The way this reads, it sounds like he’s “outing” himself as a Baptist… as if he were ashamed to say so.

Man, can I identify with that!

These stories are good to see how candidates misuse their faith for political purposes. We’ve got Richard Land trying to sell Thompson as a regular church goer and John McCain conveniently deciding to identify as a Baptist. Amazing.

Although I’m not sure how Article 6 plays into this. Any person regardless of faith or lack thereof is allowed to run and consequently hold office if elected. But voters can and do bring their biases into the voting booth. Republicans shouldn’t dismiss Romney because he’s a Mormon. If I was one, I wouldn’t. But it is their right to do so as individual voters.

Even such open membership churches, however, will not baptize infants.

But, I have to say that I am surprised that John McCain is claiming to be Baptist, now, when he has always claimed to be Episcopalian before. Not that my vote would be influenced by where he goes to church–or doesn’t go.
This is a non-issue for me–and dangerously close to having a religious test for public office–a violation of Article 6 of the U.S. Constitution.

I take a traditional view on baptism.

James Dunn has often remarked that a belief in the separation of church and state does not make a person a Baptist but that “it is hard to believe that one could be a Baptist and not cling tenaciously to that baptistic doctrine.”

Similarly, believer’s baptism does not make one a Baptist but it’s rather hard to believe that one could be a Baptist but not desire to participate in this symbolic act that has distinguished who we are as Baptists for the last 400 years.

Do you have to be a member to be a Baptist?