Are you a Christian or a Catholic

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I haven’t had someone ask me this question yet, but if I did I would say “Catholics are Christians.”
 
JKirkLVNV said:
I say “I’m a Catholic Christian,” too. But then, they wanna know when I got saved:rolleyes:.
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Baptism! That was the first time anyway.

I have been saved, I am being saved, I hope to be saved.
(Adapted from Jimmy Akin)
 
I remember when I was younger I didn’t even know what Christian meant, because I thought it was just some religion & that Catholic was a different 1.
 
FidesSpesCarita said:
I have heard this question more times than I can stand. It has finally begun to bother me to the point that it is becoming a problem for me. Even “good” Catholics have asked me this.

My question is this: Do you see a dichotomy, or even a break, in whether you are a christian or a Catholic? Also, what would you respond if asked the question “are you a christian first or a Catholic first?” I have gotten this from at least one Catholic and to me there is no difference. That is, to me, akin to asking someone “Are you a man/woman first or a human?”

Just trying to get other thoughts on this.

Pax

FSC
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You are exactly right, there is a false dicotomy in this question. Like is it scripture or tradition, or is is faith or works, the answer is yes! To be Catholic is to be a Christian, and if one is to be fully Christian one must also be Catholic.
 
FidesSpesCarita said:
I have heard this question more times than I can stand. It has finally begun to bother me to the point that it is becoming a problem for me. Even “good” Catholics have asked me this.

My question is this: Do you see a dichotomy, or even a break, in whether you are a christian or a Catholic? Also, what would you respond if asked the question “are you a christian first or a Catholic first?” I have gotten this from at least one Catholic and to me there is no difference. That is, to me, akin to asking someone “Are you a man/woman first or a human?”

Just trying to get other thoughts on this.

Pax

FSC
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This problem is caused by the protestant church as Christian is to those persons completely a seperate thing in their minds as they have no idea what Catholicism is.

So to a Catholic, the Catholic Church is both Christian and in its strictest since Christendom itself.

There is a dijoint between Catholic doctrine and Catholic Doctrine that relates to protestants and between protestant thinking as it relates to Catholicism.
 
Living in the Bible Belt, I also have encountered this question frequently. I am actually a convert to the Church - was raised in the Church of Christ and Baptist Church - but one of my best friends in my young age was a Catholic. I remember thinking that her church was definitively not Christian, though since I was so young, I could not put an exact definition on either the word “Christian” or “Catholic”. At the time, Christian to me was however my Church of Christ church ran things and Catholic was the strange place with all the statues and exercise during the service. 😉

Now that I’m Catholic (and older with a somewhat developed mind :p), though, I’ve actually had the opportunity to answer this question. Some are from intinerant people with an agenda to “save me” but others, are very willing to listen. I’ve encountered both the Protestant Christian unwilling to listen to my arguments, despite pulling them straight from the Bible as well as the Protestant Christian willing to listen to why we believe, practice and worship the way we do. I’ve found that those who are willing to listen have actually been very receptive and very interested to learn more about the Church.

My best approach to the question is to first say that “Catholics are Christians.” and then to explain why. If the person is receptive and interested, I’m willing to continue, but I usually try to stop the conversation if I meet someone completely unwilling to listen. Starting a fight is not the best way to be an actual “Christian” whether this person is Protestant or Catholic.
 
I consider myself a Christian who is Catholic. I first and foremost am a follower of Christ Jesus. My personal relationship to Jesus is first and foremost. The other reason I say that I am a Christian-Catholic is because there are alot of so called “Catholics” out there who are not active in their faith but still consider themselves Catholic. Many are what I call Cultural Catholics who became Catholic because it was something that their culture does. I don’t desire to be thought of as part of this group. I was raised as a cradle Catholic but never truly accepted Christ but then later had what I consider for lack of a better word “a Born Again experience” and attended a protestant church. Eventually I returned to the Catholic church because it is the true church of Jesus Christ.
 
FidesSpesCarita said:
I have heard this question more times than I can stand. It has finally begun to bother me to the point that it is becoming a problem for me. Even “good” Catholics have asked me this.

My question is this: Do you see a dichotomy, or even a break, in whether you are a christian or a Catholic? Also, what would you respond if asked the question “are you a christian first or a Catholic first?” I have gotten this from at least one Catholic and to me there is no difference. That is, to me, akin to asking someone “Are you a man/woman first or a human?”

Just trying to get other thoughts on this.

Pax

FSC
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I think this a great opportunity to take them through history of the Church. just a thought.
 
