What a difference between Catholics and Christians?

Answer 1

You mean what "is" a difference between Catholics and Christians.

Well, first of all, Catholics *are* Christians. Perhaps you wondered what the difference was between Protestant Christians and Catholic Christians.

Assuming both of the above corrections, Catholics have many different traditions and forms of worship from Protestants. To be somewhat brief: Catholics are rather old-fashioned in their worship services -- they don't sing the upbeat, modern-day songs that gets a congregation on its feet in a wild uproar of excitement. Instead, the mass has a much quieter feeling about it -- it's much more serious than Protestant worship, and while it tends to lead its congregation into some very distracted daydreaming due to the lack of much physical participation (other than the switches from sitting, to kneeling, to standing), the atmosphere portrays our deep respect for God in a different way from Protestants. Our mass -- I'm a Catholic, by the way -- shows reverence toward God, and as the Lord's House is a very sacred place, we treat it as such by praising God in hymns sung as far back as a century ago.

Another aspect of Catholic worship: Communion. The Eucharist, to Catholics, involves transubstantiation -- meaning we believe that Jesus actually becomes present in the bread and wine when the priest blesses it.

Speaking of the clergy, this is also different from Protestant faiths. The Catholic church declares God's highest servant upon the earth as the Pope (Peter the Apostle's successor), a leader of our religion, but not a man to be worshipped, for sure. Below him, we have cardinals, bishops (oversees a diocese), and then priests (oversees a parish).

Another difference: Catholics interpret the Bible contextually, meaning that we do not accept the Bible as being completely literal. For example, when the Old Testament commands us to abide by dietary laws, we take into consideration the context -- that these laws were part of Jewish society at the time, and not necessary to further obey. As another example, the four Gospels contain many contradictions (like upon what particular day and hour Jesus died on the cross, or how Judas died -- suicide or natural death?), and we admit that we simply cannot know exactly when Jesus died or how Judas died. What we *can* take from the Bible, that all the Gospels can agree upon, is that Jesus *did* die, as well as Judas. So these truths we accept. Protestant faiths, on the other hand, seem to take the Bible literally. But by accepting the Bible as contextual, this allows Catholics to accept science as well -- for example, the theory of evolution, which I personally believe in. Other Catholics do not, but there is no official statement on that, so as long as we believe that God created everything, we're all set!

The issue of Mary: Catholics look up to Mary and highly respect her, but contrary to popular belief, we do not worship her. Back when Catholicism was young, during the Medieval Age, the congregation of the church was hardly allowed to do a thing to participate in mass -- anyone not ordained (called "lay" people) were unfit to celebrate many parts of the mass. So this led to the concept that normal people were too unholy to speak straight to God or Jesus -- and so many prayed to Mary or the saints instead, because they felt like these formerly lay people understood their plights. Basically, lay people felt like they could actually speak to these saints and Mary because they were on the same level. So tradition carried on, and to this day we pray to Mary and the saints, asking them to carry on our prayers to the Lord in our stead. It is not that we worship the saints or Mary -- such a thing would be blasphemous -- they are not divine!

If you have any more questions (as I've hardly scraped the surface on all of the differences), please feel free to contact me via email -- it's in my profile.

Answer 2

Catholics are NOT christians. Why? Because they don't follow the teachings of Jesus Christ and the bible, I know because I used to be catholic. Many people use the term that they are christians very loosely. If people were true christians then they would be following the very same practices and teachings of Jesus and the apostles. Catholicism as a religion used to be very close to the way christianity was practiced by Jesus and the apostles, but around A.D. 317 to 350 they started adopting many of the pagan customs and rituals at that time in fear that the emperor Constantine would execute them. It's not hard to understand just study your history on where catholicism came from and how it has changed. The very true Sabbath day of rest, the Lord's Day, is on Saturday the seventh day of the week and Catholic Priests even know this to be true, but they will never tell you that the church has changed it to Sunday so as to attract more pagan worshippers into the church. There is no place ever mentioned in the bible that God has given this authority to anyone to allow them to make this change. Ok, so you might say that Peter changed it in the book of Acts. Well if you read the whole story Peter was preparing to go on a 20 mile journey on the first day of the week which was on Sunday morning. Before his journey he stayed with the people just after sunset on Saturday evening and had a meal with them ending the Sabbath Day of Rest. If he had continued to talk, teach, and eat with them until the next morning he would have been too tired to make the journey. So many people get this all thrown out of proportion. Remember, they didn't have calenders back then and a day was recognized from sunset to sunset. WOW, what an easy concept to follow.

