We have had many threads where this question as come up - however I cant find one specifically on this question, so I thought now would be a good time to have one with the debates going on at the moment.
In your own view - what is your definition of a Christian, what must a person belief in, do, how must they live etc etc for them to be considered a christian in your eyes?



Play nice now!

A Christian is someone who believes and follows the teachings of Jesus/God. A Christian is someone who tries to be Christ-like. No Christian is perfect and therefore lies in flaws with in their beliefs, faith, and understandings. To be a Christian is to attempt to be intertwined with god.

Someone who attempts to live a life of a simlar type to Christ. Belief in the teachings of Christ does not necessarily make one a Christian imo. Christ stated by their fruits ye shall know them, that claims would not make one such.

If one trully believes he will act upon it.

But it makes no difference, because "by their fruits ye shall know them" and evil cannot bring forth good fruit.

One cannot act out something he does not believe for very long. In other words I think we're saying the same thing in a different manner. It's true. We know them by their fruits not by what they say. But if they act in a certain way then they most likely believe in a certain way as well.

Perhaps, but I do believe that Ghandi was an excellent Christian.

I feel that a Christian is someone who has accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour, has asked God for forgiveness of their sins and who has a living relationship with Jesus. Someone who admits they have sin and accepts God's gift of eternal life by believing in Jesus. I feel that no matter what their denomination, if a person truly loves God and believes that Jesus came to earth to save mankind and died on the cross to pay for their sin, he/she is a Christian.

That' is just how I feel,

Miss Interested

The Nicene Creed
I believe in one God the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth and all things visible and invisible. And in one Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, the Only-Begotten, begotten of the Father before all worlds, Light of Light, Very God of Very God, begotten, not made; of one essence with the Father; by whom all things were made; who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven and was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary, and was made man; and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate, and suffered and was buried. The third day He rose again, according to the Scriptures; and ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of the Father; and He shall come again with glory to judge the living and the dead; whose Kingdom shall have no end. And I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and giver of life, who proceeds from the Father, who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified, who spoke by the prophets. And I believe in One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church. I acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins. I look for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come.

That's a starting point.

Don't remember Christ putting that kind of restriction on his followers, but that's just me... can't remember the Nicene creed being in the Bible either though.

Gandhi was Hindu while they do believe in one God they do accept the idea of other Gods but as far as I know, they do not believe in the Christian God not unless he converted to Christianity, which is possible. But their Gods are Pagan Gods.

Well, I guess it is a good thing I don't consider sola scriptura a prereq for being a Christian, although everything in the Creed is found within scripture. If you want to just love God and love your neighbor, that's great. Go grab a copy of the Meditations of Marcus Aurelius and be a stoic. If you wish to be a Christian, accept the Creed.

The worship of Christ is the worship of a sun-god.
the crown of thorns is sunlight when you look directly at it
The ankh cross is an ancient egyptian symbol for life and death(amung other things). This is where the christian cross originated from.
You celebrate Christ's birth on the winter solstice, an old PAGAN holiday.
You celebrate his resurrection on the EAST(sun rises)er SUN-day usually in western religions around april, but every four years it lands around march 20, the vernal equinox another pagan holiday
"resurrection" like the sun rising and falling and resurrecting itself.
You go to church on SUN-DAY
If your catholic its even worse As idol worship and sun worship are directly in play

Anther sun-god, Horus, of ancient egypt went through similar trials, and the dates of his birth, death, and resurrection are the same.

A Christian is anyone who believes in the prophet Jesus, and his true teachings. We are the children of God, treat your brother as yourself, man can, without a priest/rabbi, commune freely with God, one will be forgiven according to ones capacity to forgive, etc., etc. ad infinitum.

Or

A Christian is anyone who goes around spouting divisiveness, hate and intolerance, foisting guilt and mental anguish on innocent people who have done them no harm or personal injustice whatsoever, constantly judging others as a measure of their own self worth, etc., etc. ad infinitum.

Mostly I think rather than individually varying in shades between these extremes, most vacillate between as situation or circumstance dictates.

