Can someone please explain why American's seem to think that Catholic's are not christian?

Answer 1

i am an american and i am not sure i understand this myself. most christian religions are offshoots of the catholic church. who knows, some of them think the earth is only 6000 years old as well. doesn't exactly make me proud to be an american. actually it is embarassing.

Answer 2

Most non-Catholic Christian denominations accept Catholics as Christians. A very few do not.

The World Council of Churches which brings together more than 340 churches, denominations and church fellowships in over 100 countries and territories throughout the world, representing some 550 million Christians accepts the 1.1 billion Catholics as Christians. http://wcc-coe.org/wcc/who/faq-e.html#07

A dictionary would say that a Christian is someone professing belief in Jesus as Christ or following the religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus.

Catholics would fit this definition.

In the Nicene creed, from 325 C.E., Catholics profess:

We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, one in being with the Father.

Through Him all things were made.

For us and our salvation He came down from heaven: by the power of the Holy Spirit, He was born of the Virgin Mary, and became man.

For our sake He was crucified under Pontius Pilate; He suffered, died, and was buried.

On the third day He rose again in fulfillment of the scriptures: He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father.

He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end.

We accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. We are baptized as Jesus commanded in Matthew 28:19, "in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit."

We truly are spiritually "born again," we just don't usually use those words.

For a complete description of what Catholics believe, see the Catechism of the Catholic Church: http://www.usccb.org/catechism/text/index.htm

With love in Christ.

Answer 3

Last I was aware of, a large percentage of Americans were Catholic and at the very least, that percentage of Americans feel that Catholics ARE Christian.

Otherwise, on a basis of teaching or adhering to doctrine/dogma that is in conflict/contradiction to what is clearly stated in the Bible, I would say that the Catholics are not much further out of line then any of the Protestant sects. They all teach/believe the Trinity --- Hellfire ---immortal Soul. Three very basic doctrines that are in complete contradiction to the Bible. So, Catholics are, IMHO, just as Christian as the groups that split off with Martin Luther. The Catholic church does expound a bit with purgatory, limbo, indulgences, praying to saints Etc., but it's only a small degree added to what the Protestant sects do. Mostly it is a case of the pot calling the kettle black.

Answer 4

I am a Roman Catholic and this is my creed. I understand that many other Christian Religions use this same creed.

I believe in God the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth: and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord: Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilot, was crucified, died and was buried. He descended into hell: the third day, He arose again from the dead: He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty: from thence He shall come to judge the living and the dead. I Believe in the Holy Spirit, the Holy Catholic Church (Catholic means universal and includes all Christians) the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins. the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting.

We celebrate Mass everyday. It is a reenactment of the Last Supper. It always includes Communion because at the last supper Jesus said, "This is my body to be given for you. Do this in remembrance of me." LK,22,19 Why aren't all Christians remembering Him in this way because He told us to?

Answer 5

I have never encountered this concept until I started coming to this site, so I have no idea.

I've even seen Catholics say this.

I guess the idea that there are Christians, and a sub-set of them are Catholic is just too complex for some people.

I had never known this to be common until I came here, that is, to YA.

Answer 6

I don't know. I'm pretty sure that 99.9% of it is that they have absolutely no idea what they're talking about.

They believe what their prejudiced pastors tell them about the Catholic Church instead of what the Catholic Church says about itself.

For one, Catholics do not(let me say it again - DO NOT) worship Mary in any way, shape, or form. We honor her, and why not? She was just a little important to the history of salvation, don't you think?

Catholics also believe in the Tradition of the Church, which is basically beliefs the Church holds true even if they aren't explicitly stated in the Bible. This comes about because, realistically, up until the printing press was invented, your average Christian wasn't going to get any wind of a Bible, and if they did, they probably weren't going to be able to read it. Also, when Jesus ascended into heaven, he didn't leave behind a collection of books with a note that said "Follow this Bible for everything, and everything in here is all you need. Love, Jesus.", he left the Apostles who knew him and his teachings and went throughout the world to spread them. Tradition arises out of the Church, just as the Bible does.

These two seem to be the bigguns that people tend to have against Catholics, which really aren't very good arguments in the least. In any case, they aren't big enough deals to warrant Catholicism being left out of the Christian label. Catholics believe that sanctifying grace alone saves us, just the same as other Christians, we use the Bible as a source of faith and inspiration, we believe that God is the only one to be worshiped. We're Christians. Get over yourselves.

Answer 7

I'm an American and a Catholic...and of course a Christian. I don't know that it's American's that think that way, but fundamentalist groups who are decidedly "anti-Catholic." They have made a religion out of being against Catholicism.

That alone should prove that the Catholic Church is the true Church. The one Satan hates the most is the one that was started by Christ.

But for the record, Catholics are Christian. We believe in Christ, the Son of God. We believe that Salvation comes only through him. We believe that he died on the cross for our sins, rose from the dead, and will come again. We believe in the Triune God.

Answer 8

It isn't just Americans... it is anyone who knows and understands the real truth of the Gospel and can see the error in the Catholic faith.

On the other side of the issue, there is no denying that there are some Catholics who believe that "just because they are a Catholic" they are better or above everyone else.

EVERY ACTION CAUSES A REACTION.

But for any soul to act out against a Catholic in a negative fashion would be wrong.

Answer 9

I am a baptis and i am from the south. however i lived in ohio/michigan for several years and most people there are catholic. I have always been told that Catholic is a christian religion, (believing on Jesus Christ the Savior). Although I do not really know the differences between catholic and roman catholic.

Answer 10

Catholics can call themselves christians all they want just like any other person in any other christian denomination BUT no one will enter the kingdom of God unless they are born again. That is what a true christian is. And you can't be born again by being baptised, or joining a church or giving money to a church or eating the host at mass etc....There is no salvation in any of that. Only one's faith in Jesus can save them. Matthew 7:22 says Many will say to me in that day, "Lord Lord, have we not prophesied in your name? and in your name cast out devils? and in your name done wonderful things? 23 And then I will profess unto them "I never knew you Depart from me you who work wickedness". There will be many "christians" who will be rejected by Jesus Himself because He never knew them at all. They were following an imitation gospel that wasn't the gospel at all, and still was able to cast out devils and do miricles in Jesus's name. These people that Christ is speaking to are professing christians and will be horribly surprised when they are sent away to be eternally separatd from God forever. So just because someone says they are Catholic does not mean they are a christian. If they are not born again, they are not a christian.

Answer 11

Because they have been given a very distorted view of Catholicism. Your first answerer just proved that. Catholic do not worship Mary. It is simply ignorance.
And as someone else mentioned they do not know the history of the Christianity and that all other Christian faiths are off shoots of Catholicism.