You were doing good Marilyn...I'm just a blabber mouth so I say a lot sometimes.

I wasn't implying that born-again Christians are creepy or anything like that. I know it's not a sect, too. I should have said evangelical Christians (I did think they meant the same thing).

And yes, I realize it goes both ways.

And I'm sooooooo not trying to be the spokeswoman for Catholicism here. You picked the wrong preson for that!

Anyway, I respect yours and Marilyn's opinions on this, but I have to say that I do find it a bit disheartening. I always thought that it was common faith that brought Christians together.

Don't worry I didn't think you were implying the creepy thing, lol. I just meant I have met Catholic ppl who have said to me "oh you are one of those born agains"? LOL To be honest I never heard the term used that way until a few Catholic ppl said it to me. I was like yeah I believe Jesus is the savior and I am following him, if that's what you mean by "born again". Of course they believed the same so there was no difference between me and them but they didn't use the term born again. But I think somehow the term has been used or twisted somehow to draw division and I don't know how that started. The term simply comes from an analogy Jesus gave about following him and I don't see why it's used negatively.

One more thing since I missed the edit while typing...it is the common faith that brings Christians together. I guess my point is that if someone does believe in Jesus as savior and is following him, that is synonymous to being born again even if one person uses the term to describe themselves and the other doesn't. If I use the vegetarian example, to me it's like one person saying "I am a vegetarian so I don't eat meat" and the other says "I don't eat meat". So you say, "oh, you are a vegetarian?" and they say "no"...then you try to say "but a vegetarian is someone who doesn't eat meat", and they still say "well I'm not a vegetarian but I don't eat any meat.." It's like that to me. If we have all our beliefs in common, we are the same, even if one person won't describe them self as born again and I do.

I love how we can always come to warm and fuzzy consensuses on things.

I was born and raised a Catholic while my fiancee is a Baptist. I think this really doesn't matter as long you love each other so much, respect each others faith, beliefs, and make the Lord as the center of your relationship....you'll both be fine. After all, it"s not our religion that shall save us, but rather on what have we done here on earth and our faith to our Creator.

How is he not a part of their lives? I just don't understand where you get that from. I am greek orthodox which is the sister religion to catholics and Jesus is very much a part of our lives. More than half of my family is catholic as well and again Jesus is very much a part of their lives as well. I am not really understaning your reasoning here.

religion and Jesus only come up when there is a death or a child's baptism... other then that there is really no talk of Jesus... they don't go to Church at all either...

I am not saying this is true of all Catholics but this is the experience I have had with my hubby's family...

Catholic means universal, and in the early stages of Christianity, it was referred to as the The Church, and the followers were called Christian. All Christians who don't recognize the Catholic Church as the The Church of Christians are derivatives of the Protestant Movement, which split from The Church over doctrine. Ironically, some modern Protestant Christian Churches have even gone so far as say that the Catholic Church is not Christian because of their belief in the intercession of saints.

Ok well maybe your hubby's family are not practicing catholics but catholics that are practicing do include Jesus in their daily life. I think that would go for any christian actually. There are plenty of christians that only go to church on christmas and easter but that has nothing to do with the sect of christianity they follow.

I mean I surprised that you think this way, my niece is in catholic school and everything they do is about Jesus.

and I thought I had made myself very clear that I said all Catholics are not this way.. ... nor do i think they are.. I am just saying this is how my hubby's family is....

I think it was the way that Catholics were singled out which made things confusing. You do agree that there are Protestants as well that probably wouldn't fit within your definition of Christian, right?

well, I don't know any Protestants so I don't really have an opinion on that..... I just singled out Catholics because that is what I have experience with... sorry for the confusion..

Now I'm even more confused.

I thought you said you were Christian, but not Catholic. So what are you exactly? And you don't know any Protestants?

ETA: Apparently I'm lacking in my Reformed Christianity understanding.

Marilyn, I assumed you were Protestant by how you were talking...are you sure you aren't? Protestant covers denominations like Lutheran, Presbyterian, Methodist, Baptist, Evangelical, and many many more...

I protest against religion..... does that make me a protestant?

yes, I am Christian...I consider myself a Christian because I asked Jesus into my life as a child... but I have kind of gotten off the beaten path a bit

I don't personally know any Protestants.. ...

I am confused now too.. what aren't you understanding??

no, I am not Protestant.... we went to a bunch of different types of churches...

Was it at a church or with a specific person that you did that? (I did also when I was a child) I am pretty sure you are Protestant...usually if someone is not Catholic but is a Christian or has been around Christian churches, they are Protestant. (I say "usually" just in case!)

A bunch of different churches are included in the term Protestant...my church is not called Protestant but we are...like I listed earlier examples of protestant churches...there are lots.

yes, it was at a church but I don't remember what one...

i grew up in the church and I never heard anybody say we were protestants ...

the only thing mentioned was that we were Christians...

and does it really matter??

My husband was bought up by a devout Catholic mother, I am a former born-again/happy clappy/ baptist.....now we are both blissful atheists.

I think it's usually a given, ppl don't say it much but when you are a Christian and not Catholic you are usually Protestant. Then under that term is denominations so someone might call them self methodist or baptist or Lutheran or non-denominational....etc. But they are under the Protestant type of Christian.

It doesn't really matter.

