What exactly is the difference between catholic, christian, and protestant?

Answer 1

"What separates us as believers in Christ is much less than what unites us." (Pope John XXIII)

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

This is mainly a historical question. First, everything starts with Christianity. From there it splits into two main groups: Catholic and protestant. They are both Christian. The Catholic Church is the original church founded by Christ and has been around for 2000+ years. It wasn't until the 1500s when the protestant reformation occurred and split from the Church. Since then, protestantism has continued to splinter into thousands of different denominations.

Most of the time the Catholic Church is accused of being non-biblical and non-Christian because of misconceptions, like prayer to Mary, the saints, confession, purgatory, etc. Again, these are incorrect misconceptions. The Catholic Church is biblical and is actually where the present Christian bible came from to begin with. I recently entered the Church two years ago after much study, and can assure you that the Catholics are Christian.

Answer 3

Christians can be Catholics or Protestants. The Roman Catholic Church was the first really organized Christian church. Then there was a reformation, and the Catholics changed some of their worse practices, like taking money to get people into heaven, and the Lutherans and other Protestants also broke away from the Roman Catholic Church.

Answer 4

Start with 'christian' meaning a world religion believing in Jesus Christ as the Son of God and Savior of mankind.

Then comes the different denominations.
In short, Catholics have been around the longest. In the 1500s there was an uprise and a split from the Catholic church. Since then, there are hundreds (maybe even thousands) of splits or different denominations. All interpret things slightly different (i.e. the Bible as fact, Adam and Eve as actually people), but all should have Jesus at the center.

There are other 'faiths' that have Christian ideals in general, like Jehovah's Witnesses, Seventh Day Adventists, etc., but don't see Christ as their ultimate Savior.

Answer 5

in my opinion, both major ameliorations are: a million. Protestants be sure Paul's teachings that our salvation is by technique of religion on my own. Catholics be sure James preparation that without works there's no faith. i believe that both church homes are nearer than we believe to at least one yet another. yet this nonetheless continues to be a huge difference. 2. the different enormous difference is interior the sacrament of communion. The Catholics believe (as I were instructed by technique of Catholics) that the wafer and wine actually develop into the body and blood of Christ. they believe that God retains the arrival of wafer and wine. maximum Protestants believe that Jesus is totally modern-day interior the communion. although, we do not be sure the doctrine of transubstantiation (the wafer and wine actually turning out to be the body and blood of Christ. opposite to what the bigots the following have stated, the Catholics do no longer worship Mary and they seem to be a very Christian faith. alongside with the Orthodox Church, Catholicism is our mom Church. We who're Protestants owe her that appreciate. As John Wesley (a Protestant) believed, we've adequate in problem-free to be sure our faith jointly without focusing on the ameliorations. Pastor John Edit: I in basic terms suggested that you're Roman Catholic. Does what I were instructed about the eucharist help what you've been taught about the eucharist? TattoomonKC, thanks for that confirmation of the eucharist. I do agree. Any Christian who has real faith will coach good works. that is component of who we are.

Answer 6

Protestants being thus impious enough to make liars of Jesus Christ, of the Holy Ghost, and of the Apostles, need we wonder if they continually slander Catholics, telling and believing worse absurdities about them than the heathens did? What is more absurd than to preach that Catholics worship stocks and stones for gods; set up pictures of Jesus Christ, of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and other saints, to pray to them, and put their confidence in them; that they adore a god of bread and wine; that their sins are forgiven by the priest, without repentance and amendment of life; that the pope or any other person can give leave to commit sin, or that for a sum of money the forgiveness of sins can be obtained ? To these and similar absurdities and slanders, we simply answer: "Cursed is he who believes in such absurdities and falsehoods, with which Protestants impiously charge the children of the Catholic Church. All those grievous transgressions are another source of their reprobation."

"But what faith can we learn from these false teachers when, in consequence of separating from the Church, they have no rule of faith? ... How often Calvin changed his opinions! And, during his life, Luther was constantly contradicting himself: on the single article of the Eucharist, he fell into thirty-three contradictions! A single contradiction is enough to show that they did not have the Spirit of God. "He cannot deny Himself" (II Timothy 2:13). In a word, take away the authority of the Church, and neither Divine Revelation nor natural reason itself is of any use, for each of them may be interpreted by every individual according to his own caprice ... Do they not see that from this accursed liberty of conscience has arisen the immense variety of heretical and atheistic sects? ... I repeat: if you take away obedience to the Church, there is no error which will not be embraced.

Source(s):
Against the Reformers
Douay-Rheims Catholic Bible online

Additional Reading

St Alphonsus Mary De Liguori (1696-1787)
Bishop and Doctor of the Church


















































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Answer 7

Roman Catholic, and Protestant are Christian.

Same Family but have not yet settled the family argument.

Answer 8

That depends on who you ask:-) Catholics will give you something close to "Catholics are christians the same as everyone else" Christians will give you "Christians are those that believe in the death and reserection of one said 'SON OF GOD'" Protestans will give you "We are those who broke away from the catholics...." To be honest, they'll givee you all a different answer. When you break it down though...Catholics are the ones that are 200 years behind and still believe in 'saints' and or 'preists'. Christians are pretty much CHRISTians...Christ, the son of God...they believe in him....and the Bible, is based off of that the "life-story" of Christ...
And finally protestants... They broke off from the catholics some said billion and a half years ago, they're kinda a mix between a christian and a catholic, they have some pretty darn weird traditions...but as far as I can gather they believe in Christ....
Hope I answered your question:-)
Kat

Answer 9

Roman Catholics officially submit to the authority of the Pope in matters of doctrine and Biblical interpretation. They also have some unique practices (like praying to saints, veneration of Mary, etc.) and some unique doctrines (like purgatory, the immaculate conception, papal infallibility -- don't jump on me, Catholics, I know it's only ex cathedra -- the doctrine of merit, etc.) that set them apart from Protestants.

Protestants separated from the Roman Catholic church in the 16th century after centuries of trying to "reform" what they saw as the church's corrupt practices and doctrines. Hence, the early 16th century is often known as the Reformation. There are many denominations of protestants, but they are by and large known for denying the authority of the pope, and affirming what are known as the "Solas" of the Reformation:

Sola Gratia (grace alone -- as opposed to grace and merit)
Sola Fidei (faith alone -- as opposed to faith and works)
Sola Christi (Christ Alone -- as opposed to Christ and the church)
Sola Scriptura (Scripture alone -- as opposed to Scripture and tradition)

Many protestant denominations stress "soul competency" -- i.e., the ability of each person to relate to God through Christ as mediator, not through a priest or pope.

Because both Catholics and Protestants worship Jesus Christ as God, they are called Christian. Also included are "Orthodox" denominations like Russian, Greek, Ukrainian Orthodox, etc.

Hope this helps.

Answer 10

Christian means that you are a follower of Christ...you believe that Jesus is the son of God and that he died and rose again.
Within the category "Christian" (I don't use the word religion, because I believe I have a personal relationship with Christ) there are sub-categories or designations, each with slightly different ways of doing things. Catholics and Protestants are two of those subgroups, and each of those have sub-sub-groups (called denominations).
It's confusing, I know...which I why I go to a non-denomonational church, where we just stick to the Bible, and no extra traditions.

Answer 11

Protestant is a branch off of Catholic (in protest of catholics, hence protestant) but both are forms of Christianity.