What's the difference between a catholic and a protestant?
442033
Maybe this could help . . . help from a nonbeliever . . . lol\n\nAuthority \n- Catholic: Scripture and Tradition \n- Protestant: Scripture alone\nBible \n- Catholic: Includes apocrypha \n- Protestant: Exclude apocrypha\nResult of Fall \n- Catholic: Corruption and tendency to sin \n- Protestant: Total depravity and guilt \nFree will \n- Catholic: Free to do good or evil \n- Protestant: Free only to do evil \nPredestination \n- Catholic: Related to God's foreknowledge \n- Protestant: Related to God's decrees \nAtonement \n- Catholics: Death of Christ created merit that is shared with sinners through sacraments \n- Protestant: Death of Christ was a substitutionary sacrifice that satisfied God's justice\nDivine grace \n- Catholics: Prevenient grace helps one believe; efficacious grace cooperates with the human will to do good \n- Protestant: Common grace enabling good works given to all; sufficient grace for salvation given to elect only\nGood works \n- Catholics: Meritorious \n- Protestant: Results of divine grace and unworthy of merit \nSalvation \n- Catholics: Received at baptism; may be lost by mortal sin; regained by penance. Those who have never heard of Christ may be saved. ( Catech 847 http://www.vatican.va/archive/catechism/p123a9p3.htm#III ) \n- Protestant: Result of divine grace; unconditional. Those who have never heard of Christ may be saved. \nThe Church \n- Catholics: The Catholic Church is "the place where humanity must rediscover its unity and salvation" ( Catech 845 http://www.vatican.va/archive/catechism/p123a9p3.htm#III ) but those baptized in other Christian denominations are in communion with the Church ( Catech 838 http://www.vatican.va/archive/catechism/p123a9p3.htm#III ). \n- Protestant: There is a distinction between the visible and invisible church. God saves anyone he chooses, or anyone with proper faith, regardless of church membership. \nSacraments \n- Catholics: Convey grace by their operation (ex opere operato). \n- Protestant: Means of grace only if received with faith. \nPriests - Catholics: A special vocation for some believers; mediators between God and man - Protestant: Priesthood of all believers.\nTransubstantiation \n- Catholics: Affirmed \n- Protestant: Rejected - "Real Presence" instead. \nPurgatory \n- Catholics: Affirmed \n- Protestant: Denied\nPrayer to saints \n- Catholics: Accepted \n- Protestant: Rejected
799661
The biggest difference is that catholics believe in the virgin mary as a god. because Jesus is God, catholics believe Mary must have been a god as well, thus Jesus would be 100% God. however, the Bible makes no claims for mary being a god. Jesus was 100% God and 100% man.
576739
It's just what form of Christianity you are talking about.  Protestants will say Peter (because they don't have Saints).  Catholics will call him Saint Peter (because they do have saints).
941240
Really basic - Catholics believe that St. Peter was appointed by Jesus as the first Pope and leader of the church in perpetuity to spread His word and represent Christ on earth, protestants don't belive that. There are many, many differences in praticing the faith. Catholic - priests may not marry, during the Mass a Priest blesses the "host" (wafer, bread,etc) and it becomes the body of Christ to be consumed by people at communion, Catholics confess their sins and, if they are truly repentant a Priest may absolve them from their sins just as Jesus would; Catholics believe we are all born with the original sin from Adam and Eve and that babies must be baptized in order to become pure and a child of God...so many little things. Both faiths believe that there is one God - and so do Sikhs, by the way.
1086081
Eucharist is a sacrament of unity and thanksgiving. It shouts, "We are one, praise God!" \n\nSadly this is not true between Christian denominations. \n\nCatholics believe in the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist. Most Protestant denominations do not.\n\nCatholics ask Protestants to respect our belief by not receiving Eucharist in a Catholic Church. \n\nThe Catholic Church also asks Catholics visiting Protestant Churches, out of respect for their faith, not to receive Holy Communion there.\n\nHopefully one day, all our differences will be resolved and we will be able to come together at one table.\n\nIt sounds like you are in the middle with a foot in both faiths. Do you feel one with the Catholic Church?\n\nIf yes, receive Eucharist in peace.\n\nIf no, please wait until you are one with the Church, possibly through the Sacrament of Reconciliation.\n\nWith love and prayers in Christ.
325447
The differences are very slight between certain denominations.\n\n To get a very thorough understanding you should read this book...\nhttp://www.biblebelievers.org.au/7chindx.htm\n\nTo know more click here...\nhttp://groups.yahoo.com/group/bibletruths_forbelievers/\n\n God bless you.
