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Do Protestants Worship the same God as Catholics, if so why are they separated?
Primarily over salvation by grace and faith vs. salvation by works.
9 Answers
- ?Lv 76 years ago
Maybe some do. The way I see it, many Protestants are just as religious as the Roman Catholics and the Orthodox. What I mean by that is that they are sold on an antichrist message, mainly the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees. So they substitute the Gospel message for a morality message. And of course, I think everyone notices, the moral codes vary from church to church, from person to person, the Knowledge of Good and Evil has really taken it's toll on the churches, Protestant and Catholic. See, the Knowledge of Good and Evil allows us to make our opinions on things equal to God. Partially because we are blind to him in some profound ways. It's not about free will, it's about ability and corruption.
- MayflowerLv 76 years ago
The 2.4billion christians believes in the Holy Trinity God ; issues between caths and ports are like squabbles in a big family. What the catholics belief is also the belief of the protestants, a bit water down.
- scrubbagLv 76 years ago
Apparently you only say what you hear others saying. Catholics DO believe in Salvation by Faith and by works, because it is because of Faith, that works are being done. They believe in God (faith) and in Jesus (faith) but they also believe in what God says, which is to Love all, treat all with kindness and so on. Works.
Also, for people to go around deliberately trying to degrade another denomination of God, is to me, a sin. And this is done, by the influence of Satan, for HE benefits from any conflicts within the family of Christians, which we are all part of, regardless of Catholic, Protestant, Lutheran, Morman, Jehovah, or what ever. WE are ALL part of God.
And Satan wants us to become separated, to make his work easier. Don't let him do that. Love your other fellow Christians, for they are NOT Satan but against Satan. You should be glad of that. Anyone who tries to lead other Christians astray, is not following the Word of God, but instead, the word of Satan.
- 6 years ago
Yes & no, Roman Catholicism and Christianity are not the same thing. Christianity is properly defined by certain doctrines that are revealed in the Bible. It is not defined by simply saying that as long as you believe in Jesus, you're a Christian. Mormons believe in Jesus, but their Jesus is a brother of the devil in the pre-existence. The Jesus of the Jehovah's Witnesses is Michael the Archangel. So, just saying you believe in Jesus doesn't make you a Christian. This is why the Bible tells us who Jesus really is--God in flesh, creator of the universe. Likewise, there are essential doctrines; and if any of those essential doctrines are violated, then a church would only appear to be Christian but not really be Christian. What are those doctrines? The Bible tells us. Let's take a look.
There is only one God, and you are to serve no other gods (Exodus 20:3; Isaiah 43:10; 44:6, 8).
Jesus is both God and man (John 1:1, 14; 8:24; Col. 2:9; 1 John 4:1-4).
Jesus rose from the dead physically (John 2:19-21; 1 Cor. 15:14).
Salvation is by grace through faith (Rom. 5:1; Eph. 2:8-9; Gal. 3:1-2; 5:1-4).
The Gospel is the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus according to the Scriptures (1 Cor. 15:1-4; Gal. 1:8-9).
God is a Trinity (Matt. 28:19; 1 Cor. 12:4-6; 2 Cor. 13:14).
Jesus was born of the virgin Mary (Matt. 1:25).
So, someone who is a true Christian will believe these things and not violate them. Roman Catholicism violates two of them (#1 and #4). First of all, by its practice of promoting Mary (and the Saints) to the level of God-like capabilities, they break the commandment to have no other gods before the true and living God. In Roman Catholicism, they say that Mary is the mediatrix (Catechism of the Catholic Church paragraph 969); Mary made atonement for the sins of man (Fundamentals of Catholic Dogma, page 213); Mary is the subject of preaching and worship (Vatican Council II, p. 420); etc.
Also, Catholicism violates the Biblical doctrine of salvation by grace through faith alone. Paul the apostle, for example, tells us in Romans 4:5, "But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is reckoned as righteousness." But Roman Catholicism denies that and says, " . . . so that all men may attain salvation through faith, Baptism and the observance of the Commandments," (CCC, par 2068). Also, consider this:
"If any one saith, that by faith alone the impious is justified; in such wise as to mean, that nothing else is required to co-operate in order to the obtaining the grace of Justification, and that it is not in any way necessary, that he be prepared and disposed by the movement of his own will; let him be anathema" (Council of Trent, Canons on Justification, Canon 9).
