Free Essay

Catholics vs Protestants

In:

Submitted By smitho1984
Words 827
Pages 4
Catholics vs Protestants
Catholicism and Protestantism are two of the largest religions in the world. One rich in tradition and unwaveringness, the other in diversity and innovation. Both have the same basis, but at the same time are vastly different.
Both Catholicism and Protestantism are based on the belief that Jesus Christ, Son of God, was born of the Virgin Mary, died on the cross, rose from the dead, and ascended into heaven where he is now with God the father. They also believe in the holy trinity, that is three persons in one, God the father, Jesus the son, and the Holy Spirit.
` The first, and maybe the most radical, difference between the two religions is the beliefs of the afterlife. Both Protestants and Catholics believe that Jesus died on the cross to enable us to have the chance at eternal life. “For God so loved the world that he gave his only son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life.” John 3:16. However, Protestants believe that all one must do is believe in Jesus and you will receive eternal life. Good deeds are not considered meritorious; rather, they are a result of divine grace. This is because, they say, humans are free to do only evil and good acts are inspired by God. Catholics believe that one must also act according to Gods word and his or her good deeds, along with Jesus’ sacrifice, will ensure them eternal life in heaven. Good acts are meritorious because man has freewill to choose good or evil.
A second difference between Catholicism and Protestantism is the structure of the churches. Catholicism is comprised of one holy, Catholic, and apostolic church. Roman Catholicism is considered by most people to be the only Catholic church, but some other churches, such as the Eastern and Russian Orthodox Churches, consider themselves to be Catholic, however, the respective church’s origins and belief systems suggest otherwise. The Roman Catholic Church is headed by the Pope. The church has a set order of leaders, from priests to deacons, bishops and cardinals. On the other hand, the Protestant church is not one church, but many denominations. These denominations have come about from splits within the Protestant church, and have resulted in tens of thousands of separate denominations that are still considered Protestant. The church has no one leader. Instead, each individual church has its own pastor, and the congregation under the guidance of the pastor makes the decisions within the church. In the Catholic Church, the church’s archdiocese makes the decisions.
Another difference between the two faiths is the beliefs they have. Catholics look to both the Bible and to tradition, tradition such as a Pope, sets of rules and guidelines handed down through the ages. Protestants believe in the Bible alone, as the basis of their beliefs.
In Catholicism, the Bible contains the Apocrypha, a set of books that were added by the Church after the completion of the Scriptures because it believed that they would help better guide members of the Church to leading a holy life. Protestants renounce the Apocrypha because they believe it was not divinely inspired, and therefore does not have a place in Bible.
A major difference between Catholicism and Protestantism concerns Saints and Mary, mother of Jesus. Many people mistakenly think that Catholics worship Saints and the Mother Mary the same way they worship Jesus. This is simply not true. Catholics ask the Saints in heaven as well as the Virgin Mary to pray to God for them, to negotiate on their behalf. Catholics also believe that Mary, mother of Jesus, is higher up than any other saint in heaven and is also a virgin. In contrast, Protestants do not believe in having saints, but that only God and Jesus should be asked for help. They also believe that Mary was not a forever-virgin, but only a virgin before the birth of Jesus.
Conversion means the change of the substance of bread and wine into the body and blood of Jesus Christ. Catholics believe in conversion; Protestants believe that the change from bread to body is only figurative and not literal.
The priesthood is a major difference between the Catholic and Protestant religions. Protestantism teaches that the faithful are a “priesthood of believers”, and therefore each congregation is led by a pastor, or spiritual guide to the people. In Catholicism, priests are selected members of the faith who must go through eight or more years of schooling and dedicate their lives solely to God.
In conclusion, Protestantism and Catholicism are based around the same, monotheistic beliefs. They both worship Our Lord, Jesus Christ, and worship him fully and truly. However, since the split in the Church and the creation of the two religions, both faiths have been fighting over their differences and ignoring their similarities. We must learn to put aside these differences and worship together, as one.