Not to throw stones, hey, everyone I love is a Christian and I see these qualities in them constantly at work as they use religion to justify anything they might do or wish to do. I am a Christian too I guess but more like the early 1st century Christians, before they came to be so much like the system Jesus was supposed to have been sent to replace.

It's funny because I just recently questioned the true meaning of being ""a christian"". All too often I see people who claim they are christian and in the same sentence utter hate or gossip towards a fellow christian because they are different or not understood. To me a true Christians actions speak volumes. Someone who does not judge others and is all for love and kindness and always there with a lending helping hand to anyone in need regardless of who they are or what they believe. A true christian in my opinion can't just say hey i am a christian their lives and how they live should prove they are without having to claim so it should be evident to all. If one believes in God and truly turns their life over to Christ it will always shine through in their behavior. Christian behavior comes from following Jesus and learning his word and teaching and spreading his word and knowing God. Just because one gets dressed up and attends church does not make them a christian you have to believe in God and live through his word and strive to learn more each day and to love even the unloved and the unlovable.
Always a pleasure

That is my point. I do not believe that believing the Bible is required for one to be worthy of the label. Being Christian is a statement of character and behavior more than a statement of belief.

I do not believe in sola scriptura either, but I feel it is a bit presumptuous to present requirements for being a Christian that Christ himself did not state.

Well Christian comes from the root word Christ which is what Jesus was.

One would assume that Being a Christian meant you follow the words of Jesus, this is something from what I've seen anyway 95% of self proclaimed Christians do not do.

Christians can be defined as a person who believes that Jesus Christ died and was then resurrected by God, showing that he had supernatural ability and knowledge, therefore making his teachings superior to any other person.

I personally don't think that you must believe in the ascension to believe in God and to believe Jesus was one of his prophets. Perhaps the most important one. You just have to accept the teachings of Jesus. Treat others as you would be treated and forgive as you would be forgiven. There was never any mention of Jesus ascending into heaven physically until 200 years after his death. The same goes with most of the other metaphysical stuff. Nothing of the sort was said while Jesus was alive, other than he was a healer. The church as it began to build itself up into the money machine we know it to be today, and the center of power it has been in the past, came up with that stuff in their quest for power. Just like the leaders in Jesus time, that he came to rescue the people from.

The story is strongly suggestive that Jesus was not actually clinically dead when removed from the cross and laid in the tomb. What was on the sponge that was raised to his lips to drink from? A sedative perhaps? He also was not on the cross for very long compared to other crucifixions. His legs weren't broken, he was taken down after a few hours. Death on the cross was usually caused by suffocation and or shock, this usually took more than a day or two. People would be hanging on the cross alive for quite some time before death however Jesus was taken down after just a matter of hours. The supplies that were taken into the tomb to dress the body were not funerary herbs and spices, they included aloe, a healing plant. When Mary met Jesus in the garden at the resurrection, she didn't recognize him at first. Was he disguised? The doubting disciple was convinced and was able to touch the holes in his hands and the wound on his side. This means his body was his body, he was not some spiritual manifestation.

I believe that Jesus escaped through the tomb and went on to live and teach in the Kashmir region. As a matter of fact, there is quite compelling evidence to prove this. This does not make me less of a Christian, it just means that I don't prescribe to Catholic dogma, which is what most if not all mainstream Christian religions are based upon. As far as Ghandi being a Christian? That is laughable, heck you'd have to believe in space ships and,.... oh nevermind.

