Why do some people think that Catholics aren't Christian?

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I always getting extremely angry when people say that Catholics are not Christian, even if it is only a passing mention (i.e. if someone said something like: “Are they Catholic or Christian?”). Why is this? I have to wonder where this whole concept came about too, where and why did people come to this conclusion? Is this simply a remnant of older anti-Catholic beliefs or is this something new/revived? Or is it innocent ignorance that they don’t know much at all about Catholicism?

I also have to wonder what percent of people think that Catholics are not Christians in the United States. And then I would wonder what those who said “No they are not” define Christianity is.

PS Sorry if this isn’t the right forum for this question, but thanks for reading anyway.
 
The first Christians were Catholics…all the others are just break away from the original Church
 
well the thing is the reason this is at least to me is not exactly a matter of salvation but rather a difference in the ways of faith. For instance Catholics hold the church in very high authority we Christians are more into authority of the bible not so much the church. Catholics have a pope we Christians do not, Catholics pray to Mary to intercede for them we Christians ask each other to prayer for one another.

Also the vast difference in beliefs the Catholics have and the ones we Christians have are very different and yet the same. But does it matter whether you call yourself Christian or Catholic? If you are saved who cares whether you are Catholic or Christian?
 
This mostly happens in the Latino circuit, where, lamentably, “Christian” has for generations been used as a synonym for “Protestant.”

ICXC NIKA
 
Hungry4God said:
well the thing is the reason this is at least to me is not exactly a matter of salvation but rather a difference in the ways of faith. For instance Catholics hold the church in very high authority we Christians are more into authority of the bible not so much the church. Catholics have a pope we Christians do not, Catholics pray to Mary to intercede for them we Christians ask each other to prayer for one another.

Also the vast difference in beliefs the Catholics have and the ones we Christians have are very different and yet the same. But does it matter whether you call yourself Christian or Catholic? If you are saved who cares whether you are Catholic or Christian?
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It matters when the terms are used to define “sides” in a conversion debate, sadly.

ICXC NIKA
 
Well, when they confront you with saying that you aren’t a Christian just ask them to define what a Christian is for you. A Christian is someone who follows and loves Jesus Christ, and you fit into that criteria right?. You are a Catholic-Christian just like they are Baptist-Christians, Pentecostal-Christians etc. Don’t let it bug you too much 👍
 
Mayita30 said:
The first Christians were Catholics…all the others are just break away from the original Church
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Yes true. Catholics in the sense that all Christians are catholic, the meaning of the word catholic we pray in the Nicene creed.
 
KidCatholic1 said:
I always getting extremely angry when people say that Catholics are not Christian, even if it is only a passing mention (i.e. if someone said something like: “Are they Catholic or Christian?”). Why is this? I have to wonder where this whole concept came about too, where and why did people come to this conclusion? Is this simply a remnant of older anti-Catholic beliefs or is this something new/revived? Or is it innocent ignorance that they don’t know much at all about Catholicism?

I also have to wonder what percent of people think that Catholics are not Christians in the United States. And then I would wonder what those who said “No they are not” define Christianity is.

PS Sorry if this isn’t the right forum for this question, but thanks for reading anyway.
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Because some people are uneducated or bigoted.
 
That does annoy me. If you really consider yourself to be Christian, at least read a little bit about Christian history over the past 2000 years or so, and how things have developed since Jesus’s resurrection. Just a little bit. If I am ever asked, I say I’m a Christian.
 
As others have stated here, it tends to be due to ignorance, perhaps not always intentional malice.

Remember the words of St. Ignatius of Antioch, however:
St. Ignatius of Antioch:
See that you all follow the bishop, even as Jesus Christ does the Father, and the presbytery as you would the apostles; and reverence the deacons, as being the institution of God. Let no man do anything connected with the Church without the bishop. Let that be deemed a proper Eucharist, which is administered either by the bishop, or by one to whom he has entrusted it. Wherever the bishop shall appear, there let the multitude of the people also be; even as wherever Jesus Christ is, there is the Catholic Church.

