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Question: For Catholics:In early medieval Europe,were heretics still considered Christians!?
I'm well aware of the fact that there were all kinds of "heretical" beliefs & doctrines that were practiced by different groups of people who considered themselves Christians in southern Europe in the 8th,9th,10th,11th,and 12th centuries A!.D!.,before the Spanish & Roman Inquisitions began!.
For example,I know something about a group of people called the Cathars that used to exist in southern France until the 12th century A!. D!.
Were those people still considered Christians even though their beliefs may not have "been in line"with the Catholic church at that time!?
The first time I heard anything about them was in May of 2007,when I watched a PBS TV movie series called "The Secret Files of the Inquisition,"which I thought was very interesting!.Www@QuestionHome@Com
Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:
No, heretics were NOT considered Christian, because - at least by the Catholic Church's definition - They denied the divinity of Christ!. This was the Church's rationale:
1) MOST of these heresies - Cathars, Gnostics, etc!. - Felt that Christ, being a CREATED thing, could not possibly be a part of God!. No matter how near-perfect Christ was, He couldn't possibly be as perfect as God was!. Christ was therefore below God in some way, not part of the divine Trinity!.
Some of these heresies also thought, since Creation wasn't
'perfect' like God, maybe someone OTHER THAN God made
it!. (Since God can't make mistakes!.) This meant the Creator could have been 'God's brother', or even some evil power!.
2)By leaving the Catholic Church, heretics had effectively
removed themselves from the 'body of Christ', turned their backs on the representative of Christ on Earth (the pope)!.
Catholics of the time firmly believed their church had been founded by Christ - when He said to Peter, 'On this rock, built my church' - so if you left you left the Catholic Church, you were definitely leaving behind Christ!.!.!.so no, you definitely would NOT be considered Christian!.Www@QuestionHome@Com
no they were not considered true christians
you gotta remember something
people who take advantage of in negative ways & who change christian doctrines and bible scriptures are wrong!.
They don't have the divine authority to do so!.
The church does have the authority because it was given through Jesus Christ himself:
Peter acknowledged him as "!.!.!. the Messiah, the son of the living God”!. Christ responded by saying: "!.!.!. you are Peter and upon this rock I will build my church!.!.!.!. He added: “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven!. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven”!.Www@QuestionHome@Com
OK, yes they were Christians because they believed in Christ!. But!.!.!. they believed differently than mainstream catholics which made them heretics!. All heretical groups were killed!. The biggest were the arian Christians!. They were around in 325 when the council of Necea created what is now mainstream Catholicism!.Www@QuestionHome@Com
The Cathars were not considered Christians, unless they renounced their beliefs and went back to the fold of the Christian church!.
The Cathars were wiped out precisely because they were considered heretics and thus the church ordered their destruction!.Www@QuestionHome@Com
Heretics were christians of the wrong faith!.
Heathens were not christians!.
Yes, the cathars were considered christians!.Www@QuestionHome@Com
Who is doing the considering!? To the Vatican, anyone not Catholic is a hieratic!.Www@QuestionHome@Com