Catholics not Christian?

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teancum79

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I’m just wondering if this idea gets around much or if I just have run into some of the few protestants who hold this view?
 
When I was being swayed by the ultra-fundamentalist crowd (i.e., Jack Chick, David Cloud, etc.) I believed this lie.
 
It comes and goes. There are denominations who teach this, and there are individuals who think it despite what they are told. It is not as common as it has been, but it is thought by some.
 
If those that hear such a thing would only do a little research they would find out that Catholics are the Original Christians!
 
ricko said:
If those that hear such a thing would only do a little research they would find out that Catholics are the Original Christians!
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Unless they buy into that discredited “Trail of Blood” rubbish.
 
Unfortunately in nearly every religion or any branch of a religion there are some people who consider their religion or group has the monopoly on truth and believe those who do not share it are outsiders.

So some Protestants, a small minority, consider Catholics not to be Christians and vice versa. Also keep in mind that some Protestant sects consider those belonging to other Protestant churches to be non-Christian.

I sometimes wonder whether all who hold these views realise that such condemnation and name calling is less, rather more likely, to have the recipients reconsider their views.

Also, it would be surprising if any forum including this one that attracts a wide range of people including both apologists for and opponents of a particular view did not get posts that condemn opposing views.
 
I’ve been told before that Catholics are not Christian. I don’t recollect hearing it from members of mainline Protestant groups, except I’m not so sure about one of our local Baptist congregations. They probably think Catholics are not Christian, but I never asked them outright. They steer the conversation rather heavily when they come calling.

I am more likely to hear the claim on the internet, from website groups or boards.
 
Thanks for the responses. I find the whose in whose out of the Christian club thought process rather interesting.
 
teancum79 said:
Thanks for the responses. I find the whose in whose out of the Christian club thought process rather interesting.
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I’ve spent quite a lot time around fundamentalists. the commonest view is that every religion has some true Chirstians in it, and some who are not Christain. I can’t recall ever hearing anyone say, that whole religion is non-Christian.
 
I heard the issue dealt with by a Baptist assistant pastor( before my conversion) in response to a direct question and his words were " they are lost " or something to that effect. I did not bring it up again but I card filed the idea in my mind with the idea that " Gee thats mighty nice of him to think that most of the Christians in the history of the world were lost." I wish he could have been at my Confirmation, he would have enjoyed it.😃
 
Some Protestants think this because they have been taught that the Catholic church is a cult. I thought this was ridiculous until I asked my friend what was her definition of a cult. It was ‘a religion that is not based on the bible alone and in its entirety’. Since Catholics believe in bible, Tradition, and teachings of the magisterium, they have added to the bible and therefore are a cult.

After a long discussion, my friend understood Tradition and magisterium better and changed her view that the Church isn’t Christian. I think she was prepared to understand because she knew me very well and really thought I was a Christian but didn’t understand how this could be.
 
I had a girlfriend about 7 years ago who was Baptist, I think. Her particular group taught that not only were Catholics not Christian, but that they were evil, and all sorts of unpleasantness. I was still agnostic at the time, but I still found her raw, blind hatred of Catholics disturbing when I found out about it. All you had to do was tell her that someone was Catholic, and it was like she became a different person. It was kinda scary. I hope she’s changed since then.

In addition to this, my grandmother’s family is Baptist, and when she married my grandfather and became Catholic, they all but disowned her. I think the only one who didn’t completely freak out was her mother. She told me that her brother said she wasn’t Christian any more. It wasn’t until years later that they softened up.

Is this a common Baptist belief, or were these the exceptions?
 
I have attended an ecletic mix of churches growing up. I do remember a few Baptists stating that very thing. But they were also into a weird Alberto comic book,

I do know a few very strict Protestants, Though not catholic I had to speak up during a discussion of wether or not a Catholic could be a Christian. (I am pretty sure my Catholic mommy went to heaven) It was bizarre to me, and obviously they did not know that much about the early Saints. They also totally freaked on Mary, I expect that, but I did not expect them to claim she is a depiction of Isis/Horus and an Entity by the name of Mary.

