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Christianity |
Baptist
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Christianity is a monotheistic and evangelistic
faith that is centered on the life and teachings of Jesus
Christ. Like Judaism and Islam, Christianity is an Abrahamic
religion. Early Christianity was a Jewish eschatological sect,
but there was great diversity in local variations. Confined
to the Middle East, North Africa, Europe, and parts of India
for its first thousand years, it has spread throughout the
entire world during its second millennia due to colonization
and missionary work. It includes the Hebrew Bible (known to
Christians as the Old Testament) as well as the New Testament
as its canonical scriptures.
Jesus Christ is central to Christianity as
the foundation of salvation, the revealer of God, and the
model of a pious life; not just as a teacher, but as the son
of God who suffered, died and was resurrected for the salvation
of all from sin. Christians maintain that Jesus ascended into
heaven and most sects teach that Jesus will judge the living
and the dead, granting everlasting life to the just. Christianity
teaches that Jesus is the Christ or Messiah prophesied in
the Old Testament, and that the New Testament records the
Gospel that was revealed by Jesus.
The Trinity is often regarded as an essential doctrine of
Christianity. It is a complex topic and there are varying
interpretations. The Holy Trinity is one God that exists as
three Persons – Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
"Father, Son and Holy Spirit" represents both the
immanence and transcendence of God. God is infinite and unknowable
to finite humanity, but God's presence may be perceived through
the actions of Jesus and the Holy Spirit.
Christianity is the largest world religion
with between 1.25 and 1.75 billion adherents. While church
attendance has been declining in many places, this may represent
a drift away from traditional institutions rather than a decline
in belief as such. The importance of Christianity is not only
due to its large number of adherents, but also because of
its integral nature in western culture and its part in the
shaping of human history. |
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Baptist is a term describing individuals belonging to a Baptist
church or a Baptist denomination. The name comes from the
conviction that followers of Jesus Christ are commanded to
be immersed in water as a public display of their faith, and
thus most adherents reject infant baptism. While the term
"Baptist" has its origins with the Anabaptists,
and was sometimes viewed as pejorative, the denomination itself
is historically linked to the English Separatist movement
of the 16th century.
The polity of autonomy is closely
related to the polity of congregational governance. Just as
each Baptist believer priest with soul competency is equal
to all other Baptists in a church, so each church is equal
to every other church. No church or ecclesiastical organization
has authority over a Baptist church. Churches can properly
relate to each other under this polity only through voluntary
cooperation, never by any sort of coercion. Furthermore, this
Baptist polity calls for freedom from governmental control.
Baptists are considered Protestants. Some Baptists reject
that association (see Origins and Questions of labeling subsections
below). Most Baptist churches choose to associate with denominational
groups that provide support without control. Examples of such
denominations are the Southern Baptist Convention, National
Baptist Convention USA, Conservative Baptist Association of
America, American Baptist Churches USA, American Baptist Association
(Landmark Baptists), among others.
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southern
Baptist Convention |
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The Southern Baptist
Convention (SBC) is a United States-based Christian denomination
that consists of numerous agencies including six seminaries,
two mission boards and a variety of other organizations such
as: the Executive Committee of the Southern Baptist Convention,
which can act for the SBC ad interim between annual meetings;
Ethics & Religious Liberties Commission, Southern Baptist
Foundation and GuideStone Financial Resources.
The name "Southern Baptist
Convention" refers both to the denomination and to its
annual meeting of messengers. Messengers are those who are
elected by an individual congregation to attend the annual
meeting as representatives of the local church. Though they
are similar to delegates, they are not obligated to cast votes
representing a particular stance on any issue. All messengers
are free to vote according to their conscience. Churches are
free to choose messengers based on their loyalty to positions
held by the majority in their local church. The
SBC is the largest Baptist group in the world and the largest
Protestant denomination in the United States. It is the second
largest grouping of Christians in the United States, the Roman
Catholic Church being the largest.
Tennessee is a state located in the Southern United States.
In 1796, it became the sixteenth state to join the Union.
Tennessee is known as the "Volunteer State", a nickname
earned during the War of 1812 because of the prominent role
played by volunteer soldiers from Tennessee, especially during
the Battle of New Orleans. The capital city is Nashville,
and the largest city is Memphis. |
Tennessee is a state located in the Southern
United States. In 1796, it became the sixteenth state to join
the Union. Tennessee is known as the "Volunteer State",
a nickname earned during the War of 1812 because of the prominent
role played by volunteer soldiers from Tennessee, especially
during the Battle of New Orleans. The capital city is Nashville,
and the largest city is Memphis.
Economy of the tennessee:
The Tennessee income tax does not apply to salaries and wages,
but most income from stocks, bonds and notes receivable is
taxable. All taxable dividends and interest which exceed the
$1,250 single exemption or the $2,500 joint exemption are
taxable at the rate of 6%. The state's sales and use tax rate
for most items is 7%. Food is taxed at a lower rate of 6%,
but candy, dietary supplements and prepared food are taxed
at the full 7% rate. Local sales taxes are collected in most
jurisdictions, at rates varying from 1.5% to 2.75%, bringing
the total sales tax to between 8.5% and 9.75%, one of the
highest levels in the nation. Intangible property is assessed
on the shares of stock of stockholders of any loan company,
investment company, insurance company or for-profit cemetery
companies. The assessment ratio is 40% of the value multiplied
by the tax rate for the jurisdiction. Tennessee imposes an
inheritance tax on decedents' estates that exceed maximum
single exemption limits ($1,000,000 for deaths 2006 and after.
Tennessee is a right to work state, as are most of its
Southern neighbors. Unionization has historically been low
and continues to decline as in most of the U.S. generally.
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