Prodestant V. Catholic?

Question

What's the difference?

Answer 1

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

Here is the joint declaration of justification by Catholics (1999), Lutherans (1999), and Methodists (2006):

By grace alone, in faith in Christ's saving work and not because of any merit on our part, we are accepted by God and receive the Holy Spirit, who renews our hearts while equipping us and calling us to good works.

There are many 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 2

The 73 books of the Holy Bible were all canonized at the same council, by the same Catholic bishops, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. It's all or nothing. Either the Holy Spirit infallibly guided the compilers of the Bible, or He didn't. If the compilers were in error on 10% of the books they included in the Bible, then there is no reason to believe that the rest of the books are divinely inspired either. You don't get to pick and choose. And when you consider that the man who trashed 7 books of God's Holy Word 1,200 years later also fully intended to trash 3 New Testament books, that pretty well reveals his competency in redefining the Word of God. If Luther had his way, Protestants would be using an incomplete Bible of 63 books instead of an incomplete Bible of 66 books. But the original and true Christian Church, which compiled the Bible from its own writings and for its own use, uses the Bible as it was originally defined, the way every Bible that existed on earth for the next 1,200 years was, the way the Bible will be until the end of time, with the complete 73 divinely inspired texts.

Answer 3

Well, the main difference is that Protestant priest can get married. Protestant churches tend to be much less formal about worship. Of course, there are MANY Protestant churches. the word it self as " protest " in it. which leads me to believe at some point in time, people thought that the Catholic church was doing some thing wrong, and decided to form their own church.

Take the Monk Martin Luther for example. This is a guy that found major corruption in the Catholic church. In his day , the Catholics were preaching that there was an elaborate, seven part ceremony ( which cost money, go figure ) to ensure your way into heaven. At the same time, there were the " Writs of Salvation" nothing more than a written " prayer " by a Catholic priest that " ensures " you get into heaven.
Needless to say, Mr. Luther read the bible, found that this was total BS and tried to put a stop to it. So many people were moved by his efforts, he was a "religious superstar " of the time. They even formed a church in his honor.

There are other examples, but I'm not going to bore you anymore than I have. best wishes.

Answer 4

Well, first of all, it's Protestant. Both are Christian faiths. Protestantism derived from Catholicism, as a "protest" by Martin Luther and others against certain practices of the Catholic Church several hundred years ago. Catholicism has 7 sacraments; I believe Protestantism has 2. Catholic clergy cannot marry; Protestant clergy can. I think the basic difference--and someone correct me if I'm wrong--is that Protestants basically believe that all you need to do is accept Jesus Christ as your savior and you will be saved, you will go to heaven. Catholics require more: taking part in the sacraments, confession of sins, etc.
And, yes, as someone else has pointed out: Protestants believe communion is a symbol of joining with Christ. Catholics believe in trans-substantiation; that is, the bread and wine LITERALLY become the body and blood of Christ. (In fact, many Catholics don't even realize that very basic but extremely important difference.)

Answer 5

Catholocism is the oldest and most powerful sect of Christianity. They have had some good times and bad times. The protestant relegion came to fruition when Martin Luther challenged the Arch Bishop of Mainz to a debate by posting his 95 theses on the Door at the cathederal in Wittenberg, he was against the sale of indulgences by the church. Though Protestants and Greek Orthodox churches make up half the Christians on the planet, Catholics make up the other half of a two billion plus populaced religion.

Answer 6

First, we are all christians, protestant and catholic.

What you question touches on is a divide in Christianity. The Christian church has been in existence since the time of Jesus, and She is 2000 years old. However, during Her history, and division occurred called the Protestant Reformation around the year 1500. From what I understand, the protestant stance is that a central church is not needed and that all a person does need for salvation is faith in Christ.

However, such thinking is flawed because it ignores actual Christian history and bible scripture. Anyone who studies their Christian history will understand this.

Again, first and foremost, we are all brothers and sisters in Christ, and are to love one another as such.

God bless.

Answer 7

Protestants believe we are saved by God's undeserved Grace ALONE, plus nothing. Once this grace is given to a truly repentent person, it cannot be lost. The Bible is the only source of information about God. All Born Again believers are priests, as stated in the New Testament. As such, we can pray directly to God, through our High Priest, Jesus Christ.

Catholics believe they are saved by God's Grace, which they work to obtain and keep, by doing things such as attending church, participating in rituals such as baptism, etc. Salvation can be lost. The Bible is only one source of information about God, since the Pope is God's representative in earth. Only certain male believers are qualified to be priests. A believer cannot approach God directly, but must go through an intermediary, such as a "saint," the Pope, ect.

There's lots more, believe me.

Peace.

Answer 8

Properly framed, the primary and core difference is the conflict between 'sola scriptura' (scriptures only) and 'sola fide' (faithfulness only).

Sola Scriptura, as may rightly be assumed, is the belief in the innerancy of the Bible and that the scriptures themselves must be personally interpreted and known, and that it is this faith in the Messiah that is the saving grace.

Sola Fide also believes in the innerancy of the Bible, but also that tradition plays an important and valid role. This is the meaning of 'faithfulness' in the translation of 'fide'. The idea here is that the scriptures are the basis of faith but that the traditions and teachings that have grown from that scripture are truthfully valid and important. Faith is still the saving grace, but grace also comes from following both the sciptures and the traditions.

Answer 9

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 10

Jesus Christ founded only one Church, as the channel of salvation for all mankind. He plainly stated His divine will that the Church He founded would be the only Christian Church - "that they all may be ONE, even as you Father and I are ONE". History plainly reveals that the Holy Catholic Church is that very Church founded by God Himself upon the Apostles, 2,000 years ago. The unity which Jesus described as the mark of His Church is present in the Catholic Church, unified in teaching, unified in worship, throughout the world and across 20 centuries.

Protestantism is a manmade tradition founded by a rebellious Catholic priest 500 years ago. Luther rejected the God-given authority of Christ's Church, but he knew he had to claim some source of authority greater than his own, so he decided that a book of writings compiled under the authority of the Church whose authority he had rejected would be his new authority. Unfortunately for him and his new tradition, that very collection of divinely inspired writings states that the Church of God is the pillar and foundation of truth. Luther decided that truth would be found by reading these early Catholic writings, and deciding for yourself what they meant. However, a structure removed from its pillars and foundation is certain to become warped and fragmented, and the truth is no exception. This was obviously a recipe for disaster, and today we see the fruits of it - thousands of unauthorized manmade churches who disagree on virtually every possible point of dictrinal belief. These churches are collectively called "Protestant", from the fact that the origin of their tradition was protest against the Church of God. However, that name plus the false doctrines of sola scriptura and sola fide are about the only things these churches have in common - except of course the belief that the Catholic Church is wrong and they are right. Each of them is right, even though their beliefs conflict with one another in every possible way, as they each read the Catholic Church's book and try to guess what each verse might mean. It is a very sad situation. But Jesus predicted it would happen (2 Tim 4:3-4). Today we can only pray that the unity Jesus desired may someday be restored, so that all men might come to know the Lord Jesus Christ in the fullness of truth.