Are you a Christian?

The definition of a Christian has changed many times for me. Growing up in the CoC it seemed to be someone who agreed with everything I thought. My question is this: what does a person need to believe to be a Christian and why?

My opinion:
one lord, faith, baptism and birth--from the book of John I think. This is what you need to believe to be a Christian.

The problem with this question is that people mean many different things when they say "Christian" In order to argue whether or not someone is a Christian, a definition of what a Christian is will have to be agreed upon.

I prefer to use the definition as provided by dictionary.com:

1. of, pertaining to, or derived from Jesus Christ or His teachings: a Christian faith.
2. of, pertaining to, believing in, or belonging to the religion based on the teachings of Jesus Christ: Spain is a Christian country.
3. of or pertaining to Christians: many Christian deaths in the Crusades.
4. exhibiting a spirit proper to a follower of Jesus Christ; Christlike: She displayed true Christian charity.
5. decent; respectable: They gave him a good Christian burial.
6. human; not brutal; humane: Such behavior isn't Christian.
–noun 7. a person who believes in Jesus Christ; adherent of Christianity.
8. a person who exemplifies in his or her life the teachings of Christ: He died like a true Christian.
9. a member of any of certain Protestant churches, as the Disciples of Christ and the Plymouth Brethren.
10. the hero of Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress.
11. a male given name.

So, if someone qualifies under one of these definitions, I have no qualms calling them a "Christian".

That definition is pretty inclusive. Mormons would then be Christians. A lot of non-Christians would be Christians. There are many people who follow Jesus' teachings who dont even know about him yet this definition makes no distinction between the two.

JoshBrainard wrote:That definition is pretty inclusive. Mormons would then be Christians. A lot of non-Christians would be Christians. There are many people who follow Jesus' teachings who dont even know about him yet this definition makes no distinction between the two.

That is because "Christian" is a word that is used in many contexts. Trying to say that there is only one definition of the word "Christian" is futile due to the nature of language. Words only mean things because we mean things when we use those words. Since many people use the word "Christian" in many different ways, "Christian" means many different things.

Check out the 92 different definitions for the word "hand" on dictionary.com: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/hand. It is meaningless for me to ask someone what "hand" means and try to tell people that there is only one definition. Unfortunately, for those who wish it was different, the use of words within a language is determined by usage by many instead of preferences of one.

JoshBrainard wrote:That definition is pretty inclusive. Mormons would then be Christians.

So, you would agree that by definition found in the dictionary, Mormons are Christians. Right?

If by Mormon, you mean non Christian, then yes.

Is that where this whole "If by ________ you mean _______, then..." thing came from?

JoshBrainard wrote:If by Mormon, you mean non Christian, then yes.

Is that where this whole "If by ________ you mean _______, then..." thing came from?

That is the idea of why I started saying "If by ___________ you mean ________ then...". Yes.

Here is the deal: When we are using the English language, the words we use mean what the public means when they say them. It is not a religious issue to define what the word Christian means. I would consider Mormons Christians, because they fit the definition. Do you have an alternate way of determining a words meaning than from the dictionary? Why is knowing how people use the word "Christian" so important? Whether or not someone considers another person a Christian seems irrelevant in the big picture.

I consider myself a Christian and I guess that's the most important thing (to me). I know other people that wouldn't consider me a Christian and have said precisely that. (e.g. "You can't be a Christian because you think X").

Whereas I am nearly guilty of the same thing...but not quite. I not sure if I've ever declared to someone that they can't be a Christian...but I certainly will say something to the order of, "You claim to be a Christian, yet you say X or do Y. That is very unChristian, I think."