What is the difference between Catholicism and Christan's?

Question

I would really like serious answers only. Please-this is very important to me. Thank you so much for everyone who can help me.


God Bless you and your day!

I am sorry. I did not mean to say that being Catholic means you can not be a Christan. I guess I meant more of Prodestent. I am sorry if I offended you... but this is a serious question and I need serious answers. Thank you for all of you who care.

Answer 1

I used to be Protestant and now am Catholic. So here is my honest opinion.

Both believe in the Divinity of Jesus, and the Holy Trinity.

Catholics claim apolistic succession from Jesus to Peter to the modern Pope.

Catholics believe in the real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist.

Catholics Confess sins to God through the Priest.

Catholics tend to hold to hard and fast laws of how to live. (They are in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, in print)

Catholics tend to put more emphasis on attending Mass every week.

Catholics believe in the intercession of the Saints on our behalf.

Catholics tend to place more honor on our Holy Mother Mary.

Protestants:

Branched off from the Catholic Church during one of the times of turmoil in the faith.

Vary from group to group and can most follow at least some of the above beliefs of Catholics.

Believe in more of a personal relationship with God, with less structure.

I know I am leaving some things, out, but this is the basics.

I do NOT bash Protestants, there are many Great Protestant people out there and not all Catholics are perfect either. I thank God for my Protestant (Christian) faith while I grew up and also for my new Catholic (Christian) faith that it grew into for me.

Peace, and God Bless your Search!

Answer 2

The church began in the book of Acts in the Bible. It was established by Christ, and built on the foundation of the apostles. The early churches were all independent of eachother, but they were all part of one universal spiritual organism that is referred to as the "body of Christ" which is one of many analogies for the church. The early church dealt with several doctrinal issues and heresies that cropped up such as the deity of Christ, salvation, the Holy Spirit, etc. Gradually, churches left the Biblical pattern of having churches led by a plurality of elders, and each local church started to have one primary leader. When a church would try to decide an issue, they would have a council, and eventually, the bishop (or elder) of Rome became seen as primary.

There was only one church until the reformation which started on October 31, 1517 when Martin Luther put up a list of 95 problems that he had with Catholicism and wanted to see reformed. This was the beginning of the split between Protestants and Catholics (both of these groups fall under the big umbrella that we would call Christian).

In practice, there are several differences. The biggest difference is that of Authority. Christians believe that scripture alone is the authority, and what the Bible says is authoritative. Catholics believe that the pope is the authority and the church is the one that tells you what scripture means. The pope can speak ex-cathedra which means that he is speaking directly from God. The catholics base this on the idea that there is apostolic succession which means that Peter was given the keys to heaven and since he is gone now, the pope is the replacement for Peter on earth. Christians argue against this because it is not in scripture.

The history of the Catholic church brought them farther and farther away from the Bible over the years until it could no longer be tolerated by the reformers and the reformation started.

Christians believe in the priesthood of the believer. We can all pray directly to God. Catholics believe that the church or the priest is a minister of forgiveness. Catholics are very icon or visually oriented. Christians feel that this expression borders on idolatry.

On several of the major doctrines, Catholics and Christians are the same, but it is in practice that there are great differences.

Answer 3

To you who are getting angry about the question distinguishing Catholics from "Christians": Do you really not know that Protestant churches rebuke Catholicism? I went to many over 25 years (Assembly of God, Foursquare, Non-Denominational, Evangelical), so I know this to be true. They call only themselves "Christian," because they read straight from the Bible. They also say they are "not a religion (Never mind all the dogma that is the same as any other religion)." They even call Catholicism a "cult," because Catholics worship Mary and the Saints, and have a Pope. They believe that the Priest's celibacy is unnatural, that Confession is not Biblical, that the rituals are all basically "hokey." Don't believe the Christians you see on TV. The truth is in the congregation!

Whynotaskdon calls the Pope "the Poop," BTW.

Answer 4

I see NO likeness, I have a few friends that are catholic and their beliefs are totally different than mine. I am a member of The Church of Christ. The Church Christ died for.

Galatians 1:6 beginning:
I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel:
Which is NOT another; but there be some that trouble you and would pervert the gospel of CHRIST.
But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.
As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed
For do I now persuade men or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should NOT be the servant of Christ.

Answer 5

Catholics are Christians just like other Christian denominations.
I do not know of any perfect denomination or church. each has some errors in it.

For hundreds of years the Catholic Church was the only organized Christian Church and it keep it that way (even by force). After Luther, it became possible for others who saw errors or short comings in the Catholic Church to start a new denomination to address these issues.

I am not Catholic. I think that the Catholic Church is better than it has been, but there are still a number of errors in it.

Answer 6

Catholicism is a brand of Christianity. It believes in the same basic things common to most other branches of Christianity: Jesus Christ (a Jewish man from 1st Century A.D./C.E.) is the son of God who came to save humanity from their sins.

What differs perhaps between other churches and the Catholic Church is that it is extremely bureacratized... with a heirarchy consisting of the Pope, Bishops, Priests etc. serving as the primary teachers and preachers of the faith (supposedly), whereas Protestant churches are primarily decentralized. The rituals in Catholicism is also somewhat different from other churches, although they do agree on some things like the Eucharist and Baptism (mostly mainline Protestant churches anyways).

Answer 7

Catholicism is a works based system. They do not believe in Salvation by faith alone, but by doing the sacrements of the Church and doing good works. They venerate Mary and the saints, They confess their sins to a man, when the bible says that there is only one mediator between God and Man, Jesus Christ. They believe that the pope is God on earth, and that whatever he says regarding the Church is from God. Even though different pope's change things, and we know that God does not change. Catholics regard "tradition" as equal to and in many cases higher than scripture. There are many many other differences and you can find them on the internet.

Answer 8

I was thinking about the same question today.God bless our hearts.and every one.I thought about this question because I hear some people saying,I'm Christians not catholic and I all ways thought there are not that much different between Christians as long as we all follow Jesus Chris the son of God and the savior of mankind

Answer 9

Catholics are Christians. You're thinking of the difference between Catholics and Protestants. One answer is necessary: sola scriptura. The Protestants believe the Bible gives authority on religion, whereas the Catholics believe in tradition. There are other differences, but we as religious beings need to concentrate on the similarities between religions, not the differences.

Answer 10

Catholicism and Christianity are one and the same..Catholics are Christians..The Catholic religion is part of the many Christian sects along with Protestantism..