Catholics, Mormons, Jehova's Witness and others; do they include them only when convenient?
sorry dedrie it was a great question!
2007-03-31 15:54:54 · 14 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
They also exclude each other, when stating that a "true" Christian wouldn't do this or that.
2007-04-06 21:27:55 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Not only do all American Christians NOT agree, but there is great difference of opinion amongst believers around the globe.
Convenience has nothing to do with it. It is a question of a person's doctrinal basis! If, according to a person's doctrine, another denomination is "heretical" or "idolatrous", then practicioners of that dogma do not qualify as Christians.
There is a great deal of division between, say, a Roman Catholic and a Mormon. Roman Catholics view Mormonism as pagan polytheism, and Mormons view Catholicism as apostate Christianity.
2007-03-31 23:00:53 · answer #2 · answered by MamaBear 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
There seems to be some disagreement about the definition of a Christian.
Most non-Catholic Christian denominations accept Catholics as Christians. A very few do not.
A dictionary would say that a Christian is someone professing belief in Jesus as Christ or following the religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus.
Catholics would fit this definition.
In the Nicene creed, from 325 A.D., Catholics profess:
We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, one in being with the Father.
Through Him all things were made.
For us and our salvation He came down from heaven: by the power of the Holy Spirit, He was born of the Virgin Mary, and became man.
For our sake He was crucified under Pontius Pilate; He suffered, died, and was buried.
On the third day He rose again in fulfillment of the scriptures: He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end.
We accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior.
We are baptized as Jesus commanded in Matthew 28:19, "in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit."
We truly are spiritually "born again," we just don't usually use those words.
With love in Christ.
2007-04-06 20:15:06 · answer #3 · answered by imacatholic2 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Most Christians, American or not actually do not know what it is to be a christians. So more accurately people who call themselves christians are not really Christians. If you were really a christian you would understand the doctrine of your own church, and it would not contradict itself or the teachings of the pastor/minister/priest. And nothing contradicts the Bible. The Bible is the first and final and only authority
2007-04-08 19:58:57 · answer #4 · answered by colway 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Do JW's claim to be Christians? I don't think they use that term.
There are a few groups that think they are the only ones. Catholics believe they are the true Christians. Jesus said you must be born again, of the water and of the Spirit.
2007-03-31 22:58:25 · answer #5 · answered by supertop 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
As a relatively objective non-Christian observer, I can only say one thing: A Christian, by definition, is a person who believes in and worships Jesus Christ. It doesn't really matter what one denomination or the other says: if a person meets that criteria, they ARE a Christian whether other people like it or not.
2007-03-31 23:06:59 · answer #6 · answered by Huddy 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
You say you're supposed to be nice to the Episcopalians and the Presbyterians and the Methodists and this, that, and the other thing. Nonsense. I don't have to be nice to the spirit of the Antichrist. I can love the people who hold false opinions but I don't have to be nice to them.
-- Pat Robertson, The 700 Club television program, January 14, 1991
So maybe there's some difference of opinion.
2007-03-31 23:03:33 · answer #7 · answered by bandycat5 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
American Christians do not all agree who is really knows Jesus. Are there convenient associations; uh-huh. Isn't this America, land of the free, and home of the brave? If it is
too free please knock yourself silly before involving the rest of
America that declines that kind of self-serving association.
2007-04-08 02:18:40 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Man does not decide who is Christian and who isn't...It doesn't matter what christians think about who is really christian and who isn't, the only thing that matters is that God knows
2007-03-31 22:58:31 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 4⤊ 0⤋
No.
& they are more than willing to be "un-christian" to the rest in the name of Jesus.
Agnostic , but I believe that when Jesus wept it was not for himself , but what he knew would be done in his name.
2007-04-08 21:00:28 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