# What makes someone a Christian? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 30, 2000, 10:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-someone-a-christian/43350 "2000-11-30T10:59:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Randy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2acd7d/32.png) [@Randy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Randy)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2000, 8:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-someone-a-christian/43350/21 "2000-12-02T08:45:30Z")
RTFirefly, my point was, without the Bible, there would not even be the CONCEPT of being a Christian. I know about the Nicaeation Creed, but even that wouldn’t make much sense without the Bible, except for a few handing it down to a few. As far as You believing the Bible “In a different sense” than I do, in my limited understanding and intelligence, and not being sarcastic here at all, I have never understood how one could believe only chosen bits of the Bible. If that is what You were saying to me. Truthfully, If I had to pick out pieces, and put them together, to form my belief system, I could never have confidence in that belief system, nor could I allow any group of men to pick out those pieces for me. Additionally, and respectfully, IMHO, if everyone who believes, would believe the entire Bible, as being the accurate and inspired word of the Living God, then no “lines” with You on one side and me on the other, would be drawn. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2000, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-someone-a-christian/43350/22 "2000-12-02T18:22:09Z")
Here’s the deal, Teemsters. Only state _your_ opinion on what makes someone a Christian. If you criticize someone else’s opinion, I’m going to have to move this to Great Debates. With the pre-supposition that everyone’s idea of Christianity is different, let us continue. Amen. ---
**Author:** ![Crunchy\_Frog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ebca7d/32.png) [@Crunchy\_Frog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crunchy_Frog)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2000, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-someone-a-christian/43350/23 "2000-12-02T18:38:27Z")
A Christian is not simply someone who believes Jesus is the Messiah. If I believe that, and have been baptized, and then go on a killing spree believing since I have accepted Jesus that I’ll go to heaven, that doesn’t make me very Christian-like. Being a Christian is believing that Jesus Christ is the Savior who died on the cross for my sins and living my life by His teachings; love for all, humility, patience, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Mockingbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c68b51/32.png) [@Mockingbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mockingbird)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2000, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-someone-a-christian/43350/24 "2000-12-02T19:00:43Z")
I think it would have to be: 1. Fear 2. Surprise 3. Ruthless Efficiency 4. An almost fanatical devotion to the Pope. 5. Nice red uniforms Wait a minute… that’s the Spanish Inquisition. I’m sure nobody expected that. ---
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2000, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-someone-a-christian/43350/25 "2000-12-06T17:10:10Z")
Like I said, I’ve run into all types. The fundamentalist biblical literalist creationist geocentrics, the agnostic deists who don’t think Jesus was god but do accept some notion of the divine and think Jesus’s teachings were god-like, to the new age meditational “psychics”. **All** of them considered themselves “Christians”, and called themselves such. Personal peeve of mine that they all seem to want that label applied to them, as if that makes them somehow better. “Well I have _some_ concept of a god, and generally accept some of the bible as worthwhile, I must be a christian.” But who am I to tell them they don’t qualify? ---
**Author:** ![Tymp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Tymp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tymp)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2000, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-someone-a-christian/43350/26 "2000-12-06T17:28:13Z")
I’ve always thought it to be quite simple. From my perspective, all Christ believers get rolled up into one neat little package labeled “Christians” (and placed on the bottom shelf of the fridge next to the soba sauce, but away from the beer). It’s none of my never mind if they want to fight with each other and call / not call names once they’re in that sack o’ holiness. ---
**Author:** ![broccoli](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a183cd/32.png) [@broccoli](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/broccoli)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2000, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-someone-a-christian/43350/27 "2000-12-06T18:23:15Z")
**RTFirefly** at which council were you referring to? There were three, but they always get lumped together. I’m ont trying to be a smart-ass, I just was wondering… **c-goat** nice recap. broccoli! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-someone-a-christian/43350.md?page=1)