A few observations
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1. **Those who most hate Catholicism are not Protestants **(though a few do), but those who are against all religion. They are especially opposed to traditional Catholicism and Protestant fundamentalism. They think both of these are like cults that practice mind control, who demand complete conpliance to their teachings, and who would impose their particular practices and views on the larger society if they ever gained control.
2. **Most Protestants disagree with Catholicism without hating Catholicism**. Protestants, of course, are divided into two broad groups. (a) Sola scriptura Protestants - evangelicals - who base everything on the Bible, usually literalists. In some respects they are more like Catholics when it comes to some doctrines and moral emphases - e. g., anti-abortion regardless of circumstances. (b) Liberal Protestants, mostly in mainline denominations, who embrace a 'big tent' concept of religion. In other words, they have a permissive attitude when it comes to doctrine. If you believe in the Virgin Both, fine; if you don't fine, too. If you believe in Adam and Eve or that God made the Red Sea dry for the Israelites to pass through or that Joshua caused the sun to stand still or that Jesus turned the water into wine - fine. But if you have doubts or disbelieve any of these, fine. They also are likely to assume a more laissez-faire attitude toward such issues as abortion, gay marriage, etc.
3. **The main issues between Protestants and Catholics include these:.**(a) **Authority**. Protestants reject the infallibility of the Pope in matters of faith and morals and have much less hierarchy than Catholicism.
(b)
Mary. Protestants respect Mary as the mother of Christ, but they do not venerate her, do not pray to her, and do not necessarily insist that she was a perpetual virgin, nor was she the only human being born without sin (immaculate conception) and assumed into heaven (Assumption).
(c)
Worship. Catholic worship centers around the sacrifice of the Mass. Protestants differ -Lutherans and Episcopalians are more liturgical, for example - but worship is likely to be less structured, less formal. Protestants believe that Christ is always present, but that he is no more present in the bread and cup at communion as at any other time.
(d)** Confession**. Protestants emphasize confession of sins directly to God, without the priest as a mediator.
(e)
'Good works.’ Catholicism traditionally had a system whereby the faithful could get ‘points’ called indulgences. Protestants put more emphasis on simple faith and do not think that repeating certain prayers (for example) get them closer to heaven.
(f)
Saints. Protestants think of the Biblical saints - Matthew, Peter. Paul, etc. - but also teach that all who seek to follow Christ are, in a sense, saints. “When the saints go marching in…” They do not pray to saints and seriously doubts what they views as wild myths repeated about some of the saints, even modern one. Could Padre Pio, for example, actually levitate and bi-locate?
(g)** Democracy**. Generally speaking, Protestant churches are organized in a much more democratic fashion than Catholic churches. Laity usually are in charge.
(h) “**One true church”. **Catholicism teaches that it is the one true church. Protestants who are Methodists, Presbyterians, Episcopalians, etc., seldom view themselves as the one true church, Some are very ecumenical. In Canada, for example, Methodists, Congregationalists, and Presbyterian merged to become the United Church of Canada.
**We are called upon to love one another, whatever our faith, color, nation or tongue**. Those who foment bitterness among Christians are not good Christians. Hope you are not in that number, as you make God quite unhappy if you are..
