Catholics vs. real Christians....?

Question

As a non-Christian, I find the charge against Catholics inconceivable. In the 4th Century, two churches existed: the Roman Catholic and the Eastern Orthodox Church. The Roman Catholic Church would not allow the common people to read the Bible until the Reformation when Protestants demanded to have a Bible in the common language. If Catholicism is not Christianity, then where do Protestants get their authority for Christianity? Fifteen hundred years is a mighty long gap for a religion.
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This "unbeliever" is a Jew-by-choice.
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Answer 1

I'm not sure we Catholics really enjoy, or go out of our way, to argue the merits of our religion with anyone. I think we are tired of hearing we are going to hell by virtue of the fact that we are Catholics and we feel compelled to defend our faith.

From the postings I have seen there are far more attacks on the Catholic faith by other Christians than any other religious group. Even more than the atheists!

Well, they say "ignorance is bliss" and I am resting in the fact that there must be a lot of very happy non-Catholics out there!

L'Chaim!

Answer 2

The real difference is some small differentiations in the bible translations and certain traditional belief's. I am considered a crib catholic(born catholic) and have also attended non-denominational masses with some friends. The main difference I've always noticed is the lack of deep traditional styles. Catholics have traditional songs and ways of performing mass that are "strict" and hundreds of years old, while the nondenominational decide to throw in "Christian Rock" or "Rap" and other things, which is good in its own way. The catholics normally say "Our way or the highway" while nondenominational tend to say "O.K., if you think so". Now if you want to compare Catholic to newer denominational churches such as Lutherans and Methodists, and etc., then the big differences lay in the old details and, once again, the bible. The only reason those churches came into being is because the catholic church was at one point corrupt during a period when the people relied on it. There are also some philosophical differences also, such as the lutheran church believes that everyone is born with the right into heaven, but they have to lose it to go to hell. Then the Catholic church believes that you have to earn your way to heaven through living a whole fully good natured life. There are many other minor details, and many of these were just examples, but for a short answer this is what I thought would be good to give you. Also, if anyone finds this answer offensive, I apologize, because I in no way intended this to offend. Also keep in mind, I'm 15.

Answer 3

You are right to some extent, but wrong on several points. First, the Orthodox Churches didn't exist until the 11th Century. For more than 1,000 years after Christ the Catholic Church, the one Church founded by Jesus Christ, was the only Christian Church in existence. Second, the Catholic Church did not forbid reading of the Bible, except during a few brief periods when inaccurate, heretical "Bibles" were being disseminated by Protestants, and the Church took steps to protect people from such materials. Third, the Catholic Church had already translated the Bible into 14 common languages more than 50 years before Martin Luther was born. Fourth, the Bible began to be freely distributed in the 16th Century not because of any supposed demands by Protestants, but simply because the printing press was invented then. The Bible was the first book printed on the new machine by its inventor, Johannes Guttenberg, a Catholic.

Answer 4

Just a side note: the Roman Catholic Church and Eastern Orthodox Church were officially just one big Church, until 1054 when the See of Rome broke off communion with the rest of Christendom.

Answer 5

You bring up a very good point about the absurdity of the false charges that some Protestants make about the Church. I say false because it simply isn't true that the Church kept the Bible away from the common people. It was economics that did that. Until the printing press, books were very expensive. Usually the local Church had a copy that was available for the people to read. Because of their expense (and you just couldn't order a replacement on Amazon.com), they were also chained so that thieves couldn't come in and steal them.

Answer 6

christianity is a religion based on the teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. the eastern orthodox have deeper roots in judeism but follow the teachings of christ.

catholics still follow the teachings of christ but in their own way. and protostents follow the teachings of christ in their own way. as long as they stick to them.

the bible doesnt say "only a preist can read the bible, vernacular is a sin" and the protestants thought that its dumb that they arent allowed to read the bible. so because it isnt in the bible that they were not allowed to read it they can make a religion that follows the rules and allows them read it.

the basic form for christianity is the 10 commandments. if your religion is based on them as well as the teachings in the new testament then it can be called a christian religion. it doesnt matter what the rest of the rules are as long as you follow the basics. like writing an essay, as long as your thesis statement is on topic your essays body can differ from other peoples in content as long as it is on topic.

catholics are one of the early christian religions because it was the height of the roman empire when jesus was supposed to have been born and it was the romans who had him killed. they eventually took on the teachings and made it their official religion. based purly on his teachings. catholicism is an offshoot of judeism because the teachings of jesus were basic jewish rules minus some of the outdated stuff and he added some of his own ideas as do many religions. the catholicism we know today is a corrupted version from the middle ages when the world revolved around the idea of feudilism. after the middle ages in the reformation feudalism was gone and the commoner was rising up again and the roman latin was no longer the vernacular. this caused problems among the common man because they were losing faith because they had no idea what was being said just they knew they were supposed to listen. human nature makes us want to know the unkown. and some preists agreed. martin luther is one of them. he stated that the bible doesnt say only presists can read it and it doesnt say that only preists can have wine at communion. so he made a religion based on the christian modle that followed the bible but gave its followers more freedom and more rights.

this means protestants have every right to be christians jsut as much as a catholic because there is no one "christian" religion. christianity is a genera if you will, of religions that follow a basic template. the new testament and the 10 commandments.



after all that is said i will tell you this. i am a militant atheist who finds religion as a whole, be it taoism christianity or even islam. and i just ranted in defence of the catholics a religion that i despise more than any other as well as defending other christian religions which i still cannot stand.

Answer 7

A "Christian" is a religious follower who adheres to Christianity, a monotheistic religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as presented in the New Testament.
A "Christian" believes that Jesus is God manifested in the flesh, who died for our sins and rose again.
Catholics believe that...they also believe other things, but as far as Catholics being Christians, they are.

Answer 8

The RC church is now in Unity with the Eastern Orthodox again. Well, the frustrating numbers of divisions in the church of Jesus Christ is the reason that theologians were loath to let the barely literate read the bible on their own.

Since our saints and founders of our RC faith wrote the Bible and many of the historical books from the first five centuries or so, how is it possible that our history is revisionist, wouldn't the first history to any scholar be considered the most accurate and the ones that come later be considered "revisionist"?

Answer 9

!. Catholics are the original Catholics at Pentecost.

2. The Church did not divide until 1054.

3. The language of the Church is Latin and no one has ever been forbidden from reading the book produced and canonized by the Church. Up until Vatican II all Catholics knew Latin and could go anywhere in the world and hear and read the Word in the language of the Church. Latin is and was the common language of the Church.

4. Protestants have no authority from Christ . The remains for all time in the Catholic Church which is the enduring Church , the bulwark and ground of the truth that the gates of hell will never prevail against. Christ promised all of mankind these things so that the Church will always be the ark through which all are saved.

In Christ
Fr. Joseph

Answer 10

Protestants are reformed catholics. Luther, who started the reformation never intended to start a new church. Most of the issues that have caused the reformation has been addressed, after the reformation, by the Catholic Church. The Church of God consist of all Christions, wheather they are Catholic, Orthodox or Protestant. Everybody can find the place of worship where they feel comfortable.