So You Say You're Southern Baptist

I have always said I was a "southern baptist." Not just a baptist, but a southern baptist, because well, I live in the south and I was raised baptist - get it - southern baptist? Anyway....

Tonight at church the pastor preacher (pastor always seems more uppity to me, but if I am calling myself a southern baptist, I am going to keep it real and say preacher) talked about a friend of his, a good friend of his, that happens to be a Methodist minister. They have been friends for many, many years. Used to pastor preach at churches across the way from each other. Our preacher, Preacher Keith, believes whole heartedly, in the King James version of the bible. No room for interpretation. It says what is says and it means what it says. Whereas his friend the Methodist minister interprets things a little differently. For example, in the Methodist church it is ok to sprinkle and call it baptism. Preacher Keith says, "No way. No how. You gotta dunk'em." His words, not mine. As a matter a fact he said "Dunk'em til I see'em start to bubble." No doubt about it, ain't no sprinkling gonna be sufficient. Ok, no problem. I was dunked. Can't remember if I started to bubble, but I was definitely dunked. I actually remember wearing white pants and a white shirt for my baptism thinking that seemed more pure - you know being white and all. Only it wasn't pure at all when I came out of the dunking pool and you could see straight through my clothes. Note: If you haven't been baptized and you are thinking of doing so, don't wear white.

The second thing that he talked about was that a woman should never be head of a church. Minister, Pastor, Preacher, whatever. It is not a woman's place. This is where my head cocked and the feminist in me thought, well why not??? Well, Preacher Keith says it is in the bible that way. That the man is the spiritual head. Hmmmm......so you say you're a southern baptist. He said a woman is the only person that is good at being a woman. A man is not good at being a woman and a woman is not good at being a man. Each has their place. Hmmmm........there he goes again with that "place." This is hard stuff. The feminist in me says I can do anything and I want to raise my daughter to believe she can do anything. I am not saying I won't come around. I am starting to change my beliefs about several things after reading different scriptures here and there. I am just saying it is hard for a long time feminist to change over night.

Just a thought - but maybe I am half Methodist. My dad's family was Methodist. Does that count. :-)