Catholic or "Christian"?

[Nec5]

Since many of the denoms have claims of exclusivity (this is true Christianity), you would think you’d hear all the varieties of this phrase:

Are you Methodist or Christian?
Baptist…
Lutheran…
Anglican…
etc.

But you don’t. It’s the old Protestant vs Catholic history issue.

 

[CopticChristian]

Since many of the denoms have claims of exclusivity (this is true Christianity), you would think you’d hear all the varieties of this phrase:

Are you Methodist or Christian?
Baptist…
Lutheran…
Anglican…
etc.

But you don’t. It’s the old Protestant vs Catholic history issue.

The reality of this discussion is that the Catholic vs Christian discussion usually evolves through discussion about other things. I can give some for instances from recollection.

Hey, saw you reading the bible, what Church do you go to?

I can’t meet you on Sunday I have to go to Church. What Church do you go to?

Or in the course of conversation, hey are you guys going to see so and so…at the church? What Church? No I am Catholic…Oh I used to be Catholic and now I am Christian.

There are the usual others that ask the inevitable, if you died tonight do you know if you would go to heaven? AHHHH or
Are you saved? AHHHH or
How many times I have been asked to attend a bible study, about what? AHH

It is in the course of conversation that that this usually arises.

 

[SalesianSDB]

I am a member of a Christian forum and chat site. It’s mostly Protestants and those who claim, “All denominations do is divide the body of Christ so there should be no denominations.” And mostly it’s the latter.

Anywho, on the About Me section of my profile it asks “When Saved.” This is my response:

"As the Bible says, I am already saved (Rom. 8:24, Eph. 2:5–8), but I’m also being saved (1 Cor. 1:18, 2 Cor. 2:15, Phil. 2:12), and I have the hope that I will be saved (Rom. 5:9–10, 1 Cor. 3:12–15)"

 

[DebChris]

I am a member of a Christian forum and chat site. It’s mostly Protestants and those who claim, “All denominations do is divide the body of Christ so there should be no denominations.” And mostly it’s the latter.

Anywho, on the About Me section of my profile it asks “When Saved.” This is my response:

"As the Bible says, I am already saved (Rom. 8:24, Eph. 2:5–8), but I’m also being saved (1 Cor. 1:18, 2 Cor. 2:15, Phil. 2:12), and I have the hope that I will be saved (Rom. 5:9–10, 1 Cor. 3:12–15)"

“I was saved 2,000 years ago when Christ died on the cross, and I continue to be saved each and every time the Mass is celebrated anywhere on earth until the end of time.”
I do like your Biblical references.

 

[CopticChristian]

“I was saved 2,000 years ago when Christ died on the cross, and I continue to be saved each and every time the Mass is celebrated anywhere on earth until the end of time.”
I do like your Biblical references.

Salesian and you are both good. Wow. Amen

 

[Julia_Mae]

Isn’t anyone else annoyed by the question “Are you Catholic or Christian?”

I was once asked by the young woman cutting my hair if I was Catholic, she apparently saw my Crucifix. When I said yes, she asked if we believed Jesus was the Son of God?

I think that being annoyed is not very useful. Many of these people have been given very bad information, well, lied to, by their own churches. I see it as an opportunity too evangelize a tiny bit and spread a bit of Truth.

 

[7_Sorrows]

to me. catholics are christians who follow the Catholic faith. when someone asks me if i an christian, i answer yes, i am catholic.

 

[Izdaari]

Since many of the denoms have claims of exclusivity (this is true Christianity), you would think you’d hear all the varieties of this phrase:

Are you Methodist or Christian?
Baptist…
Lutheran…
Anglican…
etc.

But you don’t. It’s the old Protestant vs Catholic history issue.

So far as I’m aware, none of the Protestant denominations you mention make any claim of exclusivity.

Those few that do make such a claim (such as one particular branch of the Church of Christ) tend to be considered as cults by the rest.

 

[guanophore]

I think one should attach more importance to see on an issue whether it is according to the teachings of Jesus or Mary; that is what a Christian should be more concerned and focussed to.

You are right. But all Protestants, by virtue of being separated from the fullness of Christ, have lost some parts of the full Gospel. As a result, their understandings of His Teachings, passed down infallibly through the Sacred Tradition, were lost when their spiritual ancestors departee from the Apostolic Succession.

 

[guanophore]

My congregation would never have a corporate prayer for the conversion of Catholics, as our pastors are well aware that Catholics ARE Christians, though their beliefs aren’t the same as ours on some points.

How do they biblically justify that we are still Christians, even though we have different doctrines?

Gal 1:6

6 I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and turning to a** different **gospel

1 Tim 1:3

3 As I urged you when I was going to Macedonia, remain at Ephesus that you may charge certain persons not to teach any different doctrine

It does not seem that the apostles allowed for any “different doctrine”, and their successors did not, either.

 

[guanophore]

One of my really good friends is Catholic and he always says “well you are the Christian one not me. I’m Catholic.”

He was very shocked when I told him that Catholics are Christian.

My sister is Catholic. I am not. One time we were talking to someone and he asked what religion we were. We both said Christian. He said he was Catholic. My sister told him that she was also Catholic. He actually told her she should be calling herself Catholic and not Christian and that it isn’t right.

It is a sad fact that there are many abysmally catechized Catholics.

Since “Christian” has become a synonym for "Protestant, it is understandible that Catholics do not describe themselves that way. There are better ways, though.

