[Lixue-Sebille 3]

I'm a Roman Catholic, and most of my aquaintances are Christian. Is there a difference?

[Fr_Chuck]

It would be like saying what is the difference between a Baptist and a Lutheran, they are all denominations within the Christian faith,
So you as a Catholic are a Christian, but I wonder?? Since all catholics know they are christian, just not a protestant.

In Catholic we have the Pope as the head of our group, the Lutheran will have a president of their synod, the Anglican have a Arch Bishop and so on, The Catholics, Anglican, Orthodox, and some lutheran have specific beleifs about communion, other protestands have other beleifs on it,

So if you can tell us what denomination they are, we can tell you more specifi differences, since as I stated a Catholic is a Christian.

[Lixue-Sebille 3]

So are they basically the same?

[Fr_Chuck]

They have various customes and types of service, the Catholic and Anglicans and Lutherans and Orthodox are much more alike than a catholic and baptist.

So as noted unless you give what denomination your friends are, I can't say exactly what differences you may see.

For example a Penticostal church service is a lot different than a Catholic Service, but then it would be a lot different than a Lutheran or Orthodox also.

[Donna Mae]

I am a Christian and I can tell you about my beliefs.
Jesus Christ is the head of the church, not the pope.
I accept Christ by doing His will. This means I study the Bible so I will know what it is I have to do to be saved. I confessed before man that Jesus is the Son of God. I was baptized into Jesus Christ for the remission of my sins. I believe that you are baptized when you are old enough to know who Jesus is and understand the sacrifice He made for us. We do not baptize babies because we do not believe that babies are in sin. If a baby or small child passes away they will be with the heavenly Father. I believe that if I do not partake of the Lord's supper (communion), I will have no life in me. I believe that the Lord's supper must be taken every Lord's day (Sunday). I believe that my job, while I am on this earth is to tell others of the good news of Jesus Christ, and that the only way to heaven and our Father is through Jesus. There is no other way. I do not believe that just by accepting Christ into your heart you are automatically saved. That is a very good start though. I do not believe that once saved always saved. A Christian can certainly loose their soul if they don't do God's will. I believe that the judgement is final, there is no changing, there is no praying someone out of hell. The judgement is the end of life on this earth. If our name is not in the Book of Life, we will not be saved. "Every eye shall see Him." When Jesus returns, in the clouds, on that final day, we must be ready. There will be no second chances.

I believe that Jesus Christ is Lord, and we cannot see heaven by any other person, and I apologize in advance, but not even the pope can get anyone to heaven. He is just a man and every man has sin, Jesus was the only man with no sin. The Bible warns us to watch out for false prophets. We have to be aware of the people who claim to be the way to God. That is why God says, "study to show thyself approved."

I certainly believe in heaven as well as hell, and that hell is eternal punishment.

Sorry if I offended anyone, but this is my belief and it is from God's word.

And yes, there are lots of differences between Catholics and Christians.

[Donna Mae]

I need to add this too. I believe that Jesus is the only mediator between God and man. Jesus said, "no one comes to the Father except through me."

[LifePaparazzi]

Simply put - There is no difference. Chistians are any religion that believes in Christ, in whatever way. Catholics believe in Christ so they are Christian.

It's like this:
The category is Christian
Subcategory - Catholics
Subcategory - Methodists
Subcategory - Jehovah's Witness
Subcategory - Baptists

The category is None-Christian
Subcategory - Buddists
Subcategory - Jewish
Subcategory - Hindu

[LifePaparazzi]

Hello Lixui, Listen, I realize you have all these long winded answers posted here. Then you can see a comment below my brief explanaition (Donna Mae disagrees: I can see you put a lot of thought in your answer. (Don't have a winky smilie -you'll just have to imagine one.))

It really is NOT a difficult question to answer. What I gave you is purely factual, without any long winded religiously tained explanation. I was not out to convert you etc. just stating the FACTS.

[ineedhelpfast]

I think a big difference is that catholics believe that good works will get you into heaven, and they believe in purgatory which is basically an in between place of heaven and hell. Christians believe that only through gods grace and our faith will get us into heaven.

[Fr_Chuck]

i think a big difference is that catholics believe that good works will get you into heaven, and they believe in purgatory which is basically an in between place of heaven and hell. christians believe that only through gods grace and our faith will get us into heaven.

No, Catholics believe you get into heaven by grace, That Jesus died for our sins. The work does not get us into heaven, you must have Catholics confused with someone else.

Holy Souls Crusade - Where or what is Purgatory?

There is no clear cut opinoin by all christians, what happens to the soul from the time of death to what many call the second coming. Do they remain asleep, do they go to heaven or hell right away or do they go to some waiting or staging area?
All the gorups differ greatly on this.
But they do agree that in the end, believers do go to heaven

[marvin_082500]

I'm a Roman Catholic, and most of my aquaintances are Christian. Is there a difference?

