Thread: What is the difference between Catholics and Protestants ?

Please try to answer in as simple way as possible. The main differences only. Also plz try to use simple english words as i myself tried to find it on internet but couldn't understand any thing because of very complex language ( as english is not my first language) Thanx

Protestants are not cultists. Protestants believe that God's grace is sufficient for salvation.

catholics can forgive sins and have there fun

and protestants need email me
timbermandog@yahoo.com

Catholics are more church based, and believe the church should rule, while protestants are more society ruled, and conservative.

Catholics have a Pope. Protestants don't.
Catholics believe in Purgatory. Protestants don't.
Catholics pray to saints. Protestants don't.
Catholics worship Mary. Protestants don't.
Catholics believe you have access to God through the priest.
Protestants believe each believer has direct access to God.
Catholics believe in baptism of infants.
Some Protestants don't.
Catholics believe the Pope can change scripture.
Protestants believe scripture is the Word of God and cannot be changed.
Catholics believe that during communion the bread and wine actually become the body and blood of Christ. Protestants think they are symbolic of the body and blood of Christ.

Catholics believe that belonging to the Church (Catholic Church) is important for salvation - therefore baptism, marrying Catholic, and regular involvement in the church is essential. Protestants believe that a ernest decision to become a Christian (John 3:16) is enough to go to heaven when they die. No church is necessary (but it helps you personally) in the Protestant framework.

Early Protestants (Martin Luther) 'protested' abuses in the Catholic church like selling salvation - which is where they get their name. Many Protestants (like Baptists) believe that baptism should be done in adulthood so that it is a result of a decision of the individual, not the parents.

Hope this is short enough.

Catholics believe Mary was the mother of God, and they pray to Mary as an avenue to reach God.

We Protestants believe Mary gave birth to Jesus, but in the King James Bible, Jesus never addresses her as mother, only as "woman".

Catholics also believe that a priest can forgive them of their sins. Protestants believe that forgiveness can only come from God, by asking forgiveness in the name of Jesus. We also believe that no human has the power of forgiveness, that only can come from God. We believe that pastors are teachers of the gospel and are here as spiritual support and comfort. There's more but you asked to keep it simple.

Oh my God... This question is right down my alley...

I was a Protestant (Baptist) who converted to Roman Catholic. Honest to God.. There are some differences, but not that many. It is more of we (the Catholics) say the same thing as the Protestant, but they argue and say that we believe TOTALLY different. Yes, I realize the Catholics believe in Purgatory, but guess what, the Protestant do too, and just dont know it. There is also Limbo, which is still a little bit too much for me to say I believe in at the moment, but... with more praying and more reading the Bible, and who knows?? But first, please let me say that WE DO NOT worship Mary. We acknowledge her as the mother of Christ (as do the Protestant).
As for differences that you really need to understand (that even a lot of the Catholics dont understand):

We have the Liturgy of the Word and the Liturgy of the Eucharist. This happens at EVERY mass. The Liturgy of the Word is the same as a sermon in a Protestant church. However, the difference is that every Sunday, we take communion (Eucharist). ONLY the priest can change the bread and wine to body and blood. This is because he has a special relationship with God that allows him to do that. Now, to tell you how special his relationship is.... Jesus ordained the Apostles. The Apostles (through Christ) ordained the first Bishops. Therefore, the Bishops even to this day (through Christ) ordain Bishops and Priests.

Is there really a difference??

Martin Luther (hence, the Lutheran religion which was the first Protestant church), was a Catholic priest. He wanted to marry a nun, and the Bishops/Pope would not allow it. (Although ages ago, priests were allowed to marry and did have children). Martin Luther -- determined as he was -- pulled away from the Catholic Church, married his lady friend (the nun) and established his own church (the Lutheran / Protestant church). In (somewhere around the 15-1600's), there was the Protestant Reformation (that was led by Martin Luther) and eventually, this led to the new Bible (what is known as the King James version). Therefore, the Catholics still use their original Bible.

Ironically, Peter, 1 of the 12 apostles, was the founder of the Catholic Church. He is actually buried in Basilica at the Vatican. The word, Catholic, means universal. Therefore, the Catholic church is looked at as being the universal church. However, the Catholic religion used to say that it was a sin to go to another church of another religion. Why? Because before people became educated, they would go to other churches that had sprung up that did not worship in the God we worship. Therefore, the Catholic Church made it a law that if a catholic went to another church, it was sin. Ironically, this did not change until the 1960s after the council at Vatican came up with the new law of the church -- Vatican II.

Catholics strongly believe in Baptism. Of course, we do not believe you will go to Hell if you are not baptised. We just believe that once you are baptised, there is actually a change in your soul (a state of grace), and that the original sin we are born into is washed away.

We believe that everyone is saved (even before they are born). This is because Jesus died on the cross 1 time to save EVERYONE. The ONLY thing you have to do is accept the salvation that he made possible. You CANNOT do anything to be save. It has ALREADY been done.

With regards to purgatory... I will leave you with one question. If everything in Heaven is perfect, then how can one expect to - who just committed a sin and had not yet been forgiven for it - go to heaven? We dont believe if you sinned (maybe told a lie) just before you died, and the sin was small, that you would die and go to hell because you did not get forgiveness for it. Of course, this may give you a basic idea (although it is more complex), but at least it gives you something to begin chewing on.

I am going to leave my email address, and you are more than welcome to contact me for more information. As you can see, this is something that can go on and on. My email address is RPerry35114@yahoo.com. If you do email, please include CATHOLIC INQUIRY in the subject line. If not, I will assume it to be spam, and will delete it. I would love to discuss the issue with you further, and would love to answer your questions.

Hope this gives you somewhat of an unconfusing idea.

BTW... Anybody out there that bashes the Catholic church because some of the wrongs committed by some sick priests (with regards to child molestation), just remember that it happens in the Protestant Church, too.

And no... with regards to the posting that said we believe that the Priest can forgive sins... No.. we dont believe that. We believe that since we sin publicly, we should confess publicly. Confession (as it is most widely known as) is a form of counseling. It helps you stay mindful of what areas of your life you may need to work on to improve. In addition, we do have a Pope, true enough, but the Pope does not control everything. The priest of the church actually makes the decisions that will affect his church. If, for some reason, the church decides to build on and expand, the church would then ask the Bishop for that Diocese for an approval, but that is about the only thing we ever seek an oustide approval for.

Meat on Friday

"What separates us as believers in Christ is much less than what unites us." (Pope John XXIII)

Almost all important doctrine is completely agreed upon between Catholic Christians and other Christians.

Here is the joint declaration of justification by Catholics (1999), Lutherans (1999), and Methodists (2006):

By grace alone, in faith in Christ's saving work and not because of any merit on our part, we are accepted by God and receive the Holy Spirit, who renews our hearts while equipping us and calling us to good works.

There are many minor doctrine issues and some major cultural traditional differences which, I believe, do not matter that much.

A Catholic worships and follows Christ in the tradition of Catholicism which, among other things, recognizes that Christ made Peter the leader of His new Church and Pope Benedict XVI is Peter's direct successor.

With love in Christ.