Are Mormons and Jehovah Witnesses Christian - I argue "Yes"

[9-10ths_Penguin]

Originally Posted by Ratiocinative

Personally, I define a Christian as anyone who accepts ALL of the following as true:

1. There was, is, and always will be only one God, as described in the Bible.
2. Christ Jesus is God incarnate who came to pay the punishment of sin in our place.
3. We are forgiven of all our sins when we have faith in Christ because he paid our punishment, and not because of our own actions.
4. Christ, and Christ alone without Mary, intercedes between us and God.
5. That obeying God is more important than even your own life.

This, of course, excludes Roman Catholicism, Mormonism, and Jehovah's Witness(ism?). Christianity, Roman Catholicism, Mormonism, and Jehovah's Witness(ism?) are all mutually exclusive to one another. To be a faithful member of one of them you must deny at least one core belief of all the others.

You exclude a fair number more than that, IMO. At a certain point, I think it's worthwhile to ask that whether a definition that excludes all those you mentioned (with the possible exception of Mormons, as SoyLeche pointed out), along with Unitarian Christians, many Pentecostals, many Quakers... probably significant numbers of individual adherents of just about every denomination, etc., etc. could ever be valid.

Originally Posted by SoyLeche

I always find it a bit humorous when someone sets up a definition of "Christian" that excluded Catholics. If anyone gets the rights to the title "Christian" it is the Catholics (both the Eastern and Western varieties).

I agree. Defining the word "Christian" so it doesn't include Catholics is kinda like defining the word "American" so it doesn't include New Englanders.

[Dunemeister]

You want biblical? Here's biblical:

Moses writes concerning the righteousness that comes from the law, that ‘the person who does these things will live by them.’ But the righteousness that comes from faith says, ‘Do not say in your heart, “Who will ascend into heaven?” ’ (that is, to bring Christ down) ‘or “Who will descend into the abyss?” ’ (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). But what does it say?
‘The word is near you,
on your lips and in your heart’
(that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); because if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For one believes with the heart and so is justified, and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved. The scripture says, ‘No one who believes in him will be put to shame.’ For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; the same Lord is Lord of all and is generous to all who call on him. For, ‘Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.’

Any questions?

[Katzpur]

Originally Posted by Dunemeister

You want biblical? Here's biblical:

Moses writes concerning the righteousness that comes from the law, that ‘the person who does these things will live by them.’ But the righteousness that comes from faith says, ‘Do not say in your heart, “Who will ascend into heaven?” ’ (that is, to bring Christ down) ‘or “Who will descend into the abyss?” ’ (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). But what does it say?
‘The word is near you,
on your lips and in your heart’
(that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); because if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For one believes with the heart and so is justified, and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved. The scripture says, ‘No one who believes in him will be put to shame.’ For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; the same Lord is Lord of all and is generous to all who call on him. For, ‘Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.’

Any questions?

Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. (Matthew 7:21) Funny how you can prove just about any position you want to by quoting a couple of scriptures, huh?

[Dunemeister]

Originally Posted by Katzpur

Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. (Matthew 7:21) Funny how you can prove just about any position you want to by quoting a couple of scriptures, huh?

Romans 10 implies that. To confess Jesus is Lord is to acknowledge his authority. In practical terms, that means obedience.

[Mestemia]

Originally Posted by Dunemeister

Romans 10 implies that. To confess Jesus is Lord is to acknowledge his authority. In practical terms, that means obedience.

What?
How many people recognize the authority of the police by running away from the crime scene?

Seems that recognizing an authority does not equate to obedience.

[Dunemeister]

Originally Posted by Mestemia

What?
How many people recognize the authority of the police by running away from the crime scene?

Seems that recognizing an authority does not equate to obedience.

In the context of Romans, it implies obedience then.