Are catholics christian or christians catholic?

Question

now...that's deep !!!

Ask the poop !!!


sorry... correction: pop e

Answer 1

Yeah, Catholics are Christians but not all Christians are Catholics.

Answer 2

Catholics are Christians.

Answer 3

I have an Evangelical friend who asked me "what is the difference between Catholics and Christians?" I had to scratch my head for a few moments because it never occurred to me that some people didn't think Catholics are Christian. I explained to him that that is kind of like saying "what is the difference between Americans and U.S. citizens?" The name Christian predates the Evangelical Church by over a millennium, as do the words Bible, and Trinity.

I got an email that said "I am wondering if you are truly Christian then why do you call yourselves Catholic? Believers were called Christian in Acts 11 & no other denomination or religion." I could ask the same questions why do Baptists, Pentecostals, etc use those words and not simply say "Christian."

I think it is good that Evangelicals and Catholics have lively and animated discussions on the interpretation of Scripture. That's the spice of life. Evangelicals do that with each other all the time. That's why there are so many different denominations. Lot's of Christians have opinions about Scripture that I don't agree with. That's OK. But I have a big problem with any organization that says "Catholics are not Christians," because it is ignoring the history of Christianity. Some who advance this theory, spend a lot of effort pulling Vatican statements from their original context to destroy ecumenical dialogue. They are trying to avoid Jesus' Biblical call to Christian unity (Jn 13:34) by saying we are not Christian.

Susan Fortin explains that the word Catholic was used before the end of the first century to distinguish the Church of the Apostles from heretical teachings. She writes:

St. Ignatius of Antioch, apostolic Father and bishop. He was a disciple of St. John, along with St. Polycarp. Theodoret, the Church historian says he was consecrated bishop by St. Peter, who was at first bishop of Antioch before going to Rome. Ignatius was martyred in Rome under Emperor Trajan's rule. It was during the journey to Rome that he wrote his famous letters that contain invaluble information about the early Church. He was the first to use the term "Catholic" to describe the Church.

The Catholic Church discerned God's voice when it formed the doctrine of the Trinity (Father, Son and Holy Ghost, three person's in one). Yup, the "Trinity" is a Catholic doctrine that predates the Evangelical Church by 1500 years. That word isn't even in the Bible. The Catholic Church discerned God's voice when it argued against the Arian heresy that almost gutted Christianity in the 4th century when many began to believe Jesus wasn't "fully God" and "fully human."

Answer 4

Catholics are Christians. Some Christians are Catholic, most in the US are Protestant Christians.

Answer 5

All Catholics are Christians, some Christians are Catholics.

Catholics were the first Christians. Prior to the reformation, all Christians were Catholic.

Answer 6

Not all Christians are Catholic, though all Catholics are Christian.

Answer 7

Catholics were the 1st Christians

Answer 8

There are probably Christians (born again) in Catholicism, but most leave to find a Bible teaching, grace filled church. And no, Catholics were not the first Christians. Catholicism did not come into being until at least 300 years after the events in Acts. There were Christians and Christian assemblies long before the first bishop of Rome assumed he had all the power, thanks to Constantine.

Answer 9

all Catholics are Christian, but not all Christians are Catholic.