What is the Difference Between A Protestant and a Catholic?

Question

I know that the catholics and protestants are christian andall that...but can someone tell me some real differences between a protestant and a catholic

Answer 1

My Friend,
You have a very valid and wonderful question, that many dare not, nor care not to ask. Protestants came from the Protesting of the Princes during the mid 1500's and the Reformation(reforming of the Church back to Bible teachings over traditions and commandments of men).Matt.15:1-9. Catholics believe that their Authority is given to them from God down through Mother Mary and the Pope.They believe that only the Priests can rightfully interpet Scripture.Thus, the majority of Catholic Church's do not encourage people to study the Bible individually, not rellying on the Holy Spirit to work in each and every individual believer to teach us all things and to lead us into all Truth. John 16:13-15, 14:26,15-18. But sincere Protestants believe that Jesus Christ is the only true intercessor/mediator between God and man.1TIM. 2:5. And they believe that all authority comes strictly from and is backed up by the Bible and the Bible alone for all sound doctrine. MATT.4:4, And given only one interpretation by means of the Holy Spirit in all real believers. 2Peter 1:20-21. This is a solid foundation to go by.May the Lord lead you into all understanding on this matter.Through Jesus Christ our LORD. Love, Sister Chriist, and Pastor B

Answer 2

The best way to answer this, I think, is simply to point out the history. First, Catholics are Christians. The correct distinction is Catholic and Protestant.

The Catholic Church is the original church founded by Christ 2,000 years ago. She has faithfully taught, protected, and spread His teaches throughout the ages.

Protestantism is a movement that occurred around the year 1500 called the Protestant Reformation. It is a revolt against the authority of the Catholic Church.

In general, most Christians believe the same basic things - baptism and repentance of sins, accepting Jesus as their Lord and Savior, and following Him. However, the divisions occur over more in-depth doctrinal issues.

Within Protestantism, it is very difficult to explain what the different denominations believe because there are so many different ones. The reason there are so many is because of differences in interpretation of scripture. When disagreements arise, the typical outcome is a particular denomination/church will split, forming two different, unrelated, often rivaling, churches. This fracturing effect is more or less a built-in element within Protestantism. Currently there are some 54,000 different denominations - and growing. The irony is that while each one is different from the other, each claims to have the correct teachings of Christ.

Please do not think I am bashing Protestants. The Church teaches that all Christians - protestant and Catholics - are brothers and sisters in Christ. However, when one takes an objective look at the history and mechanics of Protestantism and Catholicism, the things I explained above are what come to light.

I strongly encourage everyone to ask the question you did, because honest questions help one to get to the truth, which is what we're all seeking (Christ).

God bless and take care.

Answer 3

The word Protestant means protest the church- which church you might ask? well the Catholic church! Martin Luther was a Catholic priest and got a revelation from God that a wafer did not become the actual body of Jesus as the Pope taught and the wine did not become the actual blood after it was blessed by the Priest. He thought of about 91 other things the church did he did not like and posted a notice upon the church door in Germany. This was the beginning of the Protestant church. And other Churches that formed latter fell in with these Protest of the original Catholic church.
The word Catholic means Universal church and this church was also a Political power that divided into East and West, the Eastern church was in Turkey and latter became the orthodox Catholic and the Western is what latter became known as the Roman Catholic church, because of being based in the city of Rome as was the political power.
Now the Protestant church also became a Political power in England because the Kings there did not like the alliances with Rome by it's people so they preferred the Protestant church so they could start over and make their own rulers, calling them Cardinals and Bishops instead of Popes

Answer 4

There is a line in the Gospels where Jesus instructs Peter to build His church. Catholics believe they are directly descended from this first church, with Peter having been the first pope. Catholics practice the religion using using a blend of tradition, sacred ceremony, personal faith, and acts. They do not take the Bible as a literal, word-for-word histroy book in its entirety, but rather a "communications" book.

The Protestant reformation started when Martin Luther was dissatisfied with the way the Catholic Church was at the time, and proposed a sect that focused more on personal interaction with the divine and personal study of the scriptures.

Personally, I don't see one as being all that much better than the other. They're just two different ways of going about Christianity. There are hundreds of other sects who believe their combination is the best.

Answer 5

Catholics believe that the Pope is the divinely appointed leader of all Christians, and that he is infallible when speaking in his official capacity as Pope. They believe that the saints will intervene with God if you pray for their help, and that if you confess your sins to a priest and do penance, you can be forgiven your sins.

