(September 1, 2012 at 10:10 pm)CaseyTheAthie Wrote:(September 1, 2012 at 10:04 pm)greneknight Wrote: Of course I do. I know I am a Christian and a pretty devout one too considering my service to the church since I was 5. But some people think I'm not. So, I'm saying, faced with such a dispute, the Church is the best arbiter of these things. Of course ultimately, it's still for the CHurch to decide who is a Christian. Someone can call himself a Christian but the Church doesn't accept it, he's NOT.
That last part doesn't sound fair though, especially when you say religion is a personal matter....
It's personal but the church is an institution and there are rules. Of course anyone can call himself a Christian. The church can't stop you. But practically, we know that someone who isn't accepted by the church probably isn't someone we'd call a Christian. That's just by convention.