564604
Different protestant churches may have different views on biblical topics from each other and from the Catholic Church. One of the main things about the Catholic Church is that they put their church tradition at a higher place than the Bible. This is a very dangerous thing to do because it allows the church to hold views that even go plainly against the Bible. Example: if you read 1 Tim 4:1-5 you will read in the Bible (even the Catholic Bible) that men who forbid people to marry are following a doctrine of demons. The Catholic church disregards the Bible there and insists on promoting a doctrine that is not from God. The rampant homosexuality in the priesthood is a by-product of following that demonic teaching. Being single is actualy better for those who want to be more devoted to the Lord but that should never be forced on anyone. \n\nAnother area where there is great danger, is where the Catholic church makes a Pope to be in charge of the church. He is actually called the vicar of Christ which means that he is the representative of Christ here on earth. The Bible teaches that Jesus is the head of the church and the believers are His body. A Pope is said to be able to speak "excathedera" (I think I mispelled it) which means that when he speaks on matters of doctrine and faith, he is "infallible" Obviously throughout the Catolic Church's history it has been wrong in many of its actions and beliefs as in the example I already gave. \n\nProtestants may have differing views but rarely are they as serious as undermining the scriptures and worshiping a man as supreme leader of the church.    \n\nYour average catholic does not know much of the Catholic official teachings which include "transubstantiation", progatory, outright idolatry, not beliving that Jesus died once for all sins as evidenced in the sacrifice of the "Mass", not being able to clain assurance of salvation (one of the worst beliefs of all), adding several books to the old testament about 1500 yrs after the fact to try to defend some of their unbiblical beliefs and the sale of indulgences ect.....Today when I meet a catholic who is open to the Bible, I don't try to bring up most of the above. I try to talk about having a personal relation with Christ and knowing that to get to heaven is a choice that depends on one's own decision not belonging to such and such a church.
1048815
Catholics practice Mary worship (worshipping the dead woman), worshipping the idols inside the cathedrals, worshipping the "saints".  Catholics don't think highly of the Bible and read it rarely.  Catholics baptize (sprinkle) infants.  Catholics leaders, for the most part, are fond of Latin.  \n\nBaptists generally have nothing to do with idols (except Christmas trees).  Most Baptists believe in the Bible and believe in baptism by immersion (bury the old man).  Most do not baptize infants.  They wait for the age of accountability.  Baptist leaders speak English or the language of the audience.
1032466
A Christian is someone who believes in Jesus Christ as the Son of God and is baptized. A Catholic is a specific kind of Christian, one who also believes the Catholic Church was founded by Christ and accepts it as possessing the fullness of Christian truth and the means of salvation\n\nThe words Catholic and Christian were once interchangeable. The first Christians called the Church Catholic or universal, to distinguish it from heretical splinter groups that denied necessary Christian truths. Thus the early Christians came to be known as Catholics.
676144
Catholics are christians.
529400
ALL Catholics are CHRISTIANS...\n\nin the same way as all dogs are ANIMALS.\n\nPeople who say Catholics aren't Christians...\ndon't understand the meaning of both words.
1081791
I'm catholic, and I don't believe that there is only one answer for everything.\n\nAssuming you're speaking about Catholic dogma - not everything the church teaches is considered "dogma":  only those items which are utterly critical to our faith (one god, jesus is his son, etc.)\n\nwhen you get to the idea of (for example) salvation though good work vs. through faith, you're completely out of he realm of dogma, although it was one of the critical points in he early division of protestants vs. catholics.\n\nMost of the overlap between Protestants and R. Catholics is not dogma. \n\nAnd, there are other churches who are not protestant, but who aren't Roman Catholic either (specifially the Orthodox churches).
694321
Christianity is not divided into branches.\nThere are majority Catholics, Protestants and Orthodox.\nThose who fought Catholicisms are called Protestants.  These includes, Methodist, Jehovah Witnesses, Calvinism, Lutheran, Anglican, Pentecostal/Born Again.\nOrthodox were another group that  emerged during the persecution times.
46793
The Catholic church calls her the Virgin Mary. The Protestant church just calls her Mary. Despite the fact that the Bible records that Jesus had brothers. The Catholic church edits this out of their Bible and calls Mary a perpetual virgin.\n\nMary only had one virgin conception and birth, and that was Jesus. After that, she conceived via Joseph.\n\nSee my explanation below for the reason for the virgin birth.
690316
Martin Luther posted 95 Theses on the church door in 1517.\n\nJoan of Arc lived from 1412 to 1431 about 100 years before Protestants got started therefore she was a Catholic.\n\nWith love in Christ.
354610
it all started with the protestant reformation brought about by martin luther.  you can read more details by typing in protestant reformation or martin luther into a search engine.  the catholic church took exception and thus the protestants somewhat broke off from the "non-catholic christians".  also, the christians do not acknowledge the apocrypha or "between the testaments" writing that the catholics do as holy scriptures as part of the canon used in worship.
480618
Catholics are Christians if they have accepted Jesus as there saviour, same as any other denomination. (I'm not Catholic.) I don't know where you live but in UK the mainstream church had lost it's way and started compromising on things such as sex before marriage and the like, but now things are going back to God's word. The church I'm in is very Bibe based, happily.