2006-07-25 02:38:30 · 23 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
No. There would be more varied Jewish sects, probably, but not Christianity (which is actually Paulism anyway).
2006-07-25 02:55:54 · answer #1 · answered by Sweetchild Danielle 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I assume you are asking a historical question. . .
Catholics were the first Christians. It is difficult to say when the Catholic church and the Papacy was codified. Peter was "Pope" in 50-AD but I think it is difficult to say that the modern Catholic church was truly organized for about another 300-years. Definitely by the second ecumenical council.
It is important to note that the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Church in Egypt (Patriarchate of Alexandria/Coptic) evolved in parallel (at the same time) with the Catholic Church so they could easily make the claim to also be the first Christians. Although the various groups did not officially break away until 5th century for the Coptics and the 6th century for the Eastern Orthodox Church. Although some might argue that the great schism of the 11th century is the official break. . .
Anyway, catholics may have been the first, but if all catholics boarded a space ship tomorrow, there would still be Christianity.
2006-07-25 11:01:23 · answer #2 · answered by Moose C 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Sorry, but no. The word Catholic is latin for the word universal. In straight english, the name is the Roman Universal Church.
It was founded at the Last Supper by Jesus Christ, and Peter was the first pope. It has been the original Christian church for 2,000 years. It's wasn't until around the year 1500 when Protestantism came to be. Before that, for a thousand and a half years, if you wanted to be a Christian, there was only one place to go: The Roman Catholic Church.
Protestants will scream up and down that "true Christianity" was actually suppressed by the Roman empire first, then the Catholic Church, but none of that is true. Study your Christian history and you'll see what I'm telling you.
I used to be a protestant, and am now a Catholic. I've studied this stuff already, and still am, so I hope this helps.
God bless.
2006-07-25 10:09:54 · answer #3 · answered by Danny H 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Probably not. Christianity formed the the Church (Catholics) before there were several groups running around with wildly different beliefs. The Church formed a central doctrine (at the council of Nycea) including which of the hundreds of books in circulation were in and which were out of the New Testament and concepts like the trinity. If Christianity would even have survived without the Catholic Church it would look radically different.
2006-07-25 09:49:48 · answer #4 · answered by Quantrill 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No...
Remember that Catholic means "universal" in Greek.
Without the Catholic Church, there would be no Christian religions. The Catholic church practiced and passed on the traditions that Jesus taught to the Apostles even before the New Testament was written.
This is the error of most Protestant beliefs in "Sola Scriptura" or Scripture Alone/Bible Alone. What were these early Christians before the New Testament was written (and made doctrine of the Catholic church by the early church fathers who were catholic)
2006-07-28 17:42:43 · answer #5 · answered by Bob 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
There would be the Church of the East (in Iran and Iraq), the so-called "monophysite" Oriental Orthodox Churches (Ethiopian, Coptic, Syrian, Armenian, and Malankarese Orthodox Churches), and the Eastern Orthodox Churches (Greek, Russian, Romanian, Bulgarian, Antiochian, Georgian, Serbian, Albanian, etc.). There would also be the home-grown Russian sects such as the Molokans, Doukhobors, and Old Believers. All of those groups have their roots in the Apostolic church completely independent of any association with the western church. If the heathens had wiped out Christianity in the west (and some of the more intransigent Orthodox think they did ;-)), all those churches would still exist.
2006-07-25 09:49:08 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes. Contrary to self-serving Catholic dogma, there were MANY early forms of Christianity that predate the establishment of the Roman church. Surviving ones today include the Eastern Orthodox, Coptic, and small pseudo-gnostic sects. The Eastern (Chaldean) church is technically older, but is now an autonomous arm of the Roman church as they kissed and made up in the 1500's.
2006-07-25 10:23:50 · answer #7 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If you believe that Jesus died for your sins, believe that you are a Christian. Catholics do believe this and so do a lot of religions. So many people are wrapped up in their own religious beliefs that they have no idea what other religions believe. Everyone gets mad at Catholics, WHY? It's not CHRISTIAN to judge.
2006-07-25 09:46:53 · answer #8 · answered by sharcook1975@sbcglobal.net 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
One more time......everybody who believes in Jesus Christ is a Christian. That includes Catholics, Baptists, Methodists, Protestants, Anglicans, etc. Jews and Muslims and a few others believe in a God but not Jesus Christ so they're are not Christians.
***I love some of the people on this site who make up generalities when they don't have a clue.
2006-07-25 09:43:30 · answer #9 · answered by daljack -a girl 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Are Catholics even Christians? Some might be, but the majority just claim that they are 'catholic' when asked, They don't call themselves Christian, do they?
2006-07-25 09:42:25 · answer #10 · answered by CJ 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Catholics are not Christians. Christians believe in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. Catholics don't.
2006-07-25 09:42:43 · answer #11 · answered by Lacksnothing 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