Is John Kerry a Christian?

My daughter attends a private Christian school. This morning she told me that her second-grade classmates "don't want to vote for John Kelly [sic] because he's not a Christian. They want to vote for George Bush."

I was appalled to hear this, but I restrained myself. Who told them that John Kerry is not a Christian? I explained that John Kerry is a Roman Catholic, and that the Catholic Church is one of the "denominations" in the worldwide Christian church. "We don't go to John Kerry's church because we are Protestant (Anglican), but his church also believes in Jesus." That was enough for a second-grader.

But I'm a big seventeenth-grader. Is John Kerry a Christian? The facts show that John Kerry describes himself as a Roman Catholic. His web site says:

"Not long after John Kerry was born, the family settled in Massachusetts. Growing up there, his parents taught him the values of service and responsibility and the blessings of his Catholic faith, lessons John Kerry carries with him to this day."

I have also seen a news photograph of John Kerry receiving Communion. This indicates that he is at least somewhat active in his church. So we can conclude that John Kerry is a practicing Roman Catholic. So far, so good.

A fair number of people claim that Kerry is not a true Christian because he doesn't vote against abortion. That stance may not make him a "good Catholic", but that's not the question here. I have heard laundry lists that a "true Christian" should: believe in Jesus, oppose abortion, be against homosexuality, tithe, attend church regularly, be in favor of a balanced budget, and believe that the earth is 6,000 years old.

Frankly, I have very little interest in definitions of "What is a true Christian?" that fail to cite the Bible by book, chapter, and verse. If the official definition of a Christian includes opposition to abortion, then the Bible ought to state that pretty clearly. So - what does the Bible say?

Romans 10:9-10 says: "That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved." (NIV) That passage tells us how to be saved, but it's not quite a definition of what is a Christian.

John 3:16 says: "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." Again, this tells us how to be saved, but not what constitutes a Christian. (Maybe the Gospel writers cared more about Salvation than what exactly is "proper Christianity.")

James 1:27 says: "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." Some translations use the phrase "true religion" here. I don't see anything about abortion in James 1:27, although one could argue that not opposing abortion is "being polluted by the world." Good luck with your exegesis.

There are lots of things a Christian should do, according to Jesus: love your neighbor, turn the other cheek, love your enemies, pray for those who persecute you, and be faithful unto death. In fact, a Christian should not sin! But as Peter learned after the resurrection, even the sin of denying Jesus does not kick you out of the Christian club.

The Gospels are more concerned about pointing the way to Salvation than about defining what makes a proper Christian. The Pharisees were very concerned about defining what makes a good Jew, and Jesus rebuked the Pharisees. I'll take my definition of "What makes a Christian?" from Romans 10:9-10:

1. Believe that Jesus is the divine Son of God, and make Him the Lord of your life.
2. Believe that Jesus rose from the dead on Easter morning.

That's it. Everything else is commentary.

I would like to ask Kerry personally about points 1 and 2. But until I find evidence to the contrary, I'll have to assume that he follows the position of the Catholic Church, which is in agreement with points 1 and 2.

I think John Kerry is a Christian. I think he's wrong about abortion. I hope he changes his mind.

I expect to see John Kerry in heaven when I get there.