What is the difference between Catholics and Presbyterians?

Question

I know they're similar, but I don't know what the details are. Please help!

Answer 1

It is hard to describe without making another comparison that you may not be familiar with either. But here is a try:
Church government:
Catholic government is a hierarchy, flowing from the Pope down to the cardinals and the archbishops and the priests.
Presbyterian government is by the local elders. There is a board of elders in each church that makes decisions together for that congregation, even ruling against the pastor if they feel inclined to do so.
Salvation:
Catholic teaching is that salvation can be gained and lost and regained again. Most Catholics believe this occurs because of works or the lack thereof. I am not sure what the official line is.
Presbyterians believe in eternal security of the believer. Once you are a Christian, you cannot lose that gift from God by bad works on your part. Presbyterians are of the Calvinist branch of Protestantism.
Worship:
Catholic worship services are full of pomp and circumstance, with ornate gilded sanctuaries commonplace, colorful statues of saints here and there, incense censors shaking smoky incense all over everybody and everything, and long colored robes on all participants in the ceremonies.
Presbyterian worship services are much more reserved. Casual would be an overstatement, but maybe business-like would be a good word. Orderly too. The pastor may wear a long black robe or just a business suit. No incense. No statues. No pomp and circumstance.
Marriage and family:
Catholic clergy may not marry nor raise a family. Catholic members are not allowed to exercise any type of birth control except the rhythm method.
Presbyterians ministers may marry and have a family, and are in fact encouraged to do so. Presbyterian families may practice any type of birth control except abortion. Some liberal branches of Presbyterians may allow abortion too.
That sums up the major differences.

Answer 2

Hi. Let me start by clarifying that you are misunformed that Catholics "worship statues" - they don't, that would clearly be idolatry. On the question of Tradition, why do Presbyterians cast it aside? Tradition has been with the Church since the beginning. Sacred Tradition was used in the discernment process of which books belonged in the Bible and which ones did not. Some of the practices that you speak of like kneeling or genuflecting come out of the liturgical character of the Catholic Church. The Mass has as it's focus the worship of God and being one with Him in the celebration of the Eucharist. Presbyterians do not have a Priesthood, so even if they do have a Communion service, it is on a whole different level and some of the gestures don't really apply. Meaning, if Jesus isn't physically present, then what is the need to genuflect?

Answer 3

They are really quite a bit different.
Then again, there is quite a difference between the different types of presbyterians.
Too, there are quite a few different sorts of Catholics, some of which have clergy that can marry.

Presbyterians, as protestants, obviously do not accept the authority of the Pope, nor the Papacy as an institution. Presbyterians differ on the age and form of which baptism may take place.

Some of the similarities would be in the liturgical calendar and such.

Really, they aren't all that similar. A closer match would be the Epispocals, or Church of England.

Answer 4

Presbyterian Vs Catholic Beliefs

Answer 5

As I understand it anything other than Catholic in the so called Christian religion is Protestant, though the politics between Anglicans and Catholics seems to be merging more and more. If it makes you feel any better, My Parents were Catholic, I consider myself that horrible terminology of "non-practising Catholic", married a non Catholic whose birth religion is still questionable (doesn't really know) but probably comes form a more diversified religious background--Mennonite etc. I was married by a Justice of the Peace, whom was a retired Presbyterian Minister, and on and on. We all have beginnings somewhere, and if you go back far enough, we all came from the same place:) THE SAME GOD.

WE MAY KNOW HIM BY MANY DIFFERENT NAMES, BUT WE ALL WORSHIP THE SAME GOD.

Answer 6

"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 7

the Catholics have the pope and the Protestants don't .

Answer 8

Catlicks have mo' money, mo' money...