LETTERS: FROM A YOUNG INDEPENDENT BAPTIST PREACHER

Bro. Beller, 

I am a young pastor, and am trying to learn something of our Baptist heritage. My wife and I also homeschool our children, and I have been aware for some time of the problem that exists in the home schooling community with the influence of the Reformed/Calvinistic people in the books, tapes, curricula, etc. I appreciate your web-site on these matters from an historic Baptist perspective, which I am trying to learn myself so that I can pass them on to my family and our church.

One question that I have has to do with the Destructive Theology section. I have only glanced over the chapter titles and descriptions of the two books on Christian Resistance. I haven t read the books. My question is: what would your position (the historic Baptist position) be towards resistance to state control over the churches? I came to your web-site by following the links from the Unregistered Baptist Fellowship site. Would Bro. Dixon s fight at IBT a few years ago not be considered Christian resistance to the state s intrusion of its authority into an area that properly belongs to God? I appreciate any light you can shed on this. 

I realize the inherent dangers in reformed, postmillennial, dominionist theology, but I don t fully understand it all either.

Thank you Brother. I will stay tuned to the web-site, and plan on ordering some of your books in the future.

Bro. ___________________________

Pastor, ________________




Dear Pastor ________,

I believe the historic Baptist position on resistance is nonconformity and petition. The Baptist public position on liberty of conscience became known from the time of Wycliff (1520) to the Baptist prisoners in England (1611-1645). The thought of religious liberty gave rise to the American War for Independence in which Baptists whole heartedly participated. It should be noted that Baptists did not pick up arms until the American War for Independence because it was the first form of government that was divorced from the church-state theocracies of Europe.

The reason I oppose the theological books on "Christian Resistance" is they are written from a reformed perspective with a hidden agenda of theocracy. There is contempt for Baptist eschatology, theology and the principles of liberty in those books.

Bro. Dixon's fight is a great example of Baptist Christian resistance, although some may argue whether he did everything wisely. Proper resistance must become more wide-spread with a re-emphasis on American and Baptist heritage. This needs to be done so that civic leaders and the American public in general can understand more fully the issues.

Hope this helps.

Sincerely, James R. Beller



Pastor Beller,

Thanks for your reply to my earlier question. I thought that the dominionist theology and postmillennial eschatology were probably the problem with those particular books. The Reformed/Calvinistic position seems to be growing by leaps and bounds today, and I agree with you that we must answer it with the Bible. 

I realize that there are many dangers inherent in allowing the state to wield the sword “on behalf” of God. We don’t look to execute adherents of false religions; we attempt to convert them. Where do sodomy laws, etc. fit into the picture? Historically, sodomy was against the common law, and was a crime in the original 13 States when the Bill of Rights was ratified. Rhode Island’s anti-sodomy law dated back to the beginnings of the colony. The New Testament (Romans 1:32) even indicates that they are worthy of death. I appreciate your willingness to allow me to “pick your brain” as it were on these issues! As a man who hasn’t been in the ministry even 5 years yet, I need all the help I can get.

God Bless You,

Pastor ______________



Bro. _____,

I responded to your question last week but the email got lost in that vast world called cyber space. Too bad, I gave you a really great answer! Let's see if I can do your question some justice.

I believe that the form of government given to us was a constitutional republic, based on liberty under law. Liberty means all citizens may come to the table of government. So, that means that this is a Christian nation only if Christians are in it and will come to the table to form laws. So "common law" in the colonial times was Bible law, because of the overwhelming presence of Christians in the primary years of the republic.

It must be remembered that liberty allowed all denominations to freely preach the Gospel throughout America. The natural result (according to the prediction of James Madison) was revival and awakening. This perpetuated the common law being Bible law because Christians made the laws. Under this system, it is absolutely imperative that we see revival and awakening, or we lose the majority principle at the table of government.

Since America was the first nation to establish a constitutional republic, we have only our own nation to record a pattern of history. Here is that pattern:

1. Theocratic States 2. Disestablishment of Theocratic States 3. Revival and Awakening 4. Purity of a Constitutional Republic with Christians in the majority 5. Decline of Spirituality 6. Loss of Christian input in the Republic 7. Decay of the Republic and general morality.

The sodomy laws became extinct quite frankly because we lost the argument at the table of government. 

So the question is "how do we fix this government which has become corrupt?" My answer would be that we certainly should not throw out the form of government we have and replace it with theocracy. I think we need to RESTATE THE FIRST PRINCIPLES OF THE AMERICAN REPUBLIC, which were Baptist principles and bring Baptist Christians back to the table of government. THE SOBERING FACT is that without revival and awakening, there is no hope for the American republic.

Here is the key in the political realm. If the courts and the legislature understood the true background of the battle for liberty, we would win more cases for religious expression than we are now...and we would win them for the right reasons. One of our big goals at baptistchristianworldview.com is to offer "friend of the court" briefings to inform judges of the true nature of the republic. Both legislative and judicial branches are receiving instruction on history from the Reformed re-write perspective of men such as David Barton, which is the perspective our Baptist forefathers DEFEATED during the formulation of our republic.

I have a good attorney that is becoming well versed in this. We need about 100 more.

In the mean time, we are struggling with getting Baptist people re-connected with their heritage, so they may understand the times in a better fashion.

Hope this helps,

Pastor James Beller

Note: The purpose of this website is to expose the work of the catholic Reformed and answer our enemies. As you read and become reacquainted with your true history you may be led of God to write an answer to those who would destroy you. Send your loved ones and friends here, distribute the materials offered and pray for our distracted country.