why do people keep saying Catholicism isn't Christianity?

Question

Last time I checked it was the first major form of Christianity around, after successfully wiping out different Christians sect that didn't follow the same precepts, such as the Gnostics, Arians, etc. possibly wiping out the true meaning of Christianity. but that is a story for another time :) All other forms of Christianity are derived from the same book the Catholics use, they just do things a little different. After all, just because they go to confession, say hail mary's, etc. doesn't make it heresy (same for the kooky snake-handlers and tongue speakers!)

Answer 1

First, Hey Ray said "because of John 3:3". This has completely nothing to do with your question. It says

"Jesus answered and said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again , he cannot see the kingdom of God." --John 3:3

Also, we follow the teaching of Christ making us Christians.

Also, we do not worship other idols. We do pray to Saints but, we do not worship them. We say "In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit." We do not say in the name of anyone or in thing else. It is like how people are healed by Saints on Earth and people go to them to be healed. Instead of going to them we pray to them. The Saints do not have any powers of their own but, only powers granted to them by God. We do not believe anyone but, God has powers to perform miracles.

Catholism was the first Christian Religion and was the Church Jesus told Peter to create.

"And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven." --Matthew 16:19.

The part before this says he give the keys to Peter and basically says the devil will not prevail against it. Peter then starts the Catolic Church and becomes the first Pope. How can the Church that Christ told St. Peter to start not be a Christian Church?

I don't understand why people think Catholicsm is not a Christian religion.

I am Catholic and I am a Christian.

Answer 2

Well, some sects of christianity might consider catholics "non-christians because they just have different beliefs on how to interpret the Bible and how to worship. A lot of non-catholics might be offended that there is a "worldly church" that makes to what some may say are arbitrary rules that really oppress people and not have anything to do with truly worshipping Jesus. Indulgences are just one example of such oppression and many in the middle ages thought that the Pope was a tyrant and not "infallible" as catholics are supposed to believe. Martin Luther paved the way for an anti-catholic movement that became protestant by posting his grievances on chapel doors explaining what he thought were faults of the church at that time. Since then though, the catholic church has made reforms and reversed itself on certain traditions and rules that clergy thought were unsuitable at the time.

Answer 3

One of the previous answer states Hail Mary as if it means worship.

According to manu dictionaries, "hail" means welcome and greetings much more than worship.

In the prayer "Hail Mary", Mary's status is given credit as Christ's mother on earth, not as revered to be worshipped. The Catholic Church decided that she is deemed worthy of this distinction, but does not equate her as one to be worshiopped.

Anyway, as for this assertion, the Cathoilc Church ascribes itself to be followers of Christ. As the church has not been deemed as a cult by any major faction in the Christian community, it makes the conclusion that Catholicism is Christian.

As for your explanation, it seems as if the same people you are referring to may be critical of the Catholic Church's history and position on things considered controversial. Christians do observe confession, although the Catholic Church views the priesthood's ordination as one who can bestow forgiveness to the masses.

Protestantism started due to the Catholic Church's poor decision on things centuries ago. I believe that had our current society existed then, many of the protestant churches may not have split away from the Catholic Church (only an opinion)

In our current day and age, however, Catholicism and the remaining Christian community have managed to bridge many gaps to at least have consistencies about basic fundamental truths. Differences between dogmatic theological tenets may maintain a permenent split, but to have anyone state that Catholicism isn't Christianity is baking up the wrong tree!!!!!!

Answer 4

First off, my views. I am a non-denominational Christain, and I disagree with many views of Cathololicism.

Well, yes. Cathollicism is a denomination of Christianity by definition. The problem is that I feel they have broken away from the bible too much. They get distracted by the saints, and Mary, and the apostles, and neglect God. Generally speaking, they make a big deal about people. Bishops, the Pope, ect.

Confessions, I don't feel are necessary, but there's nothing wrong with them, if you understand that forgivness comes from God and only God, through Jesus, not whoever you're confessing to.

Also, salvation does not come from Baptism. Baptism is a show of faith to the world, which should be a personal decision, not something done by parents who want their children to become Christians.

