What % is really Christian in the US

a reply to: borntowatch

Some major problems with this thread brother. I happen to be one of the Christians who doesn't attend a church building regularly. Actually, I haven't been in a Church in a few years.

Now you said that it was fair to call those who do not attend Church not real Christians. That is ignorant. I am sorry, but it is. Our Bible tells us a different story. I do not believe Church is a bad thing, but I choose to fill my time with personal research into the Bible and read the ideas of many theologians and apologist all of which I believe teach me far more about the lord and his plan for us.

What is the Church? According to the Bible, the Church is the Body of Believers.

5 so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.

22 And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.

So it is fair to say that you cannot throw out people who do not attend Church. If a person believes in Jesus Christ as their savior and understands that sin is always in their life and that we can only be seen as clean through Christ and by accepting Him then they are a Christian whether you want to count them or not friend.


"If you call yourself a Christian but dont attend church, do you really care about the Christian label and it meaning "

The Christian Label and its meaning? People can label themselves Christians all day that has no meaning. Meaning is all in the message, and how we choose to share it. Offensive thread imo, so sorry if the post is a bit salty.

originally posted by: adjensen
a reply to: IncognitoGhostman

The only similarity between Catholics and Christians is the belief in Christ.

A Christian is someone who professes the Nicene Creed. As a Catholic, I profess that every single time that I go to Mass. When I was a Protestant, I professed the exact same creed, just not as often. If you do not profess the creed, you are not a Christian, and if you do, you profess the same beliefs that all Catholics also hold.

Belief that Catholics are not Christians is rooted in nothing more than pure ignorance.

I share absolutely nothing in common with a Catholic. At best, if you do a quick glance, it may seem I do, but it's just the surface.

The real ignorance comes from those saying that we're the same. We're not. Fact.

To say Catholics are Christian then makes me Catholic by association; and a Catholic, I am not, nor will I ever be.

a reply to: borntowatch

Rev 3
5 ‘I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot. 16 So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will [l]spit you out of My mouth. 17 Because you say, “I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing,” and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked, 18 I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see. 19 Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; therefore be zealous and repent. 20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me. 21 He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. 22 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’”

Where in this passage does it say people who dont go to a local Church building are lukewarm? This passage to me seems to be directed at those who think because everything is perfect in their life and forget that they need God because of their lack of trouble. Again brother, you are just seeking to narrow the number of people who love our God just as we both do. Now the real question you should be asking is what percentage of people have been born-again?

People who are born-again are what I call Christian. Church attendance, the amount of sins you have comitted or do commit mean nothing to me. If you have been born-again you are a brother. If you haven't been born again you are someone I love dearly, and just a brother or sister who is lost.

originally posted by: JudgeEden

originally posted by: adjensen
a reply to: IncognitoGhostman

The only similarity between Catholics and Christians is the belief in Christ.

A Christian is someone who professes the Nicene Creed. As a Catholic, I profess that every single time that I go to Mass. When I was a Protestant, I professed the exact same creed, just not as often. If you do not profess the creed, you are not a Christian, and if you do, you profess the same beliefs that all Catholics also hold.

Belief that Catholics are not Christians is rooted in nothing more than pure ignorance.

I share absolutely nothing in common with a Catholic. At best, if you do a quick glance, it may seem I do, but it's just the surface.

The real ignorance comes from those saying that we're the same. We're not. Fact.

To say Catholics are Christian then makes me Catholic by association; and a Catholic, I am not, nor will I ever be.

I think its important to remember that some Catholics are Christian based on what they personally believe, but the Doctrine itself I will agree is not completely Biblical.

a reply to: Rekrul

Wow. I am a Christian. And Im Catholic. Thank you for straightening me out.

a reply to: IncognitoGhostman

So! You can see how youre unbendingly narrow minded when you say..."How can a man say you are forgiven for saying a few Hail Marys and Lord's Prayer when it is only for Jehovah to forgive."

Only for Jehovah??? Seriously...Because I think your singularily one sided and closed mind idea of Jevohah is wrong. You need to embrace the differences in your fellow man and all the religions that lead to GOD or the SOURCE.

