Differences between Catholic and Protestant

[teresa_mrg]

He’s welcome to become Catholic, then. Come on home!

i’d be really glad if that happens…
but looks like it’s almost impossible
so as long as everyone in his family can accept my Catholic faith, it’s great enough for me

 

[teresa_mrg]

okay to go back to the topic,
so are there any other opinions on differences between Catholic and Protestant?
i want to know more and more… thanks

 

[CMatt25]

I see faith in God and Jesus Christ as one faith, whatever the religion is, Catholic or Protestant. but his parents say that one faith must be one and the same religion.

teresa, I began a thread on this view and most of the Catholics felt the same as the parents. But I agree with you. I believe too we are one in Christ. United in our diversity. Peace.
edit PS - just saw you posted on the other thread

 

[teresa_mrg]

teresa, I began a thread on this view and most of the Catholics felt the same as the parents. But I agree with you. I believe too we are one in Christ. United in our diversity. Peace.
edit PS - just saw you posted on the other thread

i did post there
yes i believe that we are all one in Christ above all differences

 

[Petergee]

they are Charismatics Protestants.
they believe that husband and wife must be ONE faith, according to Eph 4:4-5

4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling;
5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism;

I see faith in God and Jesus Christ as one faith, whatever the religion is, Catholic or Protestant. but his parents say that one faith must be one and the same religion.

But that’s NOT what St Paul says in that verse. It doesn’t mention husbands and wives. In fact in several other places St Paul talks about the duties of married couples where one spouse is a Christian (Catholic) and the other is a non-Christian. Clearly he does not regard their marriages as invalid.

Your future parents in law may not be aware that the Catholic Church recognises Protestant baptisms as valid. Also if you and your fiance apoply to your bishop for permission, it may be possible for his parents to take a special part in the marriage ceremony, or even to have the ceremony in their church.

In brief, the differences between Catholics and Protestants boil down to authority. The very first protestants in the early 16th century rejected the Pope’s authority but nearly all their other doctrines were still very similar to Catholic doctrines. As time has gone by, in general they have drifted futher and further away in doctrine, having no central acknowledged authority to keep them on track. As well as splitting and re-splitting into the tens of thousands of different protestant churches you see today, often contradicting each other but all claiming to derive their doctrines from the Bible.

 

[teresa_mrg]

But that’s NOT what St Paul says in that verse. It doesn’t mention husbands and wives. In fact in several other places St Paul talks about the duties of married couples where one spouse is a Christian (Catholic) and the other is a non-Christian. Clearly he does not regard their marriages as invalid.

Your future parents in law may not be aware that the Catholic Church recognises Protestant baptisms as valid. Also if you and your fiance apoply to your bishop for permission, it may be possible for his parents to take a special part in the marriage ceremony, or even to have the ceremony in their church.

In brief, the differences between Catholics and Protestants boil down to authority. The very first protestants in the early 16th century rejected the Pope’s authority but nearly all their other doctrines were still very similar to Catholic doctrines. As time has gone by, in general they have drifted futher and further away in doctrine, having no central acknowledged authority to keep them on track. As well as splitting and re-splitting into the tens of thousands of different protestant churches you see today, often contradicting each other but all claiming to derive their doctrines from the Bible.

yes i’ve asked my priest and he’s explained that i can apply to bishop and have the ceremony in their church.
but it’s their church which doesn’t give any dispensation.
if you remember, can you please tell me the parts where St. Paul talks about the duties of Christian and non Christian couples? which parts and which verses? it can be a great help.
thank you so much…

 

[4Squarebaby]

yes i’ve asked my priest and he’s explained that i can apply to bishop and have the ceremony in their church.
but it’s their church which doesn’t give any dispensation.
if you remember, can you please tell me the parts where St. Paul talks about the duties of Christian and non Christian couples? which parts and which verses? it can be a great help.
thank you so much…

I doubt if anything you do or say can convince his church/parents. It will be up to your fiance to walk his own path.

