Religion, Catholic and Christian. What is the difference?

Question

How you please explain all the differences please?

Answer 1

Catholicism is just a sect of Christianity. Catholics worship the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, just like other Christians. They do not worship the pope, Mary, or any of the other saints. They believe in the necessity of Christ’s death in order to achieve salvation. There are some differences between Catholicism and and other Protestant sects, however. Here are the main ones:

1. Saints. Catholics will pray to saints, asking them to intercede on their behalf. Protestants don't do this, and don't really have saints. I believe one reason is they sometimes think of this as worship, naturally forbidden. Also, Catholics believe Mary was born without sin (the "immaculate conception"). Protestants do not.
2. Structure. Catholicism has a hierarchical structure with the pope at the top, then cardinals, bishops, priests, deacons, other religious, and laypeople. This is not to say Catholics follow the pope mindlessly or above God, just that he acts as a father and a guide for the Church. Protestants do not have this structure, but rely on small self-governing communities.
3. The Bible. Because Protestants don't have a Church structure the way Catholics do, Protestants often end up paying a lot more attention to the Bible, memorizing passages etc. It seems to them that Catholics ignore the Scriptures and so the word of Christ. Some people even say that Catholics are forbidden from reading the Bible. That's all untrue. One big difference that is true, however, is that Protestants believe that God's will is solely expressed for us in the Bible. Catholics believe it is in the Bible and in the Church.
4. The Eucharist. Catholics say that the Eucharist is the essence of Christ, present with them. They worship Christ in and through the Eucharist. Protestants (generally) think the Eucharist is bread, symbolic of Christ, but not actually Christ.
5. Salvation. Generally, Protestants believe that salvation can only come from accepting Christ as your savior. Essentially, no matter how good a person is on their own, because they're not perfect, they wouldn't be able to make it to heaven if it weren't for Chirst's sacrifice. Catholics believe this is true, but that you also have to 'walk the walk, not just talk the talk.' Salvation is based on the acceptance of Christ as savior combined with good works.

Answer 2

there are a number of differences. at first, we have confidence that The Bread and wine is the physique and blood of christ - and positively it incredibly is after the priest has consecrated it. it incredibly is an emblem that God has saved mans soul, and he (God) can not be conquered! His countless understanding shall reign very only right in this worldwide and the subsequent. The term christian does incorporate Catholic, Protestant (from the word Protestor) might describe different non-catholic faiths. The Catholic faith became the only church based via God, different religions via a mans imaginative and prescient of God. The Protestants faith does not continually incorporate the Jewish traditions the Catholic church acknowledges. The Catholic bible is likewise extra complete, and precise without a protestant ministers very own interpretation.

Answer 3

Religion: People's attempt to get closer to God. They do this with doing good works, going to church, etc. We can't get to Heaven this way though, because we have sinned.

Christianity: God's attempt to have a relationship with people. He did this by sacrificing his Son to forgive our sins. All people need to do is accept His free gift of grace and they can get into Heaven.

Christian: A person that accepted God's free gift of salvation and follows the true Christ as his/her Lord and Savior.

Catholic: A denomination (group of churches with similar beliefs) of Christianity. A person may or may not be a Christian and a Catholic. Just like a person may or may not be a Christian and be a Baptist or any other denomination. In other words, going to church does not make a person be a Christian, but Christians go to church. We do this in part to encourage one another toward love and good deeds, to worship God and because families get together.

Answer 4

All Catholics are Christian. Not all Christians are Catholic. A Christian is simply one who believes the Bible and that Jesus is their savior. A Catholic believes all this and believes that the Pope is the only person who has direct contact with their god. They almost worship Mary (I said almost so any Catholics who want to deny it and yell at me fine, but it's true) and the rest of the saints.

