How are Catholics and Protestants different?

Question

I DON'T mean theologically different! I mean how is the character of a Catholic different from a Protestant? How are their values and morals different? Are Catholics more liberal? Which group is generally more devout? Which group is more laid-back with their faith? The stereotype is that Protestants are reserved, uptight WASPs and Catholics are beer and wine-swilling brawlers from Ireland and Italy. How much truth is there to that?

Answer 1

catholics are crazy conservative, anti abortion and all that jazz, i would know

Answer 2

I'm a Catholic...

We are not "beer and wine-swilling brawlers"... you are probably judging the people who are born Catholics but does not really apply themselves into getting involved with their faith and religion.....

and in fact, alot of countries have Catholics, not just Ireland and Italy. In my country Philippines, majority are Catholics and they are really devout, VERY conservative and reserved people, which is a good thing. I'm very reserved myself.


To xxqueen_of_spadesxx:

I like protestants b/c most of the ones I know worship God through Bible Studies and praise and worships (w/ songs etc).... however, I don't understand why some protestants if not most, hate Catholics. When you said we are "different religion,"--------- you are wrong. We're both Christians... Don't judge us just because you are a protestant. Don't try feeling too superior above us Catholics, cus chances are... You're NOT. God did not specifically said only being a Protestant is the true and right religion....

When you said: "if you pay our Catholic church enough money, you can earn your virginity back" ....-------------- WE NEVER DO ANYTHING LIKE that. That just really hurts! We don't pay our church.. just like your church, we offer DONATIONS. And don't even play the "Virginity" card. Most Catholics I know practice the "Wait until You're Married" theory ... and so far, I'm one of those girls that are doing good following that rule.


And then you said: "Catholics believe that when you take communion that the bread automatically turns into christ's flesh and the wine/grape juice turns into his blood." ----- You must be really Naive. We do this as a ritual, based on the LAST SUPPER. We don't think it "automatically turns into Christ's flesh and the wine into his blood"... we BELIEVE it as a Spiritual Significance. Jesus performed this in front of his apostles, and because we have faith in him and we are his disciples... we celebrate this event. I'm not really religious so I'm sure Hardcore Catholics out there who knows more about the significance of Catholic rituals.


But you get the point... I'm just saying Catholics are Christians as much as Protestants are, I am proud to be a Catholic.... and also it really depends on individuals as to how much faith they put in God. And FYI about how the Catholic Church first started was when Jesus said to his apostle PETER... ""You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my Church." .... And I think Peter is the Catholic church's Very first Pope. :)



P.S. - and I think PaulCyp's answer is very true!!! You can't narrow down the Catholics and Protestants into some stereotypes.

Answer 3

Way too broad of a question to answer. Which Catholics? Which Protestants? There are all kinds. Ultra-orthodox Catholic Opus Dei types (the current pope), ultra-orthodox conservative, fundamentalist Protestant types, extremely liberal Catholic theologians (Matthew Fox), extremely liberal Protestant churches like the Unitarian Universalists, and everything in-between.

You can't sum it all up. It's all on an individual case-by-case basis.

Answer 4

The correlations are invalid. People are more about their personalities than they are about their religions. Most religious people are hypocrites. They preach one thing and do another. Organized religions are belief systems created by man... including the Catholic Church... but they want you to believe differently. Belief systems are the single biggest danger to the survival of man on this planet. Don't let the human element interfere with your belief in God. The people that run those systems are a bunch of leaches that want to control people with myths, rituals and guilt. Yea, be devout to that and never know who God really is. You will find God from within and if you don't then maybe you can decide to be an atheist. Your choice. Man has a free will. Some religions don't want you to believe that. It's their way of controlling the masses. They are control freaks bent on getting everyone to believe their particular myth by telling them if they don't they will burn in hell. So, according to someone somewhere even if you believe in whatever, the group that believes something else also believes you won't get into heaven unless you believe exactly what they do. That does not sound like a directive coming from God to me... more like one coming from Satan. That's why I believe most religions are hypocritical. You decide.

Answer 5

I will tell you a little story. A man died and went to heaven. He was being shown around by St. Peter. St. Peter showed him a large group of people having a picnic, another group at a concert; everywhere people were having a great time. He finally passed a place that had a huge wall. The man asked what was going on behind the wall. St. Peter told him, "Oh we had to build that wall because those are the Catholics and they believe they are the only ones here in heaven." In other words, we are all trying to get to the same place.

Answer 6

specific. There are distinctive variations. every time you pass to purchase a Bible in an incredible place, you would be asked in case you pick the Catholic Bible or the Protestant one. The Catholic Bible incorporates extra. that's exciting to envision the two. The King James isn't the bible. The Pope in all probability has his own set of Bibles. i've got heard human beings actual say that the King James is the single divined by employing God, using fact the language is God's. Oh fairly? examine the single you know and relate to. Even extra appropriate, examine better than one.

Answer 7

Character does go back to theology, you cannot separate the two. And, it also depends upon the specific theology of the Protestant in your comparison.

All of the (mainstream) Christian faiths believe in and practice good works. Catholicism does them to avoid hell, and makes no distinction between being saved and church membership. The church, being the (perfectly holy) bride of Christ, dispenses the works of Christ and the Saints to its membership.

Those of the Arminian faith do good works because of commandments to do so, since they have chosen God and are therefore held responsible for bearing fruit.

Those of the Calvinist faith do good works out of joy since God has taken complete control of the salvation process and it is the Holy Spirit that works in their hearts, not themselves, for nothing is earned in order to gain heaven.

So, the Catholics have the church to save them; Arminians have duty and responsibility; and Calvinists have grace alone. This drives a character of those who drink a lot, those who drink a little, and those that don't drink at all, to fill a stereotype.

Answer 8

Protestants and Catholics are of different religion so they both have different morals on subjects. Catholics are more liberal because they have so much crap in their religion - Like, "if you pay our catholic church enough money, you can earn your virginity back" - That is bull crap! and they believe that when you take communion that the bread automatically turns into christ's flesh and the wine/grape juice turns into his blood. I'm on the Protestant's side on this one!

Answer 9

Catholics and protestants are both huge groups of people. Therefore, not surprisingly, both groups inclusde a vast array of different personalities, interests, ethnic backgrounds, and just about any other characteristic you care to look at. You can't make any valid broad generalities about a billion or more people.
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Answer 10

It is practically impossible to describe how the character, values and morals of Catholics differ from Protestants.

First there are thousands of Protestant denominations, each with their own character, some conservative and some liberal.

Then there are hundreds of Catholic ethnic cultures, each with their own character, some conservative and some liberal.

There are probably a few people who fit the stereotypes you mention but they are still stereotypes and generalizations.

Try to accept everyone as a new image of God and try not to fit each one into a box.

With love in Christ.

Answer 11

I think the Liberalists of both are so simular you couldn't tell them apart and by the same token I think the Orthodox of both are very simular too with their core beliefs. There are some differences at this level but, it depends on what denomination. I think the big push for the world wide one Church is bringing the Orthodox of all the Christian religions closer than ever before. It is backfiring.