Catholics Aren't Christians?

[nycava]

What would I do if someone said “Catholics are not Christian”

If I didn’t really know the person I would just say" Excuse me", and then walk away.If I knew the person I would say “I prefer not to discuss that issue” This has happened to me before. I would just discontinue the friendship,I won"t be friends with someone who intentionaly disrespects me, and my beliefs.

 

[christus_totus]

Just say that he’s the one who isn’t, because he is wholly ignorant in Christian faith, tradition, and history.

 

[Verisimilitude]

What if a Catholic doesn’t want to identify themself as Christian? I am such a person.

There are almost an equal number of non-Catholic Christians in the world as there are Catholics, and if the non-Christian/Catholic world identifies Mormons, JW…and other Christ-centric faiths as Christian, does it help or hurt the Catholic messege?

 

[christus_totus]

What if a Catholic doesn’t want to identify themself as Christian? I am such a person.

Well I guess you are putting yourself into their position who think that Catholics aren’t Christian.

Although I think it is understandable, since the term “Christian” in the modern age is already biassed by the Protestants.

There are almost an equal number of non-Catholic Christians in the world as there are Catholics, and if the non-Christian/Catholic world identifies Mormons, JW…and other Christ-centric faiths as Christian, does it help or hurt the Catholic messege?

No it doesn’t. Non-Catholics can claim themselves “Christians”, but they certaintly aren’t true “Christians”. The term “Catholics” has been used since ancient times of Christianity to differ the true Christians between the heretical Christians.

Like Saint Augustine said,
“And so, lastly, does the very name of Catholic, which, not without reason, amid so many heresies, the Church has thus retained; so that, though all heretics wish to be called Catholics, yet when a stranger asks where the Catholic Church meets, no heretic will venture to point to his own chapel or house.”

Just be proud to be call a “Catholic”. Heretics may call whatever they want to call us, but history and Christian traditions don’t lie.
I am so damn proud to be called a Catholic.

 

[christus_totus]

Perhaps reading this artical would help a bit,

**Question: **
*I am a catholic and have seen and hear so many catholics calling christians to the protestants (pentecostals). It is embarrassing that fellow catholics don’t know that we, catholics, were the first Christians over the face of the earth. Please clarify to catholics that they are “Christians”.
It is sad how much ignorance there is amongst catholics.
I am not saying that other denominations are not Christians.
I am saying that catholics should know where they come from. *

**Answer: **
Dear Connie,

I agree with you, it is ridiculous that Catholics let some Protestant get by with thinking that Catholics are different from Christians.

What makes a Christian?

At the bare minimum, a Christian is a person who had been baptized with water in the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and who believes at least the tenets found in the Apostle’s Creed.

Most Protestant thus qualify and the Catholic qualify. Most Protestants are baptized in water with the Trinitarian formula and most believe the tenets of the Apostle’s Creed. Since Catholics WROTE the Apostle’s Creed and be also are properly baptized that makes us Christians too.

There are some groups that do not qualify as Christian because they do not baptize with water, or do not baptize with the Trinitarian formula, or do not believe in the Trinity. Groups such as the Mormons, Jehovah Witness, One Holiness Pentecostal are not Christian. The Mormons claim to believe in the Trinity, but they don’t. They think that Lucifer and Jesus were brothers, for pete sake. The Jehovah Witness and One Holiness Pentecostal do not believe in the Trinity. There is one group, I don’t remember which it is, that baptizes with rose pedals. Since they do not baptize with water, they are not Christian.

As for the name “Christian”, the first name for the followers of Christ was “The Way.” That is why the modern day cult “The Way” calls themselves that. The next term used was “Christians”.

The term “Catholic” was first used in A.D. 107 by Bishop Ignatius of Antioch in his letters to the seven Churches is Asia Minor (which still exist today). In one of those letters he affirms that the Pope (bishop of Rome) was the “President” of he whole Church and that all the Church were to remain in communion with the Bishop of Rome.

To say that the Catholic Church was not the first Church of the first century and the only Church until the beginning of the 11th century when the Orthodox split off is delusion. Catholics were the first Christians. This is historical fact.

Continued below…

 

[christus_totus]

Then from the 11th century to the 16th century there were only two legitimate Churches – the Catholic and the Eastern Orthodox – both Christian and both in their respective territories referring to themselves as simply Christian. Again, this cannot be refuted by anyone with an IQ above 25. It is historical fact.

