“One can be a Christian simply through acceptance of Jesus as their savior. No church, money, sex, or givings of any kind required.”
Couldn’t one do that as a Catholic, a Baptist, a Mormon, or no church at all?
My wife was raised Catholic, and would still claim to be. But I once questioned her beliefs, and she is closer to protestant beliefs than to Catholic beliefs.
Most individuals don’t dwell on theological fine points.
I think people are raised in religions of their families, and believe in Christ. They themselves feel they are Christians.
Can another human being take that away from them, because they lack the wording for the Trinity? Down through the centuries have not various denominations held differing theological details?
Couldn’t one do that as a Catholic, a Baptist, a Mormon, or no church at all?
Can another human being take that away from them, because they lack the wording for the Trinity?
- - - - - - - -
Not Mormons. It isn’t that they use the word ‘godhead’, it is their theology that precludes them from being Christian. They may say the words “I believe Jesus is the Christ and our Savior” but they mean SOMETHING ENTIRELY DIFFERENT than ALL other Christians (even Catholics) by it. Mormons don’t believe in Christ as we do, or the Atonement, or even Salvation or Heaven.
I used to be Mormon and if you want I can give you some specific examples of how Mormons use Christian vocabulary but have very different meanings. And, yes Mormons are aware that we mean different things but use the terms to make people think they are Christian, deception of the highest order and it is intentional.
“Couldn’t one do that as a Catholic, a Baptist, a Mormon, or no church at all?”
All but Mormons. Mormons lie when they say things because they say words you and I know to be defined in the English language but they knowingly use the words with different meanings. They then claim we didn’t understand what they said but they will then lie straight to your face and repeat what they know to be a deception.
I see Catholics as Christians as they accept Jesus as their savior. The Catholic Church is their means to express and practice that faith. I disagree with the Catholic Church as nothing but a continuation of the Roman Empire but I wouldn’t for a second doubt their faith in Jesus or their desire to be faithful Christians. My wife is a Catholic by upbringing but even she doesn’t see the need for the organized church for the faithful. I know many Catholics that are practicing Catholics. Their faith is not changed by the church; the church is their means to practice their faith.
No church at all? You bet. I think I said so. It doesn’t take an organized religion to have faith. In fact, the majority of organized religions are not for the faithful but for the greed of the organizer.
I was raised Southern Baptist. The one thing I respect of them is that their churches were community churches, not of greed, but of parishioners that usually built the church and ran it. The preacher was an educated theologian in most cases whose job it was to educate and consul the community. I am all for local community churches and hold in contempt large national and global churches. Those aren’t churches; they are businesses.
And many WILL not 'dwell' on HERESY until it smacks them upside the noggin!
Once an 'organization' starts teaching about things OTHER than Christ; THEN that 'simple Christian' is going to have to make OTHER decisions...
The NT wasn't written as a mere thing to use up paper...