I've heard many Catholics say they're not Christian, they're Catholic. What's the difference?
2007-10-01 16:07:42 · 23 answers · asked by Jenn 7 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Catholics are Christians. Sometimes I'm sure Catholics want to make sure it is clear to someone asking that they are of the Catholic faith and this implies something different than simply being a denomination of Christianity.
2007-10-03 13:53:04 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
If you have heard Catholics say that then I would say they were not really Catholics. Catholics know they are the first Christians. There must have been some sort of confusion with the question.
2007-10-01 16:19:47 · answer #2 · answered by Midge 7 · 5⤊ 0⤋
Catholics were the first Christians!
2007-10-01 16:37:23 · answer #3 · answered by girlscuba1 2 · 3⤊ 0⤋
I love your ID!
I've never heard a Catholic claim not to be a Christian, and I have known many Catholics. Conversely, I have heard Protestants insist that Catholics are not Christians when, of course, they are! Roman Catholics are the original Christians; there was no Christian Church before it was established in Rome. Every Christian sect maintains that it is in sole possession of the "Truth", thus is the only legitimate church; the debate in never ending and never resolved because all religion is a matter of faith and therefore unprovable.
2007-10-01 16:23:00 · answer #4 · answered by Lynci 7 · 2⤊ 1⤋
The big difference is that the Catholic Church is ONE, HOLY, CATHOLIC AND APOSTOLIC. It is the one true Faith. All the other brands of Protestants are the sects that, basically, sprang forth from the error of Martin Luther. And that is why they all commonly reject, for example, Purgatory which has many clear Biblical references.
Our name is Christian our surname is Catholic.
"Schneb" has posted some pretty extraordinary (but typical) protestant claims. Every claim he has made is utterly false!
I'm not going to spend time pointing out the errors in all of his claims because refuting one of his errors should indicate that he has no credibilty.
Schneb wrote:
"Catholics believe Peter was the first Pope and NOT married.
Christians stand by the Bible that he was married.
Mark 1:30" (my emphasis)
Adviso writes: Catholics believe NOTHING of the sort! The following is what Catholics believe:
On the contrary, we believe that St. Peter WAS married. He was a married man when our Lord called him to the Apostolate. But he left his wife, with her consent of course, to follow Christ. Thus in St. Matthew XIX., 27, "Peter answering said to Him 'Behold we have left all things and have followed Thee.'" And Jesus replied, "Everyone that hath left house or brethren or sisters or father or mother or WIFE or children or lands for My Names's sake shall receive a hundredfold and possess life everlasting." (my emphasis)
This should sufficiently demonstrate that "Schneb" cannot be trusted.
2007-10-01 17:00:12 · answer #5 · answered by Adviso 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It feels like there will have been a false impression, probably she did not articulate herself very good. If you are definite that is now not the case, then it could now not be a well thought to permit anybody so dumb force you round from right here on. ;) All Catholics are Christians, however now not all Christians are Catholic. Catholics have a Pope. The Catholic Church is the first Christian Church. Catholics consider that Christ in my opinion began the Catholic (common) church on St. Peter (who's regarded the first Pope), that Christ promised that the gates of Hades might not ever be successful in opposition to His church, and that the Holy Spirit courses the church and protects her from doctrinal errors in concerns of religion and morals. Catholics see the Catholic Church as Holy for those explanations. We name ourselves Christians too, however in view that the protestant reformation, the time period "Christian" has come to be so accepted and loosely implemented, we generally tend to decide upon to spot ourselves as "Catholic" when you consider that it's specified. There are an alarming quantity of humans who name themselves Christians whilst denying the trinity, or believing the resurrection did not particularly occur, amongst different heresies. Can you particularly blame us for who prefer "Catholic" while you recollect the confusion that has happened in protestantism, with their never-ending denominations and conflicting ideals approximately Christ and salvation?
2016-09-05 14:20:12 · answer #6 · answered by atchley 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Not all Christians are Catholic, but all Catholics are Christians. Therefore, when one proclaims him/herself to be a "Catholic", their status as a member of Christianity is implied.
It's the same when someone claism to be Lutheran, Methodist, Evangelical, etc. I know the Lutheran, the Methodist, the Evangelical, are Christians. Even though they are not using the word "Christian", the implication is there.
2007-10-02 05:58:43 · answer #7 · answered by Daver 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I see Shneb has nit-picked reasons Catholics and Christians are different...People thought like that and the bloody 'Cold War' happened between Protestants and Catholics. (which, BTW, is the reason we have separation of church and state and the Treaty of Tripoli states that America was not found on Christianity) I think they are similar enough to both be called Christians and I have seen/heard/read many times Catholics who label themselves as Christian.
2007-10-01 16:22:38 · answer #8 · answered by strpenta 7 · 4⤊ 1⤋
If Catholics used such language it was only for the benefit of poorly-informed Protestants that they were tired of explaining it all to. Catholicism, Protestantism and Eastern Orthodoxy are the three main branches of the Christian tradition. It is the differences between these branches of Christianity that you'll want to explore.
2007-10-01 16:39:51 · answer #9 · answered by jamesfrankmcgrath 4 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Most that I have talked to say that they are Catholic Christians.
2007-10-01 16:14:13 · answer #10 · answered by † PRAY † 7 · 6⤊ 0⤋