How do you qualify to be Christian?

[aric]

Okay, a year or two ago, I was in a seminar where this student who was apparently also a theologist indicated that Catholics weren't true Christians. I'm assuming that the lady who said this was Protestant.

I've heard of this kind of thing vaguely before, but never right from the mouth of someone who apparently believed it. First, it struck me as a bit off because I don't classify Christianity in such dogmatic terms, and secondly, she was responding to an Italian girl - who was presumeably Catholic - and said this directly to her face.

Now, I'm wondering what the people of this board consider to be the parameters for qualifying as being Christian. Me, I think if Jesus Christ figures largely in your religion, then you are Christian. Am I wrong?

As an aside, I thought that the interplay between the Catholic and Protestant girls were an interesting vestigial event from the Protestant Reformation. I got the suspicion that the Protestant girl was coming from there.

- Aric

[Vorchia]

Catholicism and Protestantism are the main branches of Christianity or I've been taught wrongly since primary school!!!!!!!! Azzy can no doubt tell us the exact definition. (Try to keep it under 1000 words and no more then twenty bible quotes Azzy! ;D )
But still, to tell a Catholic they're not a Christian just because you're a protestant is just plain rude.

[Barry]

This what I believe in that makes me a Christian

THE BIBLE
Our only authority is the Bible.
The Scriptures of the Old and New Testament are inspired of God, without error, and complete.

GOD
There is one God who reveals himself in Scripture as God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.
God is eternal, all-knowing, and ever-present. God is greater than any understanding or description of him.


MAN
God created the first man and woman perfect and complete but with free will to choose good or evil.
God provided everything they needed.

SIN
The man and woman chose to disobey God and lost their perfect standing before him. Since they were now imperfect, all of their offspring is imperfect in our natural state.
Each of us in our natural state continues to choose our own way rather than God's best for us. The Bible refers to this as sin.

REDEMPTION
Before creation God knew man would choose disobedience.
God so loved the world that he gave his only Son Jesus as the perfect and acceptable sacrifice for our wrong choice.
Jesus was born of a virgin, fully human and fully God, lived without sin, and gave himself willingly to pay for our sin.
Jesus became our sacrifice through his shed blood which has power to forgive sin.
Jesus was buried, resurrected bodily, ascended into heaven, sits on the right hand of the Father, and will return to take all who have trusted him to live with him forever.

SALVATION
There is no way to get to God other than through God's son Jesus.
Whoever will turn from sin and trust forgiveness through Jesus' sacrifice, accepting him as Lord, will experience the newness of life which the Bible refers to as being "born again."
It is by God's power alone that we are given this new eternal life. We have no merit to earn or keep it on our own.

BAPTISM
Baptism is a loving act of submission to Jesus Christ's own example.
Baptism is an outward experssion of what God has already done in our hearts at the time of salvation.
Baptism tells the world that we are on God's side.
Baptism initiates our Christian service.
Baptism and salvation are closely related but they are not the same. Salvation is totally of grace, and baptism is a work. Jesus did all the work of salvation on the cross.

HEAVEN AND HELL
Hell was created for Satan and his angels.
God desires that every person should chose eternal life with him in Heaven forever.
Those who refuse salvation through God's son Jesus have automatically chosen eternal separation from God with conscious torment in Hell.

OBEDIENCE
God's commandments were given to
show us our sin and need of redemption.
protect us and provide God's best for us.
As we are obedient to him, God will provide everything we need in every situation. This frees us to experience the fulness of his joy and to devote ourselves to the work he has called us to do.

THE HOLY SPIRIT
The Holy Spirit convicts of sin and reveals truth.
At the new birth the Holy Spirit indwells us and begins to teach and lead us in God's desires for us. We still have the old nature that desires to choose evil. But the Holy Spirit is born into a new nature within us that desires to choose God and causes us to be discontented with the choices of our old nature.
The Holy Spirit comforts us, seals us as God's children, and empowers us moment by moment to live according to his revealed plan.
The Holy Spirit never emphasizes himself; He always points the attention to Jesus.

OUR COMMISSION
God has given us the command and the privilege of joining with him in his work by sharing the good news about Jesus with those about us.

THE CHURCH
Jesus instituted the church which consists of every born again Christian.
God desires for Christians to unite with a local church that teaches the basic truths of the Christian faith:
Jesus set us an example as he attended and taught in the local synagogue.
God commanded that we not forsake the assembling of ourselves together.
Jesus again validated the local church when he gave the Apostle John letters to write to the local churches in the Revelation.

[Azonthus]

Aric, I don't want you to think I've been ignoring these posts. I really, really want to reply, but I'm incredibaly sick and just can't think straight.

I'll give you a very abbreviated version of why some Christians don't consider Catholics christian. It's because they worship Mary more than Christ. I'll explain more later.

[aric]

Azonthus said:

Aric, I don't want you to think I've been ignoring these posts. I really, really want to reply, but I'm incredibaly sick and just can't think straight.

I'll give you a very abbreviated version of why some Christians don't consider Catholics christian. It's because they worship Mary more than Christ. I'll explain more later.

That's okay. The board is habitually slow anyway, so I don't expect fast answers.

As for the Mary thing... I read about that in my New Religious Movements class (i.e. cults) I took as an undergraduate. Interesting that some would turn to Mary rather than Jesus for mercy. I guess the female image is more conducive to compassion and sympathy than an almighty father figure.

Interestingly, aren't some evangelical groups labeled as heretical or something because of their occasion privileging of the Holy Ghost over Jesus?

Anyway, I don't remember the exact logic of the Protestant theologian, but I'm fairly confident that Mary worship wasn't it.

- Aric