2008 Woodie Awards
Epiphanies
The meaning of Christian
by Matthew Jackson
Issue date: 2/25/08 Section: Opinion
Christian has become a term that is used to cover so many ideas. Christianity is a category into which many religions fall. It's a word used to denote certain moral beliefs. However, what does the word Christian actually mean?
The word Christian actually appears very little, three times in fact, in the Bible. When it does appear, such as in the case of Paul or Barnabas, it's used to say a person is like Christ. It was first used when the people of the city of Antioch called the followers of Christ Christians.
What that word means is that those people, no matter their religious affiliation or other beliefs, are like Jesus Christ.
Today the word Christian is used to cover an entire branch of religion. We say that Baptists are Christian, that Catholics are Christian and so on. The word itself, at least in my opinion, has little to do with formal religious affiliation, however. A person can belong to a good church, attend that church everyday, be a formal member of that church and still not be like Christ.
Likewise, a person can claim no religious affiliation, rarely attend church, not be what most people consider religious and still be Christ-like.
I think that the word Christian is used to represent a wide swath of our society. Should we quit using the word except in its most literal meaning? Of course not. I do think that people should be aware of what the word means and understand that a person doesn't have to belong to a certain church, or even attend church for that matter, to be a Christian.
In that same way, I think it's important for people to realize that going to church and announcing their religious beliefs isn't all there is to being a Christian.
The word Christian actually appears very little, three times in fact, in the Bible. When it does appear, such as in the case of Paul or Barnabas, it's used to say a person is like Christ. It was first used when the people of the city of Antioch called the followers of Christ Christians.
What that word means is that those people, no matter their religious affiliation or other beliefs, are like Jesus Christ.
Today the word Christian is used to cover an entire branch of religion. We say that Baptists are Christian, that Catholics are Christian and so on. The word itself, at least in my opinion, has little to do with formal religious affiliation, however. A person can belong to a good church, attend that church everyday, be a formal member of that church and still not be like Christ.
Likewise, a person can claim no religious affiliation, rarely attend church, not be what most people consider religious and still be Christ-like.
I think that the word Christian is used to represent a wide swath of our society. Should we quit using the word except in its most literal meaning? Of course not. I do think that people should be aware of what the word means and understand that a person doesn't have to belong to a certain church, or even attend church for that matter, to be a Christian.
In that same way, I think it's important for people to realize that going to church and announcing their religious beliefs isn't all there is to being a Christian.
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