In their religion, What do catholics and/or christians believe?

Question

What do catholics believe? Are christians and catholics different? What do they have in common other than being humans? What do they believe about the prayers? Why do they believe the teachings of the church?

And most importantly...
For catholics and/or christians only...
Why are you Catholic?
Why are you Christian?

Answer 1

A summary of Catholic beliefs is contained in the Nicene Creed (from the year 325):

We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is seen and unseen.

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 believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son. With the Father and the Son, He is worshiped and glorified. He has spoken through the Prophets. We believe in one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church. We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.

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 2

A Christian is anyone who believes that Jesus Christ is the Savior. Catholics have organized defined beliefs that are deeper than simply accepting Jesus as the Savior. Methodists, Baptists, etc. are all various sects of Christians who have interpreted some minor aspects in different ways.

One of the Catholic Churches most separating qualities is the believe that Jesus' Mother, The Virgin Mary was a divine woman. Catholics have prayers that pray to the Virgin Mary to deliver their message to God. Catholics are also one of the only sects of Christianity to have priests who can not marry and are 100% ddedicated to celibacy.

There are several other things that seperate the various sects from each other. These sects have a set belief system that intrepret the "rules" so to speak in different way. One example is that Catholics believe that committing suicide damns you to hell, some other sects do not.

So to sum it up, All Catholics are Christians but not all Christians are Catholics. It's like being American. Some people living here are Itallian, African, Asian, etc, but since they all live here, they are all American.

Answer 3

Catholics believe in Jesus Christ who died for their sins, as do all Christians. They are a branch of Christianity. There is Methodists, Protestants, Roman Catholics etc. In common they believe, mostly, the same faith. In prayer, all Christians belive that it is like talking to God on the phone. They all believe the church because the priests, monks, clerics etc. have studied Christianity for years most likely. There are no differences, Catholics are Christians, except they're baptised as Catholic Christians but they can change if they want.

I am a Christian because I got a free Bible at school, read the books of The Bible, learned God's Word, and accepted Jesus. Through Him my faith has grown stronger.

Answer 4

i'm not a very religious prson or well-edu with religion,honestly..but i'l share what i knw..

catholics believe in God the Father,Jesus His son,n the Holy Spirit what we call as Trinity.They r not 3 diff.pple but only in a diff form. catholics also believe in saints but they are now worshipng them. the non-catholics dont blieve in saints or Trinity.

when we pray,we blieve dat God is always listening to us but we'll not be getting d answer directly or quickly..for God has plans for us all..

we believe the teachings of the church because that is what God has told or teach the prophets long time ago and it's been protected by the Holy Spirit and the church

~i knw this answer isnt detail but hope it'll help u a little bit.
~God bless.

Answer 5

Its like banging your head against the wall trying to get the arrogant Protestants to understand that Catholics are Christians too. Do you realize how unbelievably frustrating its getting? Seriously, how can people be this dumb in first world nations?

Catholics have alot more ritual and do some things that Protestants don't and the Protestants are arrogant enough to think that makes them Christian and not the Catholic even though the Catholics were the first Christian religion.

They believe it because most of them are brainwashed from the time they're baby's to think that crap is the truth.

Answer 6

I believe that the Bible is the great source of truth; I believe that the Lord loves us and forgives our sins through His son who died for us, and that we can be forgiven at any time when our hearts are willing; I believe that God is my high tower and my stronghold, and that His power is greater than any power here on earth; I believe that God lives, heals, changes, and delivers; I believe that God is able to do any thing, and that whatsoever we ask of Him, it shall be given unto us as we walk with Him; I believe that everything I have been given is a gift of the Lord, and I believe that the Devil wants to discourage and hurt us; I believe that one day all sin shall be destroyed, and that that day is coming very soon; I believe that there is only one truth, but that even those who are deceived and don't walk in the truth can be saved, and that God doesn't love us more for knowing the truth but holds us up to a higher responsibility; and I believe that Christians are meant to be spiritually as well as physically productive, and that we must work to spread the Word as we must work for our bread. God bless and I hope you find time to read the Word.

Answer 7

Catholics are Christians in the church that Jesus started when he left Peter and the other Apostles in charge.
Here is a place you can dnld or order 30 booklets that tell 'What Catholic Believe', 'How Catholics Worship' and 'How Catholics Live'
http://www.kofc.org/un/eb/en/publications/cis/publications/hart/list.html

On this page you can get the booklets 1 - 26 in mp3 form to listen too. (27 - 30 will arive one a week on Thursdays)
http://www.kofc.org/un/eb/en/publications/cis/podcasts/index.html

I am a Christian studying to be a Catholic. I'm Christian because I believe in Jesus and want to obey God. I'm studying to be a Catholic because it is the origional denomination.

