Overheard on a college campus today: "Is she Catholic or Christian?"

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It happens all the time. We even see it here at CAF: from time to time a commenter, presumably not a Catholic, will use the word “Christian” in that way, as a kind of shorthand for non-Catholic, and will be promptly reminded that “Catholics are Christians, too!”
 
“Is she baptized?” That is what makes one a Christian, and part of His Body, rather than just a groupie.

Due to rejection of the Sacraments by many who call themselves Christian, many today are fans, but not incorporated into the Body of Christ.

I mean, rules are rules. Commands are commands.

Catholic versus Christian is an oxymoron - although it is guaranteed that a Catholic is Christian, at least nominally. Others? Who knows?
 
I remember seeing something related on the meme thread on CAF. The meme had a conversation on it, which went, “Are you Catholic or Christian?” The response? “Are you a human or a person?”
Memes aside, the answer is both. You probably knew this already, though, right? Don’t let comments like these detract from the fact that Catholicism is a form of, and in fact, the true form of Christianity. We have Christ’s One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church on our side. What could be better?
 
Sadly, the term “Christian” in the mind of everyday people (at least in the US) has come to mean a person who has made an adult commitment to Christ, has been baptized into an evangelical tradition, has a more or less fundamentalist Biblical outlook, and lives a life of witness, fellowship, and possibly (depending on the denomination) charismatic gifts of the Holy Spirit. You will hear people say all the time “I used to be Catholic, but I’ve become a Christian”. Very bad.
 
TBH, I never refer to myself as Christian. If someone asks, I’m Catholic.
 
HomeschoolDad said:
You will hear people say all the time “I used to be Catholic, but I’ve become a Christian”. Very bad.
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Not only very bad, but also very sad. Most of the ones I have met over the years were at best poorly catechized, or entered into what we used to call a “mixed marriage” and the other partner was far more committed to their church than the Catholic spouse was to the Catholic Church. Either way is a loss.

And note: I use the word “committed” intentionally as I know a number of Catholics (including members of my extended family) who were reasonably well catechized; but they were not solidly committed to the calling to follow Christ in the Church.
 
It runs the gamut. I was friends with a girl years ago who had a troubled home life. She started going to a huge baptist church bible study and dragged me along. In one conversation with her about protestantism I tried explaining that Catholicism was the original Christianity and that Protestant means “protest against the Catholic Church.” She disagreed with that history, saying protestants “are, like, the KKK.”

It’s just ignorance and disinterest in understanding history, I think. As long as the baked goods are yummy and there is singing, it seems many will never question what a protestant minister tells them.
 
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Names can be classified as exonyms or endonyms. An endonym is what people call themselves. An exonym is used by others to describe a person, place or thing. In this case the non-Catholic of the OP uses the endonym ‘Christian’ and uses ‘Catholic’ as an exonym. Catholics use ‘Christian’ as an endonym and an exonym but ‘Catholic’ only as an endomyn.

Protestants of some varieties may well consider Catholics not to be Christian because of doctrinal issues such as the intercession of saints, the place of the Virgin Mary, the role of scripture etc. This is similar to the way many all? Catholics will say that Mormons are not Christian.

There is no agree definition of any of these terms. You get to choose your own brand and market it as you will.

I think Jesus could be considered by Catholics to be a Catholic since he founded and in a spiritual sense is considered to actually ‘be’ the Catholic Church. But I don’t think he could be considered a Christian, since he could not, rationally, follow himself.
 
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FiveLinden said:
Protestants of some varieties may well consider Catholics not to be Christian because of doctrinal issues such as the intercession of saints, the place of the Virgin Mary, the role of scripture etc. This is similar to the way many all? Catholics will say that Mormons are not Christian
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Mormons believe God was once a man, just an exalted man and that he was given a universe - our current universe - to rule over. It is a wholesale departure. They believe in spirit babies. They believe if you are exalted by God that you will be given a planet at death. They baptize the dead. It is not Christianity. John Smith was a magician.

And this person was making a distinction between Catholic and Christian. The over explanation you offer just doesn’t apply. The point is that if they do not believe Catholics are Christians for some of the reasons you stated, like statues, that isn’t a doctrinal difference it is just a misunderstanding on her part. She was probably told or has always just assumed, based on passing observation, that there is a wholesale difference between the current protestant “Bible-based” mega church establishment and Catholicism, when in fact that same level of scrutiny, while serving her poorly in that instance, also wrongly leads some to believe Mormons are Christian simply because Jesus Christ is included in Mormom theology.
 
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