Are You Christian or Catholic?

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The husband of a colleague was hurt in a pretty bad fall and was at our local Catholic hospital. I am a volunteer chaplain on the weekends, so while I was on my rounds I stopped by his room to visit, but he had been discharged.

At work this week I told my co-worker that I was a chaplain at the hospital and had gone to visit her husband, but he wasn’t there. However, I told her that I was praying for him.

She looked at me and said, “Oh. Are Christian or Catholic?”

I replied, “I’m both.”

She simply said, “Oh yeah, huh. I guess you’re right.”
 
This may be a silly question, but I thought a chaplain at a hospital was either a priest or minster. If you’re Catholic, what does your title as ‘chaplain’ mean?
 
all grass is green but not everything that is green is grass.
 
A lot of Protestants say Catholics are not Christians and surprisingly a lot of Catholics don’t think they are or even deny they are Christian’s. But we are the first Christians The Church started to be known as Catholic to distinguish itself from all the other heretical groups that plagued the early part of the first few centuries and still do today. 👍
 
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mulderalexander:
all grass is green but not everything that is green is grass.
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One can be Christian and not Catholic. However, one cannot be Catholic and not Christian. 🙂
 
I’m a Roman Catholic, the term ‘Christian’ has taken on a new meaning in America with all the non-denominational ‘Christians’ making their appearance.
Calling myself a Western Rite Catholic Christian is too awkward, so Roman Catholic it is.
 
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ICXCNIKA:
She looked at me and said, “Oh. Are Christian or Catholic?”

I replied, “I’m both.”

She simply said, “Oh yeah, huh. I guess you’re right.”
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She probably is used to folks who make a distinction of the sorts where they identify themselves as Christian, without being willing to list a denomination. I expect that is why she phrased her question that way.

Alternatively, she could be from one of those non-denominational churches that are very particular about how prayers are worded. In that case she was asking to identify what type of prayers you made. This phenomenon always puzzles me when I encounter it.
 
I am a Catholic Christian, that is what I respond and usually try to identify what type Christian tradition they are associated with so we will speak the same language. Many Evangelical Christians have dropped the name Evangelical and now just say Christian.
If I encounter someone like this who insists they are just Christian I will say me too I am Christian, I go to Saint Mary’s.

God Bless
Scylla
 
Some of our Protestant friends (and we have many) are still confused by us. We don’t fit their preconceived notion of Catholic. We pray, we talk openly about our relationship with Jesus, we say things like “praise the Lord” and we read and quote the scriptures.*

I think they think we are an anomaly.

*Interestingly enough, most of my Catholic friends do the same thing.
 
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Elzee:
This may be a silly question, but I thought a chaplain at a hospital was either a priest or minster. If you’re Catholic, what does your title as ‘chaplain’ mean?
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At our local Catholic hospital we have several Chaplains. One is a preist, one is a Buddhist, I’m not sure what the others are; they look human to me. To be a Chaplain (big C) one must have a Certificate of Chaplaincy which requires several credits in a CPE (Clinical Pastoral Education) program. I don’t know how many credits. My wife has earned one credit toward the certificate, and I believe, at least at our hospital, she is considered a Chaplain.

I am actually a volunteer chaplain with spiritual care. Honestly, I think our real title is Spiritual Care Volunteer. But the term Volunteer Chaplain is used for those of us who visit patients and offer them spiritual comfort.

When I visit patients I usually tell them I’m the chaplain on duty or that I’m a volunteer chaplain. It is easier to say “chaplain” than “spiritual care volunteer” because the patient usually doesn’t know what I mean. I’ve been called Father and Pastor, but I am neither; although I am a father and brother.
 
In a way the word “Christian” has been hijacked and branded like the word “gay.”

I don’t like the baggage of fundamentalism that unfortunately comes along with the word “Christian” in the last 100 years. I proudly consider myself Roman Catholic.
 
Most Protestant church schools refer to themselves as “Christian” schools, and in some people’s minds this sets them agains the “Catholic” schools and by extension the Christians against the Catholics.
 
When I was 15 - back in 1970 - I was invited by a friend to a Halloween Party organized by her minister. Upon meeting me he inquired “Are you a Christian?”. I probably had that deer in the headlight look and said, “Well, I’m a Catholic…”, to which he broke out laughing. At that time I don’t remember that the term Christian was emphasized that much. But had he asked me if I believed that Christ was crucified for our sins, died, and rose again I would have answered in the affirmative.
 
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Pug:
She probably is used to folks who make a distinction of the sorts where they identify themselves as Christian, without being willing to list a denomination. I expect that is why she phrased her question that way.

Alternatively, she could be from one of those non-denominational churches that are very particular about how prayers are worded. In that case she was asking to identify what type of prayers you made. This phenomenon always puzzles me when I encounter it.
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Many of the non-denominational churches are so-called “Word of Faith” churches that subscribe to the idea 'you will get what you say" This makes them paranoid about making a “wrong confession” i know about this because i’ve been there. in 2002 I left that rat race and became a Catholic. Best thing I ever did!
 
Glenn Lego:
Many of the non-denominational churches are so-called “Word of Faith” churches that subscribe to the idea 'you will get what you say" This makes them paranoid about making a “wrong confession” i know about this because i’ve been there. in 2002 I left that rat race and became a Catholic. Best thing I ever did!
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Yay! Yippee! Welcome home (a bit late on my part, I know).👍

You are right, I’ve heard that exact word before, “confession”. Is Life Changers International Church with pastor Dickow one of these “word of faith” places, do you happen to know (it is fairly local to you)? I have a friend who has been heavily influenced by them. If it is, could you give me any hints as to the best types of things to focus on with my friend, if I get the chance?
 
Glenn Lego:
Many of the non-denominational churches are so-called “Word of Faith” churches that subscribe to the idea 'you will get what you say" This makes them paranoid about making a “wrong confession” i know about this because i’ve been there. in 2002 I left that rat race and became a Catholic. Best thing I ever did!
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Me, too. Read lots of Kenneth Hagin, Kenneth Copeland, John Osteen (Joel’s doing quite well for himself and his wife is a fox)…
I went to see Kenneth Copeland twice. I still have some friends who are pastors of a Word Faith Church.

Many of my friends who are still Protestant came out of that circus. It is a kind of Christianity for seventh graders. You get whatever you want. It is very self centered. My friends and I realized that a mature faith does not operate that way.
 
As Hillaire Belloc says, the word ‘Christian’ is an historically inaccurate word. I stick with Catholic. It says it all. And that’s what I am. I think if people ask us what we are, we should say Catholic, not Christian, that way we tell them the whole story.
 
I am a Christian saved by grace through faith, not works, not the eucharist, nor the rosary, and purgatory is non-existent. Read your bible and tell me where you find your purgatory. Heaven, earth, Sheol, and hell are the only places for souls defined in the old and new testaments that the catholic church many years ago formed into our bible canon. No papal bull or word can stop the bible as written by the church, nor negate one word of the truth of god in the scriptures. Again, I am a believer in Christ Jesus and a member of the spirtual kathoklios (Catholic) church, not the physical catholic church.
 
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Oren:
As Hillaire Belloc says, the word ‘Christian’ is an historically inaccurate word. I stick with Catholic. It says it all. And that’s what I am. I think if people ask us what we are, we should say Catholic, not Christian, that way we tell them the whole story.
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If you are a Catholic, you are part of Satan’s universal church. If you are a christian, you are “Christ-like”. I proudly stand and say, I am a Christian, bought by the blood of the lamb, and not by the monies of the Catholic church.
 
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