So, this Catholic-Christian will pray for you...and OUR God will forgive and embrace you anyway.

a reply to: borntowatch

You do know as well Wikipedia is a user generated unverified fact site as well? Just like YouTube.
Not criticizing your reply, just stating its not the best place for any certified "facts".

Still...I do use it myself to quote from time to time, but know going in...its info is questionable .

Thanks

a reply to: JudgeEden

I share absolutely nothing in common with a Catholic.

So, you do not believe in God, the Trinity or the divinity of Jesus? You reject the Nicene Creed and all that it professes? You reject the Bible as holy scripture?

What kind of Christian are you, then? Because all of those beliefs are not only held by Catholics, they originated in the Catholic Church.

originally posted by: adjensen
a reply to: JudgeEden

I share absolutely nothing in common with a Catholic.

So, you do not believe in God, the Trinity or the divinity of Jesus? You reject the Nicene Creed and all that it professes? You reject the Bible as holy scripture?

What kind of Christian are you, then? Because all of those beliefs are not only held by Catholics, they originated in the Catholic Church.

i dont think jesus was catholic

a reply to: ServantOfTheLamb

i dont think jesus was catholic

Of course he was.

"Catholic" just means universal, and it is obvious from scripture that Christ came to establish one church, not the 30,000 different denominations that we have today. For 1,000 years, Christianity was the Catholic Church, and for 500 years after that, it was two, Catholic and Orthodox Catholic. It's just in the last 500 years that the actions of men, not God, have splintered Christianity into all of these factions, all of whom claim to be correct, even though almost all of them lack the authority or credibility to back that claim up.

I don't think that the Catholic Church is without its faults, and I don't agree with everything that they teach, but after years of research, I came to the conclusion that they are most closely aligned with what Christ, the Apostles and the Early Church Fathers laid out as the main tenets of Christianity. The fact that, for most of Christianity's history, the Catholic church was Christianity, should make it pretty obvious that if you disagree with the core beliefs of the Catholic church, which are those espoused in the Nicene Creed, you are not a Christian, but rather some bland "follower of Christ," who is counting on his own salvation, not Christ's.

That doesn't mean, of course, that you need to have statues of Mary around the house (I have none) or that you think that the Pope is God on Earth (we don't,) or live by any number of other misconceptions that poorly educated Protestants have about Catholics.

a reply to: mysterioustranger

Well its better than the atheist who quoted Landover Baptist parody site for their figures

originally posted by: ServantOfTheLamb
a reply to: borntowatch

Some major problems with this thread brother. I happen to be one of the Christians who doesn't attend a church building regularly. Actually, I haven't been in a Church in a few years.

Now you said that it was fair to call those who do not attend Church not real Christians. That is ignorant. I am sorry, but it is. Our Bible tells us a different story. I do not believe Church is a bad thing, but I choose to fill my time with personal research into the Bible and read the ideas of many theologians and apologist all of which I believe teach me far more about the lord and his plan for us.

What is the Church? According to the Bible, the Church is the Body of Believers.

5 so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.

22 And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.

So it is fair to say that you cannot throw out people who do not attend Church. If a person believes in Jesus Christ as their savior and understands that sin is always in their life and that we can only be seen as clean through Christ and by accepting Him then they are a Christian whether you want to count them or not friend.


"If you call yourself a Christian but dont attend church, do you really care about the Christian label and it meaning "

The Christian Label and its meaning? People can label themselves Christians all day that has no meaning. Meaning is all in the message, and how we choose to share it. Offensive thread imo, so sorry if the post is a bit salty.

I understand that you may disagree with my opinion, though according to the bible, believing and accepting Jesus as lord really isnt good enough.
Just calling yourself a believer, living a life that doesnt respect Gods law isnt living the life we were called.
If a person doesnt show the fruit of the Spirit, are they Christian

I am judging myself here as well.

Jesus said
Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? ... And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me

and NO, I didnt say it was fair to call non church attending Christians, Christian. I said

"If you call yourself a Christian but dont attend church, do you really care about the Christian label and it meaning"
Thats a question not a statement

I am sure there are a few non attending church who are Christian.