Someone watched zeitgeist a little too much.
Though, undoubtedly, there are may similarities between Jesus of Nazareth and other Pagan Gods, many of the things that the movie Zeitgeist attributes to Christ and the Pagan Gods are pure fabrication.
Christ's birth was placed on the winter solstice, which indeed was an old Pagan holiday, for that very reason: the Pagans did not want to give up their festival, even when they converted. So to keep the peace the Church proclaimed that December 25 was the birth date of Jesus. Often times Christian missionaries would tweak their belief system in such a way that it would be more readily accepted by their target audience. For instance: the ancient poem "Dream of the Rood" was composed in order to win over the Gaelic peoples. In the poem, instead of having Jesus passively accept his death, Christ is shown nailing himself to the cross, which was encrusted with gold and precious stones. Christs disciples were also called "soldiers", among other various changes. They did this because they knew that the Gaelic people valued strength and honor etc etc and to them someone like Jesus who just kind of accepted his fate instead of making it for his own would be frowned upon.
Technically I wouldn't call any Christian a "sun-worshiper". Though many Christian traditions perhaps stem from old pagan rituals, that is a moot point because no one goes into church saying "im not going to worship Jesus Christ, I'm going to worship the sun." First... the daVinci code crap, now... sun worship. What conspiracy theory is going to pop up next about Christianity?
Pfft, even though I'm a non-believer, I still get irritated at these Christianity conspiracy theories.

I agree with this, and with the Nicene Creed.

A true Christian should not go around spouting hate, gossip and divisiveness.

From the Mark 16:16 "Whoever believes and is baptised is saved, whoever does not believe is damned"

John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that whosoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."

"If you believe in your heart and confess with your mouth that Jesus Christ is Lord you will be saved" ~Somewhere in Paul's writings (Romans I think).

There are the laws that Jesus taught and the laws of the Church (that I don't trust at all. I was raised in a very strict Christian belief and have searched "diligently for your God" as is instructed. That is the best direction given to anyone who cares about after-life etc. To me the established Church is in a rut and whenever they try to surpass that they have rebellion from their own people who don't know they are preventing their own growth
Too much brainwashing instead of serious searching to communicate with the Creative Force/God. At least the OT shows that the leaders of that time never stopped asking questions but were in the epitome of tunnel-visioned thinking.
If I believe that Jesus was a great inspired 'one of many sent to us' and know that his teachings were to advance people spiritually but don't know if he was Divine or not the Church would not accept me as a Christian. But that's all right I know I'm a Christian and Jesus would accept me as one and that's all I need.

To be a Christian is to accept your faults and fallen state of humanity and recognize that Christ is the only one who can remedy that fallen state back to God and fix your faults. Being a Christian isn't about being perfect and having no faults. No, being a Christian is recognizing those faults through a relationship with God and understanding the grace that he freely offers through Christ is not based on merit, but on God's endless love and mercy.

I would disagree. If being a Christian is a statement of character and behavior, who then sets the standard to define what is Christian enough and what is not?

No, being a Christian is about believing in the one whom God sent, seeking out a relationship with God, and beginning an individual relationship with God. Then comes the community of faith to support and build each other up. This has nothing to do with our merit, but with the Spirit of God that lives and reigns in us if we allow it. How do we allow it? Through faith (belief) in the One whom God had sent, Jesus the Christ.

Christ or God does. We as imperfect man are not supposed to do such. Your statement shows the arrogance that is mainstream Christianity.


Mainstream Christians can barely agree on how to tie their shoes, if there is a standard, the mainstream Christians do not know it.

This is funny because the deacons of our church will hold special meetings on what color the carpet or walls should be or what night we shoul hold the fellowship dinners. They are having meetings on such trivial things when there are so many out there that will never know the color of the carpet or when the dinnes are because all their time is spent on the trivial things instead of wittnessing for God and inviting those who are lost to see the carpets and enjoy the fellowship dinners.

I think you are ignorant to the person of Christ, otherwise you would not make comments such as 'the arrogance that is mainstream Christianity.' If Christ (God) defines the standard, then none of us are Christian. But the beauty of it all is that the person of Christ stands before God in our place. That is why our character and merit means nothing.



Christ sets the standard, but Christ is that standard on our behalf. So, again, it has nothing to do with out merit. I think you want Christianity to be what you want it to be: About merit and character. That view shows a lack of faith in the power of God that works in us by His Spirit.

Exact sentiments right back at you, I think you are wrong and you think I am wrong.


It is my opinion that much of mainstream Christianity interprets scripture to minimize what they need to do instead of embracing what they should do.

Lao Tsu had it right. Quit claiming to be Christian, or that someone else is not a Christian, and you will be a Christian.

