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A Christian is any person, no matter what his color, class or creed may have been, who believes the Record that God has given of His Son in the Word of God; accepts the verdict of God upon himself as a sinner; confesses that he is lost and hell-deserving; makes bare his heart and all his sins to God only; asks to be cleansed in the Saviour's Precious Blood, throwing himself for salvation by faith alone, through grace alone, on Christ alone. The true Christian gladly confesses: "I'm only a sinner and nothing at all, but Jesus Christ is my all in all." May God bless.

I'm Catholic and fall under all of the requirements listed- as would most every catholic (The only exceptions being extremist groups who promote a "works based" faith)

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or any other entity that denies justification by faith alone

My friend- please brush up on Catholic Theological stances- I recommend reading St. Thomas Aquinas as he addresses this issue in some detail. In fact- Justification is an idea that has been upheld through the Catholic Councils and solidified at the Council of Nicea and is certainly not denied by any degree in the Roman Church.
The Council of Trent makes this clear in it's proclamations. Here is a good explanation-

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Following Augustine, the Catholic church asserts that people are unable to make themselves righteous; instead, they require "justification."

Catholic theology holds that God's righteousness is infused into the sinner when he or she partakes of the sacrament of baptism (either by actually being baptized- or by being baptized through Spirit ), combined with faith


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A Christian is NOT someone who has been baptized into the Roman Catholic church and yet has no faith

please read above- your comment here is a primary misconception about the Church

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.. A Christian is NOT someone who trusts in his own works, plus the works of the saints, plus Christ's blood to get to heaven.

The Catholic Church does not promote a work-based faith. The Church does hold to the belief that if you are a Christian- you should be led to do works, but these works and not required by any means to get into heaven.

Romans 4:3-5 from my Catholic Bible:
"For what does Scripture say? 'Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.' A worker's wage is credited not as a gift, but as something due. But when one does not work, yet believes in the One who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness" (NAB- Catholic Edition with the full Papal blessing of both Popes John XXIII and Paul VI)

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A Christian is NOT someone who approaches a mass Sunday after Sunday to be justified over and over again

Nor does the Church believe such a heretical doctrine.


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. One cannot hold to official Catholic teaching and hold to that which is the core of what every true Christian believes.

So those who believed in God up until Martin Luther went to hell? I sincerely doubt it. The Catholic Church agrees with the core doctrines of Christianity and the paragraph mentioned by William. Heck- the Catholic Church established these basic central doctrines through the Great Councils such as the Council of Nicea. Most of the things listed by you are some beliefs that have cropped up through radical catholic sects that have been censured by Rome. These views are over flaunted by many Anti-Catholic protestants who attempt to place this view by those few on the entire Church which is where my preconceptions about the Catholic Church as a protestant in an extremist protestant church came from. If you have any further questions about Catholic beliefs- please don't hesitate to ask, my door is always open for any questions/comments/friendly debates.

Propter Roma,
YC

Last edited by Young Catholic; Sun Jun 24, 2007 9:38 PM.
Gloria Patri et Filii et Spiritu Sancti, Amen!

"For I know the thoughts that I think towards you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of affliction, to give you an end and patience. "