Catholics and christians??

Question

can someone give me a brief description of what catholics believe in...and also christians, how they differ etc.

Answer 1

we both believe in Jesus Christ, and we are both Christians.

Answer 2

I was Methodist and now I'm Catholic. The answer is yes, it does make sense. Many Bible Christians will give you verses from the Bible, taken out of context, to prove that Catholics are wrong. But the Catholic Church has successfully shown, for over 2000 years that everything she does is biblically sound and Christ centered.

Check out Scott Hahn. He was an Evangelical Presbyterian Minister...he was sure all Catholics were going to hell and he was out to save them. In doing so...the more he studied and read books trying to prove them wrong, the more he realized how right they are. He is now Catholic and goes around teaching and preaching the Catholic faith. He's amazing to listen to because he knows all verses Protestants will use and can address and disprove every one of them.

He wrote a book called Rome Sweet Home. It's his conversion story. Type his name in Google...you'll get a lot of information.

Also, check out The Coming Home Network. This is group of Protestant pastors and clergy who have become Catholic. Some amazing stories.

You should enter RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults) at your local Parish. They can help you and answer a lot of questions. You can decide if you want to become Catholic.

Jesus gave the "keys" to St. Peter. St. Peter started the Catholic Church...you can't get any more original then that

Jesus is the head of the Catholic Church and thus He shares the Body of Christ with all Catholics in the Most Holy Eucharist.

Both Jesus and Catholics share God the Father as our Father.

Both Jesus and Catholics share the Blessed Virgin Mary as our Mother.

Both Jesus and Catholics have been baptized.

During the Reformation, did the Protestants "re-evaluate" all the deutero-canonical and apocryphal Christian writings such as the Gospel of St. James, the Acts of St. Paul, the Apocalypse of St. Peter, the Gospel of St. Mary Magdalene, the Gospel of St. Thomas and the myriad of other writings from the first and second centuries of the Christianity? No. The Protestants accepted the New Testament as defined by the Catholic Church in the late 4th century. Why accept the Canon as defined and preserved by the Catholic Church yet not accept the other teachings of this same Church?

Answer 3

The main difference is that Christians (real ones, now) accept the Bible as the inerrant word of God, Catholics do not. They place Church tradition over the Bible (even though they say they don't). The catholics place a priest (or pope) and Mary between sinful man and God. Christians do not. Catholics are Christians to some degree. The Catholic church evolved out of the early church and took over Christianity for about 1200 years. After the Reformation true Christianity came to the surface and was able to survive. Before the Reformation the Catholic church murdered all Christians opposing the pope. The Catholic church murdered somewhere around 50 million Christians on record over about 900 years. Read "Foxes Book of Martyrs".

Answer 4

I will gladly tell you. And here are a couple links for you to read as well that will tell you a better description then I could ever do. But the communion part is the main difference between christians and catholics. And will always keep the two religions seperate. And some catholics believe that you have to go to a catholic church to be saved.

Which to most Christians who are not catholic. You do not have to go to a Catholic church or a specific church to be saved. You just need to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ to be saved. John 3:16
Catholics Have closed Communion http://home.nyc.rr.com/mysticalrose/closed.html
http://www.catholic.com/library/Who_Can_Receive_Communion.asp They believe in Taking Jesus into one’s own body and being drawn more closely.

Verses Christians Communion
Matthew 26.26-28
Christians do communion this way to "This Do in Remembrance of Me"
http://www.churches-of-christ.net/tracts/job098u.htm

Answer 5

Catholics adhere to the Pope as the vicar of Christ.
Christians believe that the Bible is the final authority.
2 Timothy 3:16

Catholic tradition is of equal authority with the Bible.
Christians believe traditions of man cause error.
Matthew 15:3

Catholics adhere to Mary as a co-regent of Jesus.
Christians beleive that Mary was blessed, but only human.
Luke 11:27-28

Catholics believe that priests or Mary are mediators.
Christians believe there that only Jesus is Mediator.
1 Timothy 2:5

Transubstatiation recrucifies Christ at the communion.
Christians believe Christ died just once.
Hebrews 6:6

Catholics believe Mary was a perpetual virgin.
Christians believe the Bible that He had siblings.
Mark 6:3

Catholics call their priests "father".
Catholics call their teachers "pastor" or "minister".
Matthew 23:9

Catholics pray repetitive words with Rosary Beads.
Christians pray the same as they speak.
Matthew 6:7

Pope canonizes those to be called "saints".
Christians believe all who believe are saints.
Philippians 1:1

Pope decides who is "priest" in church leadership.
Christians believe all who believe are a priesthood.
1 Peter 2:5

Celibacy is enforced on priests and bishops.
Christians believe they should be married.
1 Timothy 3:2-5

