READ! ⬇️
Have you ever heard someone say Catholics aren’t Christians? Have you ever heard someone ask “what’s the difference between Catholic and Christian?” If so, this post is for you… especially if you yourself say/ask these things!
Catholics are Christian in every sense of the word. Catholicism is the *first* Christianity; it is the faith that began when Saint Peter was chosen as the first pope in Matthew 16:18-19. Did you know that the Catholic Church today still practices the same doctrines and many of the traditions from the earliest church?
Read the nicene creed, we Catholics recite this at mass every week.
“I believe in one God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all things visible and invisible. I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten Son of God, born of the Father before all ages. God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father; through him all things were made. For us men and for our salvation he came down from heaven, and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary, and became man. For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate, he suffered death and was buried, and rose again on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead and his kingdom will have no end. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son is adored and glorified, who has spoken through the prophets. I believe in one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church. I confess one Baptism for the forgiveness of sins and I look forward to the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. Amen.”
It’s quite long, but you can see we believe in the critical elements that all Christians believe in.
We believe, among many other things, that:
🌸 Jesus Christ is God the Son
🌸 Jesus Christ died for our sins on the cross
🌸 Jesus Christ was resurrected
🌸 Jesus Christ ascended into heaven
🌸 Jesus Christ is the only way to salvation
🌸 The passion on the cross is how we can be saved
We do NOT believe that:
❌ Mary is divine
❌ Mary or the pope should be worshipped
❌ You can’t read your own Bible
❌ You can buy your salvation
❌ Jesus is still on the cross
❌ The pope is perfect
❌ Salvation comes from works
These are all common misconceptions and I’m happy to clear up any questions you may have! I believed them too once upon a time - it’s hard not to when this misinformation is so widespread because of those who hate the church.
COMMON TENSION POINTS:
❤️🔥 SINLESS MARY: Yes, we believe Mary had no sin. We believe she was conceived without any personal or original sin, as she was protected by God’s grace because he knew what her role was to be. We do not believe that she is sinless of her own power, but of God’s grace. We can all agree that grace drives out sin! This is a universal Christian teaching; so who are we to limit God’s power by saying it’s impossible? God makes the impossible, possible. Also consider: in Luke 1:28 when the Angel Gabriel says “Hail Mary full of grace” or “thou art highly favored”, the original Greek language used was “kecharitomene” which literally means full of grace in past, present, and future; she was perpetually filled with grace. What does grace do? It drives out sin! Also fun fact: Luke 1:28 and Luke 1:41-43 are what make up the Hail Mary prayer! It’s straight from the Bible!
❤️🔥 73 BOOK BIBLE: Yes, we read the Bible canon with 73 books! Protestants read the version with only 66 books that cuts out 7 books from the Old Testament that were in the original compilation: Judith, Tobit, 1 & 2 Maccabees, Wisdom, Sirach, and Baruch. These books were included in the original canon of the Bible (assembled by the Catholic Church at the council of Rome in ~380AD) and weren’t removed until the Protestant reformation in the 1500s by Martin Luther! Did you know he also tried to remove James, Jude, Revelation, and Hebrews? He failed to do so, only removing the above listed Old Testament books.
❤️🔥 PAPAL INFALLIBILITY: This probably does not mean what you think! No, we do not believe that the pope is perfect or everything he says is correct. He can be wrong and he can (and does) sin. Papal infallibility is: the doctrine that in specified circumstances the Pope is incapable of error in pronouncing dogma. If he speaks incorrectly, he cannot be speaking infallibly.
❤️🔥SELLING SALVATION: you’ve probably heard the misinformation that the church sold indulgences for forgiveness of sins. This is wrong for multiple reasons: firstly, indulgences do not forgive sins, they merely are a remission of temporal punishment (purgatory) for sins that are already forgiven. (I recommend reading Catholic Answers on Purgatory if you’re interested in this topic; it’s too complex to put in writing here!) secondly, the church itself never sold indulgences. There was at one point a corrupt bishop who tried to do this, but he was rebuked by the Catholic Church - the church never endorsed this behavior!
There are many more misconceptions that I am so willing to explain, but for the sake of your eyes, I’ll refrain unless asked. I am so blessed to be given this opportunity to give you a proper representation of the church, when so many people provide a skewed narrative that is not true. If you have any questions please be my guest and comment them. I am happy to chat.
This is just a small snippet of Catholicism and I look forward to sharing more. 🌸💗
The question of whether Catholics are Christians often arises from misunderstandings about core beliefs held by both groups. Rooted in the traditions established by Saint Peter, Catholicism embodies the original Christian faith. One essential aspect is the Nicene Creed, which summarizes shared Christian beliefs regarding the Trinity and the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Misconceptions abound, such as the belief that Catholics worship Mary or the Pope. In reality, Catholics believe that Mary's sinless nature is granted through God's grace, not her own merit. Furthermore, the concept of papal infallibility is often misconstrued; it applies only in specific circumstances and does not imply that the Pope is free from error in all matters. Another common myth is about the Bible, particularly regarding its canon. Catholics recognize 73 books, including several that Protestant versions omit. This difference underscores the historical debates that have shaped Christianity. By dispelling these misconceptions, we can appreciate the depth and richness of Catholicism, recognizing it as an integral part of the broader Christian faith. Together, both denominations share fundamental beliefs that connect millions of believers worldwide.
