Something like 80% of the United States population self identifies as Christian. But I'm going to go out on a limb here and guess that 80% of America doesn't put their butt in a pew every Sunday.
So what is it that makes someone Christian? Is saying, "I'm a Christian" enough to qualify?
I ask this based on my own personal experience as well. Growing up, my family went to church (a Protestant one) a few times a year, especially Christmas and Easter. If you asked me at age 14, I would have told you I believed in Jesus.
Oh but then came high school, and everyone was so agnostic, I became agnostic too until my second year in college. Yet in the midst of my doubt, I was horrified when at 17 I learned that I had never been baptized. I'd always assumed that it was done when I was baby, but that's not how Baptists do things. See how much I knew about my faith?
Mostly demonic possession concerned me back then (I'd just seen The Exorcist). You can laugh, but I still think it's real, and even then I knew I wanted to be baptized as a safeguard against demons. So, mom took me to church, and the pastor asked if I wanted to become a Christian.
So was I Christian as a child or not? Nodding faithfully, I assented that I wanted to devote my life to Christ. I was dunked then went back to my merry, agnostic ways.
So was I a Christian now that I was baptized even though I didn't practice at all?It wasn't until a few years later, while in college, that I really began to consider my beliefs and the world. And it was then at age 19 that I "crossed the Tiber" and became a Catholic. After receiving the other sacraments of initiation (First Communion and Confirmation), I was definitely a Christian. And my behavior followed as well: I tried to make it a point to get to Mass every Sunday. Failure still happened, but overall, I aimed to align my actions with my stated moral beliefs.
So I'm definitely Christian now, right?The Catholic Church makes it easier to know: Step 1) Get baptized as a baby. But even then, you're not entirely there until Confirmation, which can be as late as 17 even for cradle Catholics. But after that, it's obvious right? Once confirmed, you're Catholic for good? Or are you?
Many people fall away from the Church and stop practice despite being confirmed.
Are they still Christian?There is a divide here: do the sacraments (even Protestants do baptism) make you Christian? What if you don't practice after that? What if you believe but aren't baptized? What level of behavioral commitment makes the grade?I ask because I honestly don't know. A popular answer is to say, "You are whatever you say you are." But that is problematic. I can say I'm a unicorn but that doesn't make it a twisted horn spring out of my forehead. And as far as no one else knowing the inner beliefs of our hearts, the inner beliefs of our hearts will tend to guide our actions if they are sincere.
If a man says he believes that killing animals is wrong, it wouldn't make any sense for him to go hunting. If your friend says she believes that all people are created equal, it wouldn't make any sense if she joined a white-supremacy group. And if she is really committed to equality, it would follow that she would work for the cause, for human rights, or maybe just volunteer at a soup kitchen. If she scoffs at the homeless guy and looks the other way, you'd have reason to question her commitment to equality regardless of what her words say. Acting oblivious to the unfairness in the world would not square with her stated views. In short, actions speak louder than words.
So what about Christians? What level of actions reveal true Christian belief? Going to church every Sunday? Having joy in your heart and always being willing to share it? But sin can get in the way of virtue for even the best of people.
Instead of making this about judging the Christianity-level of others, I will ask you: if you identify as Christian at all, why do you? What level of commitment do you have to it? If you're not Christian, what level of belief/action makes you identify yourself however you do?
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Comments (39)
First and foremost, use the Bible to answer your questions. The single most important thing that makes a Christian a CHRISTian, is Jesus Christ. In technical terms, you'd ask what their "doctrine of salvation" is, but in simpler terms, if you believe in the free gift of grace through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, and by believing in Him, you have eternal life in His name, then that's the core tenet of Christianity:
John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life."
Romans 5:8 "But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."
Ephesians 2:8-9 "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast."
John 5:24 "I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes Him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life."
A second issue you've raised, is what is called "eternal security". There is MUCH discussion on this, and to be sure, it is well beyond what I can talk about in a comment...
