Baptists do not drink alcohol. There is no direct prohibition on this in their teaching. But such a tradition has developed, in order to differ from the sinful world and not allow the possibility of sin, Baptists preach abstinence from alcoholic beverages, smoking, drugs and other addictions. “Everything is permissible for me, but nothing should possess me,” said the Apostle Paul. And the Baptists are great in this regard.

The fourth difference.

Baptists do not perform funeral services for the dead. And they believe that if a person died and did not repent, then only God decides his future fate. In Orthodoxy, in this regard, the mentality of the Russian people is very well reflected, where God can send even a sinful person to heaven if the priest prays. Baptists are inclined to personal responsibility in their worldview and, again, based on the Holy Scriptures, the story of the thief on the cross and the story of the rich man and Lazarus, they conclude that God instantly decides the fate of the human soul and no funeral service will help if the person himself has not repented , then no amount of nepotism will work.

The fifth difference between Baptists and Orthodox Christians.

Community.

Baptists are more inclined than Orthodox to establish close church ties and communication. Brothers communicate in brotherly communication, sisters in sisterly communication, youth in youth communication, children in children's communication, and so on. Staying in fellowship is one of the characteristics of Baptists, which helps them learn about each other’s needs and help them solve everyday and spiritual problems that arise. A Baptist church is somewhat similar to an Orthodox monastery. Any believer in Christ who joins the Baptist church can join and become part of the community, find friends, serve God and support from brothers and sisters.

The sixth difference is Divine service.

For Baptists, worship, meaning Sunday worship, is held differently than for Orthodox Christians.

Of course there is also prayer, singing and preaching. Only now the prayer to God is made in understandable Russian, and not in Old Church Slavonic. The singing is almost the same, maybe choral, maybe universal. But it can be solo or trio. And maybe during the service a poem is recited or a testimony from life is told about how God works. Special attention is paid to the sermon so that a person does not leave the church empty. Baptists do not make the sign of the cross, although they have nothing against it.

The seventh difference between the Orthodox and the Baptists is the veneration of relics.

Baptists respect the dead righteous, but do not make their remains objects of worship, because they do not find examples of such worship in the Bible. Yes, they say, there is a case in the Bible when, during the death of Christ, a young man who died was resurrected from contact with the bones of the prophet. But Christ resurrected 2000 years ago. And nowhere is there a commandment to worship the bones of dead people. But it is written that only God should be worshiped and served. Therefore, Baptists refrain from such dubious practices, considering them to be relics of paganism that entered the church from ancestors who were forcibly baptized.

These are the main differences that immediately catch the eye; there are others, but they are less interesting for the common person. And if anyone is interested, you can look at the Baptist or Orthodox website.

Who are Baptists

Who are Baptists? Baptists are Protestant Christians. The name comes from the Greek word words“βάπτισμα”, which is baptism from βαπτίζω - “I immerse in water,” that is, “I baptize.” Literally, Baptists are baptized people.

Christianity has many faces, just like the many faces of the people living on earth. Only in the time of Jesus Christ was there no disagreement between people among his followers. Or rather, they were, but Jesus resolved them with his word. Then the time came for Christ to leave the earthly world and ascend to the Father. But Jesus did not leave Christians alone and sent the Holy Spirit, who lives in the hearts of believers. For the first three centuries, Christianity held on. There were no baptisms of children, there were no icons, there were no statues. Christianity was persecuted and was not up to the splendor of the poor wounded church, which kept the faith and the Word of the Lord. Through the centuries the church has carried the undistorted Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. God kept his word.

How did the Baptists appear?

