Originally posted by chaney3 For those who say "someone who believes in Jesus", that seems too easy.
Which Jesus? Which Christianity?
Roman Catholics?
Regular Catholics?
Jehovah Witness?
Methodist?
Baptist?
Believers in Trinity?
Believers in Godhead?
Those who believe that Jesus was God's son, but not 'the' God?
Some will say that it doesn't matter, just 'pick one', and ...[text shortened]... theist.
What are the criteria to be 'a Christian'? And will everyone agree to this criteria?
What are the criteria to be 'a Christian'? There are many differing opinions on this.
Originally posted by chaney3 Can you offer an opinion to my OP?
Go to the following link. It gives a pretty reasonable explanation of the issues with trying to define which definition is correct. Hopefully it'll make sense to you. I'll post an excerpt, but you should go to the link and read it in its entirety.
http://www.religioustolerance.org/chr_defn3.htm
Who is a Christian?
Which definition is correct?
This question assumes that there is one and only one correct definition of the term "Christian." However, depending upon your understanding of the nature of truth, many definitions may be "true" to various groups:
•To conservative Protestants, a Christian is often defined according to their salvation status. Their definition is "true" to them, because it agrees with some of their foundational beliefs: that the Bible is inerrant, that salvation is by grace, and that one must be "born-again" to be saved and avoid eternal punishment in Hell after death.
•To Roman Catholics, a Christian is often defined according to their baptism status and the presence of any unresolved mortal sin in their lives. Their definition is "true" to them, because it agrees with their fundamental beliefs about the nature of sacraments, their understanding of the Bible, the declarations of many Church Councils, the statements of many popes, and their church's tradition.
•To many in the very early Christian movement, a Christian was defined as a person who was baptized and proclaimed "Jesus is Lord." Their definition was "true" to them because it agreed with their understanding of their religious belief at a time when the Christian Scriptures (New Testament) had not yet been written and assembled.
•And so on, with other faith groups.
Each group has their own definition of "Christian" that agrees with their own beliefs about the nature of Jesus, God, church tradition, written text, evolved theology, the cultures in which they are implanted, etc. There appears to be no way to compromise on a single definition that is acceptable to all.
One apparently cannot call on a higher power to resolve the problem, because there seems to be no way to assess the will of God on such matters. If there were such a method, then the tens of thousands of Christian denominations and faith groups worldwide would have been harmonized centuries ago. People would simply have prayed to God and asked Him to define what a Christian is. Then, a consensus would exist today on the true meaning of the word "Christian."
Originally posted by chaney3 For those who say "someone who believes in Jesus", that seems too easy.
Which Jesus? Which Christianity?
Roman Catholics?
Regular Catholics?
Jehovah Witness?
Methodist?
Baptist?
Believers in Trinity?
Believers in Godhead?
Those who believe that Jesus was God's son, but not 'the' God?
Some will say that it doesn't matter, just 'pick one', and ...[text shortened]... theist.
What are the criteria to be 'a Christian'? And will everyone agree to this criteria?
Someone who adopts and applies the teachings of Christ I think is a Christian.
25 Dec '16 00:12
Who is a Christian?
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