So many "Christians" work so hard on defining who is or is not a Christian, that they have forgotten how to be Christian.

I can certainly agree with that statement.

That's pretty cool hey. Thanks for posting that.

Not a direct quote

Lao Tsu wrote the Tao te Ching.

One of the concepts was to cease striving to achieve what you were striving for.

Hi folks – I think Bluefinger has given a sound biblical definition of a Christian: I will only try to add a little to that post.

In my opinion, the word “Christian” must be defined by bible criteria, not from extra-biblical sources. Why? Because “… the disciples were first called Christian in Antioch” (Acts 11:26).

Here is THE main biblical criteria for one to be a Christian:
“… if anyone has not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His [they are not Christians]. … if the Spirit of the One who raised up Jesus from the dead dwells in you, the One who raised up Christ from the dead shall also make your mortal bodies alive by His Spirit who dwells in you” (Rom 8:9-11).

“If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable. … all will be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the first-fruit, and afterward they who are Christ's [Christians] at His coming…” (1Co 15:19 – 23).

So, as I see it, a Christian is a person who has the spirit of Christ within them.

There is one problem, though: How can one know -- and PROVE -- that they actually do have the spirit of Christ within them?

1 Corinthians 2:12 NIV

We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us.

1 Corinthians 12:3 NIV

Therefore I tell you that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, "Jesus be cursed," and no one can say, "Jesus is Lord," except by the Holy Spirit.

Knowing that you have the Spirit of God is knowing and having confidence in the person of Christ (thus God's saving grace.) No one has the Spirit will curse God by saying Christ wasn't good enough to cover all sins.

Now, by mainstream, what do you mean? The Christianity that the media covers? The rich and the well off? Or is it the many giving their lives to serving God and helping others? The causes of charity, missions, and those dieing for what they believe? Its not wise to interpret Christianity solely based on what you see in America, on the media, or in secular magazines.

if i am worshiping a "Sun God" and celebrating my holidays on "Pagan Holidays"

Then i geuss i will continue to worship the "Sun God" and celebrate "Pagan Holidays"

I have said it once, and i will say it again. After what CHRIST and GOD has done for me, i will never leave them. not now, not later, not ever.

If you bring a Christmas tree into your house you are already leaving him and adopting pagan rituals. Read in Jeremiah where the prophet specifically warns against this. The message of the passage is that mixing these things renders them both powerless. You will be able to do not good, but not evil either. It reminds me about the passage about being lukewarm in your faith. If you don't keep your religion pure, what are you doing? Following the crowd, who are following the twisted dogma from simple men, not God, and going along with the world. Nothing personal, but the truth about God is available if you search for it. it is not as easy a path as the pastor would have you believe. Now if you have faith that is wonderful, good for you, but keeping your faith in God when you discover that you have been taught a lie, and haven't even begun to approach him yet, that is much harder.

Hey, heres a question. Does it really matter?
Look, I'm not a believer, and I definitely see a correlation between Christianity and Pagan traditions, but so what? Whats the point of telling believers that their religion borrowed heavily from the pagans?

I don't have any idea what it is your trying to say here but God gave us a pathway to him to learn and become closer to God through our faith and through the Bible. It is a very simple path you follow to God,

If you want to escape the righteous judgment of God, then you need to trust in the sacrifice of God. You need to be made right before God, by God. This righteousness of Christ is given to you if you accept him, trust in Him, and believe in what Jesus did. This is why the Bible says that we are saved by grace through faith. "For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God," (Eph. 2:8).
When you trust in what Christ has done on the cross, and in no works of your own (since they aren't good enough anyway), then the righteousness of Christ is given to you -- even as your sins were "given" to Jesus. Its like a trade. He gets your sin. You get His righteousness.
Once you have trusted in what Christ has done, then you possess eternal life and you will never face the judgment of God.

“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; ²⁸ and I give eternal life to them, and they shall never perish; and no one shall snatch them out of My hand," (John 10:27-28).

You only find God through Jesus who said, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me," (John 14:6</B>). Trust Him. After all, He raised people from the dead, performed great miracles, died, and rose from the dead Himself. Who else has done that?