A third issue you've raised, is whether or not the "sacraments" matter. Christ put NO REQUIREMENTS on salvation, except to believe. Remember the thief/murder on the cross as Jesus was crucified? Luke 23:39-43. The sacraments are not a barrier to salvation, they are a public announcement of our faith. It is justification before men (like good works), not before God.
in my mind Christianity means in simple terms the belief that Jesus was the son of God and sacrificed himself so that you could have eternal life. You are a Christian if you are believe this. Practicing has to do with the relationship you have with God. Everybodys relationship is different and for some it means going to church every sunday and baptism and bible study. For others it means personal prayer and devotion.
In short, if you believe in christ you are christian by definition.
I generally prefer to work more with the term "disciple" than "Christian," since the two terms seem to have been synonyms to the early Church (Acts 11:26). You're a disciple of somebody if you're following them, learning from them, and becoming more like them (Luke 6:40)--regardless of what stage or level you are at in that progression. (Jesus also said that the hallmark by which the world would know who was his disciple and who wasn't was by the love they demonstrated for each other.)
So the youngest child who is following Jesus as best they know how, even if all they know so far is that Jesus Likes It When We Share, is acting like a disciple. And the greatest theologian in the Church, regardless of how much he knows about Jesus or how long he's studied Jesus, if he's not continuing to follow Jesus, is not acting like a disciple. It's not about reaching a particular level of commitment or of knowledge, it's about continuing to place one foot ahead of the other.
What does it mean to follow Jesus? That, then, would be the next question.
"He that believes and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believes not shall be damned." Mark 16:16 (Words of Jesus)
"You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder." James 2:19
"To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said,"If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth shall set you free." John 8:31-32
Being a follower of Christ means believing He is the savior of the world from their sins and the son of God, and following his ways and teachings. And like @ChrisRusso@xanga said, its less about reaching a certain level, and more about continuing to follow him one day at a time, regardless of where one is in life.
Born Christian does not really exist, but practise of Christian. It is God's absolute souvereignty.
@FOXHOUND_HQ@xanga - "You believe that there is one God. Good!
Even the demons believe that—and shudder." James 2:19
Great reference! Beliefs alone are not enough.
I feel like this quote I've seen around the internet sums up the answer quite well:
Going to church doesn't make you a Christian any more than being in a garage makes you a car.
Totally true. Going through the motions of going to church and praying when you're "supposed" to, or going through the kinds of ceremonies like baptism and whatnot do NOT define a Christian. A person could show up to every single church service, but if the life they live outside of those four walls isn't Christ-like, then it's wasted time.
My church has services 6 days a week. People think that's intense and think that if you're making the time to go to church 6 times a week, then you must be saved. But I know a few people who make it to most (or all) of those services, and yet they look as if they're being totally forced to be there. Merely showing up to church is fine if you want the approval of the others in church. But God knows your heart. It doesn't count if you go to church or get baptized because they're "requirements."
It's like said, it's about the kind of life you live. Christians came to be named as such because they looked, talked, and acted like Jesus. I think it's as simple as that. I mean, it's the hardest thing to do in the world. But Christianity is about learning, following, and practicing Jesus' teachings. It's a never ending lesson.
I identify myself as a Christian because I try my best to embody the lifestyle Jesus had. While I'm FAR from successful a lot of the tim, I know He is my teacher, my inspiration, and my true love.
@ChrisRusso@xanga -
^ Oops! Sorry about the screwy tagging up in that comment. ChrisRusso should go in between It's like _____ said. Haha
@mtngirlsouth@xanga - "And a lot of times, in my experience, this
means that you will most likely NOT fit in at a lot of churches."
That's really sad when you think about it.
Believing in Jesus.
If you truly believe in Jesus, you should be transformed- going to church, showing unconditional love, bonding with others, etc., should all follow afterward.