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

Catholicism and Protestanism

...Catholicism is a broad term for the body of the Catholic faith, its theologies and doctrines, its liturgical, ethical, spiritual, and behavioral characteristics, as well as a religious people as a whole.[1][2] For many the term usually refers to Christians and churches belonging to the Roman Catholic Church in full communion with the Holy See.[3] For others it refers to the churches of the first millennium, including, besides the Roman Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox Church, the Oriental Orthodox Church, and the Assyrian Church of the East.[4][5] And for others again it refers to "adhering to the catholic faith as it has been inherited from the earliest Christians ... seeking to restore the faith and order of the primitive church",[6] as claimed by the Anglican Communion, various Lutheran churches,[6][7][8] and other Reformation and post-Reformation churches.[9][10] The Catholic claim of continuity is based on, among other factors, Apostolic succession, especially in conjunction with adherence to the Nicene Creed.[11] In the sense of indicating historical continuity of faith and practice, the term "catholicism" is at times employed to mark a contrast to Protestantism, which tends to look solely to the Bible as interpreted on the principles of the 16th-century Protestant Reformation as its ultimate standard.[12] It was thus used by the Oxford Movement.[13] This contrast, however, is not so clearcut for Anglican theologians such as Alister McGrath: "Anglicanism is not...

Words: 2573 - Pages: 11

Free Essay

Paperboy

...religion to being affiliated with a particular faith, or left any connection to a certain religious tradition altogether. The survey finds that the number of people who say they are unaffiliated with any particular faith today (16.1%) is more than double the number who say they were not affiliated with any particular religion as children. Among Americans ages 18-29, one out of four say they’re not currently affiliated with any certain religion. The research survey done by pew research confirms that the United States is on the verge of becoming a minority Protestant country; the number of Americans who report that they’re members of Protestant denominations now stands at barely (51%). Moreover, the Protestant population is characterized by significant internal diversity and fragmentation, encompassing hundreds of different denominations loosely grouped around three fairly distinct religious traditions - evangelical Protestant...

Words: 513 - Pages: 3

Free Essay

Comparing Religions

...society. There are many different religions that people follow for their own reasons such as Baptist, Protestant, Lutheran, Catholic, Muslim, and Buddhism. Each religion has different followings and ways to receive faith through the religion. Which religion has the most faith and why does that religion has the most faith? This essay will examine comparisons between the Baptist religion and other religions such as Catholic, Protestant, and Lutheran. These religions are some of the most important religions in the world today. Some of the other religions that can be compared to the Baptist religion are Buddhism, Muslim, and Sangria. The differences are far and wide, but there are some similarities between religions. The first religions that will be compared are Baptist and Catholic. There are many differences between the Baptist church and the Catholic Church, but most are not seen at first. Most of the differences between Baptist and Catholic churches have to do with theological differences, or the study of God of each church (Catholic vs. Baptist, 2012). The main difference between the two churches is the Communion of each church. The Roman Catholics takes communion at every mass while Baptists take communion on special holidays such as Easter and Christmas. The next difference between Baptists and Roman Catholics is the level of decoration within the main sanctuary. The Roman Catholic Church is decorated with painting, icons, and statues of saints while the Baptist church very rarely...

Words: 1626 - Pages: 7

Premium Essay

Elizabethan Era Dbq

...she inherited the throne, many Roman Catholics believed that she was an illegitimate queen (Elizabeth I par. 2). They believed this because of Queen Elizabeth's religion as a Protestant. The Elizabethan era was defined by Queen Elizabeth and the Church, the division between Catholicism and...

Words: 917 - Pages: 4

Free Essay

Northen Ireland Conflict

...Britain. The IRA’s original goal when this happened was to get all of the British establishments out of Ireland and get up an independent Irish government. In December at the 6th in 1921, the country Ireland was split in two. The free Ireland and the Northern Ireland which were under the control of the British. The IRA removed with this all the British in the south free Ireland by force of arms. In the Northern Ireland the majority of the people were protestants and therefore they didn’t mind that they were under control of the British, if the Northern Ireland became a part of Ireland again the protestants would loose the privileges they had over the Catholics. It became the Unionists VS the Nationalists or the Loyalists VS the Republicans. The Unionists were nonviolent protestants and the Loyalists were the violent one. On the Catholic side, the Nationalist were the nonviolent one and the Republicans were the one that used military arms. Many people were being killed, an at May the 22nd the IRA and the Protestants “loyalists” militias were ordered to surrender all illegal weapons. But in a statement April the 29th the IRA stated the they would not surrender any weapons at all. “There appears to be yet another attempt to resurrect the decommissioning issue as an obstacle to progress,” said the statement. “Let us make clear there will be no decommissioning by the IRA” During the second world war, Ireland stay neutral. The IRA bombs Birmingham, Manchester and London and...