Christians are the followers of Christ laws that in the bible. If you saw a group of religion not follow Christ's laws they are not christian, they just pretending. visit Members of the Church of God International

[LifePaparazzi]

Basics -

I googled this for you:

Definitions of christian on the Web:

relating to or characteristic of Christianity; "Christian rites"
a religious person who believes Jesus is the Christ and who is a member of a Christian denomination
following the teachings or manifesting the qualities or spirit of Jesus Christ
wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn

A Christian is normally very narrow-minded, judgmental followers of Jesus of Nazareth, referred to as the Christ.. .
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian

a person who believes in Christianity; also an adjective
English Vocabulary: Christmas Vocabulary (EnglishClub.com)

the name given by the Greeks or Romans, probably in reproach, to the followers of Jesus ("little Christ's!"). It was first used at Antioch. The names by which the disciples were known among themselves were "brethren," "the faithful," "elect," "saints," "believers.. .
Calvary Chapel San Bernardino - Theological Terms & Definitions

Religious organizations that provide opportunities for people to satisfy their inner needs and enhance their spiritual growth through organized worship or through other devotional activities under the auspices of one of the group of religious faiths that is based on the teachings of Jesus Christ...
nccs2.urban.org/ntee-cc/x.htm

"Christ's ones," that is, believers in Christ. In Acts 11:26 it says that "the disciples were first called Christians at Antioch.. .
answering-islam.org/Testimonies/TruePath/glossary.htm

a strongly Hellenized religion that began as a Jewish theological contention that a certain Jesus (Yeshu) of Nazareth (b. ca. 4 BC) was the prophesied Messiah (Greek, Christos).. .
Glossary of Non-Indian Nations

Christian, as distinguished from Jewish
encarta.msn.com/dictionary_1861674910/gentile.html

This is simply the word to denote a person who is a follower of Jesus and his teachings.
www.highwaychurchofchrist.com/dictionary/

And there are more.....

Now for Catholic -

Definitions of Catholic on the Web:

of or relating to or supporting Catholicism; "the Catholic Church"
a member of a Catholic church
free from provincial prejudices or attachments; "catholic in one's tastes"
wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn

Catholic - derived, through Latin, from the Greek adjective καθολικός, meaning "general", "universal" (cf. -
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catholic

Christian faith, church organized under the Pope, worship centred on the Mass Protestant – Christian faith, denies the authority of the Pope, worship focused on the Bible Papist – derogatory term for Catholics, as believers in the power of the Pope Heretic – derogatory term for Protestants...
Glossary : Elizabeth : Past exhibitions : Exhibitions : What's on : NMM

A word derived from the Greek katolikos, and meaning 'general' or 'universal'... in present-day usage, it is employed of those Christians who claim to be in possession of a historical and continuous tradition of faith and practice, as opposed to Protestants, who tend to find their ultimate...
St Sam's Dictionary

Selections from OCP, JS Paluch & Glory & Praise
www.christiancomputer.com/

This word comes from a Greek word meaning "universal" and may, therefore, be used to apply to all Christians. When it is used this way, it usually begins with a little c. Sometimes it is used with a capital C when the writer means the Roman Catholic Church.
http://www.allsaintsmd.org/newcomer/...-language.html

This came from the Greek word Katholikos which means "throughout the whole" or "universal." This implies a world-wide faith, rather than a local one. The Nicene Creed, recited in the churches of many Christian denominations, speaks of "one holy catholic and apostolic church.. .
Glossary of religious terms (Starting with "C")

Addressed to all Christians
Theological Dictionary

So, I'm not sure why some people are getting upset. Those are the facts.

[Fr_Chuck]