So, even though Roman Catholicism claims to be Christian and that it is the one true church, it violates the essentials of the Christian faith. It goes beyond what is written in God's Word (1 Cor. 4:6). It denies the sole and true sovereignty of the living God by promoting prayer to and the worship of Mary. Also, it denies justification by faith alone in Christ alone. It is not a Christian church.
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- TolstoyevskyLv 76 years ago
Catholics believe Jesus gave teaching authority and the authority to bind and loose to the Church. Protestants believe they have the authority to decide right and wrong for themselves, and claim the Holy Spirit told them so.
- ?Lv 75 years ago
Yes, but we think differently. For instance, we have multiple days we definitely require going to Church, like Good Friday, while protestants just require Easter and Christmas.
- PaulCypLv 76 years ago
Of course they do, but they lack much of the truth Jesus gave to the one Church He founded, because they have rejected many of the teachings and practices of original and complete Christianity, some denominations more so than others. Jesus stated His own will concerning His followers - "that they all may be ONE". And they were one until Luther unleashed his unbiblical tradition upon the world, which has resulted in exactly the opposite of what Jesus wanted - thousands of unauthorized manmade churches teaching thousands of false beliefs. The reason Jesus said His Church was to remain ONE is that He knew truth can exist only in unity. Truth cannot conflict with truth, therefore conflicting beliefs/teachings necessarily mean false beliefs/teachings. Jesus founded ONE Church, and promised that ONE Church, and no other, "The Holy Spirit will guide you into all truth", and "Whatsoever you bind upon Earth is bound in heaven", and "He who hears you hears Me" - promises that are impossible in a traditions of thousands of conflicting denominations.
- JAMES KLv 76 years ago
We are united over everything except politics. The only differences between the Roman and other Churches are Politics.
- carlLv 76 years ago
Yes. Read the history of the Protestant Revolution. "The Cleaving of Christendom" by Warren H. Carroll.
"Primarily over salvation by grace and faith vs. salvation by works."
Catholics also believe in salvation by grace and faith. Just not by "faith alone" because St. James says we are justified not by "faith alone" in James 2:24.
"You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone" (James 2:24)
Many believe James was writing to correct misconceptions about what Paul had wrote in Romans. Paul wrote that we are justified by faith apart from works of the law. Specifically he was talking about circumcision. Paul wrote that Abraham was justified by faith prior to his covenant of circumcision with the Lord. James on the other hand writes to clarify this teaching of Paul, even using the same example of Abraham and how he was justified, to say that Abraham wasn't justified by faith apart from his obedience to the Lord. He writes faith apart from works (of obedience and charity) is dead. Paul was talking about works of the law. James is talking about works of faith and love.
A Protestant who believes that a saving faith is one that is obedient to Christ, resulting in good works is equivalent to the Catholic belief. The Catholic would say that we are justified by faith, hope, and love - all of which are supernatural virtues given to us by God in Christ. One could not excercise a supernatural faith, hope, or love without these being given to them from the Lord. So it is by grace that we are saved. And there is nothing we can do to merit this grace, whether by faith or works. So it is said that we are justified freely by God's good grace.
"And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love" (1 Cor 13:13)
A Protestant might look at justification as merely a judicial act. God declares someone to be just. However, a Catholic may look at being justified a little differently, as someone who is pleasing to God. Thus, you can see how someone who obeys God and does acts of mercy is more pleasing to God than someone who does nothing and just says they believe. Both have some kind of faith, but the one who does what is right is more pleasing to God. Yet, he doesn't do what is pleasing to God apart from the grace that God has already given to him. For we can not please God without faith. And, faith alone is a dead faith. Faith and obedience go together. Do you really believe something if you do not live by it?
"For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue,[a] and virtue with knowledge, 6 and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, 7 and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. 8 For if these qualities[b] are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins. 10 Therefore, brothers,[c] be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall. 11 For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ." ( 2 Pt 1:5-11)
This link will highlight the differences and similarities