Historically, from the 1st to the 16th centuries the Church was normally called the Christian Church because there were no other Churches other than the Catholic Church for the first 1000 years, and then the Catholic Church in the West and the Orthodox in the East for 500 years after that. There was no need to place an adjective in front.

When the Orthodox split from the Catholic Church in the 11th Century, we then had the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church, but since the two were in different parts of the world, everyone just called themselves Christian and the Church as Christian. Again there was no real need to place a adjective in front.

Then came the Luther rebellion. Now we had multiple faith groups all Christian. Now we had to start using adjectives to differentiate between Catholic Christian, Lutheran Christian, Presbyterian Christian, etc.

The term “Roman” Catholic was coined by the Anglicans (Church of England) as a term of insult. They wanted to think of themselves as Catholic but did not want to be under the authority of the Pope. So they called Catholics, those “Roman” Catholics and considered themselves Anglican Catholics, as-it-were. The term “Roman” Catholic stuck historically.

ALL Christian groups have a lineage through the Catholic Church whether they like it or not. The first century Christians were Catholic (that is, a universal church under the leadership of a Pope). We know this for a fact because we have documentary evidence to prove it.

The fundamentals of the Faith, and the Bible itself, all come from the Catholic Church. The Protestants would not know what the Trinity was without the Catholics, they would not know what books constituted the New Testament without the Catholics. They would not be Christian without the Catholics Church propagating the faith for 1500 years before the Protestants ever existed.

These are the facts. All pretense to another history is delusion and bigotry.

Catholics need to know their history, and Protestant need to know it too.

**By: Bro. Ignatius Mary, OLSM **

Source
en.allexperts.com/q/Catholics-955/catholics-christian s.htm
About the writer,
allexperts.com/ep/955-34235/Catholics/Bro-Ignatiu s-Mary.htm

 

[Verisimilitude]

Just be proud to be call a “Catholic”. Heretics may call whatever they want to call us, but history and Christian traditions don’t lie.
I am so damn proud to be called a Catholic.

So am I. Which is why when asked I say I am Catholic; not a Christian. There should be no confusion about the Catholic faith, but there are many qualifiers to the Christian faiths.

 

[christus_totus]

So am I. Which is why when asked I say I am Catholic; not a Christian.

But you are. Being a Catholic means being THE real Christians. It can’t be denied that we are in fact the true Christians.

 

[Church_Militant]

Yeah… I’ve heard and dealt with this before.
Catholicism is Christian and Who? Me? Non-Christian? But I’m a devout Catholic!

Perhaps some insight can be gained from these threads as well.
Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum.

 

[Verisimilitude]

But you are. Being a Catholic means being THE real Christians. It can’t be denied that we are in fact the true Christians.

I realize that, but to avoid the symantics of what a Christian has become in the last 500 years to the outside world I prefer the Catholic lable.

 

[Teflon93]

How would you respond to someone who believes that Catholics aren’t Christians?

Would you ask him to tell you why and then break down his objections into more manageable chunks and address them one at a time?

Would you simply smile and walk away since there is not much you can do to change her mind?

How would you answer someone making this claim?

I would ask what requirements need to be met to be called a Christian.

 

[Philthy]

Randy this is such a sweeping comment and shouldn’t be dignified with an answer…Their are regenerate Christians and non regenerate ones in ever Christian institution.

You never cease to amaze me. Your answer completely validates Randy’s OP. If, as you contend, there are regenerate and non regenerate people in every Christian institution - which would include the CC - then no one should be condemning as non regenerate all those who call themselves Catholics. But some people do judge Catholics as being non-Christians hence the reason for the OP.

 

[ALLFORHIM]

Hi,

I am wondering if catholics are raised somehow to believe there is a difference between the two words. I say this because I know MANY catholics and they only refer to themselves as catholics and when I say OH your a christian they will say well (with hesitation)Im a catholic. Making me think they are not sure what I mean by that.

The other day I was telling my daughter something about Sunday School and her two friends(catholic)were over and they said “OH I thought christians didnt have CCD” They didnt think they were christians because they are being raised catholic.

So, Im wondering that if when children are going through CCD that only the word catholic is used and so they just think christian is used for other people that are not catholic.

I see this with older catholics as well. So, Im thinkin the word christian might not be being taught at local levels and they only hear the word catholic.

 

[Scottgun]

You never cease to amaze me. Your answer completely validates Randy’s OP. If, as you contend, there are regenerate and non regenerate people in every Christian institution - which would include the CC - then no one should be condemning as non regenerate all those who call themselves Catholics. But some people do judge Catholics as being non-Christians hence the reason for the OP.

