Someone said that Catholics are not Christians...?

Question

what limited, bigoted definition of Christianity are you using?

Answer 1

Yeah, a lot of people say that. It's complete ignorance. Catholics worship Jesus as the messiah. They're Christians. In fact, Catholicism is the oldest existing Christian denomination.

Answer 2

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 C.E., 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.

For a complete description of what Catholics believe, see the Catechism of the Catholic Church: http://www.usccb.org/catechism/text/index.htm

With love in Christ.

Answer 3

Just curious, but where in the Bible does it say you have to accept Jesus as you personal Lord and Savior? I can see countless references to baptism being necessary for salvation, consumption of the body, blood, soul and divinity of Christ through the Eucharist being necessary for salvation, Grace (through faith+works) being necessary for salvation. Seems the only place I see "faith alone" is James where it says we are not saved by faith alone. Seems that protestant churches ranging from 500 yrs to days old can't really say anything with any true authority. They claim the authority comes from the Holy Spirit. If that is so, why are there so many differing translations about this and that scripture verse between the 30,000+ protestant denominations? Does the Holy Spirit lie to some and not to others? Or is it possible that people just take the words and fit them to their own experience or need and do not really want to know the Truth? How do you know the Truth? It is not self evident. The Bible itself says it is not the upholder and defender of the Truth. That is the role of the Church. But, we just discussed the fact that 30,000+ churches consider their translations to be Fact. How do you know which one? Maybe the one that was founded by Christ himself and has apostolic authority passed down from the first 12 apostles? Perhaps the Church founded on the Rock Peter who was protected from error and has passed on his authority through the generations. Perhaps the Church whose Doctrines in no way contradict the Bible or vice-versa. Wow, I think we are back to the Roman Catholic Church, aren't we.

John 3:3 refers to being "born again" but if you put the phrase in context it refers to baptism "born of water and spirit", Jn 3:5. This is not simply an internal accepting of Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior. This is an action (work) combined with Faith that conveys Grace from God.

Answer 4

I believe that is mostly said by fundamentalists. They are very big on the difference between someone who considers themselves a Christian and a "real" Christian in their view. In other words, one who agrees with them.

When you run out of logical arguments, you can always fall back on "but they were not Real Christians, so that does not reflect badly on Christianity." Even my dear mother, a Sunday school teacher for most of my life, fell back on that one occasionally. To give her credit, she tried to do better when she could.

P.S. Thank you, Line Dancer, for making my point. Just because the Catholic Church added dogma after 30 a.d. does not mean they are not Christians. It just means they are not your kind of Christian. They believe in Christ, after all. Isn't that what Christian means?

Answer 5

Not all are, and that goes for any denomination of Christianity....
Some people get to caught up in there actions, or routine and what they have to do, and forget that it's about a relationship. I think the judgment gets passed on Catholics more so b/c a lot of the people go through the actions every week and don't know why, they just do it, I know thats how I was.

Answer 6

Thank you!

Pretty sad when an ATHEIST knows the definition of a Christian better than some Christians!

God Bless you- I sincerely mean that!

Answer 7

And who is that "someone " you are talking about ?
"Thou art Peter and upon this rock i will build my church and i will give to thee the keys to the kingdom of heaven"(Catholic Church---universal church)

I am Catholic because that's how i was brought up.When i got older i was able to make the decision to stay with my faith or abondon it.I decided to stay.with it.I respect other Christians and their religions but i wish they would get their facts straight when they asume to know the 'rituals"of my faith .BUT THEY DON'T .THEY TELL LIES .WHICH IS VERY INSULTING.

EDIT....The Bible has been made redundant.Mary's apparitions over the last 1000 years has changed all that.Mary has made it quite clear how we should live our lives.That is what Catholics try to do.This will be total rubbish to most Christians because it won't be found in any Bible,and they believe Mary is not that important so they refuse to believe.Mary told the children she appeared to that "I am the ever Virgin Mary,Mother of the true God,I am the Mother of God,the Queen of Heaven.

