A note about the word "Christian"

CHRISTIAN, n. One who believes that the New Testament is a divinely inspired book admirably suited to the spiritual needs of his neighbor. One who follows the teachings of Christ in so far as they are not inconsistent with a life of sin.

- Ambrose Bierce, The Devil's Dictionary

One of the challenges of communication lies in finding a common language. Words are useful symbols for communicating ideas, but the same words often mean different things to different people. This is especially true when discussing a subject like religion.

"Christian" is one of those terms that has multiple, often contradictory, definitions. Since I use it often I should define what I mean when I use the word so that there will be no misunderstandings.

What is a Christian? Even self-professed Christians are often hard- pressed to find a common definition. Many sects claim that those who do not abide by precisely the same doctrines they do are not "true" Christians, and label all other churches as cults. Others claim that only God knows who is really a Christian and who isn't. Still others claim that there was only one "true" Christian, Jesus.

And what of those who cynically use religion for their own ends? Are politicians who invoke God in order to capture the not- insubstantial religious vote Christians? Hitler claimed to be a Christian, and had an amicable relationship with the Roman Catholic church. But he also claimed that all religions must give way to his philosophies. Was he a Christian?

What definition can we use that neither overly limits the term, nor is not so broad as to strip the word of its meaning? In the interest of clarity, my definition will be a simple one.

CHRISTIAN, n. One who claims Jesus as his primary object of reverence and worship.

Note that this says nothing at all about doctrinal issues. It is based on what one worships, not what one believes about the subject of worship. It is also based upon an individual's claims, not their true feelings or actions. Regrettably, I am not Lamont Cranston.

- Jason

P.S. Under my definition, Hitler was not a Christian, since he publically admitted that Jesus was not the primary object of his reverence. Don't think I'm letting you Christians of the hook easy though. Hitler certainly used Christianity, and Christians allowed it to happen. In addition, the holocaust was as much Martin Luther's responsibility as Hitler's, and Luther was a Christian.