 

[Petergee]

yes i’ve asked my priest and he’s explained that i can apply to bishop and have the ceremony in their church.
but it’s their church which doesn’t give any dispensation.

What does your fiance think of this? Sorry if this sounds tough, but if he deep down (even if on the surface he agrees with you) endorses his parents’ idea that a Catholic is not a good enough Christian and simply unacceptable as a wife, you need to really think and pray hard about whether he is really the Mr Right for you.

if you remember, can you please tell me the parts where St. Paul talks about the duties of Christian and non Christian couples? which parts and which verses? it can be a great help.
thank you so much…

1 Corinthians 7:12-16
"if any brother has a wife who is an unbeliever, and she consents to live with him, he must not divorce her. And a woman who has an unbelieving husband, and he consents to live with her, she must not send her husband away. For the unbelieving husband is sanctified through his wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified through her believing husband; for otherwise your children are unclean, but now they are holy. Yet if the unbelieving one leaves, let him leave; the brother or the sister is not under bondage in such cases, but God has called us to peace. For how do you know, O wife, whether you will save your husband? Or how do you know, O husband, whether you will save your wife? "

 

[teresa_mrg]

What does your fiance think of this? Sorry if this sounds tough, but if he deep down (even if on the surface he agrees with you) endorses his parents’ idea that a Catholic is not a good enough Christian and simply unacceptable as a wife, you need to really think and pray hard about whether he is really the Mr Right for you.

well according to their explanation, they don’t think that Catholic is bad or not good enough. They only think that husband and wife should have the SAME faith. Catholic is not bad, just different. that’s what they can’t accept.

1 Corinthians 7:12-16
"if any brother has a wife who is an unbeliever, and she consents to live with him, he must not divorce her. And a woman who has an unbelieving husband, and he consents to live with her, she must not send her husband away. For the unbelieving husband is sanctified through his wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified through her believing husband; for otherwise your children are unclean, but now they are holy. Yet if the unbelieving one leaves, let him leave; the brother or the sister is not under bondage in such cases, but God has called us to peace. For how do you know, O wife, whether you will save your husband? Or how do you know, O husband, whether you will save your wife? "

thanks for this verse
i’ve seen it as well
but the problem is, it has these word at the beginning of the verse:
“To the rest I say (not the Lord)”

i think they can argue with that by saying it’s clearly not what The Lord says…

 

[Petergee]

well according to their explanation, they don’t think that Catholic is bad or not good enough. They only think that husband and wife should have the SAME faith. Catholic is not bad, just different. that’s what they can’t accept.

It’s true that it is very good for a marriage if husband and wife have the same faith. So, not to sound flippant, but the answer is easy - suggest that your fiance become a Catholic. And then see if they say, “No, Catholicism is not good enough for our son.”

thanks for this verse
i’ve seen it as well
but the problem is, it has these word at the beginning of the verse:
“To the rest I say (not the Lord)”

i think they can argue with that by saying it’s clearly not what The Lord says…

Surely they accept that God inspired St Paul to write these authoritative words of teaching, and that God is the Author of Holy Scripture? And that therefore Scripture does not contain any error?

St Paul doesn’t say “the Lord says this is false”. He merely says that he is not actually quoting the doctrines of the faith which he learnt from St Peter and the original Twelve Apostles, but is teaching doctrines which he has derived from the foundational doctrines of faith by use of his reason (and, as we know, though he and the Corinthians did not, by the guidance of the Holy Spirit Who prompted every word that he wrote.)

 

[teresa_mrg]

It’s true that it is very good for a marriage if husband and wife have the same faith. So, not to sound flippant, but the answer is easy - suggest that your fiance become a Catholic. And then see if they say, “No, Catholicism is not good enough for our son.”

they can say 2 reasons why it shouldn’t be their son converting to Catholic
first, wife should follow their husband
second, his parents are Protestant pastors, while none of my other family members is Catholic. I’m the only Catholic in my family, and moreover, i’ve only been baptized for less than 3 years. my knowledge in Catholicism is not even too deep yet.

