2007-10-04 13:27:47 · 24 answers · asked by girly whirlyy 1 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
It's hard to improve on Evolver's answer. So let me simply expand on it.
A Christian is a disciple of Jesus. A disciple is a more than a believer, a learner, a follower. Christians place their faith in Jesus as the way, the truth, and the life.
Many professed Christians, Catholic and Protestant, belong to Christian organizations for a variety of reasons. It may involve residual loyalty to family or ethnic traditions. But sometimes their hearts are far from God.
There is certainly a wide latitude in the community of Christians. We may differ in our theology, in our sacraments, in our interpretation of scripture, and in many fine points of morality. We can be saints or sinners. But if we sincerely seek Jesus as Lord, if we hold him up as the perfect model for our lives, we are Christians.
But Jesus often said, "You will know them by their fruits" (Matt 7:16; 7:20; 12:33; Luke 6:44; John 15:8). The test of a Christian is a basic measure of moral works.
Revelation speaks of taking the mark of the beast, graphically pictured as having 666 tattooed onto your forehead. But the real indication of moral allegiance to Christ is displayed in two moral issues: protecting innocent life and restricting sex to marriage.
Those who wear the label Christian and call for the killing of children, or for sexual promiscuity, flout the fundamental tenets of Christianity as certainly as if the ywore Nero's number tattooed on their faces. Sadly, some of these phony Christians are Catholic.
The good news is that the Catholic Church rejects child homicide and sex divorced from marriage. This is in keeping with Christ's promise (Matt 16:18): "And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it."
Cheers,
Bruce
2007-10-04 15:06:25 · answer #1 · answered by Bruce 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The first person to use the word christian was a Catholic some 1500 years before a Protestant graced this earth.
Evodius was the first Bishop of Antioch, and he is credited with being the first person to call the followers of Christ, "Christians", as shown in Acts 11:26. See Eusebius, book 3, chapter 22.
Saint Ignatius (35-107), the second Bishop of Antioch wrote a letter to the Smyrneans in 107 A.D..
In this letter is recorded the first known use of the words "Catholic Church"...
2007-10-04 21:02:29 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
I just love how a lot of people don't know what they're talking about Catholics are most certainly christians. The Catholic church was the first church of christianity. Know many Catholics along with other denominations say they are christians but don't really live by their faith. There are Catholics who take their faith seriously and have felt the presence of the Holy Spirit.
2007-10-04 20:43:14 · answer #3 · answered by pepgurli 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It depends on the sense of the word - if by "Christian" you mean "committed Christian", then no, surely there are some folks who just do the motions for the sake of their families, etc.
On the other hand, if you mean are Catholics members of a Christian denomination then the answer is yes, Catholics are as Christian as anyone else. In fact, Catholics were and are the first Christians, as they belong to the oldest continuous ecclesial body in the world.
2007-10-04 20:35:42 · answer #4 · answered by evolver 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Yes. Catholicism is a branch of Christianity. As long as the Catholics believe in Jesus, they are Christians.
2007-10-04 20:30:14 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 5⤊ 0⤋
I hope so. Catholicism is a Christian religion. Each individual Catholic answers for himself or herself if he or she is truly a Christian. To be a Christian is to be Christ-like. So there you go.
2007-10-04 20:31:11 · answer #6 · answered by cmira4 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Roman Catholicism is a branch of Christianity. But the word "catholic" actually means "of interest or use to all; universal". If someone "has catholic tastes" it means they have a wide variety of interests - it doesn't mean that they'd like to lick the Pope. =o)
2007-10-04 20:33:20 · answer #7 · answered by Seraphim 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Probably not.
But neither are all Baptists, Methodists, Presbyterians, Anglicans, Nondenominational Christians, and so on, "Christians".
Sadly, there always seems to be a few who never really become true Christians.
With love in Christ.
2007-10-04 23:54:00 · answer #8 · answered by imacatholic2 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
yes.
Christians include roman catholic, eastern orthodox rites, and protestants
........well there were no 'real born agains' as some people call them until the modern day US. and its true I dont believe what many of the "real born again Christians" believe: especially when it includes bigotry, and that not too much important occurred during those first 16-1800 years of Christendom..... you know, when there were no 'real born agains.'
2007-10-04 20:30:23 · answer #9 · answered by kujigafy 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
yes. The Faith that makes up the Catholic Faith is the very same Faith that was originally called Christian in Damascus I think
2007-10-04 20:46:49 · answer #10 · answered by Midge 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