Christianity is the only religion that teaches salvation by grace. This means that we are not made right before God by our efforts, sincerity, or works. Instead, we are made right before God by faith in what Christ did on the cross.
Christianity further teaches that once a person is "born again" (becomes saved) that the Holy Spirit lives in that person and the person is changed: "Therefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come," (2 Cor. 5:17). This means that God actually lives in the person and the Christian then experiences a true and living relationship with God.
It is very important that we hear the word of God. The Bible says, "So shall My word be which goes forth from My mouth. It shall not return to Me empty, without accomplishing what I desire, and without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it," (Isa. 55:11). Also, "For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart," (Heb. 4:12). The word of God, when it is preached, presents to us the truth that the Lord wants us to know. We need to hear the word of God presented to us, analyzed, and applied to our lives so that we can live better, accomplish what God desires for us, and can bring glory and honor to Him.
Always a pleasure

I agree that X-mas trees are not for "bible Christians".

On the other hand, I don’t see that Jeremiah was describing what we know as “Christmas trees”. His words show that skilled artisans made expensive idols that were worshiped as gods.

“… the customs of the people are vain; for one cuts a tree out of the forest with the axe, the work of the hands of the workman. They adorn it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and hammers, so that it will not wobble. They [the wood idols] are like a rounded post, and they cannot speak. They must surely be lifted, because they cannot walk. Do not be afraid of them; for they cannot do evil nor good, for it is not in them. … Silver beaten into plates is brought from Tarshish, and gold from Uphaz, the work of the workman, and of the hands of the goldsmith. …” (Jer 10:3-5, 9).

Porthos1, are you saying that "the person involved" is unable to exercise good or evil? If so, could you please explain further, because as I read these words, it is the created idol that is unable to do good nor evil.

In contrast to the man-made idols (gods), Jeremiah describes the power of the true God, as opposed to the carved idol gods:

“But Jehovah is the true God, He is the living God, … He has made the earth by His power; He has established the world by His wisdom, and has stretched out the heavens by His judgment. When He utters His voice, there is a noise of many waters in the heavens. He causes the vapors to ascend from the ends of the earth; He makes lightnings with rain, and brings forth the wind out of His treasures” (Jer 10:10, 12-13).

Well, I suppose it all depends on what one believes. It is true that there "seem to be" many parallels in Bible writings and olden pagan tales, so I guess each of us has to draw our own conclusions as to how this can be resolved.

If you regard yourself as spiritual, but do not believe that the teachings of the Bible MUST be followed for salvation, or for whatever else you see available in the afterlife -- then there is not much point "for you" to distinguish between pagan customs and Bible customs.

On the other hand, I think a "Bible Christian" would consider with due diligence such passages as the following.

“When Jehovah your God shall cut off the nations before you, where you go to possess them, and you take their place and dwell in their land, take heed to yourself that you do not become snared by following them, after they are destroyed from before you, and that you do not ask about their gods, saying, How did these nations serve their gods, that I too may do likewise? You shall not do so to Jehovah your God” (Deut 12:29-31).

Hope that sounds reasonable.

Maybe it speaks of the idols. I have always read it to mean the people who do these things and follow the Pagan rituals of the time.

What I am really trying to say is, in several instances, the bible tells us that one must not take up the customs of the people around them. They should not join in the trade unions, etc. I read this to mean that if someone doesn't do things the way you do, and you are a Christian, you should leave them alone. I feel like this means that doing the things that non Christians do, like pick anything, Christmas celebrations, football games, gambling, takes you away from God and you become less of a priority to him.

Whatever a person believes, whether it is Christianity, Paganism, Numerology, Astrology it is the belief that makes it work. In other words belief in the Creative force no matter how you approach it, it is the same thing. Belief is the key to all no matter what you call it. Leaders like Jesus have the same message and present to their people and time in a way they can understand.
So a Christian is someone who believes in and follows the teachings of Christ.
Whether the person is good or bad depends on their intent in all they do regardless of what they believe.