Why is it that most "Christians" don't consider Catholics to be amoung them?

Question

After a recent debate with someone one about what it is that defines all Christians from any other group of the Judeo-Christian-Islamic persuasions, I started to wonder. Why do most Christians insist that Catholics aren't Christians, when the definition of a Christian is one whom believes Jesus Christ is his/her savior/mesiah?

Looks like I need to clarify here, we never discussed the protestant movement. It was a general debate in which he said that Catholics are not Christians (they are just Catholics), and I agrued that anyone that believe in Jesus Christ being their savior is a Christian. I have heard this arguement before in the town I am now living in, but it never really made me wonder what people actually thought as their "opinion" on it. Thanks for the responses... keep them coming!

Answer 1

First, I want to say that I do not believe all Catholics are going to hell. I believe there are Catholics who are truly saved, but they are misled.

Among some of the other glaring inconsistencies with scripture (such as: salvation through works, purgatory, masses for the dead, the belief that the Pope is "God on earth", forcing priests to be celibate, etc.), one of the heresies is that the "Catholic Mary" is worshipped, prayed to, and replaces Christ. Catholics will deny this, but Pope John Paul II, after he was shot, credited Mary, rather than God with saving his life. He even visited her shrine at Fatima to thank her for interceding and sparing his life.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church contradicts the Bible:

1) 508 of the Catechism states, "Full of grace, Mary is the most excellent fruit of redemption (SC 103): from the first instant of her conception, she was totally preserved from the stain of original sin and she remained pure from all personal sin throughout her life."

In Romans 3:23-24, the Bible states that, "ALL have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus."

All means all, not all except Mary! Mary was a sinner in need of a Savior just like the rest of us.

2) In 494 of the Catechism, St. Irenaeus is quoted, "Being obedient she [Mary] became the cause of salvation for herself and for the whole human race... The knot of Eve's disobedience was untied by Mary's obedience: what the virgin Eve bound through her disbelief, Mary loosened by her faith." Comparing her with Eve, they call Mary "the Mother of the living" and frequently claim: "Death through Eve, life through Mary."

It sounds an awful lot like Mary is being credited with the salvation of the whole human race! As for the last quote, wouldn't it be more appropriate to say, Death through Sin, Life through Jesus?

In the Bible, Jesus makes it clear that salvation is only through him, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."

"Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved." -Acts 4:12

3) The Catechism accredits Mary with titles such as: Mediator, Co-Redeemer, Advocate and Dispenser of God's Grace, and "Queen of Heaven."

In the Bible, 1 Timothy 2:5-6 tells us, "There is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all men."

“The Queen of Heaven,” is a Babylonian title for Ishtar, a pagan goddess in the book of Jeremiah which the children of Israel were forbidden to worship under the penalty of divine judgment. The book of Jeremiah in the Bible makes mention of this title five times, always in the context of idol worship.

Last year, on a mission's trip to Venezuela, I witnessed crowds of people waiting in line (sometimes for hours) in order to pray to a piece of WOOD that supposedly had the image of Mary on it.

In The Glories of Mary, by St. Alphonsus Delaguarie, she is identified as Mary, our Queen; Mary, our mother; Mary, our life; Mary, our sweetness; Mary, our hope; Mary, our help; Mary, our mediatress; Mary, our advocate; Mary, our guardian; and Mary, our salvation. It is said that Mary delivers us from hell, Mary delivers us from purgatory, and Mary leads us to heaven.

In Catholicism it is the false goddess called Mary, Queen of Heaven, (not the Biblical Mary) through whom all graces, all blessings, all divine works pass to people. No one can be saved, no one can be blessed unless Mary intercedes. She is presented as all-knowing, all-wise, all-merciful, everywhere present and all-powerful, attributes which belong only to God.

If this isn't idolotry, I don't know what is!

