In your _opinion_ can a person who doesn't believe Jesus to be divine be called a Christian?

Question

I underlined opinion, because I'm not interested in what Wikipedia says - I'm interested in what you say.

'I am a Christian but I don't believe that Jesus was anything more than a mortal man' --

Can you accept this sentence? Or in your opinion is belief in Jesus as a divine figure a central tenet of Christianity?

I ask this because I once asked a question about the early Unitarian American Presidents, and a whole bunch of people said that 'Unitarians are still Christians'. I actually agree with spamandham, the first answerer, but it's still an interesting question.

Answer 1

IMHO, yes. Anyone who thinks of themself as a Christian IS a Christian as far as I'm concerned. There is no authority on the matter.

Answer 2

VERSES THAT CONTRADICT THE TRINITARIAN DOCTRINE AND/OR THE DIVINITY OF JESUS:

Exodus 33:20, John 1:18, 1 Timothy 6:16 - No one saw God.
Isaiah 42:8 - Do not praise and worship images.
Isaiah 45:1 - "Anointed" does not mean "God".
Matthew 14:23, 19:13, 26:39, 27:46, 26:42-44 - Jesus prayed.
Matthew 24:36 - Jesus was not all-knowing.
Matthew 26:39 - Jesus and God had different wills.
Matthew 28:18 - All power was given to Jesus.
Mark 1:35, 6:46, 14:35-36 - Jesus prayed.
Mark 10:17-18 and Luke 18:18-19 - Jesus denied divinity.
Mark 12:28-29 - God is one.
Mark 13:32 - Jesus was not all-knowing.
Mark 16:19 and Luke 22:69 - Jesus at the right hand of God.
Luke 3:21, 5:16, 6:12, 9:18, 9:28, 11:1-4, 22:41 - Jesus prayed.
Luke 4:18, 9:48, 10:16 - Jesus was from God.
Luke 7:16, 13:33, 24:18-19 - Jesus was a prophet.
Luke 10:21 - Jesus gave thanks.
Luke 23:46 - The spirit of Jesus was commended to God.
John 4:19 - Jesus was a prophet.
John 4:23-24 - Worship in spirit and truth.
John 14:28 - One was greater than the other.
John 5:19, 5:30, 7:28, 8:28 - Jesus was helpless.
John 5:20 - The Father showed the son.
John 5:30 and 6:38 - Jesus and God had different wills.
John 5:31-32 - Jesus' witness was not true.
John 6:11 and 11:41-42 - Jesus gave thanks.
John 6:32 - The Father was the provider, not the son.
John 7:29, 16:5, 16:28 - Jesus was from God.
John 7:16, 12:49, 14:24, 17:14 - Jesus' words were not his.
John 8:42 - Jesus did not come of himself.
John 10:29 - "My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all."
John 14:1 - Jesus said, "...believe also in me."
John 14:16, 17:1, 17:9, 17:11, 17:15 - Jesus prayed.
John 14:31 and 15:10 - Jesus followed commands.
John 17:6-8 - "I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me."
John 20:17 - Jesus had a god.
Acts 2:22 - Jesus was "a man approved of God."
Romans 8:34 - Jesus was an intercessor.
1 Timothy 2:5 - Jesus was the mediator between God and humans.

Answer 3

The Christian faith has certain principles on which they stand Historically to become a Christian you must agree with these statements before you would be baptized:
1. I believe in God the Father, Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth:

2. And in Jesus Christ, his only begotten Son, our Lord:

3. Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary:

4. Suffered under Pontius Pilate; was crucified, dead and buried: He descended into hell:

5. The third day he rose again from the dead:

6. He ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty:

7. From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead:

8. I believe in the Holy Ghost:

9. I believe in the holy catholic church: the communion of saints:

10. The forgiveness of sins:

1l. The resurrection of the body:

12. And the life everlasting. Amen.

Answer 4

If somebody doesn't believe that Jesus was divine, he doesn't believe the Bible. If he doesn't believe the Bible, he won't do what the Bible says, and therefore he will be condemned (John 12:48).

He may believe that Jesus was a good person, but that doesn't make somebody a Christian. Why would somebody want to be considered a Christian and yet go against everything of Christianity?

Answer 5

You cannot be a Christian, and not believe that Jesus is God's Son, and God Himself.

First: Look at over 700 Prophecies in the Old Testament that point to Jesus coming, dieing, and rising.

Second: Look at His own words, He was very exclusive. He left no room for question.

Either Jesus is who He said He is, or He is a Liar. He is either Divine, or a hoax. If He is not real, then He isn't worth your time.

You must either Believe that Jesus is Who He is, or stop fooling yourself, and stop calling yourself a Christian !

Answer 6

You are not consided a Christian if you don't belive in Christ, Jesus . The whole concept of Christianity is Living your life for Jesus. He is the One, He died for you on the cross, with 9 inch nails slaming into the palms of his hands and his feet. There was been plenty of miracles and amazing things that happend with the ability of Christ.
I know many people which were healed by pastors, ministers, and ordianry christians such as myself. Jesus is not a religion. It is a Faith. There has been miraculious proof that Jesus Is Real and Jesus will come back, believe it or not, but He is . Look it up, read the Bible, and have faith.

Answer 7

I think the issue comes from people's misconceptions that being non-christian means non-moral or bad person, so they avoid saying they're not christian. In order to be christian, you must believe that jesus christ was the savior of mankind, he died on a cross for our sins and rose from the dead. Period.

PS You can still be a happy and ethical person and follow the good parts of the christian faith even if you don't believe this actually happened.

Answer 8

A Christian is a person that follows the Bible and the teachings of Christ. One of those teachings is that Christ is the Savior. You would have to believe that, but you would not have to believe him to be divine.

The requirement for Christ to be a Savior was not that he be divine or that he be God incarnate, but that he be blameless... a perfect sacrifice having no sin.

The question is what is so great about the death of a perfect being whether it be Christ, or a physically perfect animal? Both are innocent, both are undeserving... why? Why would God need for that to happen? It's so gruesome and just plain sick. But, I digress. Sorry... :P

Answer 9

No I do not accept this statement. Jesus is the Son of God. There is no doubt or question in my mind. Anyone may call themselves any thing they like. If you can not accept Jesus Christ as a Divine being with human form that is fine. One question where is the faith in that except to say that humans are god? If this is the case we all conceive our own destiny. We choose our families, we choose where we are born, we choose our lives.

Answer 10

No I believe that to doubt the divinity of Christ is to be a non Christian. I do believe someone could consider Christ a good man but in order to be truly a Christian you must accept all that the title suggests.

Answer 11

Christianity means a follower of Christ. We believe after the fall of Adam, man was a enemy of God. Only through Jesus perfect sinless life, born of the spirit, who paid for our sins on the cross that man can be forgiven. Those that are not in Christ Jesus are condemmed already..Those who have Jesus, are saved. All man-kind is guilty of breaking the ten commandments.