What is the difference between Baptist and Cathloics?

Question

I was just at a Baptist funeral. The service was similar to what I'm used to. The minister told a story I remember learning as a kid, but he made it A LOT more interesting. I hope I dont sound dumb, but what is the differences? There was no kneeling at this service, that was nice, but they read the same bible passages, sang songs. Just like to know, thanks.

Thanks everyone, this helps me understand some extended family members I should have gotten to know a long time ago. Peace.

Answer 1

Baptist is about as far away form Catholicism as you can get. The Anabaptist (where Baptist came from) were part of the "radical reformers". They threw out everything taught in the Catholic church and started over with the New Testament. Some of the differences are:
Baptist believe the Bible is the final authority, Catholics believe church tradition.
Baptist believe you must be born again, Catholics believe you must be baptized by a Catholic priest.
Baptist pray directly to God. Catholics pray to Mary and saints.
Baptist believe Jesus' birth was sinless. Catholics believe Mary's birth was sinless.
Baptist believe the pope is fallible, and catholics believe the pope is infallible.
Thats a few of the differences.

Answer 2

The Baptists don't practice infant baptism, as we Catholics do, and their baptism is generally by full immersion. They also don't recognize the authority of the Roman Catholic Pope. They don't believe in the communion of saints in the same sense that Catholics do, and do not place any particular emphasis on the Blessed Virgin Mary. They only have two sacraments, Baptism and Communion. They do not pray the rosary, nor do they have statues in their churches. They believe in Biblical infallability. Their services are considerably less ritual-based than a standard Catholic service.

Answer 3

The phrase “sola scriptura” is from the Latin: "sola" having the idea of "alone," "ground," "base," and the word "scriptura" meaning "writings" - referring to the Scriptures. Sola scriptura means that Scripture alone is authoritative for the faith and practice of the Christian. The Bible is complete, authoritative, and true. "All Scripture is 'God breathed' (given of inspiration of God) and is profitable for teaching, reproof, correction, instruction in righteousness..." (2 Timothy 3:16).

Sola scriptura was the "rallying cry" of the Protestant Reformation. For centuries the Roman Catholic Church had made its traditions superior in authority to the Bible. This resulted in many practices that were, in fact, contradictory to the Bible. Some examples are prayer to saints and/or Mary, the immaculate conception, transubstantiation, infant baptism, indulgences, and papal authority. Martin Luther, the founder of the Lutheran Church and father of the Protestant Reformation, was publicly rebuking the Catholic Church for its unbiblical teachings. The Catholic Church threatened Martin Luther with excommunication (and death) if he did not recant. Martin Luther's reply was, "Unless therefore I am convinced by the testimony of Scripture, or by the clearest reasoning, - unless I am persuaded by means of the passages I have quoted, - and unless they thus render my conscience bound by the Word of God, I cannot and will not retract, for it is unsafe for a Christian to speak against his conscience. Here I stand, I can do no other; may God help me! Amen!"

Answer 4

They use many of the same songs and passages, but they have taken some books out of the bible.

Catholics believe in the true Presence of Jesus in the Eucharest, "This is my body" not "This represents my body"

Catholics hold to the Sacraments as the way God gave us through Jesus to stay within his Grace. Protestants hold to a personal relationship with God to guide them.

Just to respond to some of the mis-conceptions, Catholics do NOT worship our blessed mother, Mary, we confess through the Priest not to the Priest, and we do not pay cash to be forgiven from sin.

Peace!

Answer 5

There are always going to be differences and divisions among Christians as long as there is an imperfect world. There is just too much we do not know because we do not have infinite knowledge of the world and of all things as God does. God gives us His Word and the Holy Spirit to direct us for the short time we are here on this earth but there will always be deceptions and divisions because there is also evil that would try to keep us from God's Truth. God wants us to be united in our Love for Him and with one another, knowing and ever growing in the Truth. All Christians can celebrate our common Love for Christ as God and Savior and His Sacred Scripture the Bible, and pray, now more than ever before in history, that we would continue to grow in Love and unity through the Holy Spirit as one Church devoted to Him. I believe as the world becomes more and more corrupt, the Church will grow closer and closer to Christ and we will grow closer to one another as Christian brothers and sisters.

(just reading some of the answers below that are totally wrong. don't know where they get their info but I hope anyone who reads them would check out what Catholics and Baptists really do believe and don't believe. There is alot of misinformation out there - check it out for yourself)

Answer 6

Just about everything. A baptists believes one must be born again to enter the kingdom of God. Catholics teach confessional , purgatory and a lot of unscriptural teachings. Catholics rely more on tradition, Baptist rely more on the word of God.

Answer 7

Baptists believe in adult baptism as a sign of giving your life to Jesus. they do not baptize infants were the catholic church insist on it.

Answer 8

Religious icons.

Answer 9

heres a easy one, they are 2 differently spelled words.

Answer 10

ha, lots!

if you really want a complete answer, read through everything both churches believe in:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baptist

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_Catholic
(I assume you mean Roman Catholic?)