As a born and raised Baptist, I've been the subject of a lot of Bible-thumper jokes in my short years. Surprising, since I've never actually seen anyone thump their Bible. In any case, there are a lot of stereotypes about us. Some are completely wrong, but there are some that are true no matter where you're from. Here are a few right and wrong ones.
All the potlucks
For sure. My church has a monthly potluck, with Corningware dishes in abundance. Actually, most of the churches I visited in college have monthly potlucks too. It really is a Baptist thing. Delicious, greasy, heart attack-invoking food. And, of course, the fellowship, which is really the whole point of a potluck. And when there isn't a potluck, we usually have to wait in line at whatever restaurant we eat at after church. I've always been told this is because the Methodists get out early, but this has yet to be confirmed.
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Alcohol is of the devil.
Yeah, no. Not sure why people think this one. I will grant you that a few of the older generation abstain from alcohol because they believe it's a sin or just trashy. I actually worked in a store in high school where a woman from my church refused to purchase a champagne flute off of a couple's wedding registry, simply because it was called a "champagne flute." Now, there is still a big taboo about wedding receptions at the church that offer alcohol. But I'm not actually sure if that's a "rule" or just being tasteful. It doesn't say in the Bible that drinking is a sin, just drunkenness. Most of the people I know have no problem with drinking.
Dancing is of the devil.
I actually have never met a person (Baptist or otherwise) that thinks dancing is sinful. But, yet again, it's frowned upon to dance at your reception if it's at a church. Why? I literally have no idea, because dancing is mentioned in the Bible multiple times: "You have turned my grief into dancing, Lord." I took dance at a church camp for four years, so I really have no idea where this stereotype came from.
No raising of the hands during worship.
Sadly, this one is true, for the most part. I've never been to a church where there was a lot of physical worship. That being said, I have experienced it in spades at church camps. I think it has something to do with us being self-conscious, or perhaps our hearts not being in the right place. Everyone worships their own way, yes, but everyone worships by standing still and staring at the screen? Doubtful.
We're all hypocrites.
Let's play a game. No, really. Is this one true or false? Plot twist, it's both. No, we aren't as drastically hypocritical as people assume (as far as I know) but really, everyone is a hypocrite. C.S. Lewis said, "This year, or this month, or, more likely, this very day, we have failed to practice ourselves the kind of behavior we expect from other people." Everyone is a hypocrite, including Christians. The difference is that, hopefully, we are aware of it and strive to become better.
No church or denomination is perfect! I hope I made you laugh; I hope I made you think. I love being a Southern Baptist, no matter what people think about us, good or bad.