Words: 460 - Pages: 2

Free Essay

The Counter Reformation

...The Counter-Reformation: Catholic Baroque vs. the ‘Other’ Baroque With every change of power or order in society, whether it is in business or government, there is always a change in structure. Buildings and signage are redesigned with the idea of a complete marketing makeover. The same can be said for the Catholic Counter-Reformation of the mid sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, after the successful Protestant Reformation of the early 1500s. Rome called forth a physical change of the Catholic Church in response, and years later, the Calvinist churches (the Dutch Reformed Church) in the Netherlands called for a complete physical change of their structure as well. As a direct response to the Protestant movement that had turned successful, the Catholic Church met three times over nearly twenty years from 1545 until 1563 in what was called the Council of Trent. The Church decided to elicit an emotional response from current Catholics, as well as Catholics turned Protestants, with the hope of rejuvenating the foundations and population of the Church. Pope Paul III helped the council to redefine Catholic doctrine, as well as redefining the role of the clergy, which was deemed essential to the Church’s system of faith. During the sporadic meetings of the council, Pope Paul III commissioned artists and architects to create paintings and redesign buildings that would remind Catholics of the grandeur of their faith. The outcome needed by the Church was for its...

Words: 657 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Is the Notion of Arche Credible

...Assignment notes Christianity vs. Judaism: The major differencesHere, in great brevity, is a summary of some of the major differences between Judaism and Christianity. | Principle |   | Christianity |   | Judaism | Nature of God |   | Trinity |   | Unity | Nature of Messiah |   | Divine, Sin Sacrifice |   | Only human, Righteous King | Atonement |   | Blood Required |   | Prayer and Repentance | Sin |   | Everyone stained by Adam and Eve ("original sin") |   | All begin with clean slate | Righteousness |   | No one |   | Within our power to choose | Satan |   | Fallen angel |   | Agent of God | Torah |   | Written only |   | Written and Oral | Commandments |   | Not eternal or valuable |   | Eternal and of ultimate value | Exclusivity |   | Only Christians go to heaven |   | All righteous have a place in the world to come. | Land of Israel |   | Irrelevant |   | Crucial | Jews |   | Replaced by the church; or irrelevant |   | God’s chosen people | Judaism is one of the world’s oldest religions, dating back up to 2000 years BC from the time when God first called Abraham to leave his home and follow Him. At that time, God made a covenant (or agreement) with Abraham in which He promised to make Abraham the father of a great nation and that one day his descendants would inherit the land of Canaan if Abraham followed him. God’s plan was gradually revealed through the Old Testament and built on with further promises to Moses, David and the prophets...

Words: 5210 - Pages: 21

Free Essay

On Islam and Inequality

...ON ISLAM and INEQUALITY Introduction Fish (2011) in his book named “Are Muslims Distinctive: A Look at the Evidence.” discusses whether Muslims show any systematic differences on individual and country levels in various issues such as democracy, large scale violence, corruption, tolerance and social inequality. In terms of inequality, Fish compares Muslim and non- Muslim countries in relation to gender and income inequality. As a result of his data analyses he concludes: “On gender based inequality Muslims lag; on income inequality they lead” (Fish, 2011: 228). I consider the finding about income inequality as an unexpected one because in the income inequality literature, religion in general and Islam in specific are not commonly considered as potential determinants. Fish`s proposed causal mechanism makes his study even more suspicious because his references are anecdotal and his reasoning is culturalist. This is why, I decided to investigate his findings deeper and conduct a test on his claims that Muslims are culturally more egalitarian than Christians. The plan of this paper works in the following way: I will start with a literature review and continue with a brief summary of Fish`s data analysis and his major claims about the causal mechanism behind the relationship between Muslim culture and egalitarian state policies. Afterwards, I will continue with my alternative replication of Fish`s regression analysis with a different dataset which measures inequality in an...