Which gets back to my point that when a non-Catholic says Catholics can be Christians he’s dodging. He needs to answer whether Catholic theology is Christian in the sense that Catholics acknowledge that various Protestant theologies are indeed Christian in spite of any errors we think they have.

See: Does the Term “Anti-Catholic” Have a Proper Theological / Religious Application (as Opposed to Political / Social)? (vs. Frank Turk)

 

[Crumpy]

You could approach it in many different ways, depending on your inclination.

You could reply “Neither are anti-Catholic bigots” and see where that leads. You could say “No, it’s Protestants who aren’t Christians” and see where that leads. Both of these have the advantage that now it is the accuser who must defend his own beliefs. The playing field becomes immediately more level.

Personally I’d turn the statement right back on him and reply that Protestants aren’t Christians. I’m a big fan of turning stupid statements back on the person making them.

I like this post, as far as it goes. It’s kind of “passive aggressive” isn’t it like some of the other posts.

Another post said to ask why they thought so, etc. I think the essence of the accusation is that the exclusion of Catholics is built into the statement. You’re assuming what you’re trying to prove.

The statement is purely sectarian and divisive.

 

[DanteAlighieri]

Hi,

I am wondering if catholics are raised somehow to believe there is a difference between the two words. I say this because I know MANY catholics and they only refer to themselves as catholics and when I say OH your a christian they will say well (with hesitation)Im a catholic. Making me think they are not sure what I mean by that.

The other day I was telling my daughter something about Sunday School and her two friends(catholic)were over and they said “OH I thought christians didnt have CCD” They didnt think they were christians because they are being raised catholic.

So, Im wondering that if when children are going through CCD that only the word catholic is used and so they just think christian is used for other people that are not catholic.

I see this with older catholics as well. So, Im thinkin the word christian might not be being taught at local levels and they only hear the word catholic.

A couple of people on this thread have brought up this point – and it’s a valid concern.

I would imagine that most Catholics are brought up calling themselves “Catholic”, and frequently hear non-Catholic Christians refer to themselves merely as “Christians”. Thus, at an early age, we begin to equate the term “Christian” as another denomination, because we so infrequently refer to ourselves as such.

As several have already pointed out, the Catholic Church is the Christian church, but any who are baptized are to be considered Christian, too. Many Catholics – poorly catechized, as most of us are – fail to learn or understand that point, just as many non-Catholics do.

Peace,
Dante

 

[ALLFORHIM]

A couple of people on this thread have brought up this point – and it’s a valid concern.

I would imagine that most Catholics are brought up calling themselves “Catholic”, and frequently hear non-Catholic Christians refer to themselves merely as “Christians”. Thus, at an early age, we begin to equate the term “Christian” as another denomination, because we so infrequently refer to ourselves as such.

As several have already pointed out, the Catholic Church is the Christian church, but any who are baptized are to be considered Christian, too. Many Catholics – poorly catechized, as most of us are – fail to learn or understand that point, just as many non-Catholics do.

Peace,
Dante

Yes, and I think this is probably where it all stems from. I dont know just an observation on my part.

 

[TheKingisaFink]

The misconceptions about Catholicism are many. This is an opportunity to bring about understanding and perhaps appreciation on the part of your friend. Ask him questions: “What does ‘being Christian’ mean to you”. To explain the Faith in a loving way as to draw someone closer to the truth is always best.

 

[Roman_Catholic_1]

"Christian is my name, and Catholic my surname. The one designates me, while the other makes me specific. Thus am I attested and set apart… When we are called Catholics it is by this appellation that our people are kept apart from any heretical name."Saint Pacian of Barcelona, Letter to Sympronian, 375 A.D…

It is really an argument not worth fighting with someone. Unless the person is extremely ignorant, if they believe Catholics are not Christian there probably isn’t too much you could say to change their mind.

God bless

 

[Renton405]

Not only are Catholics Christians, but they are the true original christians

Protestants are just a 16th Century Spin-Off of Catholicism…

THe real question should be is, are protestants real christians?? Some of them don’t even believe in the Trinity anymore. Too many heresies have sprouted up because of them…

In reality, they are in no position to even consider who is christian and who is not. Considering how they have permanently damaged the unity of christendom…They wouldn’t even have a bible in their hand if It wasn’t for the Catholic church…