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#65485 04/15/02 12:06 AM
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Jackie Offline OP
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I heard a speaker last night use this word as an adjective. This usage was new to me. He pronounced it re-GEN-er-ut. I was only familiar with it as a verb, pronounced re-GEN-er-ate.
It was a pretty interesting talk. He's a doctoral student at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary here in town, and spoke on the topic he's doing his thesis on: how the Baptists played a little-known, yet important role in the United States policy of separation of church and state. He said that they were harassed in the Massachusetts Bay Colony, so Roger Williams bought an area of land around what is now Providence, Rhode Island, for any who wanted to live there free from harassment. Eventually, of course, other groups moved in. Apparently at that time (a decade or two on either side of 1800), there was something called a ministry tax (I think). The Baptists lobbied to have this meted out in what they considered a fair manner, and were rather unsuccessful. They didn't like the idea that their tax money was going to support, say, the Presbyterian minister. So they studied their scriptures, decided that the Bible did not authorize government to intrude in any way between an individual and his God, and began lobbying to do away with any tax like this, and all similar incursions.
He used the word regenerate while explaining that the Baptist leaders decided that only regenerate adults could be considered qualified Baptists (meaning, they did away with recognizing infant baptisms as enough). I asked him if by regenerate he meant born again. He said yes.


#65486 04/15/02 12:26 AM
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Makes sense--the born again sense of regenerate.

Here's MW:

Main Entry: 1re·gen·er·ate
Pronunciation: -r&t
Function: adjective
Etymology: Middle English regenerat, from Latin regeneratus, past participle of regenerare to regenerate, from re- + generare to beget -- more at GENERATE
Date: 15th century
1 : formed or created again
2 : spiritually reborn or converted
3 : restored to a better, higher, or more worthy state
- re·gen·er·ate·ly adverb
- re·gen·er·ate·ness noun



...not to be confused with degenerate, heavens, no!

Book regards,
WordWebster's


#65487 04/15/02 02:03 AM
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where they Free Will Baptists? -- many groups used the term babtist, (all to signify adult baptism.) the Free Will Baptist were one of the larger groups in New England. many of the small remote towns in northern Maine and NH had free will baptist ministers.. the moved into remote areas to avoid taxes, and governmetn interference (post revolutionary war).

a hundred years later, many move to oregon, when the oregon trail opened.. some polital movements can trace their roots to the teaching of the Free will baptist.

Dover Books had (has?) a interest book about many of the early NE religios groups, and the FWB were very influencial-- and almost unheard of today!


#65488 04/15/02 08:33 AM
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#65489 04/15/02 11:02 AM
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Jackie Offline OP
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Does anyone know which sect of Baptists (or perhaps branch of?) might have been the outdoors Baptists without house of worship?
WW, now you know where that one's going, right?




#65490 04/15/02 11:16 AM
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Outhouse Baptists??? Don' thin' so!

Shore would like to know what they were called!

Beatific regards,
WorshippingWindowless


#65491 04/19/02 04:18 AM
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In reply to:

Her father (Great Granddaddy William) would let her run around during the service, but, with her mother, dear old Grandma Jean,


(emphasis added)

Ummm WW, is your family tree perhaps more unusual than we might have guessed?

Bingley



Bingley
#65492 04/19/02 10:52 AM
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Dear Bingley,

Well, ya' see, Grandma Jean was still living when I was a little girl--and we all called her "Grandma Jean." Great Granddaddy William had long been buried out in the woods--it was an Outdoors Baptist constriction of his. He still lies out there, though the family would move him if they could.

But I see your point. For clarification I should have written Great Grandma Jean. I stand corrected!

Best regards,
WW, still wondering what that outdoors branch of Baptists was called...

PS: I accidentally delted a post above. Have no idea in the world how I did it! In other words, Bingley, honest to goodness, I didn't do it on purpose! I must have hit the delete button when I thought I was editing this post here--but it was the other post up there to which you rightfully repsponded. Very sorry!


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