Answer 8

The basic difference without a lot of details
Catholics ask for intercession by Saints
Christians ask for intercession by other Christians
Catholics pray Novenas
Christians have large revival type gatherings
Catholics celebrate daily the Mass as Jesus said to:
"Do this in memory of Me." ~bread and wine~
Christians celebrate this a few times a year
Catholics have sacraments
Christians believe that asking Jesus into your heart makes one a Christian
Catholics venerate Mary as part of the new covenant
Christians (I don't know what Christians think of Mary)

Answer 9

well i was raised catholic, but i dont agree with all of their beliefs. so now im just a christian. totally happy. *not trying to offend anybody here*

catholics seem to honor mary and the saints too much. they need to just pray to god instead of "praying to mary to get god to do something". thats what my religion teacher told me, and i completely disagree. but anyway, i also dont believe that you can pray people out of purgatory. i'm not really sure if theres something after you die before you go to heaven or hell (because what about people that god has mercy on because they did not know that they were sinning, i know that god has mercy on them but one would think that maybe they go somewhere to be "purified"), but i certainly dont think that you can make someone go through it faster. another thing is how catholics think that the eucharist is totally real, and it truely is his flesh. i believe that its spiritual. and they pray the rosary and all of these prayers not even directed to god, like oh pray to saint so and so for headaches!

andd i'm a christian just because thats how i was brought up. my mother was lutheran and went through lot, and basically converted to christianity and is very close to God. so am i, and im very thankful. i know that what i believe is true. you want to question everything in the bible? go right ahead, but god doesnt serve all of his answers on a silver platter. we are called to ask him and pray rather than jump to conclusions and say its fake. and even if you do, god still loves you! but you still may turn away from him. what burns me up is people who give god a slap in the face and then get mad because "a good god wouldnt send his people to hell". you sent YOURSELF there, and hell is only the state of being without god, which is obviously what you wanted. i think god is a fair god, and he doesnt ask much of us.

sorry if i rambled! but i hpe this helps. god bless :]

Answer 10

This is a complex question, brother...

As a highly respected/paid theologian I believe I am best suited to give you the best answer.....

..and here it is:

Christians believe the following:
God created the universe about 7,000 years ago (with the appearance of an ancient age, even though it is young)

God made men and later repented of making men (wished He had never done it) so He kills every one of them except for Noah and his family (He kills all the animals too except for two of each "kind" but all this needs to be taken into perspective, I mean, it's GOD!!! Who are WE to judge HIM?? God killed masses of people all the time in the Old Testament and commanded his followers to do the same2)

That God made a donkey talk, an iron axe head float (He's GOD!!!! Remember that!)

So, God demanded that people kill perfect animals for Him so they could be acceptable to God, God thought this was tiresome, so He impregnated a young girl with Himself, or part of Himself.

So part of God becomes a man and is supposed to be perfect, because God only takes sacrifices that are perfect, so Jesus couldn't sin, etc...

So Jesus is tempted by the Devil to do bad things but Jesus survives and overcomes the Devil (Who apparently doesn't really know the identity of God dressed up as a man)

Jesus does thousands of miracles, if not millions because the Bible plainly says:
1. If the miracles were all written down I don't suppose that all the books in the world could contain them

2. The fame of Him spread throughout all of Judea

(But ignore the fact that only two or three historians of that time even mention the Christians or the rumor of a "Christ." or that Bishop Eusebius confessed to forging info about Jesus)

Ummm, Protestants believe that Satan is out to destroy everyone, since He discovered that he couldn't beat up God (ps. He was the closest one to God, from the start so obviously Lucifer, seeing God's glory and power everyday, thought He probably could take Him...)

But Satan cannot harm believers, (Except for Job - whom God allowed Satan to kill his entire family and get diseases and kill his crops, pets, etc - all because of a bet between He and Satan)

So now, all people have to do to be saved is to repent of sin and confess jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour. (Depending upon your translation of simple scripture - there are many Christians who believe - according to scripture - one must be baptized in water - or one must be baptized in the literal name of Jesus - or one must be filled with the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in tongues - or one must do good works, or one must understand the trinity to understand Jesus and who he really is - or that there were other prophets who had additional truth, Joseph Smith, etc... So one cannot say that all Christians believe alike, they do not, as the Bible is such a complex document. (God tries to hide the truth as much as possible so everyone will not find it too easy to get saved.)

Uh, OH yeah! Jesus is coming back (the original disciples thought Jesus meant that He was coming back in their lifetime, but now, two thousand years later, Christians keep rationalizing the date later and later, because.... Well, because He HASN'T come back.)

God is going to perfect the earth, establish a kingdom here and banish the Devil forever, etc.

Catholics believe pretty much the same, but that Mary, jesus' mother must have also been perfect, holy, pure, but they stop at her because one could also argue that Mary's mother must have been and her grandmother, etc, etc.. So they revere Mary kind of like a God, but not exactly.

They believe that when they take wine and the bread at communion, it transforms into actual blood and bones from Jesus.

They believe that there's Hell and Heaven, AND a waiting place in between them called purgatory - This softens the blow of the traditional protestant version of Hell.

They believe the pope speaks ex-cathedra (from the chair) and that it is the very voice of God, and al kinds of extra stuff - exorcisms, confessionals, sprinkling, voodoo... whatever it takes for the masses to believe, pretty much - that's what the Catholic Church will embrace...

Hmmm. Actually the protestants will do the same, but they'll try to make it at least look legitimate, like Creationism, for example...