What is the differemce between cristian and catholic?

Question

This may be a dumb question and I probably sound really stupid, but all these years, I called myself catholic because I go to a catholic school, but can I call myself cristian too?

Answer 1

Yes. I was told that Christian is just someone who believes and follows Jesus christ.

Answer 2

Ah ha, finally, someone worded the question correctly. First off would be that the Catholic church was created by Jesus, the other Christian sects were created by man. Second Transubstantiation and the Real Presence. We believe that the Eucharist is the body, blood, soul, and divinity of Jesus. Third We have 7 Sacraments, rather than just two Fourth We baptize our babies to remove the stain of original sin and to initiate them into the church. Fifth We are the ones who put the bible together, the protestants took books out that they didn't agree with. Sixth Apostolic Succession, we can trace our leader the Pope, all the way back to St Peter, who was the first Pope. Seventh Sacred Tradition along with the Scriptures Eighth The intercession of Mary and the Saints Ninth We believe that if a person through no fault of their own does not know Jesus, yet lives a life that is in line with what Jesus taught, then that person will go to heaven Tenth Purgatory, for cleansing of our temporal sins before we go to heaven.

Answer 3

Yes, don't worry, you are a Christian. The proper distinction is not Catholic and Christian, but Catholic and Protestant.

The Catholic Church as been around since Christ founded her 2,000 years ago. She has preserved, taught, and protected His teachings from the beginning.

Most Christians - catholic and protestant - have the same basic beliefs: that Jesus is our Lord and Savior, in His life, death and resurrection, repentance and forgiveness of sins, and the hope of eternal life. After this, it's difficult to explain.

Protestantism is a break from the Catholic Church around the year 1500, and includes all non-Catholic Christian churches.

When one tries to understand what Protestants teach, they soon discover that there are as many different beliefs as there are protestants. The reason is that Protestantism fractures every time there is a difference of opinion about belief. This is why we have over 54,000 different protestant denominations. When faced with this daunting number, someone trying to find the true teachings of Christ would feel this is impossible. Ironically, while each denomination is different from the other, they each claim to have Christ's true teachings and each condemn the other. It's crazy.

For the fullness of Christ's teachings and to be part of the Church He originally set down, we must study and live our Catholic Christian faith.

God bless and take care.

Answer 4

A Christian is someone who believes that God became a man in Jesus Christ, died on the Cross for our sins, and rose from the dead. Since the late 19th Century some people have tried to redefine the word to include people who think that Jesus was only a man who was a great teacher. To paraphrase an English Christian (originally Protestant but later Catholic) they seem to think John 3:16 says, "God so loved the world that he inspired a certain Jew to inform his contemporaries that there is a great deal to be said for loving one's neighbour".

A Catholic, which I am, is a Christian who also believes that Jesus started the Catholic Church with the Apostles as the first bishops and St. Peter as the first pope. (Cf, Matthew 16:18)

For further information on Christianity in general read "Mere Christianity" by C. S. Lewis, who was an Anglican.

For further information about the Catholic Church read these two books, which are still available in print but are also available on the web:

A MAP OF LIFE by F. J. SHEED
http://www.ewtn.com/library/SPIRIT/MAPLIF.TXT

This is an introduction to Catholic theology written primarily for Catholics to help them understand the teachings of the Church more fully.

THE BELIEF OF CATHOLICS by RONALD KNOX
http://www.ewtn.com/library/CHRIST/BELIEF.TXT

This was written primarily for non-Catholics and includes both apologetics and explanations of Catholic beliefs and practices.

Answer 5

All Catholics are Christian, but not all Christians are Catholic.

Being a Christian means that you accept Jesus Christ as the son of God and all the holiness that goes with it.

Being Catholic means a lot of things, generally having to do with how you worship and the details of your beliefs, called tenets. This includes the miracles of mass and communion and the belief that only the clergy can perform certain functions.

Answer 6

You are Catholic if you have been baptized in a Catholic Church not if you happen to go to a Catholic school. Yes every religion that follows the New Testament (Jesus) is called a christian, so being Catholic is being Christian. But there are many more religion or Cult also christian like the Baptists, Jehovah's Witnesses, Mormons, United Church members....and even thought we are all Christians we don`t all agree on how to interpret Jesus teaching but we have one thing in commun, we beleive Jesus is the Son of God.

Answer 7

Yes. Catholics are Christians.

"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 8

Yes, they are all followers of Christ. Catholics are just into a couple of doctrines that other Christians rejected during the reformation. Those doctrines include the infallibility of the pope and the magic of consecreation.

Answer 9

Catholics are Christians. I consider them to actually be the worst type of Christian. More dangerous than even the Baptists, if that is any consolation.
Of course they are Christians. The Catholic Church is the oldest Christian Church. It is the Original Church.
The word Catholic actually means universal.
http://education.yahoo.com/reference/dictionary/entry/catholic

(take the negative comments with a grain of salt, I am a Militant Agnostic.)

Answer 10

Yes, Some who is Catholic is a Christian. Christian is just basically saying I believe that Jesus is the son of God and the messiah. Jews aren't Christian because they do not believe Jesus was the messiah. Catholics, Baptist, Protestants etc..are all Christians because they all believe in Jesus.

Answer 11

Catholics are Christians. I'm not Catholic but i had a Cathloic friend in High School and believe me she was a much better Christian then the others who calimed to be Christian.