Whats the difference between Christianity and Catholicism?

Answer 1

Catholicism is the most direct descendent of the original Christian Church, which has split numerous times throughout its history. Christianity refers to all that still believe in the doctrines of the Nicene Creed--but some Protestants insist they're the only legitimate Christians.

Answer 2

Christianity is a blanket term for believers in Jesus Christ as the Saviour and includes Roman Catholics. Roman Catholics believe they have the one true faith and that ALL nonCatholics, whether good Christians, Jews, Muslims, etc., will not get into heaven. Christianity includes many different religions, Roman Catholicism, Orthodox Christianity, Protestant churches (United Methodist, Lutherans, Presbyterians, etc). Christianity is an inclusive term while Catholicism is an exclusionary term.

Answer 3

This is such a broad question it is quite difficult to answer. If you are asking about religions such an Buddhism, Muslim, Shintoism, Christianity and Judaism, the commonality doesn't extend much beyond the belief in the existence of a Supreme Being. If you are asking about different Christian faiths such as Lutheranism, Methodism, Baptist, Catholicism and Presbyterianism there are many more common beliefs such as the Blessed Trinity, the necessity of baptism, and the efficacy of Jesus' sacrifice.

How many times do we have to say in this forum Catholics are Christians!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Roman Catholicism is a Christian denomination. The name "Catholic Church" originated in 107 AD when Ignatius of Antioch used the phrase to describe Jesus' "Church.

Catholics adhere to the teachings of Jesus Christ who founded this Church. Acts 11,26 defines Christian an "adherent" of Christ. The word Catholic simply means the larger or universal church. The early church fathers were the first to use it. For example the epistles of James, Peter, John and Jude are referred to as the Catholic Epistles. So when we say the Catholic Church, we mean the universal Christian Church.


Anti-Catholics often suggest that Catholicism did not exist prior to the Edict of Milan, which was issued in 313 AD and made Christianity legal in the Roman Empire. With this, pagan influences began to contaminate the previously untainted Christian Church. In no time, various inventions adopted from paganism began to replace the gospel that had been once for all delivered to the saints. At least, that is the theory.


This accusation does not hold water because Jesus Christ promised to guide his Church till the end of the age.


"And so I tell you. Peter; you are a rock, and on this rock foundation I will build my church, and not even death will ever be able to overcome it. I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of heaven; what you prohibit on earth will be prohibited in heaven and what you permit on earth will be permitted in heaven." - Matthew 16,18-20


"And teach them to obey everything I have commanded you. And I will be with you always, to the end of the age." - Matthew 28,20


"I have told you this while I am still with you, The Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything and make you remember all that I have told you". - John 14, 25


"When, however, the Spirit comes who reveals the truth about God, he will LEAD YOU INTO ALL TRUTH." - John 16,13

After making the above promises are you now saying that Jesus cannot be relied upon to keep his word?

Worry about your own salvation because you rejected the Church founded by Jesus Christ. After the return of the 72 this is what Jesus said to those who rejected them.

“He that heareth you heareth me; and he that despiseth you despiseth me; and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me.” – Luke 10, 16 (KJV)


Pagan Influence Fallacy

Opponents of the Church often attempt to discredit Catholicism by attempting to show similarities between it and the beliefs or practices of ancient paganism.


Ultimately, all attempts to prove Catholicism "pagan" fail. Catholic doctrines are neither borrowed from the mystery religions nor introduced from pagans after the conversion of Constantine. To make a charge of paganism stick, one must be able to show more than a similarity between something in the Church and something in the non-Christian world. One must be able to demonstrate a legitimate connection between the two, showing clearly that one is a result of the other, and that there is something wrong with the non-Christian item.


In the final analysis, nobody has been able to prove these things regarding a doctrine of the Catholic faith, or even its officially authorized practices. The charge of paganism just doesn’t work.

Answer 4

Christianity is a religion. Catholicism is a branch of Christianity.

Answer 5

Catholicism is Christianity. There are a variety of splinter groups who relentlessly compete in terms of extremism,until you get to the bottom of the barrel with so-called fundamentalism,which is simply hate-mongering camaflauged as Christianity. 75% of professed Christians are Catholic. Another 20% are fairly sound in their current teachings,particularly Lutherans and Presbyterians. I personally do not consider fundies to be Christian at all; they are - theologically - Messianic Jews.

Answer 6

Roman Catholocism is just 1 denomination within christianity.

The problem is that most protestants believe that many of Catholics doctrines are not Biblical and are based on pagan religions.

This may be true, but the essence of catholocism is still the same Jesus that the protestants worship, but is not the same Jesus as the Jehovah Witnesses or Mormons worship, which is why those 2 groups are considered cults.

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Answer 7

There is no difference. Catholicism is just a sect of Christianity.

Answer 8

Your question is asked frequently, usually by Protestants who consider themselves as the only Christians. Roman Catholics, of course, are the original Christians, while Protestants are Christians whose leaders at some point in time parted ways with the Catholic church, the first of those having been Martin Luther (founder of Lutheranism). All religions who worship Jesus are Christian religions, including Roman Catholics, Greek and Russian Orthodox Catholics.

Answer 9

The phrase sola scriptura is from the Latin: sola having the idea of "alone," "ground," "base," and the word scriptura meaning "writings" - referring to the Scriptures. Sola scriptura means that Scripture alone is authoritative for the faith and practice of the Christian. The Bible is complete, authoritative, and true. "All Scripture is 'God breathed' (given of inspiration of God) and is profitable for teaching, reproof, correction, instruction in righteousness..." (2 Timothy 3:16).

Sola scriptura was the rallying cry of the Protestant Reformation. For centuries the Roman Catholic Church had made its traditions superior in authority to the Bible. This resulted in many practices that were in fact contradictory to the Bible. Some examples are prayer to saints and/or Mary, the immaculate conception, transubstantiation, infant baptism, indulgences, and papal authority. Martin Luther, the founder of the Lutheran Church and father of the Protestant Reformation, was publicly rebuking the Catholic Church for its unbiblical teachings.

Answer 10

being roman catholic is a part of being a christian, other parts of cristianity are lutheran, babtist, protestant, to name a few. catholicism is a branch of christianity. basically catholics are christians.