what is the difference between Roman Catholicism and Protestantism?

Answer 1

Roman Catholicism: God saves you through baptism, then helps you complete the process through good works.

Protestantism: God helps you save yourself through a personal decision to follow Jesus, then He completes the process by allowing trials to test your faith and perfect you.

Lutheranism: God saves you. Period.

Answer 2

There are numerous differences. First, Christianity did start out as a more or less cohesive single group. But it wasn't long before dissention set it, and the making of denominations:

"For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men? For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal?" 1Corinthians 3:3-4

So there were strong differences of opinion among believers well before protestants came along.

Second, sometimes those differences were serious enough that believers had to stop and think carefully about what the true definition of a Christian was. To do this collective thinking, they would gather in councils and debate the matter to a definite conclusion, such as the council at Nicaea in 325 AD, where they decided, among other things, that Christians must believe in the Trinity.

Over time, however, various factions within the church gained strength and began a slow process of creating doctrines that could not be supported directly from Scripture. This in turn created a need to explain the difference between the doctrines of the institutional church and the Scriptures. Also during this period, the church began to focus more and more on the authority of the Bishop of Rome, now known as the Pope, as a means to keep the organization in tact in the face of many enemies. Gradually, the office of the Pope turned into a complete merger of civil and religious government. Therefore, as the church's institutional authority became great, the idea took hold that the church could create (or discover, if you will) doctrines not supported or even contradicting Scripture. As long as the church said so, it must be OK. Contradictions of church dogma with the apostolic writings were written off as misunderstandings of the unlearned and the theologically incorrect.

Into the middle of this mess there came a slow trickle, then a rushing torrent, of godly teachers who opposed those teachings of the church that had wandered far from a Scriptural basis, teachings that threatened the very meaning of being a Christian. These included such things as the prayers and worship offered to Mary and various saints, the infallibility and primacy of the Pope, the supposedly essential role of baptism, good deeds, priestly intercession, and membership in the Catholic church in producing salvation, the question of whether the elements of Holy Communion (aka the Eucharist) become in some quasi-material way the literal body and blood of Jesus, and so forth.

This opposition from within eventually gained enough momentum to become a movement. It was called the Reformation, because the original idea was that the church should be re-formed, throwing off the doctrinal, political, and spiritual corruption that had led to the current state of affairs. But Rome would not embrace this honest rebuke, and persecutions followed.

“Protestants” were thus pushed out of the church because they rightly believed that God had meant the Scriptures to be read, learned, and obeyed by everyone, not just the elites. To this day, that question is probably the hardest point of division. Rome does not trust the work of the Holy Spirit and reason in the minds and hearts of ordinary believers, but instead insists on issuing as dogma teachings that conflict with Scripture, based solely on its own perceived authority to dictate such belief. A church that cannot reform cannot survive the ill effects of its own imperfections. Protestants aren’t perfect either, but at least we have the Scriptures for our center of gravity, and though the institutions of humanity may fail, we know the Word of God will never disappoint us.

Answer 3

Both are based off Christianity, but the Protestants decided to Protest the Roman Catholic church because of a list of things they believed the Catholic church was doing wrong. So, they have an aweful lot in common, but the differences tend to be overexagerated.

Answer 4

There is not much difference, except for the conducting of the
services. The most common bond, would be the belief in the
doctrine of the trinity. The early church which started on the day of pentecost, approx.33A.D. taught the oneness doctrine.
Acts 2:38, Repent and be baptized every one of you in the na-
me of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall rec-
eive the gift of the Holy Ghost. Most others practice the mode
using Mt.28:19,(titles, and not the name of) Jesus Christ.

Answer 5

there are 30,00+ denominations of Protestant
There is one Roman Catholic Church

There are different types of church goverment in Protestantism: episcopal(with bishops),presbyterian(pastors and elders), synodal,(district representatives) and congregational(congregation is top authority)

In Roman Catholicism:one Pope with Vatican Congregations,bishops in dioceses and local parishes and congregations in the diocese

Protestant Churches emphasize salvation by grace alone through faith alone and the Catholic emphasizes salvation by grace alone through faith which works through love(faith,hope and love that must have good works).
Protestant Churches emphasize doctrine through the Bible alone and the Catholic emphasizes the union of the Bible,Apostolic tradition and the One authorative Church.

Some Protestant groups(like Lutheran) are closer to R Catholicism than they are to other Protestant groups doctrinally (like Baptism and Communion)and in worship(liturgy)

the major Protestant (Trinitarian protestant) church families are:
Lutheran
Reformed
Anglican
Anabaptist
Baptist
Wesleyan(Methodist and Holiness)
Pentecostal
Some overlap:some Baptist and Anglican churches are Reformed,for example

The Catholic Church has the same doctrines but different "uses" and'rites' or particular churches" such as:
Byzantine( Greek and Slavonic,Romanian,etc)
West Syrian(Maronite,Aramean Syrian,Malankarese)
East Syrian(Chaldean and Malabarese)
Coptic
Armenian
Latin(Tridentine,Vatican II,Lyonese,Braga, variousReligious Orders,Milanese Rite Anglican Uses)


Protestants tend to reject invocation of saints in heaven and Catholics encourage invocation of the saints. Protestants usuallyhave 7 fewer Old testament books than Catholics.

Trinitarian Christians,both Catholic and Protestant, have much more in common than they have differentmuch more

Answer 6

I believe the Catholics are the original Christian Church and Protestants are everyone else.

Answer 7

Catholics have 5 extra sacraments arent commanded..

Answer 8

Protestant clergy are slightly less weird.