I like to look at it the easy way. A Christian is to receive Jesus Christ in your heart and soul. A Catholic is to receive Jesus Christ in your heart and soul. So just like you cannot separate Jesus from his Church, you cannot separate a Christian from being a Catholic!😃
 
ecedmondson said:
Living in the Bible Belt, I also have encountered this question frequently. I am actually a convert to the Church - was raised in the Church of Christ and Baptist Church - but one of my best friends in my young age was a Catholic. I remember thinking that her church was definitively not Christian, though since I was so young, I could not put an exact definition on either the word “Christian” or “Catholic”. At the time, Christian to me was however my Church of Christ church ran things and Catholic was the strange place with all the statues and exercise during the service. 😉

Now that I’m Catholic (and older with a somewhat developed mind :p), though, I’ve actually had the opportunity to answer this question. Some are from intinerant people with an agenda to “save me” but others, are very willing to listen. I’ve encountered both the Protestant Christian unwilling to listen to my arguments, despite pulling them straight from the Bible as well as the Protestant Christian willing to listen to why we believe, practice and worship the way we do. I’ve found that those who are willing to listen have actually been very receptive and very interested to learn more about the Church.

My best approach to the question is to first say that “Catholics are Christians.” and then to explain why. If the person is receptive and interested, I’m willing to continue, but I usually try to stop the conversation if I meet someone completely unwilling to listen. [SIGN]Starting a fight is not the best way to be an actual “Christian” whether this person is Protestant or Catholic.
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[/SIGN]

Amen to that!
 
One of the things that I have thought requires further consideration is the concept of being “born again” or that of “having a personal relationship with Jesus”. To me–and admittedly I have some bias in light of my own experience with family members–that smacks, at first blush, of a historic anti-Catholicism and dyed-in-the-wool Protestantism based on a “bible only” foundation. The thing that drew me to Catholicism was the unearthing of the fact that the earliest Christians had no “Bible” and relied on the foundation of truth, which was always the Church (catholic and apostolic). At the same time, the other key thing was the Church pointing out (like the Al Jarreau song from the mid-1970s) that “we’re in this love together …”, in that it is not a “my God and ou God” thing, but “our God” thing. Too many who believe they have some “special” relation with the LORD base same on certain passages taken out of context and then often justify what they do or say without comparing it to what the early Church taught and did. I like the filter of reason and tradition the Catholic Church puts on suchthings. Shalom to all!
 
Catholics are christians too .People that don’t know anything about the RC seem to be only ones who ask this .
 
One cannot distinguish between Catholicism and Christianity, one is not Catholic without being Christian, and one cannot be a Christian without being Catholic. For Christ established this Church and one cannot follow Christ without being in his Church.

One cannot have God for his Father, without the Church as his mother.
 
Hello Everyone!

I am a Southern Baptist, and I believe in general, alot of the people in my denomination have a very wrong attitude towards Catholics. I think its mainly due to not wanting to learn about Catholicism, due to tradition. Personally, I think the Catholic Church has beautiful worship services. I also think that Christians are Catholic , Baptist, Lutheran, Methodist, Presbyterian, you name it!

For me, I consider myself a Christian first, Baptist second. Being Baptist is just a vessel that I use to worship Christ, if that makes sense at all.

I guess my point is that Catholics are brothers in Christ too, and I wish that many Protestant denominations would stop labeling them otherwise.
 
Welcome, fanofU2, and thanks for a charitable post about Catholicism. I think many more think along your lines than some more “apologetic” types here would admit. It seems to me evangelical Christians have been drawing closer to the Mother Church over the last decades and even if it leads only to more ecumenical relations rather than full reunification, that is still a step in the right direction. Feel free to ask away about anything you can think of–you will get very good answers here and in the other forum sites. Shalom.
 
The way I kind of understand this is somewhat convoluted…

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

Kind of like all Rolls Royce’s are automobiles, but not all automobiles are Rolls Royce’s…

👍
 
Quote :All Catholics are Christian, but not all Christians are Catholics.

Exactly! This sums up what I think in one sentence.

I also have a question: I wear a necklace with a small crucifix on it. In my particular body of believers, our preacher frowned on this. He says that any cross necklaces should not have Christ on the cross. He thinks the cross should be empty, as a symbol of the resurrection.
When I heard him talk about this I strongly disagreed. Though I do see my preachers point,I believe my necklace portraying Jesus on the cross helps me to dwell on his love as a result of all the suffering he went through.
Last, does anyone here at CAF have any verses or counter-arguments that I could use when my preacher says we shouldnt wear crucifix necklaces? Thanks alot!
 
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