A Protestant believes that the Pope is merely a man, no more infallible than any other man. Beyond that, the differences vary - in many ways, Anglicans/Episcopalians are Catholics without the Pope. Baptists don't believe in saints, and some of them believe that you can't be baptized until you're an adult because you have to be able to accept Jesus in full knowledge of your sinfulness and need of salvation.

Check http://www.religioustolerance.org/christ.htm for information on some of the major differences.

Answer 6

A Protestant believes in a confessional faith, a Catholic in an universal doctrine. Protestants protested against the excesses and errors of the papacy. Catholics held to the faith they had quod semper, ubique, et ab omnes (For all times, in all places, and by all peoples). Some Catholics hold that there is no church without the Pope, others treat him as simply first among equals (Bishops), others still hold to the univesality of the faith independent of Pope or hierarchy.

[The reverence for Mary as the mother of Jesus is also held by many Protestant and Orthodox Christians, and believe it or not by Moslems. (cf. al Qu"ran, surah 3 Aal-e-Imran) Buddhists also worship saints, they call them boddhisatvas, and Catholics properly revere saints, asking their prayers rather than worshipping them. "Seeing that we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us run with patience the race that is set before us looking to Christ Who is the author and finisher of our faith." (Hebrews) Icons are used by orthodox christians as windows into heaven, to believe Catholics worship them as idols is ludicrous. While many Protestants emphasize the priesthood of all believers, there are those particularly Anglicans, some Lutherans and Methodists and Presbyterians who hold to the continuance of an historic priesthood as a valid ministry of the One True Priest, Jesus Christ. Protestants will emphasize the ministry of the Word as important over the ministry of sacraments and ordinances. Who's more ritualistic? Honestly it's a toss up. And Protestants can't really claim the prize for open-mindedness, just look at some of the answers. The Bible belongs to the Church, not the Church to the Bible, how do you think it came to be in your hands? Martin Luther said of confession that if it didn't exist the Church would have to invent it, because he believed it to be of the essence of Christian ministry even it not one of the two sacraments ordained by Christ for salvation. The primacy of the Pope rests upon the pseudo-Isadorean Decretals and the Donation of Constantine, rather than the verse from Matthew, which was an afterthought. From the earliest times there have frequently been multiple popes, even in Rome itself and no one can say for sure that Peter ever conferred this on a successor, the answer having gone to the grave with the martyrs. If he indeed did so would it not have been his protege Mark who settled in Alexandria?. Papal infalibility is a relatively recent dogma and limited in scope, its promulgation dating long after the Reformation. Most of the Popes of Western Europe throughout the 19th and 20th Centuries trace their apostolic succession to one man, Napoleon's Archbishop Talleyrand, an avowed atheist. The Church is an anvil that has broken many hammers.]

Answer 7

"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

I think that the main difference is that protestants don't pray to mary and saints. Protestants tend to be more open minded and I think, involved in the church. Catholics have to confess through the priest. Protestants know that they can talk directly to God without having to talk to some random man.

Answer 9

The primary difference is that the Catholic tradition requires much ritual that is not instructed in the bible, a focus on works to earn God's favour, and a tendency to much bureaucracy in the Church, including a pope considered to be infallible, and Mary worship, saints worship, Icon worship.
The Protestant faith is wholly based on the bible and the grace of God, not on works, and Jesus himself is our priest, not the man in the confessional.
There are many common elements the two faiths share, but you asked for the differences.

Answer 10

Like the differences between the Jews and the Samaritans. Like the Samaritans, the protestants are outside of the centre of Unity, and their self-appointments are a false priesthood, and their self-appointed "churches" are their high places of undesignated worship, and in their departure, in the great falling away that took place with the man of lawlessness, Martin Luther, they have lost all Faith in the Covenant, and have no direct link to GOD as relating to those living as children in HIS One House. Their wanderings have led to acceptance of original sin, and no hope of ridding themselves of it. They commit sacrilege against the HOLY SPIRIT in the Sacraments, and their whole religion is either a satanism that ascribes satan's ways of immorality to the TRUE GOD, treating HIS Mercy as a license to offend HIM, or, as in the case of seventh day adventists, they wholly strive after a code, never grasping the SPIRIT of the Law of GOD, and being dull witted about Love and actually living in the Real Life of GOD.

I was long a protestant, and I say these things with no individual in mind, but to be honest for the benefit of all.

pseudo-Catholics are no better, but that is a matter of a heart not responding well to the perfect Religion, which is to be reconnected to CHRIST HIS Way.