why do some people beleive that catholics aren't really Christians?

Question

when you say that Catholics theology is mostly man made traditions, can you give examples?

Answer 1

Because they have no thoroughly reviewed the following:

Christian Protestant and Catholicism Theologies...

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

Answer 2

Those that don't consider Catholics Christians do so on a faulty premise. Most are taught about Catholics from biased sources. And most do not actually know what Catholics actually believe.

I had one young girl write me when I tried to correct her about Catholics worhiping statures tell me she knew all about Catholics because her mother told her so! Everything her mother told her was taken as truth - whether or not it really is.

Same thing with other non-Catholics. A lot are feed misinformation from their pastors. They believe this because they trust their pastor to tell them the truth. They never do the research in order to find out what Catholics really believe. And most never will - they will rely on hearsay rather then understanding Catholics.

The truth is - Catholics are Christians, whether some want to admit it or not. They hold the centeral tennants of Christianity. They also do not believe in sola scriptura - having a different view on the bible then Protestants. They do not believe the bible is the end all be all nor do they believe that God has stopped revealing himself to the world. Outsiders do not understand this - they have been taught sola scriptura - and cannot understand why some would believe that this cannot work.

Sadly - most Protestants who bash Catholics will never allow themselves to fully understand the Catholic faith. Or admit that the roots of their belief system come from the Catholic church.

The next time someone bashes on Catholics around you - ask them were they got their New Testament. How did they pick the books contained in there? The answer is that the Catholic church did - they just borrowed it.

Answer 3

Some newer Christian demoninations redefine the word "Christian."

Most non-Catholic Christian denominations accept Catholics as Christians. A very few do not.

A dictionary would say that a Christian is someone professing belief in Jesus as Christ or following the religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus.

Catholics would fit this definition.

In the Nicene creed, from 325 A.D., Catholics profess:

We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, one in being with the Father.

Through Him all things were made.

For us and our salvation He came down from heaven: by the power of the Holy Spirit, He was born of the Virgin Mary, and became man.

For our sake He was crucified under Pontius Pilate; He suffered, died, and was buried.

On the third day He rose again in fulfillment of the scriptures: He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father.

He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end.

We accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. We are baptized as Jesus commanded in Matthew 28:19, "in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit."

We truly are spiritually "born again," we just don't usually use those words.

With love in Christ.

Answer 4

There are many teachings in the catholic church which are totally unscriptural.
1) Jesus said "Call no man father except your father God in heaven" He meant father in the spiritual sense. Catholics not only call their priests father, they call the pope heavenly father.
2) They say that the pope is head of the church. My bible says that Jesus is.
3) They have elevated Mary to the position of mother of God. God has no mother. She was special because God chose her to carry his son but she is not the queen of heaven. Even Jesus said "Who is my mother, who are my brothers"
4) They judge who are saints and who are not when the bible makes it clear that true believers are all saints.
5) Their churches of full of idols, statues which they worship.
6) They belive their priests represent them before God. Jesus was and is the final priest and calls us to have a personal relationship with him.
7) They are taught to do penance for their sins when Jesus says that when we confess, our sins are forgiven.
Having said that, I believe there are a lot of people in the catholic church who truly believe they are worshipping in the right way because they have been taught it from childhood and are probably living their lives in a more Christian manner than many who claim to be Christian.

Answer 5

Because that's the only way some of them can justify THEIR religion, non-denominational or otherwise.

They get their alleged info from anti-Catholic sources instead of actually researching it. Catholicism is very much biblical.

Answer 6

Because they do not teach the truth of The Salvation Message... they place "tradition" equal with God's Word... they place men between God and the individual... The list is long.

Here is a link to a page on my website that has some more on the subject if you are interested
http://user1292138.sites.myregisteredsite.com/mikesinternetoutreach/id27.html

Answer 7

The most crucial problem with the Roman Catholic Church is its belief that faith alone in Christ is not sufficient for salvation. The Bible clearly and consistently states that receiving Jesus Christ as Savior, by grace through faith, grants salvation (John 1:12; 3:16,18,36; Acts 16:31; Romans 10:9-10,13; Ephesians 2:8-9). The Roman Catholic Church rejects this. The official position of the Roman Catholic Church is that a person must believe in Jesus Christ AND be baptized AND receive the Eucharist along with the other sacraments AND obey the decrees of the Roman Catholic Church AND perform meritorious works AND not die with any mortal sins AND etc., etc., etc. Catholic divergence from the Bible on this most crucial of issues, salvation, means that yes, Catholicism is a false religion. If a person believes what the Catholic Church officially teaches, he/she will not be saved. Any claim that works or rituals must be added to faith in order for salvation to be achieved is a claim that Jesus’ death was not sufficient to fully purchase our salvation.

While salvation by faith is the most crucial issue, in comparing Roman Catholicism with the Word of God, there are many other differences and contradictions as well. The Roman Catholic Church teaches many doctrines that are in disagreement with what the Bible declares. These include apostolic succession, worship of saints or Mary, prayer to saints or Mary, the pope / papacy, infant baptism, transubstantiation, plenary indulgences, the sacramental system, and purgatory. While Catholics claim Scriptural support for these concepts, none of these teachings have any solid foundation in the clear teaching of Scripture. These concepts are based on Catholic tradition, not the Word of God. In fact, they all clearly contradict Biblical principles.

In regards to the question “Are Catholics saved?”, this is a more difficult question to answer. It is impossible to give a universal statement on the salvation of all members of any denomination of Christianity. Not ALL Baptists are saved. Not ALL Presbyterians are saved. Not ALL Lutherans are saved. Salvation is determined by personal faith in Jesus alone for salvation, not by titles or denominational identification. Despite the unbiblical beliefs and practices of the Roman Catholic Church, there are genuine believers who attend Roman Catholic churches. There are many Roman Catholics who have genuinely placed their faith in Jesus Christ alone for salvation. However, these Catholic Christians are believers despite what the Catholic Church teaches, not because of what it teaches. To varying degrees, the Catholic Church teaches from the Bible and points people to Jesus Christ as the Savior. As a result, people are sometimes saved in Catholic churches. The Bible has an impact whenever it is proclaimed (Isaiah 55:11). Catholic Christians remain in the Catholic Church out of ignorance of what the Catholic Church truly stands for, out of family tradition and peer pressure, or out of a desire to reach other Catholics for Christ.

At the same time, the Catholic Church also leads many people away from a genuine faith relationship with Christ. The unbiblical beliefs and practices of the Roman Catholic Church have often given the enemies of Christ opportunity to blaspheme. The Roman Catholic Church is not the church that Jesus Christ established. It is not a church that is based on the teachings of the Apostles (as described in the Book of Acts and the New Testament epistles). While Jesus’ words in Mark 7:9 were directed towards the Pharisees, they accurately describe the Roman Catholic Church, “You have a fine way of setting aside the commands of God in order to observe your own traditions!”

Answer 8

Because they aren't. Evidence. Scripture. History. Past, present, and what little is left of the future. Putting faith in a
' religion ' is bad business apart from scripture. Don't feel singled out. Nobody in so called mainline Christianity has anything going for them either.

Answer 9

Because Catholicism involves different practices. Yes, it's a branch of Christianity, but it's also very different.


VLR

Answer 10

They are Christians.But they have some traditions that are not Biblical. Like communion. Non-Catholics are not allowed to go for a communion with them. Jesus asked us to have communion in remembrance of Him, He did not say that you need to go to catholic school first and then have confirmation etc, before you can take communion.

Answer 11

Because much of their theology isn't based upon the Scriptures, but upon man-made traditions.