Catholics believe Peter was the first Pope and not married.
Christians stand by the Bible that he was married.
Mark 1:30

Catholics bow down and burn candles to graven images.
Christians do not bow to images.
1 John 5:21

Catholics believe only the priests can understand the Bible.
Christians believe they can study and understand the Bible.
Ephesians 3:4

Catholics believe Mary was without sin.
Christians believe only Jesus was without sin.
Romans 5:12

Justification pronounced as anathema by Council of Trent.
Christians believe we are justified by faith.
Romans 3:28

Catholics hold to Peter as foundation "rock" of the church.
Christians hold to only Christ as foundation Rock.
1 Corinthians 3:11, 1 Corinthians 10:4

Catholics worship Mary as the Mother of God.
Christians only worship the Godhead.
Revelation 19:10

Answer 6

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.

Answer 7

This is quite a broad discussion. I hope that I would be able to summarize all of it here.

Basically Catholics are also Christians since the word Christian refers to a group of people who believe in Christ.

First please note that the context of the word "Christians" that I am using here refers to believers of Christ who do not share/believe/practice most of the catholic traditional practices.

I hope not to offend anybody and I apologize if I did.

Here are some of the major differences that I could recount:

1) Basic Doctrine
- Catholics believe in the extended BIBLE (i.e. Old Testament, New Testament, and Deutorocanicals). The Catholic doctrine has also "Christianized" some of pagan beliefs which was never accepted by the Christians.
- Christians only believe on both the Old and New testaments having some of the Old testament laws negated or not followed basing with careful scrutiny on Christ's teaching on the 1st 4 books of the New testament (e.g. eating pork is not allowed in Old testament while it is no longer a subject in New testament since Jesus Christ said that it is not what we eat that defiles us, instead it is what we say that do)

2) Being Saved
- Catholics believed that there are many steps to salvation. I could not say all of them but some are not doing any of the unforgivable sins, charity and good works, attaining sainthood, belonging to the Catholic church, imitating the works of a saint, priesthood and being prayed by many individuals once you die.
- Christians however believes that if you accept Jesus Christ as Lord and savior over your life, you are saved.

3. Giving Money
- the Catholics believe that it doesn't matter how much money you give to God as long as you give it with all your heart.

- the Christians however believe that you should give 10% of your income to God wholeheartedly.

4. Sainthood
- For Catholics, the vatican declares the sainthood of a man/woman

- For Christians, once you become a Christian, you are a saint

5. Images/Statues of Saints and God
- For Catholics, these images and statues are there to help you visualize. However, some people do give such high honor to the images to a point where they are kissing the statues and kneeling to them which is not acceptable to Christians.
- Images and Statues are not acceptable to Christians since they believe that God's glory should not be exchanges to statues made by human hands.

6. Praying to saints
- This is accepted by the Catholics since it is believed that the saints who are believed to be in heaven could help on the salvation of a person. Also, these saints could also help in pleading with God the case/request of the person who is praying.
- This practice is detestable to Christians since they believe that the soul/spirit of these people (i did not use the word saint due to reason given in No. 4) are still at rest and waiting for Jesus Christ's return.

As for the similarities, the most similar is the fact that both believe in the trinity (Father, Son, and Spirit) and both believe on one true God. Also, both believe that Jesus Christ is God.

There are many more but I hope that this sums up the most basic ones.

Answer 8

Catholics seem to be more tolerable and less formal than most Christians. It could be said that Catholics are Christians but they seem to believe in a different kind of Christ.
Even the ways in which they perceive god is very different.
Need I say that Catholics and Christians have totally different bibles.

Answer 9

Catholics ARE Christians. There is a christianity which consists of many branches - catholics, orthodox, protestants etc. The common idea of orthodox and catholics - both believe in Jesus. But then, every one believes different. Different traditions, different saints etc. Sorry for not elaborating, i am not at good at this knowledge myself.

Answer 10

Catholics accept the direction of Christ, and are Christians as well. The main doctrinal division between Catholic and Protestant Christians is the doctrine of "apostolic succession". Catholicism believes that the line of Popes constitute a continued divine/heavenly authority on earth. Protestants reject this teaching, believing that if the "Bishop of Rome" ever DID have divine authority, it was lost long ago.

Answer 11

Whenever a question comes up about whether Catholics are Christians, Catholics get so annoyed like you're asking a dumb question! Why don't they get the fact that most people who know nothing about Catholics DO question whether they are Christians because they PREFER to call themselves CATHOLICS vs CHRISTIANS. If you want to be known as a Christian, then call yourself that, and drop the CATHOLIC title!Because there are so many rituals involved like Mary, saints, popes, priests, it DOES confuse people as to where CATHOLICS make room for Jesus in there. As for others who identify themselves as "Christians" and what their beliefs are, you would have to look those individual denominations up to get a better understanding of what each one believes.