Catholics ARE "Christians"; so why aren't all Christians Catholic?

[total_Catholic]

Bolding mine

The Catholic Church is not one denomination among Christian Churches. The Catholic Church is the founding Christian Church. All the protestant denominations broke away from the Catholic Church.

*Disclaimer - I know there are the Eastern Orthodox Church and others who broke away far earlier than those of the reformation. I don’t comment on those as I don’t know a great deal about them. From my limited knowledge I know we are more similar than different from them.

Slow. Heads may explode. Catholicism is not a denomination, it IS Christianity in and of itself. Blessed be the church that our Lord and His holy apostles founded, imperfect though it be. One thing I’ve learned, the hard way mind you, is that we are not called to be perfect or right, only faithful.

 

[Padres1969]

Of course, the statement could be countered with ‘not all Christians are Roman Catholic, many belong to one of the Eastern Churches.’

Statement 1 implies that all churches agree that the Creeds, Trinitarian belief and accompanying baptism are universally agreed as the definition of Christian - this is not true among protestantism or non-Apostolic Christianity at all.
Statement 2 implies that the Body of Christ inherently needs denominational fracture as a requirement - why would this be so?

1. All Christian Churches do universally agree in the Trinity, the Creeds (or the beliefs contained there in if not the creeds directly), and in baptism. If they don’t, they’re not Christian from a Christian perspective (i.e.: Oneness Pentacostals, Mormons, JWs, etc…
2. Statement two doesn’t imply that denomination splits were inherently needed. But man is a fractious being so such splits were inevitable. But we’re all still unified as members of Christ’s body.

 

[Tomdstone]

Historically speaking the Catholic Church was the only Christian Church for 1500 years. The rest broke off from the Catholic Church, not the other way around.

The Roman Catholic church broke away in 1054 when it excommunicated Michael Cerularius and the Greek church. Up until then, the Greek and the Roman Church were one. In his 1054 letter of excommunication, Cardinal Humbert, cardinal bishop of the holy Roman Church, gave several reasons for excommunicating the Greek Church such as:
the Greek Church allows married clergy
they do not say the filioque in the creed
their clergy require the wearing of a beard.
Eastern Orthodox are not Roman Catholic because they do not agree with universal papal supremacy and infallibility and they do not agree with the filioque. Further, they do not agree with profane music during the liturgy and they require triple immersion for baptism, although allowing for some exceptions.

 

[Padres1969]

Bolding mine

The Catholic Church is not one denomination among Christian Churches. The Catholic Church is the founding Christian Church. All the protestant denominations broke away from the Catholic Church.

*Disclaimer - I know there are the Eastern Orthodox Church and others who broke away far earlier than those of the reformation. I don’t comment on those as I don’t know a great deal about them. From my limited knowledge I know we are more similar than different from them.

Sure from the Catholic POV that is true…

 

[Tomdstone]

Historically speaking the Catholic Church was the only Christian Church for 1500 years…

Not true because the the Armenian Apostolic Church, the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria, the Eritrean Orthodox Tewahedo Church, the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church, and the Syriac Orthodox Church comprise what is now called the Oriental Orthodox Church which discontinued communion with the Chalcedonian Churches about 950 years or so before 1500 AD, since they did not recognise the Second Council of Constantinople in 553 nor any of the later Councils

 

[Horton]

Slow. Heads may explode. Catholicism is not a denomination, it IS Christianity in and of itself. Blessed be the church that our Lord and His holy apostles founded, imperfect though it be. One thing I’ve learned, the hard way mind you, is that we are not called to be perfect or right, only faithful.

Agree with this. I was trying to say the Catholic Church is not a denomination of anything, it is the Church.

 

[SyroMalankara]

Not true because the the Armenian Apostolic Church, the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria, the Eritrean Orthodox Tewahedo Church, the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church, and the Syriac Orthodox Church comprise what is now called the Oriental Orthodox Church which discontinued communion with the Chalcedonian Churches about 950 years or so before 1500 AD, since they did not recognise the Second Council of Constantinople in 553 nor any of the later Councils

True, but the region of the world being discussed here was never under anyone but the Patriarchate of Rome, so unless these breakaway Romans joined one of the Oriental Orthodox, the Assyrian Catholicos-Patriarchate or another Eastern Orthodox Patriarchate, theres nothing to discuss in this thread about that.

 

[jane_doe]

True, but the region of the world being discussed here was never under anyone but the Patriarchate of Rome, so unless these breakaway Romans joined one of the Oriental Orthodox, the Assyrian Catholicos-Patriarchate or another Eastern Orthodox Patriarchate, theres nothing to discuss in this thread about that.

Who said anything about this being limited to one geographic location?

 

[Church_Militant]

I agree with this.

