Power To Burn

The Anabaptists had a different idea about baptism than did the all powerful Catholic Church in the 16th Century.  The Anabaptists said that you should make an adult decision for Christ, and be rebaptized then, even if you were baptized as a baby.  You could get burnt at the stake for this as did Dirk Willems, a Dutchman.  Nowadays, if you were to say this you might make people upset.  They may ask you to leave and go elsewhere with your ideas, but they would not burn you at the stake.  Religion is not so powerful and government has protective laws against such stuff.  So I think it a good thing that my church is no longer all powerful in its public sphere.  I like my church to be humble and more into being powerless.  Lots of people and groups have done their best work when admitting to humility and powerlessness.  You can still challenge, encourage and discourage, but do so without being abusive.