Sin
Michael G. Cogdill

Excerpt from A Baptist's Theology
compiled by R. Wayne Stacy

A Baptist university student received an intriguing assignment from his religion professor. "I want you to visit a church of a denomination you have never visited and explore its beliefs and worship," instructed the professor. After contemplating several possibilities, the student decided to visit a Roman Catholic church. Though aware of Roman Catholicism, the student had never visited or worshiped with these fellow Christians.

Upon locating and visiting a nearby Roman Catholic church, the student became enamored with that structural part of the Roman Catholic church called the confessional,1 a booth-like structure in which parishioners enter to confess their actual sins in the hearing of a priest who sits nearby. Thinking he was all alone, the student entered the confessional, sat quietly, and pondered its significance. Suddenly, to his surprise, there arose the intimidating voice of a priest. "Welcome, my son," voiced the priest. "What sins have you to confess today?" Totally stunned, the student panicked for a response. Finally, he blurted out, "I am sorry, sir, I am a Baptistand we Baptists dont confess our sins!" Making a hasty exit from the confessional and from the church, the student heard uncontrollable laughter rising from the priest, only a prelude to what would be experienced in his later report to the class.

While good Baptist theology about sin does not evolve well out of panic, the truth is that Baptists do take sin seriously and believe strongly in its confession, though not necessarily to a priest. Baptists generally are clear in their understanding that sin is public enemy number one in the Christian life. Baptists will come as close to being of one mind on this truth as any other.