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= Baptist Beliefs =

Origin
Baptist Christianity is a monotheistic religion, that is noted to have originated in England. The earliest trace of the religion is dated back to the early sixteenth century, established by the Puritans. However, the religion did not gain much acclaim until about the early seventeenth century, during the dominion of King James I. Then, years following the practice in England, a rise in Baptists began to spread to neighboring countries and even made its way across seas, due to the transmigration shift led by the first settlers in the early United States.

Baptist Subdivisions
Baptist Christianity is an accumulation of various subsets, which include: General Baptists, Particular Baptists, and Seventh Day Baptists.

General Baptists
General Baptist Christianity was founded in Amsterdam by John Smyth and Thomas Helwys. The newly formed religion had succumbed to extreme criticism by the British Christian church, which led to this translocation to Amsterdam. It was within this subset, that the religious ceremony of baptism was introduced. The religion was then finalized after the addition of confession and a Covenant. Some other introductions incorporate: the use of Holy Water during blessings, the belief that Jesus Christ is humanity's savior, and the concept of Atonement.

Particular Baptists
Another subsection of Baptist Christianity, the Particular Baptists, arose in London England during the mid 1600s. Some of the religion's practitioners identify as either Separatists or non-separatists. Practitioners of Separatism tended to distance themselves from traditional Christianity that was predominant in England at the time. Furthermore, Separatists were regarded as being solely independent in their worship, and as a result, had assembled their own distinct churches. Contrarily, an individual who considered themselves to be a non-separatist strived to rarify the "Anglican church of its Romanist "corruptions"' . Additionally, a form of Baptism known as "immersion baptism", was also introduced. This involved the act of immersing a practitioner in water as a sacrament to Jesus Christ. The religion earned its name 'Particular Baptists', because of the belief that God selected certain individuals who would be destined to seek salvation in Heaven, while the remainder of civilization would be contrived to Hell.

Seventh Day Baptists
Established in the mid 1600s, Seventh Day Baptists adopted primal traditions that can be found in the Old Testament of the Holy Bible. As a result, practitioners undergo dietary restrictions, some examples being the removal of pork, alcohol and tobacco. However, its vast distinction lies in the belief that the seventh day of the week, Saturday, is to be reserved for the Sabbath.

Baptists in the Twentieth Century (in the United States)
Within the United States, the religion is divided into "subdenominations". These being Southern Baptists and Northern Baptists. Furthermore, there is a contrast between Calvinism and Arminianism. Calvinism revolves around the sole idea that the fate of individuals are chosen beforehand, that being, individuals will either embrace heaven or suffer in hell. On the contrary, Baptists who practice Arminianism, believe that all individuals have the opportunity of seeking liberation. As a result of these differences, there have been disputes between the two opposing sides. These altercations were in accordance to civic affairs the United States was facing during the twentieth century. Some animosities between the two parties included: disagreements over abortion, homosexuality, and the link between Christianity and daily affairs.