How many times do these people need to "get saved"?

[Daffodil the Destroyer]

How many times do these Baptistey types need to "get saved" in order for it to count?

Backstory: My uncle W* (my mom's brother) married a woman named S*. Then he died. S* is a very sweet person and my family loves her very much and we still consider her to be part of our family even though uncle W* is dead and they didn't have any kids together. She is very Christian (Baptist, I suspect) and her constant talk about her "religious experiences" is just about the only thing about her that I don't like. The last time I saw her, she was talking about her ex-husband's new girlfriend and how she didn't want her to tell her son any "atheist devil-worshiping crap" so of course she is still clueless about the fact that I am an atheist and shall remain that way, I hope.

Anyway, she emailed my grandfather recently and was talking about her church. She said that her youngest son's youth pastor is a member of the band Casting Crowns (oh goody) and that she and the son had both "gotten saved" at the same time recently.

Now, I was raised as an Episcopalian, and we didn't have all this ridiculous hoopla surrounding the idea of "being saved." We simply believed, got baptized, went through confirmation, and had no doubts in our minds that we were doing properly according to God. So maybe I just don't understand this "being saved" BS. But I don't see how someone in her 50s who has believed in the doctrines of the Bible since birth, and who has prayed to this God fellow since birth, and who has considered him- or herself to have a relationship with this God since birth could possibly be in need of "being saved" again?

But there you have it. She raved over how neither of them knew the other was at the altar "getting saved" until after, and how cool it was... it honestly just put a terribly bad taste in my mouth. In a way, I wish I'd never been involved with those "getting saved" type of Christians back in high school. I could have remained comfortable in my mild religious delusions in the Episcopal church and then I wouldn't have to feel alienated around half of the people I know when they start spouting off about things I know to be a fairy tale.

 

[Athena_Ritashe]

Wow, if this was a person I saw on a regular basis I would have taken her aside and told her I'm atheist, and I don't mind her being christian, but ask her to set the topic of religion aside when I'm present. No use talking about it if it will only lead to arguments. My dad knows I'm not Christian, but he respects that for one reason. One time he asked "what if you died right now, how would you feel?" I said that it would really suck but, heck, I'd accept that cuz it's not like not accepting it will bring me back to life. After that we never discussed religion again and I'm quite happy to keep it that way.

But this "getting saved again" doesn't make sense to me. From what I understand about baptists is you aren't saved because you go along with the ritual, but only once you wholly accept the myth. You don't just go along you have to believe the entire thing without question to be a true Christian. I guess there is a doctrine floating around that you can lose your salvation if you aren't careful. I really don't understand it, which is why I don't believe it.  

[Daffodil the Destroyer]

It's true that they say you're only "Saved" once you accept the myth... but my aunt and her son had accepted the myth long before. o.o;

And the Baptist group I was with in highschool had this saying of "once saved, always saved," so they didn't believe that one could "lose" their salvation. Of course, OTHER Baptist groups I've known were constantly rebaptizing each other and rededicating themselves to Jesus.

 

[MahouTragicQueen]

"Being Saved," or born again, it a bigger deal in some Christian denominations than others. It does have a biblical basis. Here is one passage about it. But I believe there are others as well.

I can relate because I was raised Presbyterian and didn't hear about being born again until a high school friend told me about it. People I knew in high school talked about accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, which I did dozens of times when I believed in magic. However, my Christian friends in college talk about Jesus "revealing himself to you as the one true God." According to one street preacher, it's like intuition, but intuition can be wrong and this can't be wrong.