Belinda wrote: ↑Mon Aug 01, 2022 9:50 pm
Immanuel Can wrote: ↑Mon Aug 01, 2022 4:30 am
Christianity is following Christ. Those who do that are Christians. Those who do not, and make up their own religions and ways of salvation, are not.
That's just definitional. Take it as far as you like.
Your answer to Veggy relies too much on interpretation.
Not really, you'll find.
Jesus Christ was pretty clear on what He said. When you find somebody whose interpretation is too exotic, you can be guaranteed they're not trying to follow Him. But somebody who even uses common sense, and just gets literal -- even if overliteral, mistaking parables for literalities, say -- with what He said, will surely fall within the zone of what can legitimately called "Christians."
It's a broad pool. But it's not
infinitely broad. It's constrained by the actual teaching of Christ.
What is definitive of Xianity is the Resurrection event.
This is certainly true. But one must do more than accept it in theory. One must embrace it as truth, and take its implications to heart for oneself. There is no such thing as an impersonal, merely cultural, or collective "Christianity" that is in any way truly Christian. It's all about one's relationship with Christ Himself. Absent that, there is no Christianity.
As for the Catholic hierarchy, they have long ago decided that the word of the popes is to supersede even the explicit words of Christ. For that reason, they have been called "Papists" instead of "Christians"; because any knowledgeable Catholic official will tell you that for them, the popes ARE the voice of God, when they speak
ex cathedra. So nothing Christ ever said is definitive for the Catholic hierarchy.
Still, within the denominational field of the Catholics, one will still find some that love Christ, have put their faith in Him, and prefer Him to the popes and clergy. And those are true Christians, even if they happen to call themselves "Catholics."
Like I say, it's an inclusive pool. But not infinitely so.