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Is a person a Christian if...

Fool

ALL in all
Premium Member
Kind of ironic how darkness breeds more believers and light less

Religiousity and IQ are negatively correlated.


percentage wise but again that is not absolute.

religiosity comes in many forms. it doesn't have to be organized. the amazing thing is how even a well educated person can still dwell in darkness, scientism. i can work from both sides of the aisle because i think the middle is more balanced than the polarities of two forms having very similar actions.

i know a little about a lot but definitely know a lot about nothing more.

i've been playing this game for years with doctors, scientists, people working on their masters, doctorates, teachers, lawyers, priests, rabbis, et al.


i don't look at forms, titles, what people wear. i look at their actions. if it moves like a waterfowl, sounds like a waterfowl, and potentially looks like some sort of waterfowl, its probably something evolved from anatidae.

i got a bit of education, my grammar sucks, i get stuff wrong, but everything came from one thing and just took an infinite number of forms and pretty is as pretty does.


the truth is naked and many have become contempt to the fact
 
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Terrywoodenpic

Oldest Heretic
Many early Yeshua based religions did this.

But the term Christian typically refers to those who accept the rulings of the Council of Nicaea.

That is a self appointed point of view. There have always been Christians outside that limitation, Both before and since... Think of Nicaea as club rules set up by the Catholic and Orthodox Churches and even they can not agree all the details.
 

SabahTheLoner

Master of the Art of Couch Potato Cuddles
Would a person be considered a Christian if they wanted to follow Christ's teachings, but didn't exactly view him as God, but rather a prophet or messenger of God? Because technically they would be following Christ's path, just not believing that he himself was God or part of a trinity.

I know many Christians who see him that way. It might not be traditional in some groups but it's not unheard of.
 

ronandcarol

Member
Premium Member
Would a person be considered a Christian if they wanted to follow Christ's teachings, but didn't exactly view him as God, but rather a prophet or messenger of God? Because technically they would be following Christ's path, just not believing that he himself was God or part of a trinity.
I believe that you need to do what He calls us to do, Love the Lord your God with all your heart, your soul and your mind. If you were doing that you would have a different view of who and how you wanted to be a Christ follower.
ronandcarol
 

CogentPhilosopher

Philosophy Student
percentage wise but again that is not absolute.

religiosity comes in many forms. it doesn't have to be organized. the amazing thing is how even a well educated person can still dwell in darkness, scientism. i can work from both sides of the aisle because i think the middle is more balanced than the polarities of two forms having very similar actions.

i know a little about a lot but definitely know a lot about nothing more.

i've been playing this game for years with doctors, scientists, people working on their masters, doctorates, teachers, lawyers, priests, rabbis, et al.


i don't look at forms, titles, what people wear. i look at their actions. if it moves like a waterfowl, sounds like a waterfowl, and potentially looks like some sort of waterfowl, its probably something evolved from anatidae.

i got a bit of education, my grammar sucks, i get stuff wrong, but everything came from one thing and just took an infinite number of forms and pretty is as pretty does.


the truth is naked and many have become contempt to the fact

You've already established that you do not understand how stastics works. No need to repeat that here.
 

Katzpur

Not your average Mormon
Would a person be considered a Christian if they wanted to follow Christ's teachings, but didn't exactly view him as God, but rather a prophet or messenger of God? Because technically they would be following Christ's path, just not believing that he himself was God or part of a trinity.
I suspect you're talking about yourself as "the person" in question. If so, let me just say that the answer to that question is between you and God. Nobody else's opinion matters in the slightest.
 

shmogie

Well-Known Member
There are many, many different Christian sects that view Jesus as separate from God. So yeah, you should be fine.
Many, many Arian sects ? I would like to hear of them. Non Trinatarian believers form a tiny, very tiny, percentage of Christian believers, primarily the Jehovah's Witnesses. If you don't accept him for who he said he was, then why would you want to believe in him as fashioned in your own mind ?
 

Fool

ALL in all
Premium Member
You've already established that you do not understand how stastics works. No need to repeat that here.

they don't work on absolute/certainty. that's as much as i cared to know until i set a goal and look at the probabilities.


As far as the laws of mathematics refer to reality, they are not certain, and as far as they are certain, they do not refer to reality. einstein
 
Considered a Christian by who? There are lots of people who don't think Catholics or LDS are Christians. It varies a great deal.
Personally, I would. I have an extremely broad view of such things.
Tom

"Christian" is a self-described label, placed upon someone by their self.

FACTS:
- so-called "Christians" only believe in the teachings as described in the Bible.
- so-called "Christians" WILL NOT believe in teachings by Jesus, if they are elsewhere
- To be a so-called "Christian" - one is instructed to follow Jesus......nowhere does it say that one must only follow what the Bible says, and to NOT follow those non-canonical texts.
- so-called "Christians" will rebuke many teachings by Jesus, because other men told them to
- so-called "Christians" will say they believe in a complete Jesus, but clearly they don't adhere to what they say.
- so-called "Christians" DO NOT agree with the answers to the following questions:

Where does "God" specifically states whom is inspired and whom is not?
Where does "God" specifically states which texts are more holier than others?
Where does "God" specifically states which texts are scripture and which are not?

*******************
- so-called "Christians" claim they are sinners, but yet, also claim with Jesus' death, "sin" was removed from the world. The majority of prisoners in a prison population consider themselves "Christian". Thus "sin" was not removed from the world, and so-called "Christians" are still sinning.
- so-called "Christians" cannot be truthful when asked these questions......

Are you a sinner? How so?