wikipedia has little value as anything but often biased postings, since people add and edit it
but here is there Christian link that shows catholics as listed as christians
Christianity - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Also from the "web" Q & A: Is there a difference between Catholic and Christian?
There are many Christian denominations and churches: Catholic, Presbyterian, Methodist, Baptist, Lutheran, and so on. Being a member of one doesn't determine whether a person is a Christian.
The real issue is whether the person individually has Jesus Christ living inside of him or her... if they actually have a personal relationship with God.
In the Gospel of John, we are told, "to all who received him [referring to Jesus], to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God."1 Why do we have to become children of God? Because until then, God is distant. We may know he's there. We may know we are supposed to worship him. We may even know that in times of need, he's the one to pray to. But there is a distance we are aware of, and it is because of our sin.
Now, as long as we live and breathe, guess what, we're going to sin. We're going to do things our way instead of God's way. But our sin need not remain a barrier between us and God. Here's how.
The Bible says that there is a penalty for sin, and it might be greater than you'd expect. The penalty for sin is death. It's not just the penalty for sins like murder. It's God's judgment against any and all sins. The Bible says, "For the wages of sin is death..."2 So that we would not have to die eternally separated from God because of our sin, Jesus died in our place. He fully paid for our sin. And offers us complete forgiveness. Not temporary forgiveness. Even for the sins we will commit in the future, we can have his forgiveness now, because Jesus died for all of our sin. We can immediately begin a close, personal relationship with him, that barrier of sin being gone. It isn't that we become perfect and no longer sin. But we become forgiven when we see that Jesus died for our sin, in our place.
"Yet now God in his gracious kindness declares us not guilty. He has done this through Christ Jesus, who has freed us by taking away our sins. For God sent Jesus to take the punishment for our sins and to satisfy God's anger against us. We are made right with God when we believe that Jesus shed his blood, sacrificing his life for us."3
When we receive Jesus Christ into our lives, God declares us "not guilty" and he says that we are now "made right with God." Our relationship with God has begun in a real way, where we no longer know God is "out there," but instead we know that he lives inside of us. We have God's forgiveness, a relationship with him. "For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."4
If you would like to be certain that you have a personal relationship with God, your sins forgiven, and no longer any barrier between you and God, the following explain how to have this now: Knowing God Personally


And OK, I fell alseep trying to read this link, but this is the official stance from the Catholic church on being christian
CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: Christianity

[LifePaparazzi]

wikipedia has little value as anything but often biased postings, since people add and edit it
but here is there Christian link that shows catholics as listed as christians
Christianity - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Also from the "web" Q & A: Is there a difference between Catholic and Christian?
There are many Christian denominations and churches: Catholic, Presbyterian, Methodist, Baptist, Lutheran, and so on. Being a member of one doesn't determine whether a person is a Christian.
The real issue is whether the person individually has Jesus Christ living inside of him or her...if they actually have a personal relationship with God.
In the Gospel of John, we are told, "to all who received him [referring to Jesus], to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God."1 Why do we have to become children of God? Because until then, God is distant. We may know he's there. We may know we are supposed to worship him. We may even know that in times of need, he's the one to pray to. But there is a distance we are aware of, and it is because of our sin.
Now, as long as we live and breathe, guess what, we're going to sin. We're going to do things our way instead of God's way. But our sin need not remain a barrier between us and God. Here's how.
The Bible says that there is a penalty for sin, and it might be greater than you'd expect. The penalty for sin is death. It's not just the penalty for sins like murder. It's God's judgment against any and all sins. The Bible says, "For the wages of sin is death..."2 So that we would not have to die eternally separated from God because of our sin, Jesus died in our place. He fully paid for our sin. And offers us complete forgiveness. Not temporary forgiveness. Even for the sins we will commit in the future, we can have his forgiveness now, because Jesus died for all of our sin. We can immediately begin a close, personal relationship with him, that barrier of sin being gone. It isn't that we become perfect and no longer sin. But we become forgiven when we see that Jesus died for our sin, in our place.
"Yet now God in his gracious kindness declares us not guilty. He has done this through Christ Jesus, who has freed us by taking away our sins. For God sent Jesus to take the punishment for our sins and to satisfy God's anger against us. We are made right with God when we believe that Jesus shed his blood, sacrificing his life for us."3
When we receive Jesus Christ into our lives, God declares us "not guilty" and he says that we are now "made right with God." Our relationship with God has begun in a real way, where we no longer know God is "out there," but instead we know that he lives inside of us. We have God's forgiveness, a relationship with him. "For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."4
If you would like to be certain that you have a personal relationship with God, your sins forgiven, and no longer any barrier between you and God, the following explain how to have this now: Knowing God Personally


And ok, I fell alseep trying to read this link, but this is the official stance from the Catholic church on being christian
CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: Christianity

Geeze, talk about long winded. NO ONE said, at least not from what I have read here, that Catholics are not Christian. So I find your answer... well, not relating to the question.

The question was: What is the difference between Catholic and Christian? The simple answer to this is - They are the same thing, as Catholics believe in Christ, therefore making them Christians.

Now, you can add this or that personal note to that. But in the end, that is the answer. :eek:

[ineedhelpfast]

no, Catholics believe you get into heaven by grace, That Jesus died for our sins. The work does not get us into heaven, you must have Catholics confused with someone else.

Holy Souls Crusade - Where or what is Purgatory?

there is no clear cut opinoin by all christians, what happens to the soul from the time of death to what many call the second comming. do they remain asleep, do they go to heaven or hell right away or do they go to some waiting or staging area?
All the gorups differ greatly on this.
But they do agree that in the end, believers do go to heaven

my family grew up catholic, on the chicago south west side, they were taught that only good works and praying to the virgin mary get you into heaven.. I do believe that there are catholics who are truly saved I believe that only god can forgive sins, but I just don't see many catholics such as yourself. I think we should call ourselves disciples of christ, as this is what we are called to make and be.

