Now, after reading this in Cinjin's and Lucent's debate, I couldn't help but grind my teeth at Lucent's comment: "Catholicism is a blending of paganism and Christianity. The pope, biblically, is a type of antichrist. So yes, they are wrong. I count them as Christians [...]". Since I can't participate in the formal debate, I thought to make a spin-off thread to hopefully educate everyone who hasn't read the history of Christianity.
Let's start off with an easy one, the definition of Christianity. Anyone who says he or she believes in the man called Jesus is a Christian. Thus, every church that follows the Bible, especially the New Testament, and acknowledge Jesus as the Savior, would be a Christian church.
There are two major branches, the Roman Catholic and the Greek Orthodox. These two were actually one church until the 11th century. In the beginning of 1500 a man called Martin Luther started what we nowadays know as the Protestant Reformation and that's why there are Christians that call themselves Protestants, because they follow Luther's ideology. The Protestant branch has many more smaller branches, such as the Baptist, Anglican and Presbyterian, and these all are still followers of Christ.
This might be the simplified version and merely a crash course, but I hope that I makes those think that didn't knew this before. All of you who say that you are Christians, come from the same trunk of the united church of the Roman Catholic and Greek Orthodox. To deny that followers of Jesus isn't "true" Christians, is similar to saying that you don't share any DNA with your grandparents and cousins. You may call each other cults, and disagree with the different ideologies, but the fruit hasn't fallen too far from the tree, now has it?
As for the pope being the Antichrist biblically, well, I have to agree that he looks ominous enough and every pope have said enough absurdities, that one wonders if it is such a good thing that they grant so many senile men such status. (I guess, the more muddled the pope is, the easier it is to pull his strings..). But Lucent, they follow the Bible too, what makes you so sure that he isn't St. Peter's substitute on earth?
Let's start off with an easy one, the definition of Christianity. Anyone who says he or she believes in the man called Jesus is a Christian. Thus, every church that follows the Bible, especially the New Testament, and acknowledge Jesus as the Savior, would be a Christian church.
There are two major branches, the Roman Catholic and the Greek Orthodox. These two were actually one church until the 11th century. In the beginning of 1500 a man called Martin Luther started what we nowadays know as the Protestant Reformation and that's why there are Christians that call themselves Protestants, because they follow Luther's ideology. The Protestant branch has many more smaller branches, such as the Baptist, Anglican and Presbyterian, and these all are still followers of Christ.
This might be the simplified version and merely a crash course, but I hope that I makes those think that didn't knew this before. All of you who say that you are Christians, come from the same trunk of the united church of the Roman Catholic and Greek Orthodox. To deny that followers of Jesus isn't "true" Christians, is similar to saying that you don't share any DNA with your grandparents and cousins. You may call each other cults, and disagree with the different ideologies, but the fruit hasn't fallen too far from the tree, now has it?
As for the pope being the Antichrist biblically, well, I have to agree that he looks ominous enough and every pope have said enough absurdities, that one wonders if it is such a good thing that they grant so many senile men such status. (I guess, the more muddled the pope is, the easier it is to pull his strings..). But Lucent, they follow the Bible too, what makes you so sure that he isn't St. Peter's substitute on earth?
When I was young, there was a god with infinite power protecting me. Is there anyone else who felt that way? And was sure about it? but the first time I fell in love, I was thrown down - or maybe I broke free - and I bade farewell to God and became human. Now I don't have God's protection, and I walk on the ground without wings, but I don't regret this hardship. I want to live as a person. -Arina Tanemura
