The terms 'Catholic' and 'Christian' - how do you use them?

Question

Catholics identify themselves as Christians. Most non-Christian English speakers include Catholics in the definition of 'Christian'. But I've noticed that on this site a number of people use the word 'Christian' in opposition to 'Catholic'.

If your use of the word 'Christian' excludes 'Catholic', what denomination are you? Where do you live? Do you feel that Catholics are not Christians?

Answer 1

There is only one Church. One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism. Catholic simply means "according to" (Kath) "the whole" (Holos). Thereby, since there is only one Church, the terms are synonymous.

Answer 2

I think C.S. Lewis said it well in Mere Christianity that being "Christian" is an internal state known only to the Lord and the person. There are Catholics (as well as Methodists, Baptists, E-frees and non-denoms) who go through the motions and don't really have faith. There are also Catholics (Methodists, Baptists, E-frees, non-denoms and others) who have a very vibrant faith.

If we want to get academic about it, Catholicism would be included as a Christian theology. It is focused on Christ, holds Christ in the highest place, and values faith through grace. It is a common misperception that Catholicism is about Mary and the Saints, a misperception that persists despite efforts by many amateur and professional Catholic theologians, evangelists and ministers ordained and lay. While there are many peripherals, rituals and cultural notes to Catholicism that are not present in other branches of Christianity (partly because of the 2,000-year history of the former, and its wide spread across many cultures), these perhipherals, rituals and cultural notes are meaningless without Christ, and faithful Catholics know this.

Answer 3

Catholics are Christians- Christians are not necessarily Catholic.

Christianity has two major divisions. Catholic and Protestant.

Catholics were the first Christians. In the 16th century, during the Protestant Reformation, many faith groups split away from the Roman Catholic Church. This destroyed the relative unity of Christendom in western Europe. The Protestant movement continued to fragment in the following centuries.

At the present time, there are over a thousand Christian denominations in North America alone, in addition to many thousands of independent, unaffiliated congregations, para-church organizations, and personal or couple ministries. Although there are many mainline and liberal Protestant faith groups, most are conservative in nature.

There are many differences the Catholic belief seems to be slightly more liberal than Protestant.

On matters which are not related to human sexuality, the Roman Catholic Church tends to be far more liberal than conservative Protestant denominations. Its bishops often speak out strongly on moral matters such as:

Elimination of the death sentence,
The elimination of poverty,
Provision of universal health care,
Social injustices that have arisen from uncontrolled capitalism,
Unjust wars

Answer 4

The same way I use "Methodist and Christian", or Presbyterian, Pentecostal, Non-denominational, Mormon, Lutheran or any other faith, and Christian.

Christian is a more collective term, indicating any follower of Christ, while denominations are somewhat less collective, indicating which collected theology and teachings that particular Christian follows. For one to say "I'm not a Christian, I'm a Catholic" is to misunderstand both Christianity and Catholicism.

Answer 5

Yes
Baptist
Texas
A Catholic may be a Christian, but only if he/she believes and has received Jesus Christ as their personal Savior. But the Catholic church itself has adopted some man made doctrines that are not Christian at all. Doesn't mean that many of their members have found Christ on their own and accepted Him only as their deity. Most of the Catholics I know are not devout in their Catholic faith and really don't know that much about it because they haven't been involved in the church since childhood. The very devout Catholics I know, I fear they don't know Christ.....only Mary and the saints and don't feel they can talk to God directly.....it's sad. They are locked in to rituals and misinformation about God and basically trusting man and Mary to get them to heaven.

Answer 6

Christian = tree
Catholic - one of the branches

You have opened quite the pandora's box - watch for the influx of emails that you have asnwers to your question ; ) there are many people who have a hard time comprehending that those members of the Roman CAtholic church that are practicing members are also Christians. I see CJ has already given you his stock asnwer that Catholics are not saved Christians. I hope you will not be as ignorant and understand that Catholics who have accepted Christ and have been baptized for Him are as "saved" or "born again" as any other denomination ; )

God Bless
YSIC

PS - I'm a practicing Catholic, living presently in the south/bible belt originally from Michigan.

Answer 7

I am a Christian but not a Catholic. To me the term Christian is simply a blanket term to cover all who profess to follow the teachings ofChrist. The big differences between denominations is the amount of pomp and circumstance that goes with each. Some have a great deal of outer trimmings that others donot agree with. I do not do snake handling, yet I know the practices stems from a bible passage so those who follow it aredoing what they believe is worthy of God. Same with Catholics.I disagree with a lot of their practices but I do not doubt their love for Christ nor would I call them names for what they teach.

Answer 8

Certain groups try to say that catholics are not christian, though they don't know the definition of christian, which is (according to the American Heritage Dictionary):
1. Professing belief in Jesus as Christ or following the religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus.
2. Relating to or derived from Jesus or Jesus's teachings.
3. Manifesting the qualities or spirit of Jesus; Christlike.
4. Relating to or characteristic of Christianity or its adherents.
5. Showing a loving concern for others; humane.

Answer 9

Many Catholics are Christian, but not all Christians are Catholic.
If anyone believes that Jesus is the Son of God, the God/Man
than they are saved and going to heaven, no matter what
denomination they are in. There are atheist that once believed
in Christ and are still saved and will be shocked when they find
themelves in heaven because they once believed and then
rejected. You are save forever! Because Jesus KEEPS us
we don't keep ourselves.

Answer 10

Christianity has 3 main denomination streams - Roman Catholics, Orthodox Christians and Protestant Christians. All embrace the same creed "The Apostles' Creed". The "Nicean" creed is a more extended version but espouses the same fundamental doctrines.

The word 'catholic' means universal hence referring to the body of Jesus Christ as the universal church. After the last of the apostles were dead, there existed only one church of Christ's believers until Constantine conquered Rome and made Constantinople the religious capital of his empire. There was then 3 major Christian centers - Jerusalem, Rome and Constantinople (present Istanbul). The Jerusalem church declined when it's leader, James was matyred. The church of Rome and Constantinople split over doctrinal issues. In the middle ages, Martin Luther, a Catholic monk began the Reformation to reform the RC church of that time of it's traditions and teachings not in line with the Inspired Word of God, the Bible. He was persecuted but escaped extermination due to the protection of various powerful German princes/kingdomes who wanted to break free from the influence of the Roman church (very powerful then).

Anyway back to modern times, the more evangelical Christians believe that to be a true believer of Christ, one must be born again which is to acknowledge that we are all fallen sinners, that there is no way to be reconciled to God on our own efforts, and accept God's solution: His gift of His Son Jesus who stripped Himself of Godhood to take on the frailty of manhood, died in our place as a perfect sacrifice, without sin, and in doing so, redeemed us from the penalty of eternal death and separation from God. It must be emphasised that salvation is a gift, not a reward for work done, not to be earned,not based on merit. If it were, nobody would be saved because no one is perfect or deserving. It is given freely because of God's grace to us.

All those who have not understood or taken this step are considered as not Christian or nominal Christians at best not having a real and living relationship with God. In this respect, there are no second or multi-generation Christians, just first generation Christians because each must make his/her own decision.

In short, you can worship in any church but that doesn't make one a "Christian' until you are a true believer. A Christian by defintion is "follower of Christ". So to call oneself a Christian is to declare that one follows after Jesus Christ.

Answer 11

Anybody who says that catholics are not christians is,quite simply,a fool.
Catholics are the largest single denomination within the christian religion.
The level of self denial that some people have always surprises me