I used to be a hardcore Christian back between the ages of 11-14ish. But looking back, I believe that was mostly out of fear of going to hell. I'm a very liberal and spiritual person and I've come to accept that I won't know all the answers in the world. I won't know what makes someone a Christian because where will I find the answer? It won't be in the bible unless I go searching and find a random chapter and twist it to make it sound like it's the answer. All people interpret the Bible differently, so in that case I've learned not to take it too seriously in my life.
I've said many times that what makes someone a Christian is simply believing that Jesus is the son of God and Jesus died for our sins. It's a simple belief and I don't believe that I'm not a Christian if I swear, have sex, support homosexuality, or don't regularly go to church. Growing up I went to church sporadically. I'm Greek Orthodox and I spent a lot of time in Greek Orthodox Church or at my cousin's Christian church (which I found to be a place full of judgemental and scared people. Not everyone.. but anyway)
I'M RAMBLING.
Point is: I don't know the answer to this question, everyone has a different opinion on this. We're only human, we're naturally curious creatures, but we need to accept that we won't know all the answers. I believe in Jesus and I believe that He was the son of God and died for our sins. I choose to practice my religion my way though. I would like to start to go to church, but probably a non-denominational church. I find peace in meditation and I'm interested in many aspects of other religions like Tibetan Buddhism. However I believe that Buddha was just a person, unlike Jesus.
I'M RAMBLING AGAIN.
I'll stop.
@StephanieP - Yes, it really is. I think on this count, the strategy of the enemy was, "If you can't beat them, join them, and ride their wagon till the wheels fall off."
I can't really speak to the larger issue of being "a Christian", particularly in such a diverse place as this because it seems to me like "Christians" in America are continuously coming up with new semantic ways to one up each other and separate themselves from each other. I'm still not clear on the whole Christian vs. Christ follower vs. follower of Christ thing let alone some new ones I've heard lately. But it does seem to me that being, truly Being a Christian is a mind/body/soul experience that should reverberate in everything you do internally and externally. It's not a label it's a life. It should change everything about you.
As to the question of Catholicism, that's easy. Being confirmed does not make you Catholic. Being raised Catholic does not make you Catholic. It's a shame more people, particularly those in public office, don't understand that concept. Being in communion with the Catholic church is what makes you Catholic. It's not a membership card or a parish affiliation it's living in communion with the beliefs of the Church.
@BetweenFineLines@xanga - "The sacraments are not a barrier to
salvation, they are a public announcement of our faith. It is
justification before men (like good works), not before God."
I'd just like to add to this that they are more than "justification before men" (unless I'm misunderstanding what you mean here). They are also powerful ways to obtain special graces for our time here on earth.
The harvest is plenty, but the laborers are few; come on Christians! There is work to be done!!
@bubbelcat@momaroo - "...being in communion...makes you Catholic."
Bingo!!!!!
@BetweenFineLines@xanga - "Christ put NO REQUIREMENTS on salvation, except to believe."
John 6:53, for example?
I believed in God my entire life, and went to church sometimes but I wouldn't say that at that point in my life if I would have died I would have gone to heaven. I was pretty deep into some worldly things.
Then one day at school, some guy I didn't even know was like "God has been pointing you out to me, I know you've experienced Him before and I know you're going to do awesome things for Him, and you are a creative person and I see you married and you're going to write and have an amazing ministry."And it kind of shook me up, and then some people at my work started getting saved and going to some churches and I started going with them, and I started distinctly hearing God's voice. And that's when I pretty much gave up everything to Him. I pretty much separated myself from my old friends, deleted my itunes library, stopped drinking, stopped pretty much everything. God started rearranging my heart so my desires were different and the only thing I desired was to be closer to Him. I truly know what it means to be in a relationship with God. To come to Him before I come to other people. I don't even want to call myself a "Christian" because I feel like the term has become so watered down. I'm more of a Jesus follower.