But people remain people. People are different from people. And Christianity, spreading across the face of the earth, absorbed the customs and traditions of peoples who believed in Christ, but did not completely abandon their former customs and rituals. And they came up with something that was not in the Bible. In the West, indulgences, a kind of pass to heaven, were sold for money. The Pope was mired in debauchery and burdened himself with secular power. In the east, as well as in the west, the Word of God became far from the language of the people to whom it was spoken. Hebrew, Latin and Greek were considered sacred languages; the Russian Orthodox Church won the right to serve in Old Church Slavonic. But he was also incomprehensible to people. People's ignorance and ignorance of God's word allowed the priests to retain the right to read and interpret the scriptures as they pleased, which led to the emergence of something that was not in the Bible. This went on for a long time. Until one monk, having studied the languages in which the Bible was written, decided to resist the desecration of the church. He wrote down as many as 95 outrageous points on which the church departed from the Bible. And he nailed them to the doors of the church, believed to be in Witenberg. He translated the Bible into German. People outraged by the impunity of the official church followed him. Thus began the reformation of the church. Then the Bible was translated into English and French. The state church brutally resisted people's desire to read the Bible in their native language. In each state, churches essentially reminiscent of Baptists arose. in France, they were called Huguenots. Have you heard about St. Bartholomew's Night? 30,000 Protestants were killed for their faith. In England, persecution of Protestants also began.

Baptists in Russia

But everything comes to Russia late. Peter was the first to try to translate the Bible into Russian. But the Pastor who translated the Bible died under mysterious circumstances. And the translation matter was frozen. Alexander the first resumed translation. Several books of the New Testament and several books of the Old Testament were translated. The translation became popular among the people and was banned for fear of shaking the political atmosphere in the country, since the translation of the Bible could lead to people moving away from Orthodoxy, which was the connecting element of Russian statehood. Translation in other countries occurred several centuries ago. For example, Luther, in Germany, translated the Bible in 1521. In 1611 in England it was translated into English by King James. In Russia, translation was not allowed to develop. Alexander II resumed the translation. And only in 1876 the people received the Bible in Russian!!! Friends, please think about these numbers!!! 1876!! It's almost the 20th century!! The people did not know what they believed in! The people did not read the Bible. Keeping people ignorant for so long was stupid and sinful. When people began to read the Bible, Russian Protestants naturally arose. They were not brought from abroad and were first called “Orthodox living according to the gospel,” but they were excommunicated from the church. But they organized themselves into communities and began to be called Evangelical Christians. The evangelical movement grew, people turned to God. And as in other countries, the official church was outraged that someone was pointing out its shortcomings and, with the support of the state, began persecuting Russian Protestants. They were drowned, sent into exile, and imprisoned. It is sad. People who believe in God, no matter what their denomination, should not persecute other Christians who believe in the same God, even if they differ in some ways. In the south of Russia, the evangelical movement is gaining momentum among ordinary people. In the North of Russia - among the intelligentsia. In England, Protestants received the name “Baptists”, from the Greek and English word “baptizo”, “bapize” - which means to baptize. Because one of the differences between Baptists and Orthodox Christians is that Baptists are baptized at a conscious age.

About the Baptists.

Baptists do not baptize infants. Evangelical Christians did not baptize them either. Then these two churches merged and became known as Evangelical Christian Baptists. The emergence of this church was predetermined by the emergence of a translation of the Bible into Russian. What did the Baptists find in the Bible that prevented the translation of the Bible for so long and kept the people in the dark? But the Russian people were not established in their faith, were not a thinking people, and the revolution, with its promises of freedom, equality and brotherhood, quickly changed the attitude of the Orthodox towards their faith. But it did not change the faith of Baptists and Evangelical Christians, who passed through the Soviet Union and carried their faith despite stupid accusations of debauchery and sacrifices. Of course, the Baptists did nothing of the kind. Baptists are Christians who preach a chaste life according to God's word. It is the Bible, as God’s word, that is the authority and foundation of their faith for Baptists. Baptists believe that just as Jesus Christ answered questions with his word, the Bible has answers to questions that arise in the life of a believer. Baptists reject what came into the church after the Scriptures were written.