Answer 3

The woman that said Christians don't study the old testament doesn't know her facts!
Catholics, do not follow the bible, they claim to come directly from Jesus and that means to them that they can change what ever they fill is wrong with the bible. Catholics sorry but no insult are the most bible ignorant people I know, How do I know, I was born and raised a Catholic went to Catholic school and everything. I realized how much I didn't know, and how much lies are in that so called Church of Christ. They break commandments right and left, that is why they don't teach them.

Catholics don't keep the Sabbath day to the one who said that, they changed the holy seveth day that is blessed by God to the 1st day of the week,and use the fact that Jesus rose on the first day as the reason, but Worshipping God on the 7th day reminds us that we are created.

Revelations 7:3
Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.

Where is God’s Seal? How do you get God’s Seal?
Isaiah 8:16
16 Bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples.

A seal is what makes a document official, and it normally contains three characteristics: Name, Office, and Territory.

Which of the Ten Commandments contains all the elements of a seal?

Exodus 20:11
11 For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.


NOTE: The fourth commandment is the only one that contains all three elements of a seal: (1) "The Lord"--His name, (2) "made"--His office as Creator, (3) "heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is"--His territory.

Don't forget also the 2nd commandment, no graven images, don't bow down to them, they are constantly breaking this one. In Matthews 6 it says, don't call man your Father on earth. Yet they act like to get to Jesus you need them to pray and forgive you for your sins. Where is that in the bible? I thought Jesus was our only mediator between God? So many lies. I could go on all day, but I won't

SWEET INNOCENT CANDICE H.

YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW THAT THE DEVIL "THE CATHOLIC CHURCH" has decieved you. That is not the 10 commandments, they took it out the real 10 commandments so you don't leave there church. This is what i was talking about people. Read how ignorant she is. Below me, no insult, its not your fault. Read king james, or another bible version, you have been sadly deceived wake up!!

Answer 4

Catholics are Christians.

Answer 5

None. Catholics **ARE** Christians.

The correct thing to ask is: What is th difference between Catholics and Protestants?, or what is the difference between Catholics and Orthodox?

For Catholic & Protestants: After Christ, the Catholic places emphasis on the Authority of the Church, & then authority of the Bible.

For Protestants it is the other way around: They place the authority of the Bible after Christ, & then the authority of the churches.

Orthodox & Catholic are much more similar. Both place emphasis on the authority of the Church(after Christ, & before the Bible). They broke with each other over a dispute over the Nicene Creed.

Answer 6

Catholic attend a mass every Sabath day, make confessions to the priest, receive the Holy Communion from a priest, pray the Our Father, Hail Mary,...many prayers.

Christians don't have the above. They study the New Testament only. The Catholics study both the New and Old Testament.
Christians give people the impression that they like to convert people, try to force their ideas, as if they're right and all other religions are wrong.

Answer 7

Almost all important doctrine is completely agreed upon between Catholic Christians and most other Christians.

There are some minor doctrine issues and some major cultural traditional differences which, I believe, do not matter that much.

A Catholic worships and follows Christ in the tradition of Catholicism which, among other things, recognizes that Christ made Peter the leader of His new Church and Pope Benedict XVI is Peter's direct successor.

With love in Christ.

Answer 8

Catholics are Christians. The Catholic church si the one founded by Jesus Christ. It is the only Christian Church that dates back to Him. All others are offshoots of the Catholic Church. The Eastern Orthodox split from the Pope in 1054. The protestants (Lutheran's) first split off the Catholic Church in the early 1600's. Other churches split off other protestant religions after that.

Basically, Catholics believe in the authority Christ gave the Church. The others believe they are their own authority and they can start up any religion whenever their own agenda dictates.

Answer 9

Catholics are a sect of Christian. most people lump all of the non-Catholic Christian religions under the heading of Christian and give the Catholics another heading.

Christians are any form of religion that believe in Christ as our Savior. Catholics believe in Christ and so they are also Christians.

Answer 10

Catholics are Christians, one of many denominations. More specifically there are different kinds of Catholics, I assume you were referring to Roman Catholics.