What "sinning" have you done?

Can you please describe the following "sin types" that Christianity states exists and how they apply to humankind?

Where does "God" describe what a "common sin" is?

Where does "God" describe what a "mortal sin" is?

Where does "God" describe what a "venial sin" is?

Please provide links and/or sources for these answers.

Christianity is not truthful to its followers in many regards.
 

shmogie

Well-Known Member
Does God say:- " Jesus is to be called God or the Son of God?"

Luke 1:32-35.
32 He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:

33 And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.

34 Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?

35 And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.



4 Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.

2 Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:

3 And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.

4 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.

Jesus is the Son of God and Jesus has revealed God to us.

A lot of people do not study what the disciples actually wrote correctly. The LORD is one God.
He is not many like the worship of Baal which was many gods mainly the male forces nature.
According to the word of God and teachings of the disciples Jesus Christ is a Holy Thing and is to be called the Son of God.

55 But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God,

56 And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.

How can Jesus, if he is God, be stood on the right hand of God?
Jesus was the exact representation of all God is. Except unlike God, the power Jesus had came from God, for God was with him.
Peter said: "38 How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him."


Jesus summing up the whole law and teachings of the Prophets was taught with an added message, " If, you love me, you will keep my commandments".

The first commandment was to 'Love the LORD thy God with all thine heart' and in doing so Jesus is showing that he kept the commandments and served only God.

With Christ we know following him means doing as he did. He worshipped only the truth God as his temptation shows.
He was fully human but had the nature of God and did not sin. According to the bible we see Jesus never made himself out to be God. He clearly teaches he came to do his Fathers will and not his own will. So his will was to do the WILL of God. Hope it helps when answering the question from the biblical prospective.
You conveniently leave out much that supports the Trintarian view. Jn. 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word WAS GOD. If he had the nature of God, how could that be if he wasn't God ?? How about "I and the Father ARE ONE" ? or " If you have seen me You HAVE SEEN THE FATHER" ? "If you love Me then you will keep MY COMMANDMENTS" Then you quote a command given by GOD to Israel at Sinai. How could it have been HIS commandments IF HE WASN'T GOD ??
 

shmogie

Well-Known Member
"Christian" is a self-described label, placed upon someone by their self.

FACTS:
- so-called "Christians" only believe in the teachings as described in the Bible.
- so-called "Christians" WILL NOT believe in teachings by Jesus, if they are elsewhere
- To be a so-called "Christian" - one is instructed to follow Jesus......nowhere does it say that one must only follow what the Bible says, and to NOT follow those non-canonical texts.
- so-called "Christians" will rebuke many teachings by Jesus, because other men told them to
- so-called "Christians" will say they believe in a complete Jesus, but clearly they don't adhere to what they say.
- so-called "Christians" DO NOT agree with the answers to the following questions:

Where does "God" specifically states whom is inspired and whom is not?
Where does "God" specifically states which texts are more holier than others?
Where does "God" specifically states which texts are scripture and which are not?

*******************
- so-called "Christians" claim they are sinners, but yet, also claim with Jesus' death, "sin" was removed from the world. The majority of prisoners in a prison population consider themselves "Christian". Thus "sin" was not removed from the world, and so-called "Christians" are still sinning.
- so-called "Christians" cannot be truthful when asked these questions......

Are you a sinner? How so?

What "sinning" have you done?

Can you please describe the following "sin types" that Christianity states exists and how they apply to humankind?

Where does "God" describe what a "common sin" is?

Where does "God" describe what a "mortal sin" is?

Where does "God" describe what a "venial sin" is?

Please provide links and/or sources for these answers.

Christianity is not truthful to its followers in many regards.
Nonsense. Your comments are totally wrong because your ignorant ( only meaning uninformed/lacking in knowledge ) comments are wrong. You certainly lack any understanding of the foundation belief of Christianity, The Atonement. Because you don't grasp this, your arguments aren't valid, you are arguing against your own straw man.
 

pearl

Well-Known Member
Well, not exactly. During the first couple of centuries after Jesus' death, Christianity was unbelievably fragmented.

Yes, there was much diversity. But they did not break koinonia. We know from Paul the importance of koinonia, and the concern for Christian unity Luke/Acts and Ephesians, Mt's concept of the church.
Since most of the NT was written before the major breaks in Koinonia, of the second cent. NT diversity cannot be used in justification for Christian division post Reformation.
 

CogentPhilosopher

Philosophy Student
they don't work on absolute/certainty. that's as much as i cared to know until i set a goal and look at the probabilities.


As far as the laws of mathematics refer to reality, they are not certain, and as far as they are certain, they do not refer to reality. einstein

Here is the thing.

It is true that they are not based on certainty. But none of your assertions are either. Every observation of reality has a differing degree of certainty. And the certainty of stastics is much more sound than all of your unbacked claims.
 

Katzpur

Not your average Mormon
Yes, there was much diversity. But they did not break koinonia.
Your statement is both relative and subjective. One group of Christians emerged as predominant, and the rest are largely forgotten. I just don't think it's accurate to suggest -- however obliquely -- that the average first-century Christian had essentially the same beliefs as the average Roman Catholic has today.

We know from Paul the importance of koinonia, and the concern for Christian unity Luke/Acts and Ephesians, Mt's concept of the church.
Since most of the NT was written before the major breaks in Koinonia, of the second cent. NT diversity cannot be used in justification for Christian division post Reformation.
I wasn't trying to justify any sort of division. As a matter of fact, I am much more pro-Catholic than I am pro-Protestant.
 
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