During my dialogue with R.C. on baptism during the Uniting Church and Family Conference, I asked him (tongue and cheek) if he held to the “original” or “more liberalized” version of the Westminster Confession of Faith. His answer did not disappoint me. (I am heartily with R.C. on this one!)

Also interesting was R.C.’s comment to me that Evangelical churches who accept Roman Catholic baptism should logically also accept Roman Catholic excommunications. The issue poses a special problem for our Lutheran friends, who, (if this logic holds up) have an entire denomination named after an “heretic” whose excommunication needs to be honored in the spirit of catholicity.

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Speaking of confused logic, have you noticed that the Christians who squawk and protest most loudly that they have discovered an “enlightened spirit of catholicity” that corrects the “excesses” of that great cloud of Reformation witnesses (including the hard talking, sound thinking Separatists, Puritans, Pilgrims, etc., who helped to found America) have anything but a spirit of catholicity when it comes to talking about their Reformed and credo-Baptist brethren. For many of these dear confused brothers “Baptist” and “Anabaptist” are synonymns, and both terms are the equivilent of a Christian swear word.

For an interesting perspective on this issue please take careful time to read the excellent blogs and articles available at Semper Reformanda, as well as the article entitled: On Presbyterians and Baptists ‘Getting Along’.

Also, for an enormously helpful overview of the debate over baptism and the covenant, check out these outstanding conference CDs with Bill Einwechter, pastor of Immanuel Free Church of Pennsylvania and a featured speaker at this year’s National Conference for Uniting Church and Family.