Our Baptist Distinctives

No one can force you to believe something.

Baptists embrace a radical concept called “soul liberty,” the conviction that everyone has the right to read Scripture for themselves and a responsibility to interpret it faithfully. While soul liberty is rooted in a Baptist approach to the Bible, it extends to honor the image of God in every person by protecting the individual’s choice in spiritual decisions and freedom of conscience. 

To honor God’s image in all people means allowing faith to come from individual personhood. The freedom of conscience allows faith to be free from coercion. Even in God’s partnership with humanity, faith will not be forced upon us. The work for religious freedom for everyone is to ensure that the government does not violate consciences or coerce faith.

For faith to be vital, it must be voluntary.

Early Baptist Roger Williams critiqued government enforced religion, saying it “confounds the civil and religious, denies the principles of Christianity and civility.” Williams spoke of the need for a “hedge” between the church and the world, which John Leland – an early republic Baptist leader – expanded to address the role of the government to protect every person “in thinking and speaking freely, and see that one does not abuse another.” This speaks to the reality that religious liberty is best protected when church and state are institutionally separated and neither tries to perform or interfere with the essential mission and work of the other. In other words, the separation of church and state is good for both.

Government promotion of religion harms religion, encouraging watered-down religious messages. BJC believes religion is best left to the voluntary efforts of individuals and churches.

The institutional separation of church and state also ensures our vibrant, pluralistic religious landscape, including a public square open for discussion about religion and matters of faith.