Why I'm not Baptist.

There are many reasons why I'm not Baptist. The most frequent, neutral one I like to use is that "I don't like to segregate myself into a certain denomination because Jesus didn't." But today, I was reminded of one more reason.

It is utterly ridiculous that when you ask for a place for your reception (a.k.a. a Baptist fellowship hall) they immediatly hit you with what you can't do. Yes, you're approved, but only if you don't do these things:

-smoke
-drink
-dance
-play rap music

This dancing I believe includes the first dance. I intend to write a letter to whoever I need to at the church. In it, I will say:

There is no need to worry about what the dancing will lead to. You believe that dancing is a sin, one that leads to nothing but debauchery. I will let it slide that you seem to forget the passage of 2 Samuel 6:14, in which "David danced before the Lord with all his might." And nevermind the fact that in Wesley and I dancing our first dance as a married couple further symbolizes the covenant that God Himself has established, and in itself, is simply an act of worship to Our Father, who brought us together in the first place. Would it help that the song we are dancing to has the word "God" in its title?

I will give you one thing. Our dancing will lead to something more. Something much more. It will cause us to do crazy things when we get alone with eachother. It will lead us to places that were formerly unacceptable.

Yes...us dancing will lead to...sex. Lots of sex.

Sincerely,
the future Ashley and Wesley Calvert

Baptists need to learn that certain beliefs have got to go. Certain doctrinal things that don't mean crap. Certain things that were placed due to peoples' personal preferences, not due to any scripture of any kind.

They are losing their influence to a whole generation, simply because they refuse to become culturally sensitive. They want to stick themselves in their independent fundamental peg and wait. Become stagnant in their self-righteousness.

This is about more than being denied a first dance as a married couple. It's about religious Pharisees waking up and realizing they are doing NOTHING to further the kingdom of Christ. Their doctrine has become their ten commandments. And it's absolutely ridiculous.

I think it's particularly RASCIST (yes, I said it) to say that rap music cannot be played. Um, is there no such thing as Christian rap? Are they so ignorant that they can't understand that? That no black person can actually serve Christ whole-heartedly through the gifts God instilled in him/her?

And no, I wasn't planning on playing rap music at my reception.

But what about those who aren't Christians, who are simply looking for a place to have their wedding reception. They have looked everywhere in their town, but the church reception halls are the only things available. They decide to look at a Baptist church first. Do you really think that church is going to provide an opportunity for witness by allowing the couple to have their reception at the church? Of course not. They're going to slap a bunch of rules and regulations on them that are utterly ignorant, especially in the 21st century.

When things like this come into play, I believe it's the image of the church that is trying to be upheld, not God's teachings. They want their church to look spotless, while their congregation has enough grime to spot it all up. It's all about faces; the masquerade of hypocrisy.


We need to wake up and get out of our bubbles. We are dying inside of them, and people are going to hell because of them. Because we stay inside our bubbles, with OUR rules and OUR regulations, and we don't let anyone in that doesn't uphold those standards. And that is just sad.