“If you’re going to do a thing, you should do it thoroughly. If you’re going to be a Christian, you may as well be a Catholic.” Muriel Spark

 

[CathBoy1]

All kangaroos are marsupials but not all marsupials are kangaroos.

Lol

 

[Lea101]

A chicken is a bird but not all birds are chickens

Edit: just realized someone said something similar LOL there ya go!

 

[SyroMalankara]

Who said anything about this being limited to one geographic location?

Historically protestant denominationalism did not come ex nihilo nor from the Orthodox. All are tied to schism from Rome in one degree or another. There are less than a handful of exceptions, and all of these are Westernschism inspired.

 

[SyroMalankara]

1. All Christian Churches do universally agree in the Trinity, the Creeds (or the beliefs contained there in if not the creeds directly), and in baptism. If they don’t, they’re not Christian from a Christian perspective (i.e.: Oneness Pentacostals, Mormons, JWs, etc…

what? They are not ‘christian’ from a ‘christian perspective’? They’d beg to differ.

1. Statement two doesn’t imply that denomination splits were inherently needed. But man is a fractious being so such splits were inevitable. But we’re all still unified as members of Christ’s body.

Are we all still unified or is it trying to have our cake and eat it too? In other words, since a kangaroo is a marsupial our friend donkey thinks he can call himself one too: after all, he has long ears and a tail too

 

[Padres1969]

what? They are not ‘christian’ from a ‘christian perspective’? They’d beg to differ.

Are we all still unified or is it trying to have our cake and eat it too? In other words, since a kangaroo is a marsupial our friend donkey thinks he can call himself one too: after all, he has long ears and a tail too

They can beg to differ all they want. But there’s a reason Christian churches reject their baptisms as invalid.

You can see it that way if you wish. But most Christians recognize each other as Christians, even if we disagree on some points of theology or practice.

 

[Tomdstone]

Who said anything about this being limited to one geographic location?

That’s how I see it also. The OP did not put any geographical restrictions on his questions.

 

[SyroMalankara]

This is a two part question:

1. D you believe {why or why not} that Catholics are Christians?

YES that is why I am one. Along with the Assyrian Church, Eastern Orthodox, and Oriental Orthodox, Catholics - Byzantine Oriental, Semitic Oriental, and Latin Occidental - constitute the entirety and descendant of Apostolic Christianity.

1. Catholics ARE Christians, so why aren’t all Christians Catholics?

All Apostolic Christians consider themselves Catholic. Only some modern versions of nonApostolic “Christianity” has an aversion to the word and its meaning.

 

[Horton]

They can beg to differ all they want. But there’s a reason Christian churches reject their baptisms as invalid.

You can see it that way if you wish. But most Christians recognize each other as Christians, even if we disagree on some points of theology or practice.

 

[SyroMalankara]

They can beg to differ all they want. But there’s a reason Christian churches reject their baptisms as invalid.

it seems the mud is thicker in some Christian churches than others. This Southern Baptist minister from Independence, MO not only acceptd Mormonism, he claims he believes in the Book of Mormon and Joseph Smith: goo.gl/Hrc3a5

You can see it that way if you wish. But most Christians recognize each other as Christians, even if we disagree on some points of theology or practice.

I’m not sure what you are basing this on. Most, recognize, some points are all vague terms

 

[SyroMalankara]

More info about these:

centerplace.org/library/bofm/baptistversionofbofm.htm

Im a licensed Southern Baptist minister who for these past sixteen years has been preaching out of both the Book of Mormon and the Bible. No, Im not a convert to the Mormon faith, nor am I a member of any particular “spin off” group such as the RLDS (The Community of Christ) or the Restoration Branch. Im still a Baptist minister. To be exact, Im “charismatic Baptist,” for my wife and I embrace and practice the spiritual gifts as recorded in I Corinthians 12.

• Lynn Ridenhour

Down through the years I have remained true to my Baptist roots. I still embrace those cardinal Protestant/Baptist doctrines; i.e., the born again experience, salvation through grace by faith, salvation by the finished work of Calvary, and faith in his shed blood. - Lynn Ridenhour

This Pentecostal minister, “Dr.” Paul Richardson does as well: beggarsbreaddotcom.files.wordpress.com/2051/12/paul-richardson-and-lynn-ridenhour.jpg

lynnsbridgebuilding.com/reclaiming-your-spirit-led-heritage.html

 

[Padres1969]

it seems the mud is thicker in some Christian churches than others. This Southern Baptist minister from Independence, MO not only acceptd Mormonism, he claims he believes in the Book of Mormon and Joseph Smith: goo.gl/Hrc3a5

I’m not sure what you are basing this on. Most, recognize, some points are all vague terms

Shall I find examples of a few one off Catholic priests with odd beliefs?

There’s always a few odd balls who don’t tow the Church line, even in the RCC. No Christian denomination believes in the Book of Mormon or Joseph Smith.