Christians & catholics,whats the difference?

Question

ive always wondered,and no one i asked KNOWS!

Answer 1

That's because there is no difference. Catholics were the first Christians...

Answer 2

I’ve done some studying myself (ex-protestant who is now Catholic) and this is how I’ve always answered it:

The difference between the two starts off historically. The Catholic Church is THE Church founded by Christ 2,000 years ago, given the deposit of faith and authority by Him. Protestantism is a break for the Church 500 years ago.

I normally don’t attempt to explain protestant beliefs because I feel it is futile. Protestantism as a whole is a huge collection of thousands of denominations/sects that at their base, believe in Christ, but in their doctrines, do not believe or teach the same things, yet each claims to be right. The contradictions always look like a bee swarm of biblical confusion in my head.

Christ gave us one Faith and one Church. He gave us one way to worship, the Holy Mass. Period. He didn’t give us different ways to worship or different ways to interpret the Faith. There is ONLY one way, just like there is only ONE Faith and ONE Church. After all, it points to Jesus, Who is the ONE way, ONE truth, and ONE Life.

One.

God bless and take care.

Answer 3

There are many doctrinal differences between Catholics and Protestants ... some have been mentioned so far ...
- Catholics believe Mary was sinless and remained a virgin throughout her life ... protestants do not.
- Catholics believe that the Pope has direct authority from God ... protestants don't.
- Catholics pray to "the saints" or ask the saints to pray for them.
- Catholics believe in many earthly symbols - statues of saints, rosary beads, relics of saints (body parts sometimes) kept in churches ... protestants consider those things idolatrous.

Protestants are called protestants because they follow in the tradition of Martin Luther, who protested against the Catholic church when he nailed his 95 theses to the church door at Wittenberg.

He protested mainly against the offering of indulgences by the church - buying something that could help atone for sins, and the concept of penance for sin. Protestants believe in being repentant, but that Christ paid for it all and that no amount of penance (saying Hail Mary prayers among other things) can help pay for our sins.

Answer 4

Catholics are the original Christians and trace their faith back to when Jesus started the Catholic Church in 33 A.D. The Catholic Church is not considered a denomination because it is THE Church. Denominations are those Churches that exist outside of the Catholic Church that Christ established.

The Catholic Church compiled the Bible and Catholics wrote the New Testament.

Non-Catholic Christians follow only the Bible (a Catholic book) - but they do not follow the Church itself, regarding tradition, guidance, leadership and many doctrinal teachings.

Answer 5

The Catholic church is one of three major divisions within the Christian church. When the Roman Empire began to split in the early Middle Ages, so did the Christian church. the Western Church continued to look to Roman as the location for the leader of the church (what we today called the Pope), while the Eastern church looked to several bishops in Asia.

Around 1000 AD, the two halves of the church official split with each other. One became known as the Roman Catholic church. The other became the Orthodox church, which as further split into smaller groups often named for countries (Greek Orthodox, Russian Orthodox, etc).

In the 1500's there was another major split in the church called the Protestant Reformation. It began in German and quickly spread through Europe. Got a major boost when Henry the VIII of England converted England to a Protestant country. Churches such as the Baptist, Methodist, Luthern, Prebyterian, etc. have all come out of the Reformation and later revivals.

The Catholic church still holds many beliefs and traditions which grown up over the 2000 years that the Christian church as existed. Some that are "unique" to them are a belief that the bread and wine of communion actually transfoms physically into the body and blood of Jesus. They believe in praying to Mary, and teach that she was sinless, virgin born, and ascended to heaven. They also permit prayer to other saints. They believe that you have to confess your sins to a priest to receive forgiveness. They forbid priest to marry or women to be ministers within the church. They believe that the Pope is the "Vicar of Jesus", meaning it stands in his place and authority on earth, and can issue statements of belief that hold the authority of scripture within the church.

Answer 6

"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.

http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/pontifical_councils/chrstuni/documents/rc_pc_chrstuni_doc_31101999_cath-luth-joint-declaration_en.html

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.

For more information, see the Catechism of the Catholic Church: http://www.usccb.org/catechism/text/index.htm

With love in Christ.

Answer 7

I *think* Christians don't play up the importance of Mary as Catholics do. At least that's what my coworker once said and he's Christian and I am Catholic. He said - we don't pray to Mary for salvation, only God can grant that. Also, Catholics have nuns and priests who are supposed to be celibate. Christians have pastors (I believe) who can get married.
This may mean that while Catholic faith (not I) believe priests can absolve sins and the pope is infallible, Christians believe that only God is infallible and can absolve sins. I'm not sure but that kind of follows a logical path.

Answer 8

Catholics ARE Christians.

The Protestant church branched off from the Catholic church during the Reformation, but both groups qualify as "Christian."

Catholicism is NOT a denomination. It's completely separate.

Baptists, Methodists, etc. are all Protestants. The main differences are faith vs. work, saints, and the whole priesthood thing.

Answer 9

Catholics ARE Christians! Christians include Catholics, Church of England, Baptist, Methodist and some others.

As I understand it the different between Catholics and the rest of the Christians is that they believe the Pope is divine and they also worship Mary as a divinity.

Answer 10

I think you mean the difference between Protestants and Catholics. Catholics and Protestants are two different sects of Christians.

From what I understand, both believe in the Bible.
However, Catholics believe that the Pope is the chief authority on Earth regarding the Word of God, and Protestants don't. I'm pretty sure that's the main difference.

Answer 11

The Roman Catholic Church contends that its origin is the death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ in approximately 30 A.D. The Catholic Church proclaims itself to be the Church that Jesus Christ died for, the Church that was established and built by the Apostles. Is that the true origin of the Catholic Church? On the contrary. Even a cursory reading of the New Testament will reveal that the Catholic Church does not have its origin in the teachings of Jesus, or His apostles. In the New Testament, there is no mention of the papacy, worship / adoration of Mary (or the immaculate conception of Mary, the perpetual virginity of Mary, the assumption of Mary, or Mary as co-redemptrix and mediatrix), petitioning saints in Heaven for their prayers, apostolic succession, the ordinances of the church functioning as sacraments, infant baptism, confession of sin to a priest, purgatory, indulgences, or the equal authority of church tradition and Scripture.