I was standing by the elevator in the basement of the hospital where I work. A male worker, a black man, was also going upstairs and he introduced himself to me, saying he had seen me around and wondered what I was doing. I told him my name and my job - intern. He asked me if I was called "Sister," in reference to the Catholic hospital we found ourselves in.
Oh no, I assured him. I'm on the other team. To my surprise, he asked if I was a Christian. I was totally confused. No, I told him. I'm a Jew. A Jew, he replied - you don' t look Jewish.
Well, I do look Jewish, and why would the "other team" be Christians? I figured out from this that Catholics and Christians are not the same, even though I always thought they were. More like similar than the same. But what a surprise to me that I was clueless about all the schisms within the Church.
I just thought it was us Jews who didn't get along. Now I know it's everybody. How reassuring!
I don't know what that gentleman told you, but Catholics are Christians and they are not on opposing teams. As long as a person believes that Jesus was the messiah, and accepts him as his Savior, he is a Christian. Most will say he needs to be baptized, too. Mormons, Protestants, Presbyterians, Baptists, Jehovah's Witnesses, Unitarians, 7th Day Adventists, Messianic Jews - all Christians.
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