Surely they accept that God inspired St Paul to write these authoritative words of teaching, and that God is the Author of Holy Scripture? And that therefore Scripture does not contain any error?

St Paul doesn’t say “the Lord says this is false”. He merely says that he is not actually quoting the doctrines of the faith which he learnt from St Peter and the original Twelve Apostles, but is teaching doctrines which he has derived from the foundational doctrines of faith by use of his reason (and, as we know, though he and the Corinthians did not, by the guidance of the Holy Spirit Who prompted every word that he wrote.)

yes Petergee, this is a very good explanation. it really helps. thank you so much!
i will try to talk about this verse with my boyfriend first.
if even Christians and non Christians couples are fine according to the bible, then why aren’t Protestants and Catholics which still have very similar faith, if not same.

 

[aspirant]

they can say 2 reasons why it shouldn’t be their son converting to Catholic
first, wife should follow their husband

No one should give up truth to follow his or her spouse.

his parents are Protestant pastors, while none of my other family members is Catholic.

This makes absolutely no difference whatsoever.

 

[Petergee]

they can say 2 reasons why it shouldn’t be their son converting to Catholic
first, wife should follow their husband

I’m sorry but that is sexist nonsense. A husband is the head of the family, but that doesn’t mean a wife has to adopt her husband’s religion. Much less adopt her putative future husband’s religion. What if a man became a Satanist, would they tell his wife to follow him?? Marriage is a partnership of two adults equal in dignity including the utterly basic human right to choose one’s own religion for oneself.

second, his parents are Protestant pastors, while none of my other family members is Catholic. I’m the only Catholic in my family, and moreover, i’ve only been baptized for less than 3 years. my knowledge in Catholicism is not even too deep yet.

That might be a reason for the bishop to permit the marriage ceremony to be held in their church, but it is not by any means a reason for you to join their denomination! One could equally argue that the fact that you have only recently converted to Catholicism shows that you have made an adult decision regarding your religion, you didn’t just “inherit” it. Suggesting that your choice of religion should be respected more than your fiance’s (non-?) choice.

And more basically, marriage is about the husband, the wife, and God. In the end whatever your family and his family do or are is immaterial. You are not marrying his family, but him. You have said a lot about what his parents say, but little about what he says. He is a grown man I assume. If he is going to marry you he must put you, after God, FIRST in his life, ahead of his parents. Even, if necessary, going against their wishes.

 

[aspirant]

I’m sorry but that is sexist nonsense… Marriage is a partnership of two adults equal in dignity including the utterly basic human right to choose one’s own religion for oneself.

Agreed. Catholics believe that women and men are equal in dignity and rights, but unfortunately some other Christians do not.

That might be a reason for the bishop to permit the marriage ceremony to be held in their church, but it is not by any means a reason for you to join their denomination!

…If he is going to marry you he must put you, after God, FIRST in his life, ahead of his parents. Even, if necessary, going against their wishes.

Agreed on these points as well.

 

[wwolverine]

I’m a Catholic. A new Catholic actually, I’ve just been baptized for 2 years.
Sometimes I don’t understand why we have so many differences with Protestant beliefs. We both believe in God and Jesus Christ, read the same Bible (except several chapters Protestants don’t have), and pray similar prayers. Then how could there be so many differences?

Can anyone tell me some points on differences between Catholic and Protestant which have always been a long never ending debates between the 2 religions? Including bible verses interpretations, beliefs, traditions, etc.

Thanks

Most often, its Ego. We do have our spiritual differences regarding texts in the Holy Bible, or way we pray, etc, but most often its the EGO

 

[teresa_mrg]

for all,
thank you very much for the responses.
you have many good points, including informations about Catholics and Protestants, and also about my problem with my boyfriend.
i think i’m going to show him this thread when the time is good, when he’s not so busy with his work so we can talk calmly and keep our emotions down. and see what he thinks.