[Fr_Chuck]

Christians are the followers of Christ laws that in the bible. if you saw a group of religion not follow Christ's laws they are not christian, they just pretending. visit Members of the Church of God International

Are you referring that the members of the church of God International are not christian?

[Fr_Chuck]

Look at my bio, religion and law, long winded is what you get.

[marvin_082500]

Basics -

I googled this for you:

Definitions of christian on the Web:

relating to or characteristic of Christianity; "Christian rites"
a religious person who believes Jesus is the Christ and who is a member of a Christian denomination
following the teachings or manifesting the qualities or spirit of Jesus Christ
wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn

A Christian is normally very narrow-minded, judgmental followers of Jesus of Nazareth, referred to as the Christ. ...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian

a person who believes in Christianity; also an adjective
English Vocabulary: Christmas Vocabulary (EnglishClub.com)

the name given by the Greeks or Romans, probably in reproach, to the followers of Jesus ("little Christ's!"). It was first used at Antioch. The names by which the disciples were known among themselves were "brethren," "the faithful," "elect," "saints," "believers. ...
Calvary Chapel San Bernardino - Theological Terms & Definitions

Religious organizations that provide opportunities for people to satisfy their inner needs and enhance their spiritual growth through organized worship or through other devotional activities under the auspices of one of the group of religious faiths that is based on the teachings of Jesus Christ ...
nccs2.urban.org/ntee-cc/x.htm

"Christ's ones," that is, believers in Christ. In Acts 11:26 it says that "the disciples were first called Christians at Antioch. ...
answering-islam.org/Testimonies/TruePath/glossary.htm

a strongly Hellenized religion that began as a Jewish theological contention that a certain Jesus (Yeshu) of Nazareth (b. ca. 4 BC) was the prophesied Messiah (Greek, Christos). ...
Glossary of Non-Indian Nations

Christian, as distinguished from Jewish
encarta.msn.com/dictionary_1861674910/gentile.html

This is simply the word to denote a person who is a follower of Jesus and his teachings.
www.highwaychurchofchrist.com/dictionary/

And there are more.....

Now for Catholic -

Definitions of Catholic on the Web:

of or relating to or supporting Catholicism; "the Catholic Church"
a member of a Catholic church
free from provincial prejudices or attachments; "catholic in one's tastes"
wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn

Catholic - derived, through Latin, from the Greek adjective καθολικός, meaning "general", "universal" (cf. -
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catholic

Christian faith, church organized under the Pope, worship centred on the Mass Protestant – Christian faith, denies the authority of the Pope, worship focused on the Bible Papist – derogatory term for Catholics, as believers in the power of the Pope Heretic – derogatory term for Protestants ...
Glossary : Elizabeth : Past exhibitions : Exhibitions : What's on : NMM

A word derived from the Greek katolikos, and meaning 'general' or 'universal'.... in present-day usage, it is employed of those Christians who claim to be in possession of a historical and continuous tradition of faith and practice, as opposed to Protestants, who tend to find their ultimate ...
St Sam's Dictionary

Selections from OCP, JS Paluch & Glory & Praise
Christian Computer Concepts

This word comes from a Greek word meaning "universal" and may, therefore, be used to apply to all Christians. When it is used this way, it usually begins with a little c. Sometimes it is used with a capital C when the writer means the Roman Catholic Church.
http://www.allsaintsmd.org/newcomer/...-language.html

This came from the Greek word Katholikos which means "throughout the whole" or "universal." This implies a world-wide faith, rather than a local one. The Nicene Creed, recited in the churches of many Christian denominations, speaks of "one holy catholic and apostolic church. ...
Glossary of religious terms (Starting with "C")

Addressed to all Christians
Theological Dictionary

So, I'm not sure why some people are getting upset. Those are the facts.

There's no catholic chruch in the bible. It is Church of God (Act20:28, ICor.1:2; 10;32 ; 11;32, ITim.3:5, ICor.15:9, Gal1:13)

[LifePaparazzi]

Look at my bio, religion and law, long winded is what you get.

So I wonder, do you feel you need to talk to us all as if we were uneducated? I have a masters and speak several languages. But I don't treat others as uneducated. Come back on down to us humans here. LOL

All in good spirit though. We'll agree to disagree.

[LifePaparazzi]

Marvin
Quote
marvin_082500 disagrees: If they are all Christian why they have diffirent in faith. Christian are the followers of CHrist doktrines that's why there is only one Faith (Efesian4:5) End Quote

That was not the question here. By definition, those that follow the teachings of Christ... in whatever way... are Christians. Therfore Catholics are Christians, just as are Baptists, Lutheran, Jehovah's Witness etc.