I feel like this scripture really relates:
21 Not everyone who says to Me, "Lord, Lord," shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.Matthew 7:21
22 Many will say to Me in that day, "Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?"
23 And then I will declare to them, "I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness."
@Ancient_Scribe@xanga - I would suggest that it is by faith alone we are saved (you, of all people, do not need me to point the verses out to you). However, works (see James) show faith. That is to what Jesus was referring in John 13. How could one claim to have faith but do nothing? Saying 'I believe', but always acting to the contrary demonstrates that the belief is not genuine, rather mere babbling. On the other hand, to demand works as a part of salvation suggests it is not by faith alone and then the 'it is finished' proclamation of Jesus on the cross would be erroneous. To demand works leads us to despair and uncertainty.
I think the book of 1 John addresses your questions. It sets the standard for who is a true Christian, i.e., who truly knows God and has eternal life.
1 John 2:3-6: 'We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands. The man who says, "I know him," but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But if anyone obeys his word, God's love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.'
1 John 2:9: 'Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates his brother is still in the darkness."
1 John 3:9-10: 'No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God's seed
remains in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of
God. This is how we
know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are:
Anyone who does not do what is right is not a child of God; nor is
anyone who does not love his brother.'
1 John 3:14: 'We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers. Anyone who does not love remains in death.'
...These verses make it pretty clear that a person's actions, particularly his/her love for others, reveal whether or not that person is a Christian. Yet it's not good actions that save us, but belief, or trust, in Christ:
1 John 5:1: 'Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well.'
I think it's something like this: when we believe, or put our trust, in Jesus, we are "born again," and God puts his genes in us (well, his Spirit). The new genes prompt us to do what is right and to love others. If we are consistently living in opposition to love and godliness, it's a pretty good indicator that we never received new genes. As N.T. Wright said, "We aren't saved BY good works but we are saved FOR good works."
Don't make the mistake of thinking that joining a church, being baptized, claiming to be a Christian, or anything else except faith in Christ--accompanied by right, loving actions--will make you a true Christian who has eternal life.
@Ancient_Scribe@xanga - Metaphorical, obviously. But we'd be arguing a fine point here. One might suggest that "life" is not "eternal life", but productive Christian "life". Tough to say. Communion is an important sacrament, no doubt, but is not a barrier to salvation. I doubt even Catholics would suggest that, otherwise deathbed confessions of faith would be meaningless.
@bubbelcat@momaroo - Hmmm, I'm unfamiliar with the idea that the sacraments give us such protections. I'm under the impression that spiritual baptism, through belief, is sufficient, not water baptism. But I'm not very knowledgeable there...
@valeriexoxjoleen@xanga - "However I believe that Buddha was just a person, unlike Jesus."
It's fine for you to believe that if you want to but here is something to think about. When deluded, one is called an ordinary being, but when enlightened, one is called a Buddha.
Shakyamuni, the historical Buddha and others including Jesus were people, humans who transformed their lives. Shakyamuni also performed "miraculous" works. As long as you think of Jesus as an anomaly and fundamentally different from you in your potential you never will know the answers. Try thinking of it like this. You have the opportunity to learn how to play basketball (attain enlightenment) from a great NBA star yet you are told to believe he is the only one who can play, even going as far as to dismiss all of the other great NBA players. If you never learn to play as well as him, though he is inducted into the NBA Hall of Fame you will never be and he would not want you to be until you learned for yourself.
Christian: someone who follows Christ.
@Megan - That's exactly what I was going to say. It's amazing how so many people who call themselves Christians misunderstand what Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount, or just twist His words to justify their sin.
@caroliiineee@xanga - I think you summed it up perfectly. If a person isn't showing changes outside to match the changes happening on the inside, I would question whether or not they are truly following Christ.
@TheSutraDude@xanga - Hmm.. thanks for that. Really, I know what you're saying. And you're so right.
As you could probably tell from my comment, I'm still trying to discover my religious/spiritual beliefs. I'm interested in learning more about Buddhism and this comment helped a lot. I guess a small part of me still has that intense "Jesus was completely unique, he was the only miraculous/holy being, etc." belief.
Looking back on what I said, I think I was wrong. I don't know enough about Buddha to say that.. I should learn more before I try to talk about it. I appreciate the comment a lot :)