Why do some people feel that Catholics are not Christian?

Question

When we do have scriptural evidence to back up our beliefs.

Example: Communion

We believe that the bread and wine are physically changed to the body and blood of Jesus. Why? Because Jesus said, "Take this all of you, and eat it, this IS my blood." Jesus would not have said "is" if it weren't true. This line is said in 3 of the 4 Gospels.

Honoring Mary:

We don't WORSHIP the Virgin Mary. We worship God, but we honor Mary as the mother of all Christians. We ask her to pray for us, much like you would ask a friend to pray for you. Jesus states to one of the Apostles that Mary was his mother, and to take care of her. Also, in Revelation, Mary was mentioned as a women clothed in the sun, with the moon under her feet, and a crown of twelve stars (she's in the sky).

Sacraments:

Many of our other sacraments are biblically referenced. Like the "Annointing of the sick". James says that we should call the priests of the church to "annoint them with oil"

Look, we don't worship anyone other than the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This question is not an attack against Protestants, just a way for me to see why so many of you feel we are not Christian.

Someone put it well when they said that "Anti-Catholics don't hate the Catholic church, just what they mistake the Catholic church for".

I'm sorry, but no one has answered my question yet. It's just the Evangelical mumbo Jumbo. We do believe that God is the most important part of being saved! I've stated that already.

Did you know that it is not a rule in the Catholic church to mention anything about Mary? So, you can be Catholic and not pray to Mary, or the Saints. Just do research before you condemn!

Guys, I'm sorry, but I don't have my Bible on me...I'm at work...urg! But I have seen every single biblical reference I've written here today.

I've actually been reading "Catholicism for dummies", and it says that Catholics don't believe that they are the only way. In fact, we believe that there is a Universal church that no Christian knows the whole truth about. We do believe we are the ones that are closer to the truth.

Hahahahahahaha! You guys are funny! You're giving me beliefs that you haven't actually gotten from the Bible, but have biblical references to! Oh gee, is that what I'm doing? This just proves my point, that there is no church on Earth that knows the 100% truth, so let's drop it!

Answer 1

I keep saying it's jealousy. We have the Mother the Father loves best. The Blessed Virgin Mary. Just like Josephs brothers were jealous of him our brothers and sisters in Christ are jealous of us and the wonderful things the Lord has given to us. If they only understood though that those that have been given much, much is expected, they would not say the things they do because many a Catholic offers up their pain and suffering and death not only for their own sins but, as a member of the Body of Christ -- the sins of these people who deny they are Christian. Didn't St. Paul say "I make up in my body's suffering for what is lacking in the suffering of Christ?". And also Romans 8:17

For other denominations Holy Communion is just a symbol but, not for Catholics because our Magisterium has the ordination to consecrate the bread and wine into his ACTUAL Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity. Didn't Joseph tell his brothers that he wanted Benjamin left with him and didn't Jesus say he wanted John to remain forever? This is the same thing. John the youngest brother of Jesus who stood beneath the cross with Mary Jesus Mother-- just like the Catholics do at every Mass. The other denominations looked on from a distance it says but, the Catholics are there!!

Answer 2

That's the principal flaw in all protestantism. They declare to be centered at the bible on my own, however appear to be unaware of the historical past of the catholic church for the prior 1500 years Therefore they do not realize the thought of the church within the identical manner as catholics. You're correct - there may be just a bible in any respect considering the fact that the catholic church placed it in combination, and for the primary four hundred years of Christianity there wasn't a bible in any respect - simply more than a few writings which humans argued over as to which have been influenced or no longer, so finally the church declared which of them are and are not and as a result we have now a bible. What used to be there earlier than that? The church's possess culture. Non-catholics would not have that unbroken culture. All they need to maintain directly to, because they reject the catholic church, is the bible, so obviously they are saying that any church practices that are not in it are unsuitable. Indeed non-catholics are relativist as they do not have that feel of what the church is. That's why they preserve splitting up into hundreds of denominations over tiny and repeatedly needless arguments.

Answer 3

I grew up with the belief that Catholics are indeed Christians since they believe Jesus is God and have the whole concept of the Trinity, baptism, and holy communion. Basically they have all the sacraments that Protestants do.

When in college I asked this guy what religion he was (I was in San Antonio, TX - land of hispanics and thus a strong Catholic base). He told me he was Catholic. I said, "Oh! You're Christian then." He said, "No, I'm Catholic." I was apalled. Never before had I heard that and I thought he was nuts.

Catholics have some questionable teachings but they are still Christians.

Answer 4

A. Communion - the bread and wine are just symbolic of what Jesus sacrificed as a man/son of God to be the perfect sacrifice to redeem us from the curse of sin. So isn't the practice of taking communion more important in how you believe of how important Jesus is compared to anything else?
B. Please be specific as to your reference about Mary in the book of Revelations. As far as praying to Mary - I do not see any scripture that instructs me to pray to Mary - she is not part of the Trinity. Children of God have been given the Holy Spirit and Jesus has become the High Priest - that is adequate enough for me. Yes I am glad that Mary did her part to birth and be the mother of Jesus - but that does not make her a god.
C. Sacraments - I have no argument with this
___ My husband claims that he is catholic and not christian - and I don't think there has to be such a precise separation between the 2 (so I kind of agree with you but vice versa) so what do we say to him?