They said no one could be a Christian without the correct theology.

I mentioned the early Saints and Mystics, Saints such as Boniface, St Patrick, etc…Was told if they Believed in Jesus but any other doctrine mixed in they went to hell. And that the path to heaven is very narrow.

I thought to myself “what the heck, it’s not like I go to church with these peeps” and dared ask what they thought about the people that lived during the 400 year period without a bible (and the 1600 years without a King James Bible!) …then just left it at that. And I never recived an answer to my question either.

I do not care for those arguments. It just seems rather mean and self rightous. I think people are in for a big surprise after death, when introduced to fellow brothers and sisters that they did not expect to see in heaven! hehehehehehehe
 
Catholics aren’t Christian? That seems to be a rather (sorry, I can’t help but say so) un-CHRISTIAN opinion. 😃

OK seriously, the groups that hold and teach this view tend to be Calvinist-style Protestants. They typically believe that everyone is going to Hell except them. Their opinion is that even those who, during their life, never heard of Jesus Christ, are going to Hell, even though they never had an opportunity to learn the Truth. It’s a narrow, exclusionary view, in my opinion, and I find it repugnant.

Perhaps this is the sort of theology you get when your church is founded by an ordinary man instead of Jesus Christ. The Catholic Church was founded by Jesus Christ and we’re still here! All other Christian churches and wannabe Christian churches were founded by men.
 
Last summer I read an interesting book about the Klu Klux Klan and Notre Dame. It was interesting that in Indiana the Klan was a lot more about “Christianity” and politics (and actually more politics) than it was about the Blacks.

On a more personal note my BIL is adamant that Catholics are not Christians while his brother is a staunch Catholic. Makes for an ugly family get together.
 
Fundamentalis, Protestant, Catholic, Islamic, Jews thrives on hatred.
And no “Christian” hates more that an fundamental Baptist.
(well, some non denoms and SDAs can also get into the hate game).
 
This thread seems to have devolved into an Baptist bashing thread. I do not that is very charitable or fair.
 
teancum79 said:
I’m just wondering if this idea gets around much or if I just have run into some of the few protestants who hold this view?
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Teancum, You are a “Senior Member” here at this Site and you still don’t understand still have not learned has it not been told to you from the begining. lol

Of course Catholics are Christians!

The bible you have wether it be the king james or the later day saints bible is a watered down version of the Original Bible.

I say watered down by Martin Luther, who took 7 Gospels out from the ORIGINAL

Now if this water down version of the bible you Have makes you feel that you are a “Christian” now how much more of a Christian you would feel if you had the ORIGINAL?

Now who do you THINK compiled the ORIGINAL BIBLE? The early Church fathers who just happened to be CATHOLICS:thumbsup:

Ufamtobie
 
teancum79 said:
I’m just wondering if this idea gets around much or if I just have run into some of the few protestants who hold this view?
Click to expand...
It depends on the denomination. For me (being part of the Episcopal Church), I find a lot of Episcopalians are very respectful of the Roman Catholic Church and even respect the liturgical authority of RC clergy (one friend of mine says she respects the Pope in his position as Bishop of Rome). Some Protestants (especially Fundamentalists and certain Baptists) would proclaim loudly that Roman Catholicism is a heresy, a cult, whatever. I think a lot of Protestants probably just don’t think that much about the RCC (much like they probably don’t think much about other denominations within Protestantism), although they probably disagree with some Roman Catholic theology (as they disagree with the theologies of other Protestant denominations).

Prior to finding this site and getting involved in Anglicanism (which shares a lot of liturgy and some theology with Roman Catholicism), I really didn’t think that much about the RCC, although I thought they were theologically incorrect (even though I really didn’t know their theology…I admit it, I used to be a bit of a Fundamentalist…sorry).
 
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