People say that Jehovah Witness and Mormons aren't Christians, What definition makes one a Christian?
2006-08-10 05:16:13 · 15 answers · asked by princezelph 4 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
levisgirl182003 I'm asking what your definition what makes one a Christian?
2006-08-10 05:34:34 · update #1
They are incorrect...Jehovah's Witnesses and Mormons are Crhistian sects...The fundamental definition of Christianity is a belief in Jesus Christ. Both these groups believe in Jesus and therefore are sects of Christianity. PEACE!
2006-08-10 05:22:44 · answer #1 · answered by thebigm57 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
the aforementioned sects are considered by themselves Christian. I'm by no means an expert, however the belief of Jesus Christ as the Lord and Savior would be considered a Christian belief. Most believe following what the Holy Bible states is being a true Christian. It's a touchy subject, but there are branches of most religions that don't agree with the others. I personally have my thoughts on other denominations, but who am I to say they are wrong.
2006-08-10 12:29:09 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yeah, the reason that is disputed is because the most common definition of Christian is:
Professing belief in Jesus as Christ or following the religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus.
So it's not only belief in Jesus as Christ,but following the teachings. And demoninations exisrt (and some are called non-Christian) because they all believe in different (or different priorities of) the teachings of Jesus, rather than just in Jesus as the Christ.
2006-08-10 12:23:47 · answer #3 · answered by Rjmail 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Trinitarians and other anti-Witnesses repeatedly pretend that Jehovah's Witnesses are not Christian. Trinitarians use an artificial, trinity-specific definition of the term "Christian" which excludes anyone who does not believe that Jesus is God Himself, rather than the Son of God. Interestingly, pagans in the first century pretended that Christ's followers were Atheists(!) because the Christians had a somewhat different idea from the pagans about the nature of God.
Jehovah's Witnesses teach that no salvation occurs without Christ, that accepting Christ's sacrifice is a requirement for true worship, that every prayer must acknowledge Christ, that Christ is the King of God's Kingdom, that Christ is the head of the Christian congregation, that Christ is immortal and above every creature, even that Christ was the 'master worker' in creating the universe! Both secular dictionaries and disinterested theologians acknowledge that Jehovah's Witnesses are a Christian religion.
The Trinitarian arguments are intended to insult and demean Jehovah's Witnesses, rather than to give a Scripturally accurate understanding of the term "Christian".
In fact, the bible most closely associates being "Christian" with preaching about Christ and Christ's teachings. Review all the times the bible uses the term "Christian" and note that the context connects the term with:
"declaring the good news"
'teaching quite a crowd'
'open eyes, turn from dark to light'
"uttering sayings of truth"
"persuade"
"keep on glorifying"
(Acts 11:20-26) [The early disciples of Jesus] began talking to the Greek-speaking people, declaring the good news of the Lord Jesus... and taught quite a crowd, and it was first in Antioch that the disciples were by divine providence called Christians.
(Acts 26:17-28) [Jesus said to Paul] I am sending you, to open their eyes, to turn them from darkness to light and from the authority of Satan to God... Paul said: “I am not going mad, Your Excellency Festus, but I am uttering sayings of truth and of soundness of mind. ...Do you, King Agrippa, believe the Prophets? I know you believe.” But Agrippa said to Paul: “In a short time you would persuade me to become a Christian.”
(1 Peter 4:14-16) If you are being reproached for the name of Christ, you are happy... But if he suffers as a Christian, let him not feel shame, but let him keep on glorifying God in this name
So why do anti-Witnesses try to hijack the term "Christian" and hide its Scriptural implications? Because anti-Witnesses recognize that it is the preaching work that makes it clear that the relatively small religion of Jehovah's Witnesses are by far the most prominent followers of Christ:
(Matthew 28:19,20) Go therefore and make disciples of people of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy spirit, teaching them to observe all the things I have commanded
Learn more!
http://watchtower.org
http://watchtower.org/library/ti/index.htm
2006-08-10 15:01:30 · answer #4 · answered by achtung_heiss 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Lots of people use the word Christian to describe themselves and believe in Christ but many believe differently about who He was and His message. The difference, as I see and understand it, is simply that a Christian (acceptance by God Jehovah) is to believe and accept Jesus Christ as being God's Son (Spirit) within a human body conceived by the Holy Spirit, whose main task and job was to die and become a blood sacrifice for mankind's sins. His Blood (as blood is required for forgiveness of sins) was perfect and the only shed blood sacrifice that was sufficient to once and for all substitute for man's sin. Just as Blood was put on the doors at Jewish passover protecting those with faith that the blood on the door would protect the firstborn males from the plague God was sending upon the land. So Christ Blood is the only sufficient sacrifice that God could accept and provide for man's sin. Belief in that and putting yourself under that blood is, in my opinion, the definition of a Christian. God in turn marks those that faithfully and truly believe in Him (Jesus) with His Holy Spirit that will co-dwell with our internal spirits in our human bodies as proof that His salvation is real and true and that we are Christians. Jehovah's Witnesses do not accept Jesus Christ nor the Holy Spirit as God or the Trinity of God and Mormon's (although I can't tell you what they truly believe) have what they consider to be "another book of Jesus" which I don't feel there is one but I don't know enough about what they do believe to dispute it here. What I said is my opinion and belief as to what Jesus said about Himself and what I feel a Christian is. It is not the way you act or what you do. It is not a physical thing but a mental and spiritual decision made uniquely by each individual.
2006-08-10 12:41:09 · answer #5 · answered by alagk 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Christian means Christ like.
Jehovah Witness are more afraid of God than Christians. [They don't celebrate b-days or Christmas]
2006-08-10 12:21:29 · answer #6 · answered by K 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The term Christian comes from the name Christ as you can plainly see. The term means a follower of Christ, I believe. A christian is a person who believes in Christ for salvation from sin and to service.
2006-08-10 12:35:23 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
The definition of a christian is different to all people.
2006-08-10 12:22:49 · answer #8 · answered by levisgirl182003 1 · 0⤊ 1⤋
The best definition is someone who thinks the fictional jeebus existed and claims to follow "him".
Of course, such a definition means catholics are christians which many prostates - oops, protestants - don't like, and it also means disgusting groups and individuals are also christians, such as the KKK, Nazis, Moonie cult, Jim Jones, Robert Mugabe, and Jerry Falwell, and many christians don't like that fact either.
2006-08-10 12:27:11 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
They are Christian. A Christian is one who believes in Jesus. I think they both do.
2006-08-10 12:19:49 · answer #10 · answered by Quantrill 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