What makes someone a Christan?

[Elta]

What counts as your definition of a Christan?

Please give us your definition in as little words as possible.

I was watching some guy get accosted by two JW and two LDS members outside of the video store today when I saw them start to argue with each other over what the definition of a Christan. I was wondering if the Christan people here would even agree.

 

[Abaddon]

Someone who tries to live a "good" life without interfering with others too much.

 

[azzaman333]

Aren't you Christian as long as you believe Jesus Christ is the son of God and was resurrected?

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

Accepting Christ as your Lord and Saviour makes you a Christian.

From there on, all bets are off.

 

[Riffraff]

Someone who says "I'm a Christian" and who is not lying.

(Exeptions for mentally disabled and complex conspiracies which involve 'fake bibles' etc...)

 

[Elta]

Someone who says "I'm a Christian" and who is not lying.

Yes, but what exactly must you believe to qualify?

 

[Munch]

Someone who tries to live a "good" life without interfering with others too much.

Surely most people try and live that way, and a lot of them wouldn't identify with Christianity.

 

[King of Town]

Accepting Christ as your Lord and Saviour makes you a Christian.

From there on, all bets are off.

This. I don't go to church because church is somewhat ridiculous. people seem ot have the hardest time with that one.

 

[Zelig]

Yes, but what exactly must you believe to qualify?

That you're a Christian.

 

[Riffraff]

Yes, but what exactly must you believe to qualify?

You must believe that you are a Christian. I like keeping things simple

 

[Abaddon]

Surely most people try and live that way, and a lot of them wouldn't identify with Christianity.

Well if you take my base belief that all religion is fake. Noone can be christian. BUT they can try to live as a christian should. Because of this I do not think beleif is the issue, it is more about how you lead your life.

 

[Elta]

That you're a Christian.

So if lets say I were a Christan and taught my child to be a Christan and they self identified as being one and then they started reading the bible when they got older and thought it was all made up. Does that mean that the day before they read it they were really not a Christan because they were not going to believe it had they read it. Or do you get a pass in the eyes of God if you live in ignorance of the word even though had you known you would have been a disbeliever?

P.S. If you are not a Christan, there is no point in answering this question.

 

[Abaddon]

P.S. If you are not a Christan, there is no point in answering this question.

Why? Why are you only interested in that side of view.

 

[Elta]

Why? Why are you only interested in that side of view.

I am not I was speaking of the secondary question directed at Zelig.

I am intrested in the view of non Christan and Christians alike with regaurds to the OP.

 

[Abaddon]

Ah, good stuff

 

[Zelig]

So if lets say I were a Christan and taught my child to be a Christan and they self identified as being one and then they started reading the bible when they got older and thought it was all made up. Does that mean that the day before they read it they were really not a Christan because they were not going to believe it had they read it. Or do you get a pass in the eyes of God if you live in ignorance of the word even though had you known you would have been a disbeliever?

P.S. If you are not a Christan, there is no point in answering this question.

Your child would be a Christian up until he decides he is no longer a Christian.

This was Riffraff's line of reasoning, you may want to query him instead of me.

 

[Munch]

Well if you take my base belief that all religion is fake. Noone can be christian. BUT they can try to live as a christian should. Because of this I do not think beleif is the issue, it is more about how you lead your life.

I think there's a terminology conflict here. Regardless of the truth value of Christianity, there will be people who believe in it, whom we commonly and broadly label 'Christians'. I don't think you can say that someone isn't Christian because Christianity is false.

For instance, I don't see any truth value in Christianity whatsoever, yet I might try and live my life by the description in your first post. Most people I know are like this, and have total disregard for Christianity. I wouldn't call them Christian because of their behaviour rather than their position on supernatural matters, and I wouldn't call them 'christ-like' either.

 

[Azash]

As far as I know, accepting Jesus in the aforementioned role. Any variations on it would simply constitute differing branches.

 

[Valka D'Ur]

So if lets say I were a Christan and taught my child to be a Christan and they self identified as being one and then they started reading the bible when they got older and thought it was all made up. Does that mean that the day before they read it they were really not a Christan because they were not going to believe it had they read it. Or do you get a pass in the eyes of God if you live in ignorance of the word even though had you known you would have been a disbeliever?

P.S. If you are not a Christan, there is no point in answering this question.

I'm an atheist, but I'm gonna answer it anyway.

If you were a Christian and you were teaching your child to be a Christian, wouldn't you include reading the bible in your lessons?

As for "living in ignorance" -- wasn't it the position of the missionaries that ANYBODY who hasn't been told about Jesus and Christianity is doomed to not be saved?

 

[King of Town]

I wpould think that if you were teaching your kids to be a christian without the bible and the decided they would be one, but upon reading the bible recanted they might not fully grasp the bible, or you skipped perhaps some important parts. it requires a leap to have faith in christianity because there are some strange things happening in the bible. I don't know that you have to believ any of the bible exept that jesus died for your sins in order to be a christian. the rest is backstory.