Indeed, you cannot be a "Christian" as they try to monopolize the meaning of the word to be, but you can definitely call yourself a Christian. The very first to be called Christians were Nazarene/Petrine Jews in Antioch. At what point the word came to mean just about anyone who claims to believe in Jesus is anyone's guess.
In fact, I'd say that Trinitarians are most often the "Christians" in quotation marks. (Though that doesn't mean I don't give the same respect for certain groups that will not be named here that don't believe in the Trinity either but also believe in Pauline antinomianism).
I personally believe it was always meant to be by Paternal, not Maternal lineage and this was a later development by the Rabbinicists. Was your Father?
Hi, Shermana
My late father was a Yankee (the ethnic group, not the ball team), an Agnostic, and unquestionably not Jewish. My Catholic mother's mother was patrilineally descended from Jews. I imagine I could post as a Catholic, if I didn't mind being verbally burned at the stake as a heretic (I'm non-Trinitarian).
Jesus, the disciples, and all the early church were Messianic Jews. Since I follow that lot, I ought to be called a Messianic Jew. I'm even circumcised, for God's sake (though my parents didn't realize Whose sake it was for -- They just let my Jewish doctor do it). The bottom line is,
Heb 11
[
13] These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were
strangers and pilgrims on the earth.
[
14] For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country.
[
15] And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned.
[
16] But now
they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.
and
Jas 4
[
4] Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.
and
1 John 3
[
13] Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you.
and
John 15
18] If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.
[
19]
If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.
[
20] Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.
[
21] But all these things will they do unto you for my name's sake, because they know not him that sent me.
My father called himself an agnostic, but I expect to see him in heaven. When he died, he left me a Strongs Concordance, a Vines Dictionary of NT Words and a Bible Handbook. At least he was curious. My mother read the Bible once, late in life, and concluded that she didn't agree with it -- and that she especially didn't like King David; and I don't think she would want to be in heaven if my dad were there. Sad.
It's a pity, that you and I don't have the same religion (as per our labels). It's just as well, I suppose -- If we had the same label, we could start an online church/shul together. We would soon find we disagreed on too many things, then have a schizm in our denomination of two. Even at that, we'd both be in good company: I don't think Jesus would be accepted in any group today.
Shalom shalom.