Words: 5647 - Pages: 23

Premium Essay

Norther Ireland Troubles

...live in Northern Ireland. (Wikepedia) In 1171, following permission from the Pope Adrian IV; Henry II landed in Ireland on an expansionist expedition. For the church, the ‘bull’ (papal order) encouraged Henry to take control in Ireland in order to oversee the financial and administrative reorganization of the Irish Church and its integration into the Roman Church system. For Britain, this represented an expansion of the empire and their European influence. In the subsequent centuries, Irish and English cultures were deeply intertwined, under the canopy of the Catholic Church. During these times, it is safe to say that the Irish identity experienced a strong redefinition. Even following the fall of the Roman Empire, the Catholic faith remained a strong thread in the fabric of Irish identity. Henry VIII and his Reformation created religious chaos across the realm, with a larger part of Ireland remaining loyal to their Catholic ‘roots’, despite the royal decree. In a twist of...

Words: 1408 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

Young Adults’ Irish Identity: Relationship Between Time in Ireland and Emigration

...on 10-15 year olds, the economic boom experienced in 1995-2007 has caused a shift to examine college-aged participants, the ones who are experiencing the effects of Ireland’s current economic downfall. With high unemployment and over 400,000 people on the dole, emigration has become a reality for many in Ireland. The findings presented suggest the longer participants have lived in Ireland, the stronger they associate with the Irish Identity. Young Adults’ Irish Identity: Relationship between Time in Ireland and Emigration Historically, Ireland has always been a country divided; the division between the Republic of Ireland and the six counties in the North, within those areas, the division of religion, Catholic or Protestant. These divides have been around for centuries and even after moving into a new millennium, these disputes continue (Walsh, 2011). The fight for Irish national identity began when England took rule over the far off island. Many inhabitants of Ireland were Irish, but English inhabited the island, too. From the 12th to present day, many Irish have British, French, or Scottish...

Words: 1810 - Pages: 8

Premium Essay

Durkehiem Theory

...and highlight the key points. Functionalist Theory A theory that I have found that relates to Anti-Social Behaviour is the Durkheim Theory; does he believe that committing suicide is not a mental problem? I am now going to highlight the key points in this research task that I have found. As far as Individuals were concerned this separate’s sociology from psychology. Research shows that suicide occurred when anomie arose. Anomie means the lack of social standards in an individual. I will now provide 3 different examples to show my understanding. He compared 3 different religious groups, Jews, Catholics and Protestants so therefore he found Protestants were more likely to commit suicide more frequently than Jews. Jews were more connected to their community because there religion included many rituals that would cause them as a group to be closer together. In other terms Protestants committed suicide more often because they lacked ritualization. Durkheim is a functionalist which means his theory is based on institutions in society and therefore this shows how everything in a society works together. Durkheim argued that there is nothing deviant or criminal in any act so therefore the key is how a society reacts and responds to the act. So if we put it in other words there is nothing criminal if we decide it is. Durkheim had many views but the main one was he believed that crime was not normal in any society it was also therefore beneficial. He believed that crime could provide...

Words: 994 - Pages: 4

Free Essay

Irish Life and Cultures

...refers to a point of conflict in Irish history from late 60's to the late 90's. It was characterized by military violence particularly in Northern Ireland but also to a less prominent extent in England, Scotland, and The Republic of Ireland. The violence was rooted in the different ethnicity of the Northern Irish people. The Unionist Protestant majority wanted to remain as part of The United kingdom while the Nationalist republican minority wished to cede ties with The United Kingdom and join The Republic of Ireland. Catholics and Protestants were largely segregated in Northern Ireland. Catholics were generally discriminated against and not given high power jobs. In 1969 a predominantly catholic civil rights protest marched against these issues. The protest was attacked by The Royal Ulster Constabulary. This sparked the beginning of the period in Northern Irish history known as The Troubles. After the protest a new paramilitary origination, the provisional IRA, was formed. They called themselves the Provisional IRA to differentiate themselves from the old IRA which had become somewhat inactive. Thereafter, Clashes between Catholics and Protestants became commonplace. Throughout this period the majority of the violence was perpetuated by Paramilitary groups such as The Provisional IRA, The Ulster Defense Association and The Ulster Volunteer Force British security forces were also heavily involved in retaliation to these terrorist groups. In the early 70's the situation became so...