EDIT: Honestly if you want to talk about the first faith, it wasn't Catholicism. Read the book of Acts. There were no Popes, Bishops, ect. There was no denomination. If Catholicism is the first denomination, I wouldn't be bragging about being the first to separate themselves from the origional Church.

Answer 5

Depends on your definition of 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 6

The Protestant Church cites the Bible alone as the source of doctrinal knowledge. The Catholic church, on the other hand, cites the Bible and Tradition. Please consider the following.

". . .the Church, to whom the transmission and interpretation of Revelation is entrusted, does not derive her certainty about all revealed truths from the holy Scriptures alone. Both Scripture and Tradition must be accepted and honored with equal sentiments of devotion and reverence'." (Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraph 82.)

Apparently, it is Tradition that is the source of doctrines which are clearly not taught in the Bible but which the Catholic Church still says are implicit within its text and elucidated through Apostolic Tradition. Some of them are as follows: The Mass, Penance, Veneration of Mary, Purgatory, Indulgences, the Priesthood, the Confessional, the Rosary, Venial and Mortal Sins, and statues in the Church.

The issue is whether or not these teachings of the Roman Catholic Church are credible. Do they accurately represent Christianity? Can they be substantiated with the Bible? Do they contradict the Bible?

Answer 7

properly, I unquestionably have not heard of that the place I stay to be truthful. The Catholic Church is basically between the religions that believes in God and that Jesus became the son of God, an identical simply by fact the Protestant church homes. As one answer mentioned it incredibly is probable based on the chop up that proceeded the formation of the older Protestant church homes. besides the indisputable fact that i'm no longer Catholic I have not have been given any project with the Catholic concept.

Answer 8

The reasons I have come to know of this question of Catholics are not considered Christian,s is this:

The Catholic Church follows the teaching of St. Peter as he was the founder of this religious sect.

Peter was known for following all Jewish customs and as a Jewish practice, it's laws and understandings do not appear to have any base in the current time span Christian religious sect. St Peter was from the tribe of Judah and followed the Jewish traditions and practice. The only difference in Peters teaching and practice for the church he established was the arrival of a long awaited Missah the Jews had longed for. He still practiced the traditions of his ancient religious sect and you would have seen little difference in the "service" of worship from a common temple worship.
Peter still followed all the practices and laws that were typical for that era.

This should not be considered a false claim nor one of dishonor. Jesus after all was also of Jewish decent and practiced the laws and traditions of the religious sect.
Jesus did not teach one way or another on how religious service and structure should be conducted. Jesus did not say to stop worshiping any differently, nor did he say it was necessary to change worship as it was. What he did say was worship was to be done in spirit and truth. This could be done with many different religious sects.

The basic difference in the two sects of religion that follow the Master Jesus as a base leader is this.

St. Paul went to the Non Jewish or gentile bloodlines. Many of whom followed many different faith and spiritual belief systems. Paul was notoriouis for fighting St. Peter in this reguard that the Gentiles were not obligated to follow the traditions of the Jewish religious sect.

All of this discord can be found in the Bible as it is very honest as to the disagreements between the two teachers of Christ in its beginning.

We do have one faith in one saviour and Lord, yet we also are given the liberty under the blood of the Lord to walk our own walk in the faith of him.

It is all about faith in his life and death and adherance to what he taught his followers to do. Instead it has morphed into a distracting arguement of who is a "true" worshiper or follower.

It should be more about Him and less about religious practice and traditions set in place by not only Moses and the tribe of Judah, but also of the Gentiles.

It seems to me that Men made traditions and religious practice, have a tendency to trap many into this thought that there is only one prescribed way to believe in God threw the blood of Jesus Christ.

So in answer to your question as to why Catholic's are not considered Christian? It is ignorance really that even though the Catholic church still follows the same practice as ancient Jewish worship, they are still followers of Jesus blending in their traditions with it.

Answer 9

Roman Catholicism is the first and original form of Christianity, it is the only Christian faith to have existed for 2000 years.! It compiled the first and orginal Bible by 397 a.d. with 73 books! Catholics have used the same Bible for thousands of years! Not everthing that was taught was written, that is why we also have sacred tradition.God bless.

Answer 10

People, or should I say, Protestants, who say such a thing are one of two things. They are 1) stupid or 2) stupid. One or the other, or both.