2006-10-22 08:37:44 · 3 answers · asked by knowledge2u4usa 1 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Pick a doctrine. There isn't a single Christian belief that all Protestant groups agree upon and understand in the same way.
Catholics do not believe that the Pope is the incarnation of God. They believe that the Pope is a human being and a sinner like everyone else, but he is also the successor of Simon Peter, also a sinner, who was appointed by Christ Himself to be the chief shepherd of His Church, the holder of the keys to the kingdom. No-one who reads the Bible honestly can possibly deny this.
2006-10-22 08:45:48 · answer #1 · answered by PaulCyp 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Boy, have you opened a can of worms, especially if people go off on you concerning the use of the word "sects"! But FWIW, it seems that a number of Protestant denominations have some really different opinions concerning the following (and this is a small list; there's dozens more):
How to celebrate Communion/Lord's Supper and its meaning---wine vs. grape juice; is it a representation or is it truly body and blood of Christ (and yes, at least one major Protestant group---the Lutherans---believes in the Real Presence during communion)
Appropriate age for baptism (infant vs. teen/adult), and correct format---sprinkling, pouring, immersion
Activities proper to a "Christian being"---whether alcohol use, social gambling, divorce for significant cause and/or remarriage, dancing, Sabbath work, appropriate clothing....
About the best I can figure out is that most Christians say they believe in the New Testament and the doctrines of the basic Creeds (Apostle's and Nicean), but BOY, do they seem to differ in terms of how people better interpret these....
Really good reference book for you: Merriam-Webster's _Encyclopedia of World Religions_. Part of the Ency. Brittannica reference series; available in paperback form; LOTS of useful information and well worth the price.
2006-10-22 08:50:44 · answer #2 · answered by samiracat 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Catholics believe that the Pope is the incarnation of God on earth. Lutherans believe everything the Catholics do, minus the Pope; their mass is exactly like the Catholic mass minus a few phrases and the Eucharist/Liturgy are reversed. Protestants believe the most of the same things, minus the Pope and follow the King of England. Baptists don't believe that their religion is a religion. A lot of smaller Christian groups believe that there is only Jesus, not in the Catholic Trinity of God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit.
2006-10-22 08:44:15 · answer #3 · answered by analystdevil 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