For the record though, basically, if you aren't Catholic, you're a Protestant. But, as you said, it doesn't really matter.

well, I just consider myself a Christian....

It doesn't really matter...but as Jenn said, it's true that if you aren't Catholic you are a Protestant. It's not one church's name, it's just the type of Christian. And from what I have read, that is you.

(it has to do with Martin Luther's reformation...his protests against the Catholic church during that time...and that's basically how the protestant movement began, which is why there aren't just Catholic Christians in the world.)

Protestant is just a term that be used for those who wanted to follow the Christian Religion, but not through the founding Church. They were protesting certain doctrine but not the religion as a whole.

My original post is now fixx0red above....

However orthodox christians are not considered protestants.

I sensed your sarcasm, but I thought you were making fun of the term - I've known a lot of Christians who don't like to be called 'Protestant'.




Yes, because they recognize the papacy.

We both believe in the same God, aren't "relligious" (as in feel the need to throw belief in anyone's path) and rarely go to church. It's a match made in Heaven!

Not precisely...Orthodox Christians are not considered Protestant because, having separated from the Western Catholic Church in 1054, they were not involved in the issues resulting from the Reformation, with which the term "Prostestant" is connected. Also, though they do recognise the Pope as the Bishop of Rome, they do not acknowledge his claim to be the head of the whole church; they hold that he has the same authority, no more and no less, than that of any of the various Eastern Patriarchs.

The term "Protestant" actually is at least as much a political term as theological one. It comes from the 2nd Diet of Speyer in 1529, which overturned the decision of the 1st Diet of Speyer, which granted a suspension of the Edict of Worms until a general council was convened. The Lutheran members of the Diet wrote a letter of protest to the Emperor appealing the Diet's decisions.

I don't generally like to be called "Protestant" myself, since it often seems to be used to mean "anti-Catholic" without really saying what a person or group does believe. The Lutherans were not anti-Catholic, in fact they considered themselves Catholic Christians. They sought to reform the Church, not start a new one. They were the conservative branch of the Reformation, taking the approach of keeping whatever had been handed down through the centuries that did not get in the way of Christ. I disagree with a number of fundamental doctrines of the Roman Catholic Church, but there are also things on which I do agree with them, and where I differ with many "Protestants." For example, my way of worship would be much more familiar to a Roman Catholic than to many non-Catholic Christians. And my view of the Sacraments is closer in some ways to that of Rome, though still with significant differences.

That's interesting, Scott. Doesn't the Lutheran Church maintain a sort of traditions and doctrine that is kept central to the religion, much like the Roman Catholic Church?

I chose to be baptized as a Catholic when I turned 21, I went to a Catholic church for one year and moved on. I consider myself more ecumenical than a straight up Catholic. When it comes to a multiple choice or fill in the blank from this or that list then I would have to say Catholic. I don't like being pigeonholed though



My Jonny's an Atheist. We don't care what the other does as long as we don't try to change the other.

We both are Christians, currently attending a non-denominational church.

Yes, they are the Lutheran Confessions, contained in the Book of Concord. But the relation of the Confessions to Scripture is not quite the same as that of the RC Traditions.

No.
No.

We're both Christian and though we don't go to church often, we do try to pray and live our Christian beliefs.

Hubby raised Catholic.

Me raised Lutheran.

Both of us are now athiest.

Hubby raised Catholic

I was raised Protestant (Baptist)

Hubby now...non believer I suppose...doesn't subscribe to any belief

Me...I lean towards Native American Spirituality

My husband was raised Protestant but from the age of 14 he got into reading other world religions and got attached to Hinduism--Vedanta to be more precise.

Me on the other hand is born in a Hindu family but I am an athiest.

We are comfortable with each others aspect of life. I am glad my husband isnt too religious, he is more into reading about Hinduism.

Both of us were religious when in our younger years. She grew up around Greek Orthodox (Christianity), and I grew up around Roman Catholicism (dad's side) and Baptist/SDA (mom's side). We both became older, wiser, and agnostic.

Basically yes.
Eh, hard to say.

From what his grandmother explained one rambling day, her parents were atheists and so the ones before them. A proud northern (German) tradition. He is probably like 9% agnostic and 91% atheist. Raised purely without religion.

I was partially raised Mormon, but was basically left to my own devices after 11, so fell into pantheism. I do not believe in personal gods. I do not know for certain that they do not exist, but I do not care. Modified expression of agnosticism or atheism.

Before reading this thread I used to think I was raised Catholic... now I'm not so sure anymore.

We are two agnostics now.

My husband and I are Christian.

I'm atheist, she Buddhist. A good match, since Buddhism is essentially an atheistic religion.

I have actively searched out temples for her to attend while here. I am intrigued by all religions and have always been interested to attend with her. I go through the motions so as not to stand out.

She knows how I feel and isn't overly concerned.

Honestly, it's much easier than if I was marrying a Christian. THAT would be impossible, I think.

I am Jewish and he is catholic but we have forgone those religions for Rock and Roll

Think it might have been an issue if we were planning on having children but we are not

And although my lovely jewish mum loves Todd I am sure she would have prefereed a nice jewish doctor or lawyer but now she will have to make do with a long haired, Harley riding tattooed Texan

lol

Shana Tova to any jewish members reading this

hes muslim, i was raised a strict catholic and now am agnostic. He is not religious so we never have issues. Our kids will be muslim which im ok with.