Catholics - Are They Christians?

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Tom of Assisi:
I have a hard time believing that. Maybe people who were Catholic in their youth…then fell away then joined some fundamentalist church where they were told that Catholics aren’t Christians, but I don’t think any adult Catholics would say they are not Christian!!!
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Interesting point how is it that they become Christian after they leave the Catholic church. You would think going to Mass on Sunday’s hearing all about Christ would tell them Christian / Christ we are followers of Christ. But they are not christian until they leave and become Protestant.:banghead:
 
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ralopez:
My suspicions were correct. You didn’t know what countries you were talking about…
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There are several countries that could be called catholic. For example, Spain Italy and Brazil are all composed of over 90 percent catholics.
 
Does anyone know when the term “Christian” came into use? It would be interesting to know the history, and very helpful when placed in a situation where we have to defend that fact that we are the “original Christians.”

CC:)
 
Never mind, I found it: Acts 28:29 and Peter 4:16. I guess a better question would be: “When did the Protestants begin to claim this as their title?” Did it begin with the Reformation?
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CinciCatholic:
Does anyone know when the term “Christian” came into use? It would be interesting to know the history, and very helpful when placed in a situation where we have to defend that fact that we are the “original Christians.”

CC:)
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This is what I hear a lot: “The Catholics and the Christians” and I go “You mean the Catholics and the Protestants!” and people look and me like I’m a nut and say, “Yeah, that’s what I meant to say!”
 
naw, we’re a bunch of cannibals worshipping hoocji-mama’s from some fabled city that fell from the sky…:rolleyes:
 
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MGEISING:
I know so many catholic’s that don’t recognize that they are Christians. Have you ever experienced this with anyone. I remember My old hair dresser made the comment, or I grew up Catholic, but now I am a Christian. :eek: :eek: :eek:

I helped her understand where she went wrong in her sentence! 👍
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One of the Assistant Principals at my school says the same thing. Recently he said this to one of the teachers, and she responded, “Well, I’m a Christian, too-- a Catholic one.” His repsonse was “No, no there is a difference between Catholics and Christians.” She looked right at him and told him no there isn’t-- Catholics ARE Christians. How sad that he never knew what he left. He was born in Cuba, so maybe he really does not have any idea what it is to be Catholic.
 
Here’s another thread along this same line: forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=36544

The problem is one of terminology. I know a bunch of folks who tell me they’re just “Christians” and not part of any “religion” per se. They tend to get a little bent outta shape if I imply that they believe things that are characteristically Protestant or Catholic. The fact is that most run-of-the-mill people (Catholics as well) have never looked deeply into the history of Christianity and tend to take their preacher’s or Pastor’s word for it when they are told that they believe the same things as the NT church did. If they look into it very carefully and read the ECF, they pretty soon have to come to the conclusion (if they are honestly seeking truth) that that is patently untrue of most n-C churches. One of the most telling things that I have ever read is something I think Kimberly Hahn said in one of their books about that it really does matter which church you belong to if you find that one church really was historically founded by Jesus Himself, since He did say that He would build His church. She goes on to say that it is really not a matter of us “finding a church where we are comfortable”, but of obeying the Lord and coming together with His people as He commanded. Those who reject that it was indeed a visible, tangible church are simply trying to proof text themselves into a comfort zone so that their people will look no further than their own interpretations, and I think that that smacks of dishonesty.

The Catholic Church is indeed a Christian church and is (if one really looks into it and cares about the truth) the one that Jesus Himself founded in Matthew 16:18. I generally will put someone straight right off the top if they allege anything to the contrary, since no one I’ve yet encountered has been able to offer any evidence aside from their own opinions and biases concerning this.
Pax vobiscum,
 
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Luke24:
Here is one of the areas in which you err; We do not make people Christians! The Holy Spirit does so when we accept Jesus as our personal LORD and SAVIOUR. It is God that worketh in you both to do and to will according to His good pleasure.
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That’s funny. Nothing screams “I’m a bigoted A/C evangelical” quite like using a word like “worketh” in your everyday conversation. :rotfl:
 
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fix:
Protestants are all heretics. I know The CC frowns on that sort of language in regard to our separated bretheren these days, but it is technically accurate.
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Proestants may believe in heresies, but they themselves are not heretics.
 
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Toni:
Interesting point how is it that they become Christian after they leave the Catholic church. You would think going to Mass on Sunday’s hearing all about Christ would tell them Christian / Christ we are followers of Christ. But they are not christian until they leave and become Protestant.:banghead:
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It is really a relatively new pretense. It is related to the “born-again” thing, which has taken place as denominational distinctions have stopped having any doctrinal meaning. Baptists, of course, have always denied the name “Protestant.” They claim to be the original Christians.
 
A Christian is a follower of Christ, Catholics follow Christ,therefore we are Christian, it doesn’t take the brains of an Archbishop to understand that.
 
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CinciCatholic:
Never mind, I found it: Acts 28:29 and Peter 4:16. I guess a better question would be: “When did the Protestants begin to claim this as their title?” Did it begin with the Reformation?
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Yes, it began with the Reformation. Luther always called himself a Christian, but never a heretic. Go figure.

The term Catholic Church was first used by Ignatius of Antioch about 110 A.D. (Letter to the Smyreans). Catholic Answers has a tract about this.
 
Tom of Assisi:
I have a hard time believing that. Maybe people who were Catholic in their youth…then fell away then joined some fundamentalist church where they were told that Catholics aren’t Christians, but I don’t think any adult Catholics would say they are not Christian!!!
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Hi Tom of Assisi,
Take it from me that here in Thailand the Roman Catholics believe they are Catholics and know they are not Christians and try to convert you. Even on TV the Catholic interviewed after the tsunami said how great it was that the event brought Buddists, Muslims and Catholics together. There is no Christian in Catholics here that I have found.
I often wonder who is teaching them this stuff. How far up the tree does it go?
walk in love
edwinG
 
I would say Catholic are the only true Christians. The others are all want-a-bees or like-to-bees.

wc
 
Posted by EdwinG
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Take it from me that here in Thailand the Roman Catholics believe they are Catholics and know they are not Christians and try to convert you.
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:confused: Catholics are Christians Edwin. Have you considered that they are trying to convert you not because they “know they are not Christians” but they doubt you are?

God Bless,
Maria
 
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bengal_fan:
i don’t understand the point of this poll. the catholic church was the only Christian church for a very long time. catholic simply means one or universal so the true name for the “catholic” church is the one, universal Christian church. now there can be members of the catholic church who aren’t Christian, but it is still a church for Christians.
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Yes, Yes. Anyone who thinks the Roman Catholic Church is not Christian shoould look in a Catholic Church and see what is up in the front…its Jesus Christ!
 
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Axion:
Catholics are the FULL Christians.
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Hi Axion,
I have never doubted that Catholics believe in Christ and are therefore Christians. I am TOTALLY amazed that Catholics tell me they are not Christians. This is not coming from non-catholics, this is coming from Catholics.
I am amazed not lying.
walk in love
edwinG
 
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