What is the difference between Christianity and Catholicism? Is there a difference?

A difference between Protestantism and Catholicism includes celibacy of the clergy, that is that priests cannot be married The defense of a non-married clergy comes from the understanding that Jesus was not married since He dedicated His life solely to God, and sought to teach people the Word of God free of familial obligations. Hence, the Catholic priests of today do not marry so they may dedicate their lives to God and teach people the Word of God. Eastern rite priests, however, can be married before they enter the seminary to become priests.

Another difference is in receiving Communion. Catholics are offered Communion at every Mass. The idea being that, as human beings, we can receive the body and blood of Christ and the strength it gives to live a Christian life.

(Other Christian Denominations may offer communion once a month or on major christian holidays like Easter and Christmas.)

A third difference is the idea of confession. Catholics believe that they should go to confession to verbally express their sins. Besides the grace of the sacrament and the guarantee that their sins are forgiven by Christ who acts through the priest, Catholics also feel a natural sense of peace.

(Other Christians confess their sins directly to God or Jesus during prayer or meditation).

Christians believe in the virgin Mary, although Catholics believe in her own immaculate conception and sinless life, which was thought up a few hundred years after the bible was written, and has no real basis in the bible. Catholics also believe that Mary is the mother of the Church, and that there are certain rituals (for want of a better word) that a person must go through before marriage and stuff, which other denominations don't really have.

More differences can be found at:

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_are_the_differences...

Names.

Christianity is ranked as the largest religion in the world today with approximately 2 billion adherents.

The Roman Catholic Church denomination is the largest Christian group in the world today with more than a billion followers constituting about half of the world's Christian population.

Eastern Orthodox - Approximately 225 million people worldwide are Orthodox Christians.

Protestant - There are approximately 500 million Protestants in the world.

That's like saying that a German shepherd isn't a dog. Catholicism is the oldest form of Christianity and the one from which Protestantism is derived. Protestantism didn't begin until the 1500's when Martin Luther broke away from the Catholic Church and formed his own denomination.

Despite what some bigots and liars are trying to tell you, Catholics are Christians because we believe in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. We worship God and Him Alone -- not the Pope, Mary, the Saints, statues, or anything else.

There are many doctrinal differences between Catholic Christianity and Protestant Christianity, but we do agree on the most basic points: specifically, the ones that I listed above. And since Protestantism is derived from Catholicism, those who would deny us our Christianity are also denying their own.

Christians/Christianity = followers of Jesus, son of God.

Catholicism = First christian church with St Peter, as supreme apostle/founder; 1st Bishop of Rome.

So, on that premise, Christianity = Catholicism

You may want to know, who are the so called 'christians'.

First christian church = catholics church [CC] or The Church; then in 1000 ad, the orthodox christians splits. Hence, orthodox and catholics. In about 1500, the protestants splits from catholics.

Now, we have catholics, orthodox and protestants.

Now, the protestants church splits into about 40,000 ministries. One of the ministries wants to called themselves 'christians'. This is the 'christians' that you frequently hear and per se, they are protestants, protesting the mainstream Protestantism.

The Roman Catholic Church is the largest single Church withing Christianity, others being Eastern Orthodox (and Coptic) and Protestant in nature.

What all these religions have in common (note there are some religions that call themselves Christian that do not believe this) is the belief in Jesus Christ as the Son of God, The Savior, who was sent to redeem mankind and who died on the Cross to take away the sins of man. They also believe in the four canons of the gospel, and the Old Testament as the old Covenant.

Where they differ is the role of the Bishop of Rome (the Pope), the nature of the communion, the role of the Virgin Mary, and many other things. In fact, these differences are such that Catholicism is considered by many to be a separate religion.

what?

Absolutely no difference. The Catholic Church is the original Christian Church, the only Church founded by Jesus Christ, the only Church approved by Him, the only Church that existed for 1,500 years after His death and resurrection, and the only Church He ever intended to exist. There are however many differences between the original, pure and complete Christian Church - the Catholic Church – vs. the thousands of unauthorized conflicting manmade denominations of Protestantism, which exist in open defiance of the stated will of Christ "that they all may be ONE".

All Catholics are Christians.

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catholic is christian.