May God led us to His way, His will!

 

[Gabriel_of_12]

The founders? Jesus founded his Catholic Church upon Peter and the apostles which is the unbroken succession of the Popes and Bishops to Peter and the apostles.

Protestantism broke away from the Catholic Church and founded their own christian faith based theologies (invented) by men like Luther, Calvan, Zwingli, King Henry VIII etc… who’s communities have now splintered into many different christian denominational belief systems and non denominational belief’s founded upon mans own theological belief’s attaching them to an 18th century or later interpretation of the Catholic canon of scripture.

This is just the beginning

 

[Petergee]

Protestants comprise about 20 to 25% of current Christians, (Catholics comprise 55 to 60%). Unlike the Eastern Orthodox churches (15 to 20% of Christians) which have all 7 valid sacraments and basically agree with Catholics on all essential doctrines except the extent of the Pope’s authority, Protestant denominations generally have only 2 valid sacraments (baptism and matrimony). There are more than 30,000 protestant denominations, but they can broadly speaking be divided into two groups (I’m speaking in generalisations to explain simply to a newbie so please don’t anyone be offended by my lack of precision and disregard of minor exceptions).

1. Mainstream protestant denominations.
   These were generally founded in Germany, Switzerland, Netherlands and Britain in the 16th to 18th centuries. Though they staunchly deny many Catholic doctrines (though a few groups such as high-church Anglicans accept virtually all Catholic doctrines), they generally accept and respect Catholics as fellow Christians and cooperate in many Christian good works with them. These include nearly all the larger protestant denominations.
2. Fundamentalist denominations.
   Generally founded in the 19th to 21st centuries in America (though some claim descent from 17th century European Anabaptist and Calvinist groups). They lay great emphasis on claiming to be based solely on the Bible. Often call themselves Bible-based, biblical, or confusingly simply “Christian” (implying all other Christians are not real Christians), or, ironically “non-denominational”. A huge number of denominations, often very small, in fact many consist of just one “minister/pastor” and his few score of personal followers. Generally have a very poor attitude to Catholics. Many claim Catholics are not real Christians. Or even that Catholcis are idolators or even that Satan invented and controls the Catholic Church which is the “Harlot of Babylon” and that the Pope is the “Antichrist” prophesied in the Bible.(Personally I believe the Antichrist is Mahomet but that’s another story.) They often do not make these beliefs obvious to casual observers and seem pretty much like normal protestants. There were very few Fundamentalists until about 50 years ago. But they now comprise a large minority among protestants in the USA (although still rare in Europe) and are aggressively targeting Catholics in developing countries.

Anyway Teresa my point is that from what you said about your fiance’s parents and their intransigently negative attitude to Catholics they seem to be fundamentalists. You need to investigate and drill down what they really believe, especially about Catholics. And especially, what does your fiance believe. Does he see Catholics as fellow Christians? Or as just another group of “benighted heathens” who need to be “saved” by joining his denomination?

 

[teresa_mrg]

Thanks Gabriel and Petergee for the complete enough explanation.
looks like my boyfriend’s family is fundamentalist indeed, we call it charismatics here.

yes Petergee, i’ll definitely talk to my boyfriend about how he really sees Catholics. thank you

 

[Silence_Dogood_1]

teresa_mrg:

Can anyone tell me some points on differences between Catholic and Protestant which have always been a long never ending debates between the 2 religions? Including bible verses interpretations, beliefs, traditions, etc.