Words: 2164 - Pages: 9

Premium Essay

Philippine Catholic

...Contrast Between Catholic and Baptist Religion - Ask most people today if they have heard of Baptist and Catholic religion and most would say yes. In many ways the two are very similar. For instance, both are based on the Christian faith, belief in the trinity, and that God is the one true God. The two religions agree that Jesus died on the cross and rose again to atone for our sins. They share a 27 book New Testament and insist that salvation comes from Christ alone. On the other hand, while the Baptist and Catholic religions do have similarities, they also have differences, such as their services, communion, and views regarding salvation. The Catholic Religion - The world has more than one billion Catholics and with the ever growing population, it will only get larger in number. To be a Catholic means to have complete faith in God and his divine grace. Having God's divine grace means to obey it and keep it holy as it was created by God and given to his people. The religion itself is based on this and the people take it very seriously. Catholics believe that all people are of good nature but when one commits a sin it not only hurts that one person but the people and the Church.... [tags: Catholicism, What Catholics Believe, informative] 1922 words (5.5 pages) $14.95 [preview] Catholic religion - CATHOLIC RELIGION To belong to the church one must accept as factually true the gospel of Jesus as handed down in tradition and as interpreted by the bishops in union with the pope...

Words: 9141 - Pages: 37

Free Essay

Nation-State

...RISE OF THE NATION STATE State, Nation, and Nation-state The present-day layout of the world’s political map is a product of humanities endless politico-geographic accommodations and adjustments. A mosaic of more than 200 states and territories separated by boundaries makes the world looks like a jigsaw puzzle. Human territoriality refers to a country’s (or more local community’s) sense of property and attachment toward its territory, expressed by its determination to keep it inviolable and defended. A state is a politically organized territory, administered by a government, and recognized by the international community. A state must also contain a permanent population, an organized economy, and a functioning internal circulation system (infrastructure). Since certain countries have internal divisions, the solution is to capitalize “State” (e.g. State of Florida, State of Uttar Pradesh India)). When used for the formally independent political units, the term country and state are interchangeable. A nation, by contrast, is a tightly knit group of people possessing bonds of language, religion, ethnicity, and/or other shared cultural attributes. Theoretically, a nation-state is a recognized country possessing formal sovereignty and occupied by a people who see themselves as a single, united nation. In only a handful of countries do state territories largely coincide with the distribution of people who feel they are part of one nation. Iceland, Portugal, Denmark, and Poland are...

Words: 2992 - Pages: 12

Free Essay

Virtuoso Guercino

...More than 350 authentic paintings that include the depiction of a great variety subjects, from mythological to historical to religious, have been identified to date as his. Powerful religious and political figures were impressed with his masterful artistic skills. But even more so, these luminaries were attracted to his innovative ability to express religious ideas and implant political meanings into his work that accorded with their ideals. His virtuosity allowed him to paint for the likes of high-ranking men such as popes, bishops and papal legates (cardinals), who actively advanced his career and status and allowed him great success. Praised by Ludovico Carracci as “a prodigy of nature” was Giovanni Francesco Barbieri, who is better known as (Il) Guercino. Guercino’s Samson Captured by the Philistines, 1619, exemplifies the nature of art during the Baroque period because of its ability to engage the viewer both physically and emotionally. One of Italian art's great draftsmen, a largely self-taught artist, Giovanni Francesco Barbieri was born in the town of Cento in Emilia-Romagna (Italy) in 1591. He was known by his nickname, Il Guercino (the Squinter), because of a childhood accident that made him cross-eyed. As a painter Guercino worked in different styles during his long and successful career. Earlier in his career, he combined several disparate influences of Carravaggio, the Carracci who so expertly accomplished the use of chiaroscuro and great 16th-century Venetian...

Words: 2221 - Pages: 9