What is the difference between Catholics and Protestants ?

Question

Please try to answer in as simple way as possible. The main differences only. Also plz try to use simple english words as i myself tried to find it on internet but couldn't understand any thing because of very complex language ( as english is not my first language) Thanx

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

The word "Protestants" comes from "protest" and, originally was used for those who, in the Reformation, protested against the abuses of the Catholic Church.

The differences between doctrine and theology between Catholics and Protestants are complex and I could write for eight hours without covering every detail.

In VERY simplistic terms,
Protestants take the Bible as the sole source of the Word of God.

Catholics, on the other hand, believe that the Word of God is given to them through God's representative on earth - the Pope. (Hence the derviation of the term "Papal Infallibility")

Answer 3

Catholics are a large church who believe in God and Jesus. The head/leader of the church is the Pope. The Pope is elected by the Cardinals and then stays Pope until he dies. They also believe that Mary, the mother of Jesus, was always a virgin and they pray to her as well as God and Jesus.

Protestants do not belong to just one church, there are many churches like Lutherans, Pentecostals, Church of England, Presbyterians etc. They started because people protested about the wrong things the Pope and the Catholic Church were doing hundreds of years ago. So they broke away and started their own churches. Martin Luther and John Calvin were the most famous of the people to do this. They believe in God and Jesus but they do not pray to Mary and don't believe she stayed a virgin. They do not have one person as the leader of their churches and often their leaders are elected for just a few years.

Answer 4

The Roman Catholic church was founded on the basis that there had to be a "head" of the church, simply meaning that decisions on how people worshipped (including what is called the "liturgy" or the "mass" is recited), whether they "qualify" for membership (to take communion and therefore participate in the mass you must do the Catholic "catechism" which are religious lessons. You are quizzed and if you answer correctly, you're in), and in order to receive forgiveness for your sins (big or little) you must confess them to a priest, who is another "middle-man" between you and your God, who then absolves you after you have done your "penance" (paid) which involves privately reciting prayers for your forgiveness. The latter is the only time you are really allowed to speak directly to God.

Catholics also believe in the notion of "purgatory" which is kind of a vacuum between heaven and hell, and that babies who are not baptized in their church go there when they die.

The Catholic faith teaches that the only people who can have a direct connection to God are those who have entered into a special relationship with Him, through a combination of modesty, humility, poverty and celibacy (i.e. priests, and to a lesser extent, nuns).

Catholics celebrate much more ritualistic (symbolic) religious rites than Protestants, and historically are accused of excesses (idolatry - statues and friezes in grand, opulent churches, some adorned with gold and jewels). They celebrate the lives of a number of saints and martyrs, and recite their names in their ceremonies along with the names of various angels and archangels, and call upon them for blessings and protection.

So Martin Luther was very radical when he preached that Man should have a direct relationship with God/Jesus and cut out all the middle-men (the priests, bishops, archbishopes, popes, saints, martyrs, angels and archangels). Also, at a time when the Catholic church was rolling in money (still is) and people in Europe were very poor while their tithes (mandatory contributions to the church) were going towards more gold statues and church domes, Luther started a movement towards simplicity.

Early Protestants dressed modestly, mainly in black, prayed privately, did away with the elaborate rituals including the communion (the drinking of wine and eating of bread or wafers (crackers) representing the blood and flesh of Jesus Christ), and also refused to accept some of the pagan practices the Catholic church had accepted in order to attract more converts (mainly winter solstice symbols like decorated live trees, gift exchanges, carolling (door to door singing groups) and feasting that everybody nowadays associates with Christmas.

Other differences involve forms of alleged idolatry. Early Protestants deemed the crucifix (cross; especially one with Jesus hanging on it) as a form of idolatry, also statues and paintings, because they believed there should be no artistic depictions of God or Jesus. This goes back to the Book of Exodus in the Old Testament, "graven images".

As a result, early Protestants were called "Puritans".

The followers of both branches of Christianity have changed a lot over time, but these are the big differences between the two.

Answer 5

Protestants go to the church of england since henry the VIII changed it wayyy long ago. catholics' head of church is the pope

Answer 6

There is a chart at this web site that has 14 comparisons. I didn't want to paste them in here. It was hard to read.

http://www.religionfacts.com/christianity/charts/catholic_protestant.htm

Answer 7

the main differance is the way they believe in God, protestants believe in God and think that he is the ultimate one, catloics think that Mary is the ultimate one!