Answer 5

Perhaps it has something to do with praying to saints instead of praying to God the Father, through Jesus?

Perhaps it's the statues (of saints) that seem more like idols?

Perhaps because the ONLY "Holy" book is the Holy Bible and it is not to be add to or taken away from.

Perhaps the confessional part too. Once we receive Jesus we are not given a free pass to sin. The confessional might be seen as...no matter what you do between confessions, it's okay to do what your sinful nature desires? I'm not saying we are perfect (hello, we are human.) And NO ONE is given a free pass to sin. The living God knows our hearts when we ask for forgiveness.

Just remember, the only folks getting into Heaven are those with a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Period.

P.S. Why are you getting so upset? You asked a question...and people are answering it.

BTW, Mary is not mentioned in Revelation.

Answer 6

Because Catholics tortured and burned Christians at the stake during the Dark Ages. Also, during that time, it was illegal to have even a page of Scripture on your person. You could be tortured or killed for that.
And yes, people DO worship Mary, I've seen it in Catholic Churches. How can you say kneeling before a pagan altar in front of an image of Mary/Semiramis and saying a prayer is not "worship"? How do you define worship? Using a rosary is also pagan; it is used in Buddhism. When people pray the rosary, they pray to - guess who! - Mary!!
The woman in Revelation who is clothed with the sun (Son) and has the moon (the OT nation of Israel) at her feet with the 12 stars (disciples) above her head is God's church, not Mary. A woman represents a church in prophecy.

Answer 7

If you were born again then you are a Christian. Other religions have a Christian doctrine, but they are whatever their "religion" is.
Catholics are Catholic. Just like Baptists are Baptists and Protestants are Protestants, Mormons are Mormon.

I don't think that people are supposed to be praying to Mary or any of the saints. Mary is not God and neither are the saints. To pray to them is like worshiping false idols. Where does it say for people to pray to her to ask her to pray for us? That's stupid.

The bread and wine in communion does not physically become Christ's body and blood. He said, "Do this in remembrance of Me." It's symbolic. It's not a magic show.

The Pope is only a man. To call him "Holy Father" is making him like God. He is not the holy anything. He has no Godly authority or power to do anything. He has human authority and power, but that's about it.

For some reason, Catholic churches place emphasis on the "stations of the cross". They also seem to dwell on the crucifixion of Christ and they leave Jesus up on the cross like he's still up there. The crosses in their churches have a figure of Christ, bloody with a crown of thorns and looking like he's in pain. In Christian churches, the cross is bare because Christ is no longer on the cross. He died for our sins and then he was resurrected and ascended to Heaven.

Catholic churches don't call for their congregation to accept the Lord Jesus Christ as their personal savior. They don't encourage a personal relationship with Christ. The priests, cardinals, pope and other clergymen are supposedly the links to God.

Too many priests have molested children and have gotten away with it.

The religion is way too ritualistic. All the kneeling, sitting, standing, kneeling, sitting, standing.

The service is also ritualistic and repetative. How does saying the same thing over and over saving anybody or connecting with God?

The Lord be with you
And also with you
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God
It is right to give Him thanks and praise, and so on.

Also, the Lord's prayer, (Our Father, who art in Heaven...) ends at "but deliver us from evil", (or the evil one).

The Catholic church added the line: for thine is the kingdom and power and the glory blah, blah, blah. I can't even remember it. There was no need to add anything to The Lord's Prayer. To add to it really takes a lot of nerve.

If you belong to an organized religion, then I would say you are that. If on your own, you have asked Christ into your heart, then I would say you are a Christian. It's just you, one on one with God/Christ.

All of the "religions" are man made. All have been used to influence and control people. All have been used to condemn and persecute people in the name of God.

Answer 8

Mary is NOT the mother of all Christians. You pray to mary and you are not to turn to anyone but God or Jesus. NO other God's before me, said God.

There is nothing mary can do for anyone that she hasn't already done, when she gave birth to Jesus. That was more than sufficient, and God has His rewards her for that.

What the Catholic church does not teach is the true word of God, and salvation through acceptance of Jesus as your savior. With out that admission, you are not going to heaven. The catholic chruch does not teach this.

John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

John 3:3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God

You are ONLY to confess your sins to Jesus for He is the only way to the Father which is the Almighty God. They break this covanant by having you confess your sins to mortal man which is a priest.

I was catholic for 11 years, Praise the Lord I am now a Christian!!

Answer 9

do you have a guilty conscience? you asked a question then made like 200 statements.. i was going to say that i was nt sure why people seperated the two... until i saw your lecture on catholocism... just below your question-- besides in all that talk ing you did i see no solid biblical explanation for those beliefs-
and by the way i do know a few saved catholics- quite a few in fact- and i know some unsaved so called evangelicals as well.

Answer 10

"Why do some people feel that Catholics are not Christian? "

One of the problems is that they insidt that all practices and beliefs must be found in the Bible. This is the false doctrine of sola scriptura. The doctrine of sola scriptura cannot be found in hte Bible.

Second, non-Catholics think that Catholics do things that are against the Bible, but they do not understand what we do. The y THINK we do things we do not do or they THINK we do not believe things we do believe in.