Answer 2

A Christian is a Christ follower and there are Christ Followers in many different religions. I believe there are some Christians who are Catholic but just because someone is Catholic doesnt mean they are Christian any more than being a Baptist makes someone Christian. Catholics have a lot of extra-Biblical beliefs and practices and thats why I left the religion but that doesnt mean I think they are all non-christians. However, there will be many non catholic Christians who say you cant be Christian and a Catholic, and Catholics who say the same. But regardless of the label, God sees the heart and HE, is the judge, not us.

Answer 3

The Bible states that there will be many false christs and not to follow them. The christ of the Catholic church and also LDS are not the same as the Christian one. Their religions add many non-biblical falsehoods that Christians disagree with. As for the comment that Protestants were once a part of the Catholic church, that is false as well. Christians came first, NOT Catholics. Not all Christians were part of the Catholic church. Those who were, protested the Catholics addition of pagan rituals, traditions and holidays not to mention the idolatry. Catholicism is a pagan religion that Christians don't want to be associated with.

Answer 4

First there were the Jews, know as the "Chosen People". A group went off on a tangent from them and were the original Christians, the Catholics. Other Christian denominations broke off from them in various factions we now know as the Protestant denominations.

I've never heard anyone say that Catholics aren't Christians, since you don't get any MORE Christian than a Catholic. Who have you been listening to ?

Answer 5

as long as you believe Jesus is the Son of God and died for our sins and was raised again, (and you have been forgiven) you are a Chrisitan.

I think catholicism is just another denomination.

Maybe the reason is because of bad blood between catholics and protestants.

To be fair, I had a catholic lady say I was of a different religion. I said, "no, I'm a Christian too". Maybe just both sides who were fighting tried to divide us from one another.

Answer 6

Not most, just the noisy ones. The have a vested interest in the notion. The fundamental (pun not intended) problem is that, right or wrong, Catholicism has an institutional history stretching back to the beginning of the faith. Martin Luther saw his movement as an attempt to reform some genuine abuses in the Church, but he was excommuncated, so it became necessary to characterize Protestantism as a correction to a church gone off the rails.

To legitimize their denominations, some Protestants feel it necessary to demonize Catholicism as much as possible, as far back as possible. The more twisted and unchristian they can paint Catholicism, the better they feel about themselves.

Answer 7

I think someone is confused. Catholics are non-Protestant Christians. There is only one other Christian faith that is non-Protestant, and that is the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Check out the site below for more information.

The definition of a Protestant is one (individual or entire congregation) who was once part of the Catholic faith but protested and now has their own faith.

Answer 8

Catholics & Christians are very different they have idols christians do not , believe in purgatory nothing mentioned it the bible, believe that jesus is in the bread & wine (sacrament of the mass), we remember Jesus, have to do good deeds to get to heaven, Christians believe in Jesus to be saved, Peter is the rock, the bible say Jesus is the only foundation, popes say preist's have to be celibate, the bible says a decon, elder etc must have a wife, the Catholic has many rituals, Jesus did none, the list goes on & on Catholics & Christians are totally different !! as the bible says:

Mat 7:15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.

2Co 11:13 For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.
2Co 11:14 And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.
2Co 11:15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.

2Pe 2:1 But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.
2Pe 2:2 And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.
2Pe 2:3 And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.

Answer 9

You re right, but for some reason many believe that their own church is christian and the one true church so the others must not be Christian. I believe in Christ and the bible, but many say my Faith isn't Christian because it's "different".

Answer 10

I know many Christians who consider Catholics to be Christians as well. I feel that those who don't and those who are so anti-Catholic are afraid of what they do not understand. If you study the true teachings of the Catholic faith, they make perfect sense.

God bless,
Stanbo

Answer 11

Most people use the term "Christian" loosely.... As followers of Christ... I can't blame them for not wanting to be associated though.... They have that bad rap for slaughtering people in the Crusades, now they are sodomizing little boys.... and the whole "Pope is God on earth" thing is a little crazy.... Plus, there's all those NT commandments that they blatantly disregard....