—Letter to the Smyrnaeans, Ch 8
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Now, St. Ignatius of Antioch personally knew atleast two Apostles; John, because he was John’s disciple, and Peter, who consecrated him bishop of Antioch if I am not mistaken, so this is quite a fascinating revelation for anyone that says that Catholicism is not Christianity. 🤷
 
Various Christian denominations define who is a Christian in different ways.

Some believe a person becomes a Christian merely by praying the Sinner’s Prayer.

Catholics consider anyone who has been baptized with water, either by immersion or by pouring, in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit to be a Christian, even infants.

As I understand it, Baptists, for instance, accept only a believer’s baptism as valid, i.e., a person must personally believe in Christ before they can be validly baptized, and only in baptism by immersion. They reject the Catholic practices of infant baptism and baptism by pouring. Thus, Baptists do not consider Catholics who were baptized as infants and those who were baptized by pouring to be Christians.

I’ve heard that some Pentacostals don’t consider a person a Christian until he can speak in tongues.
 
Mayita30 said:
The first Christians were Catholics…all the others are just break away from the original Church
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I know and actively believe that the Catholic Church was the first Christian church, and that Protestant sects are breakaway churches from the Catholic faith. I was just curious if anyone knew about why this occurs, or if anyone has any experience with people saying “Catholics are not Christian.”
 
Those who believe that base their conclusions on the works of Catholics, pulling the rug out from the very foundation of their “faith alone” theology.
Anti-Catholics will say: Catholics ‘work their way into Heaven’, but 'have no fruits (or works) proving their salvation.
Which is it?
 
Todd977 said:
Various Christian denominations define who is a Christian in different ways.

Some believe a person becomes a Christian merely by praying the Sinner’s Prayer.

Catholics consider anyone who has been baptized with water, either by immersion or by pouring, in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit to be a Christian, even infants. Belief in Christ is required but in the case of infants their parent’s belief in Christ will suffice.

As I understand it, Baptists, for instance, accept only a believer’s baptism as valid, i.e., a person must personally believe in Christ before they can be validly baptized, and only in baptism by immersion. They reject the Catholic practices of infant baptism and baptism by pouring. Thus, Baptists do not consider Catholics who were baptized as infants and those who were baptized by pouring to be Christians.

I’ve heard that some Pentacostals don’t consider a person a Christian until he can speak in tongues.
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Hungry4God said:
well the thing is the reason this is at least to me is not exactly a matter of salvation but rather a difference in the ways of faith. For instance Catholics hold the church in very high authority we Christians are more into authority of the bible not so much the church. Catholics have a pope we Christians do not, Catholics pray to Mary to intercede for them we Christians ask each other to prayer for one another.

Also the vast difference in beliefs the Catholics have and the ones we Christians have are very different and yet the same. But does it matter whether you call yourself Christian or Catholic? If you are saved who cares whether you are Catholic or Christian?
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I know you mean no offense, but you are kind of illustrating the issue here. There isn’t one group called “Christians” and one group called “Catholics.” “Christian” is the overall umbrella term that includes all followers of Jesus, whether Catholic, Orthodox, Protestant, or.belonging to some group that rejects all those labels.

Usagi
 
Some non-Catholics mistakenly consider the Catholic practice of praying to the saints and asking for their Christian intercession to be a form of polytheism. Thus, not only do they not think Catholics are Christians but they don’t even think Catholics believe in one God.
 
Catholics in the sense that all Christians are catholic, the meaning of the word catholic we pray in the Nicene creed.
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The meaning of the “One Holy and Catholic and Apostolic Church” in the Nicene Creed is not discussing Protestants-there were no Protestants around when it was written - it was written by the Catholic Church -though yes many of our Protestant Brothers also use it while using a different explanation of the words.

They are in an imperfect communion with the Catholic Church to various degrees.

See the explanation of that Creed in the Catechism of the Catholic Church to see a fuller explanation.

.
 
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