 

[guanophore]

I appreciate your honesty. Your discomfort may be more than that. I can say without doubt that I have never been to, ever heard, ever read anything that is trash talk or anything like what you have heard in the Catholic Church. I tried to start an apologetic group at my Church and the pastor just did not feel that was necessary. The Churches I go to are interested in family, youth, prayer, building up the faith and no where do I expereince what it is you are describing as variance in the Churches.

This may be the start of your looking for something else.

Have you ever considered doing a poll in your parish to demonstrate why an apolgetic group is needed? I bet some hard figures would influence your pastor.

 

[Bookcat]

We are Christians…have been since the first century.

First members of the Church were called “the disciples”…

Later called followers of “the way” …and it seems “Nazarenes”

then at Antioch we started being called Christians.

Later in the first century the Church started to be called “Catholic” (see St. Ignatius --again at Antioch --use around the year 100)

So in time Christians began to be also called Catholics.

And as various heresies arose in the first centuries…which claimed to be Christian …the word was used to differentiate Christians from the others was Catholic…

Of course we still called ourselves Christians…but also we used the term Catholic.

Now a days we have many sorts of Christians --who are indeed Christians and our brothers…though we are unhappily not yet in full communion.

Catholics are Christians who in full communion with the successor of Peter. We call ourselves Christians all the time…Pope Benedict XVI when addressing the faithful does not usually say “Catholics this or that” but he calls them Christians…for that is what we are.

Other Christians have various degrees of communion with us (not speaking here of Holy Communion …but of “being in communion with”).

Are Catholics Christians??? Yes most certainly! (see my description of myself in the upper right corner)

As one early Christian noted (375AD)

“If you want to know who I am,” he said, “Christian is my name, Catholic is my surname.” --St. Pacian

 

[CopticChristian]

You are right. But all Protestants, by virtue of being separated from the fullness of Christ, have lost some parts of the full Gospel. As a result, their understandings of His Teachings, passed down infallibly through the Sacred Tradition, were lost when their spiritual ancestors departee from the Apostolic Succession.

I would bet dollars to dougnuts that any Protestant that believes Catholic need to become Protestant when they read “gospel”, through their mind goes…

The gospel, we are sinners
Christ died for us and we are not righteous, we need Christ
Faith, Trust in Christ imputes the righteousness of Christ to delcare us acquitted criminals and salvation

I wonder what they mean by the fullness of the gospel…this is the gospel…

No, this is another gospel originating with white europeans teaching extrinsic justification a man made doctrine.

 

[Izdaari]

How do they biblically justify that we are still Christians, even though we have different doctrines?

Gal 1:6

6 I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and turning to a** different **gospel

1 Tim 1:3

3 As I urged you when I was going to Macedonia, remain at Ephesus that you may charge certain persons not to teach any different doctrine

It does not seem that the apostles allowed for any “different doctrine”, and their successors did not, either.

I’m not sure that we do differ on any point of doctrine that Paul was referring to, on anything that would amount to a “different gospel”. If we do, than one of us is wrong.

 

[Zooey]

I was once asked by the young woman cutting my hair if I was Catholic, she apparently saw my Crucifix. When I said yes, she asked if we believed Jesus was the Son of God?

I think that being annoyed is not very useful. Many of these people have been given very bad information, well, lied to, by their own churches. I see it as an opportunity too evangelize a tiny bit and spread a bit of Truth.

You are obviously a patient person. If I had been sitting in the beauty shop when this happened, I would most likely have been too to know what I said, in response to that kind of ignorance.
Bless you for having the ability to speak sensibly when you hear that sort of remark.:tiphat::hug1:

 

[CopticChristian]

I’m not sure that we do differ on any point of doctrine that Paul was referring to, on anything that would amount to a “different gospel”. If we do, than one of us is wrong.

No way to know this without your putting it out there. What is the gospel?

 

[LinuxUser]

I

These are your words. These are from the Bible:

I’m a Catholic, you’re a Catholic and to go back and forth over what we believe the Spirit to be leading us to see in these verses would solve nothing. That is what Protestants do. The Church as you know has only interpreted a few verses officially:

forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=68624

So we can look at these verses any way we want to as long as we do not interpret them out of the confines of Catholic Teaching. So since there is no official interpretation on this verse and I usually ask my priest about this stuff and I couldn’t due to time constraint I asked one of my Fathers. John Chrysosostom offers the following relevant understanding.

---

I interpret the fruits to be of those that are Baptized and regenerated by Water Baptism infused with the gifts of Faith,Hope & Charity. I may see these gifts working in those that have been baptized. I believe that Protestants are Christians by their Baptism and have the gifts of Faith, Hope & Charity. Charity is love of God and in fact if you believe that Corinthians is telling you that as the greatest endures forever, then God is pure love. In that regard to love God, is to love his Son, to love his Son you must love his head and his body. His Body is the Church, One Holy Catholic and Apostolic.

I know them by their fruits. Is this how you see it?

Nope.

22 But the Spirit produces love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,23 humility, and self-control. There is no law against such things as these.

Galatians 5:22-23

 

[guanophore]

I’m not sure that we do differ on any point of doctrine that Paul was referring to, on anything that would amount to a “different gospel”. If we do, than one of us is wrong.

I can assure you that Catholics differ from all Protestants with regard to the doctrines to which Paul was referring.

How do we determine which one is wrong?

 

[good2bhome]

When my oldest child was about 13yo he was talking with one of his Protestant friends about religion. (We were converting into the Church at the time.) The friend stated that if he became Catholic my son would no longer be a Christian.

While converting I was told myself that Catholics aren’t Christians. Some yelled it and walked away…others changed their mind after our conversation.