|
| Welcome to Religious Forums |
| Welcome Guest to ReligiousForums.com . You are currently not registered. When you become registered you will be able to interact with our large base of already registered users discussing topics. Some annoying Ads will also disappear when you register. Registering doesn't cost a thing and only takes a few seconds. We provide areas to chat and debate all World Religions. Please go to our register page! |
|
|||||||
| View Poll Results: If someone were to tell you that he was a Christian, that would mean that he is... | |||
| a person who believes Jesus Christ is God. |
   
|
9 | 21.43% |
| a person who worships Jesus Christ and looks to Him as his Savior. |
  
|
16 | 38.10% |
| a person who sees Jesus Christ as a great teacher. |
  
|
10 | 23.81% |
| a person whose beliefs are based on the Bible alone. |
  
|
1 | 2.38% |
| a person who is believes he is “saved by faith in Jesus Christ alone.” |
  
|
7 | 16.67% |
| a person who is likely to tell you (a non-Christian) that you’re “damned.” |
  
|
5 | 11.90% |
| A person who strives to love his fellow men, including his enemies. |
|
9 | 21.43% |
| a person whose life is controlled by fear and superstition. |
|
2 | 4.76% |
| a person who belongs to a specific Christian denomination. |
|
4 | 9.52% |
| a person who calls himself a Christian. |
|
32 | 76.19% |
| Multiple Choice Poll. Voters: 42. You may not vote on this poll | |||
 |
|
|
Thread Tools | Display Modes |
|
#1
05-15-2008, 02:09 PM
|
||||
|
||||
NON-CHRISTIANS ONLY: What is a Christian to you?
This thread is on the "Same Faith Debates" forum. Since I consider myself to be a Christian, I won't be participating on this thread except possibly to ask a question here or there. Please respond to the poll ONLY IF YOU ARE NOT A CHRISTIAN. Please offer your opinion ONLY IF YOU ARE NOT A CHRISTIAN. If you have a question for a non-Christian that will help you to understand one of his comments, feel free to ask it. Otherwise, PLEASE REFRAIN FROM POSTING.
Okay... All Christians seem to have an idea in mind who ought to be allowed to refer himself as a Christian, and some act as if they own the exclusive rights to the term. I've heard their list of essential characteristics of a Christian many times, so now I'm curious to see what non-Christians think about Christians. If you were to meet someone for the first time (either here on RF or in person) and he were to tell you that he was a Christian, what would that mean to you? Keep in mind that the poll is a multiple choice one. Please pick as many statements as you feel apply, and then explain your choices if you wish.
__________________
 If they are not attacking you, that means they are not worried about you. ~ Kevin Madden ~ Last edited by Katzpur; 05-15-2008 at 02:21 PM. 
|
|
#2
05-15-2008, 02:12 PM
|
||||
|
||||
|
He follows the belief in a Christ.
__________________
I will give you those things you thought unreal The sun, the moon, the stars all bear my seal Look into my eyes, you will see who I am My name is Lucifer, please take my hand
|
|
#3
05-15-2008, 02:14 PM
|
||||
|
||||
|
When someone says they are a Christian, to me that means that they believe in God as described in the Bible, not necessarily literally, and they believe that Jesus was a prophet and the Son of God who showed us how to live and died to give us passage into Heaven. Beyond that I don't make too many assumptions, as it tends to vary greatly.
Lately, though, I've come across people who consider themselves Christians because they follow Jesus's message and example, but don't believe in God or, obviously, that Jesus was the Son of God. That makes sense too, but throws off my previous general perception.
__________________
Religion is sort of like a lift in your shoes. If it makes you feel better, fine. Just don't ask me to wear your shoes. ~George Carlin
|
|
#4
05-15-2008, 02:18 PM
|
||||
|
||||
|
I picked all except 1)people who would tell me I'm damned to hell.......2) who place their faith in the Bible alone.........and 3) who live their lives on fear and superstition.
Otherwise, all the others are pretty concise definitions of what I would consider a "Christian."
__________________
My husband is a genius! Me: "How is it that you know better about (blah blah blah)?" Dear Husband: "Well for one, I was younger....and two, I'm older now."  Peace cannot be achieved through violence, it can only be attained through understanding. - Ralph Waldo Emerson
|
|
#5
05-15-2008, 02:21 PM
|
||||
|
||||
|
Wow, first vote!!!
I have met people who, though they claim to not be Christian, act more like Jesus than most proclaimed Christians."mind what people do, not only what they say..." Something that, IMO, most people fail to remember/keep in mind/accept/etc. is that what they believe is "Christian" is merely their opinion of what a "Christian" is/should be. Yes, they may base that opinion on their interpretation (opinion) of the Bible, but it still boils down to opinion. And opinions are highly subjective.
__________________
. Change the world, move a rock.
|
|
#6
05-15-2008, 02:22 PM
|
||||
|
||||
|
Ooh, I'm gonna start replying even before the poll goes up. That's how opinionated I am!
My view of what a "Christian" is depends very much on my sense of the person claiming to be one. It's a very broad category. Somebody who feels compelled to "testify" or try to convert me within the first few moments of conversation is a different sort of Christian from someone I've admired for years only to discover, to my surprise, they are also a Christian. Really the word "Christian" by itself is meaningless to me. There are so many factions, offshoots, and sects in Christianity that the only way for me to find meaning is to take a wild guess at what it means to the person claiming to be one. For the preaching, testifying, civil liberty attacking, patriotic, converting type, Christian means "dangerous, unthinking cult follower" to me. For the decent, intelligent, generous, forgiving, loving people I know who just happen to be Christians it means "someone who follows the teaching of Christ". Edit: OK poll up now, I voted for 3 and 7 not because there are no people considering themselves "Christian" who fit the rest of the options, but because IMO Christ's teachings are the most valuable offerings of Christianity and I admire those who try to live them. Last edited by Alceste; 05-15-2008 at 02:27 PM.
|
|
#7
05-15-2008, 08:48 PM
|
||||
|
||||
|
I would accept the term for anyone who tries to follow the teaching of Jesus Christ and wishes to be referred to as a Christian. I would set no other criteria. They don’t have to believe that Jesus was “God” or the son of “God”, although they can. The don’t even have to believe that he existed at all as long as they try to follow the teachings as they understand them and as best they can (and want people to refer to them as Christian).
I think you will find that it is not the non-Christian who want a restrictive definition. So I will vote for the last one but what I mean by that is any of the above, but not necessarily all of the above. (except for the one about fear and superstition, that could be a Christian or not a Christian)
__________________
. You just proved signature advertising works.
|
|
#8
05-16-2008, 01:36 AM
|
||||
|
||||
|
For me, the ones who say they are christians are christians.
By some I noticed that they actually didn't really follow christianity, but still called themselves christian, fine by me. eventually they are living by their own thoughts and rules, just like I am. I stopped putting importance in the name since my mother called me christian way after I told her I was atheist. Her reason, because I was baptised 
__________________
 
|