There are many, but the biggest is that we have a profoundly different understanding of the doctrine of justification.

teresa:

i believe that we are all one in Christ above all differences

If that’s true, then what do you make of the following quotes:

“Let them (those separate from the Catholic Church) not think that the way of life or salvation exists for them, if they have refused to obey the bishops and priests…For they cannot live outside, since there is only one house of God, and there can be no salvation for anyone except in the Church.” St. Cyprian: “Letters 61:4”.
catholic.com/library/Salv…the_Church.asp

“Just as no man can enter any place without the help of him who has the keys, so no one is admitted to Heaven unless its gates be unlocked by the priests to whose custody the Lord gave the keys.” Catechism of Trent, p. 286, (quoted in Apostolic Digest, by Michael Malone, Book 5: “The Book of Obedience”, Chapter 2: “No One Can Be Saved Who Refuses Obedience to the Pastors of the Church”).
]http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Troy/6480/catholics/apostolic5chp2.html

“You must submit yourself faithfully to those who have charge of divine things, and you must look to them for the means of your salvation.” Pope St. Gelasius I, RCH, vol. 1, p.147, (quoted in Apostolic Digest, by Michael Malone, Book 5: “The Book of Obedience”, Chapter 3: “The Sacraments Administered by the Priests Are Necessary for the Salvation of All Mankind”).
[geocities.com/Athens/Troy...lic5chp3.html]](http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Troy...lic5chp3.html])

“For if any one will consider how great a thing it is for one, being a man, and compassed with flesh and blood, to be enabled to draw nigh to that blessed and pure nature, he will then clearly see what great honor the grace of the Spirit has vouchsafed to priests; since by their agency these rites are celebrated, and others nowise inferior to these both in respect of our dignity and our salvation. For they who inhabit the earth and make their abode there are entrusted with the administration of things which are in Heaven, and have received an authority which God has not given to angels or archangels…and what priests do here below God ratifies above, and the Master confirms the sentence of his servants. For indeed what is it but all manner of heavenly authority which He has given them when He says, ‘Whose sins ye remit they are remitted, and whose sins ye retain they are retained?’ What authority could be greater than this? ‘The Father hath committed all judgment to the Son?’ But I see it all put into the hands of these men by the Son. For they have been conducted to this dignity as if they were already translated to Heaven, and had transcended human nature, and were released from the passions to which we are liable…For transparent madness it is to despise so great a dignity, without which it is not possible to obtain either our own salvation, or the good things which have been promised to us. For if no one can enter into the kingdom of Heaven except he be regenerate through water and the Spirit, and he who does not eat the flesh of the Lord and drink His blood is excluded from eternal life, and if all these things are accomplished only by means of those holy hands, I mean the hands of the priest, how will any one, without these, be able to escape the fire of hell, or to win those crowns which are reserved for the victorious?” St. John Chrysostom, Treatise on the Priesthood, Book III, #5, Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Series I, Vol. IX.
ccel.org/fathers2/NPNF1-09/npnf1-09-08.htm

It’s worth noting before you get too far into this conversation, that Protestantism is not monolithic. Far from it. The doctrine and practice of Episcopalians is quite different from Baptists, the doctrine and practice of Lutherans is quite different from the Assemblies of God, the doctrines of Presbyterians are in many ways irreconcilable with those of Methodists, etc.

Not as much as you might think. While we may differ on non-essential issues, we are still so similar when it comes to essential issues that we affirm the same creeds and confessions and catechisms, preach the same Gospel, worship with the same hymns (with one or two minor exceptions, our hymnals are virtually identical), etc. We regularly fellowship together, worship together, “trade” preachers, and join together for different outreaches.

I don’t think we could do all of that if we were really as different as your post implies.

Two people don’t have to believe compatible doctrines about how one may be saved in order to share a “communion” they both have a rather low view of (compared to Catholics & Orthodox). If you’re Baptist, for example, what do you care who eats the crackers?

Actually, we care quite a bit. That’s why we preach on the Lord’s Supper and who is and is not to receive it before we do it, and why we do not allow non-Christians or those in unrepentant sin to participate.

teresa, your family makes a lot of sense. Being a “good person” is at the heart of Christ. Love God and each other is what He taught. I hope it all works out for you. Do trust God to lead you and your boyfriend. God bless you both!

I thought Christ taught that we’re not good and that it’s impossible for us to be good, and that we have to repent and be born again.