EDIT.......Mary said "We need communal prayer,family prayer,also every family should have at least one sacred object in the house and houses should be blessed regularly".The Madonna always stresses that there is but one God and that people have enforced unnatural separation."ONE CANNOT TRULY BELIEVE AND BE A CHRISTIAN IF HE DOES NOT RESPECT OTHER RELIGIONS AS WELL.YOU DO NOT REALLY BELIEVE IN GOD IF YOU MAKE FUN OF OTHER RELIGIONS.YES,PREPARE "The Madonna said "PEOPLE SHOULD PREPARE THEMSELVES SPIRITUALLY.BE READY,AND NOT PANIC ,BE RECONCILED IN THEIR SOULS .THEY SHOULD BE READY FOR THE WORST - TO DIE TOMORROW".

EDIT.....Most Christians do not believe in the authenticity of apparitions,but there is too much well recorded and documented evidence to dismiss as fantasy or misguided spiritual fervour.The works that flowed from them were good.


My advice...throw the Bible out the window(SHOCK!!!HORROR!!!) you are wasting precious time .Start to live as Mary would like you to live.There are souls to be converted (non-believers) through prayer and fasting (not by telling them they will go to hell for not believing,this is wrong).Mary says "please pray to Jesus,i am his mother and I INTERCEDE FOR YOU TO HIM. BUT ALL PRAYER GOES TO JESUS. I WILL HELP.I WILL PRAY,

Answer 8

First, why would an atheist even care?

I have said that not all Catholics are Christians. I've also said not all Baptists are Christians.

Fill in the following blank with any denominational name you can think of: Not all _________ are Chrisitans. Some are, some are not.

Jesus even told us that not all who claim to be Christians really are.

See what Jesus taught in Matthew chapter seven:

The Narrow and Wide Gates

13"Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

A Tree and Its Fruit

15"Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. 16By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. 19Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.
21"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' 23Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'

- - - - end of quote - - -

Historically speaking, Roman Catholics have been saying, for over 500 years and this includes the current Pope, that the Roman Catholic Church is the only true church and that Roman Catholics are the only true Christians.

So no Roman Catholic should be offended if someone occationally claims that that is not true and that the only real Christans are of the _________ denomination.

The Barna Organization has been conducting detail telephone interviews in the USA for the past ten years or more and according to their web site only about 25% of the Roman Catholics they interviewed are really Christians. (Born Again Christians.)

This definition comes from Jesus in John chapter 3.

On their web site they go into great detail about exactly how they conducted this survery and exacty which questions they asked and in what sequence.

I've quoted results of that survey many times in Yahoo Q&A.

Today I won't quote them but I'll give you many links to their information directly from their web site.

Baptists and Pentecostal denominaitons such as Church of God and Assemblies of God and non denominational church members tended to have the highest percentage of real Christians according to Barna.

I'll include some links to the Barna web site at the end of this note.

Barna's Surveys also show that only half of Protestant Pastors have a Biblical World View.

The last link listed shows lots of links which should be of interest to most honest Christians who are on Yahoo Q & A.

Pastor Art

PS: When coming from an atheist I find your question rude and offensive.

Answer 9

Catholic, by itself, means Universal: Globe-all.
Roman Catholic means popish partiality.
Christ is the end (not mend) of the law.
Only what began can end. Law began.
Grace is eternal, has no begin or end.
Someone tell Protest-ants the truth.
Grace is sufficient (no law req'd).

The GRACE of our Lord Jesus Christ with you all. Amen.

Answer 10

Fanatics of any OTHER christian based religion will make this claim......It's just that thier preist/pastor/preacher....etc. has them so brainwashed on the definition of christianity, that they lash out at everyone who disagrees with them.....

Christianity is simply believing that jesus christ of 0000 ad was and "is" the only child of "god" fathered by him directly (kind of like hercules in greek religion)......or that he was god in human form......Simple right?