Are there rules for being a Christian?

I've heard my whole life Christians classifying certain behavior as Christian and not Christian. Sometimes people are given the non-Christian label for disagreeing with their political views. Sometimes the way people dress gets the non-Christian label. Sometimes a Christian has sinned or made a mistake and they are damned to hell for all eternity.

Sometimes also people will say that they are a Christian because they want people to think that they are nice people. Politicians will also say that God is on their side when they want to promote a bill. Or somone will say that they are a Christian by not judging people's sinful behavior.

This got me thinking. Is the word Christian like the word pretty? Is it subjective? Can people say any sort of behavior is Christian? American culture says that the word Christian should be subjective. When the word Christian is used subjectively, it loses its meaning.

To keep the word Christian's full meaning, I think that it must follow the following rules:

1. Beliefs-In order for a person or an idea to be labeled Christian, it must uphold the belief in God, Jesus Christ the son of God, and the Holy Spirit. Christians must also believe that the whole Bible is true, not just bits and pieces of it. They can believe in it literally or subjectively.

Example: If a person says that they are a Christian, but they don't believe in God than they are not really a Christian.

2. Christian Pratices-If someone wants to call himself a Christian, he must participate in the following activities: prayer, attending church regularly, and reading the Bible.

Example: "I go to church when I feel like it, which is once every four months." Someone making that statement is not a Christian.

3. Becoming a better person-This can be a little subjective. It basically means that because Christian believes in rule number one and practices rule number two they become kinder to others as time goes on. Obiviously, if someone is a jerk to everyone they meet, then they are not a Christian. This also means that a Christian will stop trying to convert a non-Christian when they have asked them repeatedly to stop.

Example: A woman who says she has been a Christian for twenty years and has an anger management problem and takes her anger out on whoever crosses her path is not a Christian.

What do you think of these rules? I'd love to hear from you. My e-mail is gclaheh@hotmail.com.