Speakout 12/2

Monday, December 3, 2001

I would like to respond to "Interpretations offered" about baptism. The caller who said baptism is a prerequisite to salvation. I totally agree that Jesus set the example and was baptized. All through the New Testament, the Bible clearly indicates baptism as a needed follow-up and obedience is a prerequisite to salvation. So I wouldn't want to stand before God if I had an opportunity to be baptized and didn't take it. Baptism is not a prerequisite to salvation but obedience is.


I have listed several scriptures regarding baptism in answer to an earlier SpeakOut: Romans 6:1-5; I Corinthians 10:1-2; Hebrews 10:22; I Peter 3:20-21 and Matthews 3:13-17. Baptism is being washed free of sin by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.


This is for the people who are confused about baptism. I was confused too until I started going to church and reading the Bible. My Bible says repent, confess and be baptized, forsake sin and you will enter the kingdom of heaven. Be baptized in the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit and you will receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. It's in the Bible. You can't add to it or take away from it. You who are confused about it, you have to be baptized.

I read where someone said they paid their help out of the water and sewer funds. I thought that when they collected on water that it went back to the water. I always thought the same about the sewer. That's the way the other cities do it. If they can pay hands to work for the city, the city should pay them, not the water or sewer funds. That's not fair.

To paraphrase a famous fictional medical doctor by the name of "Leonard Bones McCoy," why is anything we don't understand always called a "thing?" As in Harry Potter, thing. Keywords are "don't" and "understand." Hence, somebody's obvious lack of understanding Harry Potter to say the least. Not to be overly harsh, but I shudder when I read comments such as, "The person who wrote Harry Potter graduated from the school of sorcery." I'd be glad to have said caller inform me of what sorcery school J.K. Rolwing graduated from. The school of sorcery at Southeast Missouri State University or at the University of Missouri-Columbia? I wonder. Anyway, a handful of authors and organizations who are opposed to Potter novels have clearly stated that Rolwing is not a practicing witch or selling any particular non-Christian religions. Their opposition is primarily the use of witchcraft and sorcery within the story. If that's the case, you better be prepared to burn half of your Disney videos, etc. P.S.: Please call me at 555-5555 if you have any brochures about sorcery school.

I was wondering about the man who robbed Stan's and then died in jail. I've never seen it. Did I miss it? I've never seen the results of the autopsy in the paper, which they said it would be in a couple of weeks.

The Scott County Coroner's inquest has not been held yet. Once we receive the information from the coroner, we will publish the findings in the Standard Democrat.