Do Catholics consider themselves to be Christian? If so, why?

Question

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20071230143138AA22jRY

Answer 1

Yes. We beleive that Jesus is the Christ. The Messiah. The Son of God. Died for our sins and rose from the dead and will come again. We follow Christ and wait for His return.

Answer 2

Yes, we do consider ourselves Christians.

In fact, most non-Catholic Christian denominations accept Catholics as Christians. A very few do not.

The World Council of Churches which brings together more than 340 churches, denominations and church fellowships in over 100 countries and territories throughout the world, representing some 550 million Christians accepts the 1.1 billion Catholics as Christians. http://wcc-coe.org/wcc/who/faq-e.html#07

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

Catholics are the original Christians, and are the only denomination that can trace its origins in an unbroked line back to the apostles. All other Christian faiths were founded by some individual who was disgruntled by perceived problems in the Catholic hierarchy, and so chose to ignore the early intellectuals and writers such as St. Augustine and Thomas Aquinas by writing their own set of rules.
This is not to say that the Catholic hierarchy is without its share of problems -- there are many instances of corruption and abuse of power. However, people like Martin Luther started out as Catholic (since it was the only western Christian religion at the time), but when his protests were not acted upon he started his own religion.

Answer 4

Assuming you are not deluded or demented, as your question suggests...

Catholics are the original Christians. We are the only Church which can trace its roots back to Jesus, the Lord and Christ, Himself.

All other churches can trace their lineage, at best, back only about 500 years to Martin Luther. Others can trace their lineage back to a pastor who only founded their church 5 or 10 or 15 years ago.

For the first 1,500 years after the Ascension of the Lord Jesus, there was only ONE Church, and that Church is still around -- IT IS THE CATHOLIC CHURCH.


THAT'S WHY.

Answer 5

The Bible does not say that it is the denomination that makes one a true Christian. A true Christian is a person who has put his or her faith and trust in the person of Jesus Christ and fact that He died on the cross as payment for sins and rose again on the third day to obtain victory over death and to give eternal life to all who believe in Him. John 1:12 tells us: “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name.” A true Christian is indeed a child of God, a part of God’s true family, and one who has been given new life in Christ. The mark of a true Christian is love for others and obedience to God’s Word (1 John 2:4; 1 John 2:10).

Answer 6

The whole meaning of Christian is "Believer in Christ" Don't catholics believe Jesus was the savior? I think it's a massive denomination. Not a religion.

Answer 7

Not only do we consider ourselves Christians, we are the only true Christian religion, therefore making Catholicism and Christianity interchangeable titles for the exact same thing.

Ephesians 4:5 tells us, "one Lord, one faith, one baptism." Notice that it doesn't say "one Lord, 40,000 faiths, one baptism." Christ gave the Apostles the ENTIRE deposit of Faith. ("The Holy Ghost will teach you all things." John 14:26). He told them to pass that ONE doctrine on to the world ("Going therefore, teach ye all nations." Matthew 28:19) and threatened damnation for those who wouldn't except the ONE true doctrine. (He who believes not will be condemned." Mark 16:16). He would not have condemned to hell the disbelievers if either it was not important to believe ALL that the Apostles taught or if He was not certain that the Apostles were teaching the truth. ("He that heareth you heareth Me." Luke 10:16).

The Apostles knew that all who believed in ANY doctrine contrary from the one true doctrine that they recieved would perish. Notice this in Galatians 1:6-9 ---- "I am amazed that you are so quickly forsaking the one who called you by [the] grace [of Christ] for a different gospel. But there are some who are disturbing you and wish to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach [to you] a different gospel other than the one that we preached to you, let that one be accursed! As we have said before, and now I say again, if anyone preaches to you a gospel other than the one that you have recieved, let that one be accursed!"

So, what is this Scripture telling us -- that if anyone should teach a doctrine other than the ONE true doctrine that was issued from God the Father to the Son and given to the Apostles - the ONE deposit of faith solely held in ONE catholic (universal) and Apostolic Church, then the person(s) teaching the contradicting doctrine is therefore cursed. The 40,000+ different denominations who all claim to be Christian all differ from the next on at least one point of doctrine, and they all differ from the Catholic doctrine, some more than others. This tells us very plainly that all but ONE of these belief systems are "doctrines of devils" and not of the Apostles. Some of these doctrines may contain partial truths, but the ENTIRE deposit of faith is only contained in ONE. Therefore, if the entire truth of doctrine isn't held completely in said doctrine, then it is a doctrine other than one that was taught by the Apostles, making whoever teaching that doctrine cursed. [whew!!]

Therefore, there is but ONE truth of doctrine, and that ONE truth of doctrine is contained in ONE Church, the Holy Catholic Church.

Answer 8

I'm puzzled as to why people think that us Catholics are not Christians.The term Christians is an early nickname meaning 'Christ ones' i.e. his followers and we believe in Jesus and love and worship him as God's son and part of the Holy Trinity!! We read both of the Old and New testaments and love and recognise Jesus as our savior.

"We believe in the father, the almighty , maker of heaven and earth of all that is seen and unseen, We believe in one JESUS CHRIST the only son of God eternally begotten of the Father God from God , Light from Light , TRUE GOD from TRUE GOD...."

Could you list your sources for me? And have a
New Year.
Mine is a vodka and diet coke! Cheers!!!!

Andie

Answer 9

We were the first Christians. We do consider ourselves to Christians, Catholic is just our denomination.

Answer 10

I guess its official! I am going to have to buy stock in the Smoking Loon vinyard! Love that cabernet.