Answer 5

"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 6

The phenomenon found in some Christian groups. It appears to work like this:


"if you don't believe that faith alone saves, then you must believe that you can work your way into Heaven (something Catholics are constantly falsely accused of believing),"
"if you don't believe in sola scriptura, then you are a follower of the 'traditions of men',"
"if you think we can cooperate in our salvation, then you're saying that Christ isn't enough,"
"if you believe that one can freely turn his back on God, then you're denying God's omnipotence," .
These either/or arguments consist of an "if" statement, coupled with an implied premise that amounts to a false dichotomy, and followed by an invalid conclusion.

Catholic rebuttals to these sorts of assertions often rely on the heavy use of prepositions:


"we are saved by grace, through faith and works inspired by the Holy Spirit's love,"
"the source of Christian Truth is the Church that is guided by the Holy Spirit and which is both the source of and is bound by Sacred Scripture,"
"we are saved solely by the grace of the Cross, with which we must co-operate,"
"God can do whatever He wants, whenever He wants, but He chose to give us free will with which we can freely choose Him," .

It's been said that the Catholic Church is a "both/and" Church; another way of saying it is that, when arguing with Protestants, we are a "Yes, but..." Church:


"Yes, grace saves through faith -- but a faith that works,"
"Yes, Christ is the only way to the Father, but we Christians co-operate with Him in His divine plan and therefore, in a real but limited sense, play a co-redemptive role in salvation history,"
"Yes, we must be born again, but 'born again' refers to Baptism,"
"Yes, Christ is the Spiritual Rock of the Church, but He made Peter the earthly Rock" .

Answer 7

Catholics are Christians, and they were around a long time before Protestants came along.

Answer 8

protestants don't seem to know it, but they are the daughters of the Mother Harlot church. (rev. 17 & 18)

even the new Pope (ratzinger) made this claim.... he said, the protestant churches are not their sister churches, they are their daughters. if you read the article, you'll see that the pope made this comment b/c he cited the fact that they have the same baptism ... that is what bonds them together.

little did he know he was quoting scripture right out of rev. 17!

they both use a false form of baptism that does not remit sin.

the apostles ALWAYS baptized "in the name of the Lord Jesus".... not "in the name of the father, son & holy ghost".
these are titles... Not a name.
titles have NO power to remit sin.
only the name of Jesus can do that b/c it is His blood that covers our sin during baptism.
baptism (Jesus' blood) cleanses us from all our sin....
that is its PURPOSE.
baptism is NOT an outward experssion of an inward belief....
acts 2:38 says baptism is necessary & has a purpose.

neither do the catholics/protestants believe in the infilling of the Holy Ghost w/ the evidence of speaking in other tongues (languages) (acts 2, 2:4, 8, 10 19).

acts 2:38 - Peter said, "Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost."

acts 2:4 - "they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance."

this is bible .... not something believed on by cults. this is the teaching of Jesus Christ (john 3) & of the apostles (apostolic churches believe & experience the same).

cath. & protestants both believe in Jesus, but have twisted biblical doctrine (the "apostles doctrine").

by reading the book of acts, you will find what the "apostles doctrine" is (taught to them by Jesus Christ when they spent 40 days & nights w/ Jesus in the Upper Room. He explained to them the Kingdom of God).

all churches today should follow the same doctrine today that the apostles taught.
apostolic churches do.

there are other differences in catholic/protestant beliefs... but they are of no consequence if you get salvation wrong.

thanks be to God that He has revealed His Word & His Spirit to those that truly seek Him.

Answer 9

Religion: Any belief that follows a god or gods.
Catholic: One of many Christian denominations
Christian: A follower of the Christian bible. Could be any one of numerous denominations.

Answer 10

Christianity is really not a religion. Religion has a set of rules and rituals to follow to try to please God and win His favor. God has told us that He wants us to have a personal relationship with His Son, Jesus. Jesus is not a religion He is the living person who once died for our sins and now lives again. The two commandments that Jesus gave us are to love God with all of our heart, soul and mind. The other one is to love others as ourselves. The only mention of religion that God makes in the New Testament is; James 1:27 (New International Version) "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world."

May God bless you as you walk with Jesus.