Considering that the Catholic Church and the Eastern Armenian Church are the eldest denomination of Christianity, it would be ridiculous not to consider them Christians.
@Neuropteron this response is the crux of the whole thread I believe.....
There was no such thing as a "denomination" in original Christianity, just as there was no such thing as a sect of ancient Judaism. (1 Corinthians 1:10)
Christianity has no nationality....not Roman, Armenian, Greek, Russian or any other nation can claim to be a denomination of what Christ taught.
It is humans who came in with their man-made traditions and pagan adoptions and contaminated the truth with lies, as history will attest.
Mark 7:6-7...
"
He [Jesus]
said to them [the Jewish Pharisees and scribes]:
‘Isaiah aptly prophesied about you hypocrites, as it is written, “This people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far removed from me. It is in vain that they keep worshiping me, because they teach as doctrines commands of men.”’”
So, regardless of whom a group
professes to worship, if they hold to doctrines of men instead of the inspired Word of God, their worship is
in vain. It's really that simple, IMO. History is repeating for the same reasons that it always does....we never learn from the mistakes of our predecessors.
Can anyone provide scripture to support any of the following doctrines? I can find scriptural support for none of them by direct statement.
Did Jesus ever claim to be part of a three headed god? NO!
Did he ever solicit worship for himself? NO!
Was Mary a figure in the Bible to be adored and given undue honor? NO!
Was there a teaching that an immortal soul would depart the body at death? NO!
Is there such a place as Purgatory in the Bible? NO!
Is there a "hell" of eternal fiery torment for the wicked? NO!
Should images be used in worship? NO!
Was the cross a religious symbol for Christians before Catholicism introduced it? NO!
Were there "priests" officiating in massive cathedrals in original Christianity? NO!
Were those who were shepherds in the congregation to wear distinctive garb and headgear? NO!
I could go on and on....but still people would have no idea what original Christianity looked like because those who claimed to represent Christ on earth totally
misrepresented him. These were passed off as "Christian" teachings and those indoctrinated by them, don't know any different.
So, why persecute someone fore telling an inconvenient truth? Isn't that what they did to Jesus? Wasn't he hated for exposing the Pharisees for the woeful hypocrites that they were?
How amazing that people can leave Catholicism for reasons that they consider valid, but when it is criticized, come to its defense.....doesn't it show how complete the indoctrination really is?
"Give me a child until they are seven years old and they will be a Catholic for the rest of their lives"....wasn't that the claim? Isn't this what we are seeing on this thread?
The OP was a valid question IMO.....who has really answered that question truthfully and scripturally?
We need to be reminded that at the judgment, no excuses will be accepted.....if we claim to be Christians and we have failed to accept and follow the truth.....to be found "doing the will of the Father", then it will not go well for any of us, no matter what we call ourselves. (Matthew 7:21-23)
Christian is as Christian does....and that is where I believe we can see clearly who is a genuine Christian and who is just a label wearer. Jesus knows the difference and demonstrated most forcefully that any step outside of what the scriptures teach, is not a step towards God, but away from him.