And that’s why our Russian Protestants try to imitate Christ in everything. Christ did not strive for wealth and pomp, and Baptist worship does not require gold and expensive attributes. Christ did not wear luxurious clothes and Baptists do not strive for luxury. But they do not strive for poverty, they work with their own hands, run their own business if they can, as the Apostle Paul taught. Baptists have large and strong families. Secular education is encouraged, and musical education is also encouraged. Therefore, Baptist services are full of music and sermons. At a worship service, a choir can sing, music can be played, performed solo or by a musical group of believers. Baptists are not conservative when it comes to serving God and can bring in a variety of creative elements. Baptists have a positive attitude towards the state. They serve in the army. They pay taxes. Because the Bible says that all authority is established by God and must be respected. Among all Protestants, Baptists are theologically closest to Orthodoxy, and believe in Christ as the Son of God and God. They believe in God the Father and the Holy Spirit. They believe in the resurrection of the dead and the forgiveness of sins thanks to the atoning sacrifice of Christ. Therefore, the differences lie in some moments of the service, external attributes and what came to the church after the Bible was written, the differences are in what is not in the Bible. You can read it at the link below.

Social life of Baptists

What else can you tell about Baptists? As people, they are kind and sympathetic people. Hardworking. Baptists call a priest a pastor or elder; usually, in addition to serving in the church, he also works at work. Therefore, Baptists cannot be accused of doing nothing for society. Baptists, like many believers of other denominations, feed the hungry and are engaged in healing society, working with alcoholics and drug addicts, with God's help returning them to work and normal social life. In general, the attitude towards Baptists among those who have encountered them is positive, and their teaching evokes respect and surprises with its logic and simplicity. You can attend their services by going to the House of Prayer at the appointed time and sitting in an empty seat to get to know them better.

The winners of the All-Russian competition “Parental Record - 2014” of the Generation Foundation Andrei Skoch were honored on June 28 on the city’s Cathedral Square. This year, the bonus fund, increased from 10 to 15 million rubles, was equally divided between four record-breaking families: the Nikolaevs (Chelyabinsk region), the Shishkins (Voronezh region), the Kuznetsovs (Leningrad region) and the Skorovs (Belgorod region).

In the category “Mother of Many Children,” the prize was awarded to Elena Shishkina from the Maslovsky state farm, Novousmansky district, Voronezh region. Together with her husband Alexander, in 2004 they were included in the Russian Book of Records as the largest family in the country. The record holders have been together for almost 38 years. Over the years of their marriage, 20 children were born into their family.

This is, so to speak, official information.

The winners were awarded by Governor Savchenko and Skoch.

That’s how I see the auntie in a gauze scarf, so one hundred percent - she’s a Baptist. So it turned out with Shishkina.

I decided to read about the family and found a not very encouraging article - http://slavyanskaya-kultura.ru/news/ruskoe-delo/semja-shishkinyh.html. Not everything is as beautiful and joyful as in the video. I don’t even know if it’s right: to give birth all your life. Is it good or bad? And who is good and who is not so good?

By chance, I remembered one story.
Once upon a time, back in 1997, I was lying in a postpartum ward with a woman who had already given birth to her third child. To be honest, Nadya looked tired, even exhausted. Almost immediately, I determined that she belonged to the Baptists (her hairstyle, scarf - they are unique). We started talking. I asked her: “Nadya, are you going to give birth again?” Answer: “Yes, as many as God will give. Our mother has 11 of us.” She spoke with such faith about her family, about her brothers and sisters in faith, that we all (and there were seven of us in the room) listened. Well, everyone is so correct and decent. They don't drink, don't smoke, don't go out - this is incompatible with faith. Guests actively visited Nadya (at first we thought they were all relatives. No - fellow believers), broadcasts almost every hour - every desire was satisfied. Need some kefir? Let's run away now. My husband, of course, also checked in every day.

But that's not what this post is about. Nadya (she turned out to be a strong aunt) was the first to check out. And as soon as the door of the room closed behind her, the girl from the last bed “burst.” She, as it turned out, knows Nadya’s husband very well. He and his friend repeatedly went on a spree with her and her friend, not denying themselves any pleasures, incl. and alcohol.

This is their faith and truth.

By the way, for some reason sects are flourishing here. Temple-palaces were not built in the worst areas of the city. From time to time preacher(s) wandering around the entrances are annoying. Where is the official church looking, I wonder?