Here's the full question that came in to the website:
"What's wrong with catholics? they believe in Jesus rite? I'm not a catholic, but my church follows may of their traditions. Also, some of my friends are catholic and she appears to be very on fire and close 2 jesus. same goes for my friend who is mormon, but thats another topic. Please help me uderstand why everyone doesnt consider catholics to be christian."
This whole Catholic vs. Protestant thing can be very confusing and people have died and killed over this very issue. Here's the short answer. Some Catholics definitely are Christians just like some Baptists are Christian, and some Lutherans are Christians, and some Evangelicals are Christians, and on and on and on (The Mormon church is a different issue all together and we won't get into that here but by their own definition they are not Christian). It's not the church you go to or even going to church that makes you a Christian, it's what you actually believe. Truly being a Christian means you believe, repent, and follow. Believe that you're a sinner who needs to be saved and Jesus is the only one who can save you. Repent (or confess that you're a sinner and turn from the life you've lived without Him) and then follow Him wherever He takes you. When Jesus was here he called people to simply follow Him, and in order to follow Him you have to know Him and trust Him with your life. Being a part of a church should help you see Jesus more clearly so you can follow Him better, but church itself doesn't save anyone. The point was never to say a certain prayer, go to a certain church, or be baptized by a certain group of people. Those are all works that have no power to save, but seeing Jesus for who He really is, turning from a life lived without Him, and following Him is the real test of salvation.
Mother Teresa was a great example of someone who was part of the Catholic church and proved with her life that she was a Christian. She adored Jesus and followed Him beautifully. He said to take care of widows and orphans and she did. He said to feed the hungry, and visit the sick, and love your neighbor, and she did. And from her writings it sounds like she did it all because she was crazy about Jesus and saw His face in every leper and orphan and unwanted person she came across, not because she belonged to a certain church or was trying to win the approval or applause of men.
Not everyone who goes to church and calls themselves a Christian really is one, and every church out there is getting something wrong to one degree or another. I think it must break God's heart to see His kids use our different denominations to fight with and pick on each other instead of working together for God's purposes and His glory. Jesus came to show us what it looks like to belong to Him and live like a Christian (which really means "little Christ"), and He said in John 13:34-35 that people will know we are His by how we love each other. According to that verse, the test for who is and who isn't really a Christian isn't the church they belong to or how many bible studies they attend, it's how much they love and look like Jesus. He also said in 1 John 4:20 that if we say we love God but turn around and hate the people around us, we're liars and not what we claim to be. I've heard it said that you act out what you really believe instead of what you say you believe. Hopefully, for all God's kids, our lives show the world that we are exactly who we claim to be and not just a bunch of hypocrites with a nice label.
Comments (13)
Thanks! This question has bothered me for a while. Its so sad sometimes how different denominations sometimes put eachother down just bcuz their beliefs are not exactly the same.
Posted by :) | March 1, 2010 9:16 AM
Being a Catholic - the hair stood up on the back of my neck at that question. I am constantly amazed at how people think that we don't follow Christ? How is that? Because a Christian is just that - a follower of Christ. The blogger did a great job of explaining that the title of your religion doesn't define someone. Love in your heart and your actions do. Mother Theresa is a fine example, one of thousands that stand out in the church. Yes daily people in our church work with the poor in a very organized way - St. Vincent DePaul is another great example, as well as Catholic hospitals and many missionaries.
The other misconception is that we don't read our bibles. I have done many non-denominational studies and get in the word daily because it is my job to build my relationship with Christ - not my church's. The Catholic church is growing and changing - growing up Catholic I didn't feel about Christ as I do now. I thank God for the grace to mature with His Son.
Posted by Kelly | March 4, 2010 1:38 PM
I must say I was surprised by the question! I am a Catholic and always thought Catholics were recognized as Christians! Jesus is at the heart of everything we do! I do agree that it isn't the church that makes us a Christian, that it is the life that we live. However, the church is our home...where we celebrate and strengthen our faith as a community of believers. Catholicism is a Christian faith and we want to be recognized as Christians in everything we do.
Posted by Elise | March 4, 2010 1:48 PM
Wow! I have been asking my parents the same question and they give me answers, but they don't know the whole thing. This helps because I have Catholic, Mormon, Christian, and Baptist friends. Thanks.
Posted by Elysea | March 4, 2010 2:25 PM
In this article you do not mention that being a Christian means accepting Christ as your personal Savior by accepting, believing, and confessing. I think that this is an important part what makes us Christians. It says in the scripture that Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life and that no one comes to the Father except through Him.
Posted by Leah Ann | March 4, 2010 2:36 PM
I like the part about acting out what we believe instead of just saying what we believe. I have had this discussion with my 13 year old alot lately and the fact that she says she's a Christian (and I do believe she is) but then she turns around and does something that Jesus wouldn't do!!
Posted by Anonymous | March 4, 2010 3:06 PM
I understand this- But I have some close Mormon friends, and I don't really understand how their religion works. I know that if I try and "convert" them, and if I succeeded, their family would shun them. How on earth do I reach out to my friends?
Posted by Emily | March 4, 2010 6:27 PM
Nothing is wrong with Catholics. Like it was said some catholics are Christians. I know of a Roman Catholic friend of mine, who did believe Jesus Christ to be her personal Savior. It all comes down to what you believe. And because people believe so many different things or have different values, there is different denominations. Yes it's sad that Christians have to categorize into different groups or even have an holier-than-thou attitude because that is not Christ like. If everyone believed the Bible (God's love letter to us!) word for word, I really believe there would not be different denominations. I am guilty of this too, and it's not about conforming what the Bible teaches to our lifestyle but letting the Bible conform us to be more like Christ.
Posted by Anonymous | March 4, 2010 8:21 PM
Jamie you said this so very well! How true it is and how sad we can all look at times. Thank you for speaking the truth with such love and clarity.
Posted by Dana | March 4, 2010 9:40 PM
i was raised in a catholic family and i was really struggling with this issue. I was so confused and I felt like i had to pick a side, and I eventually gave up on the issue and ignored god in my life.I realized that I should be focusing more on god than what I call myself, because god is what is important.
Posted by anonymous | March 4, 2010 11:06 PM
I liked your answer for the most part.
I just didn't understand the comment about Mormons.
Like the previous comment said, it is sad when other denominations put each other down.
I have never come across any denominations that are perfect in their practice of Christianity.
I personally have come across pretty rotten members of many different denominations including Catholics and Mormons.
However, some of the most "Christian" people that I have ever come across have also been Mormons and Catholics.
Some people that I know tell me that the real name of the Mormon church is "The Church of JESUS CHRIST of Latter Day Saints" that at least tells me a lot about who and what they believe in.
Practice,as we have all experienced on a daily basis, doesn't always come across perfectly or Christ like.
Does that mean that we should stop practicing? I certainly hope not.
Press on fellow Christians with a perfect brightness of hope.
Posted by Rebecca | March 5, 2010 2:22 AM
thanks for posting this. most of family is catholic and my dad was catholic and my mom is baptist. and i always worried that half of my family might not really be christians.
Posted by shannon | March 6, 2010 6:37 AM
I've been thinking about this question for a while. I go to a Catholic school and there were, and still are, many things that confuse me because they are different to what I believe as a Christian.
Posted by Kat | March 6, 2010 9:09 PM