Why is protestant better than catholic

Diversity is one of the many beautiful features of our planet. Be it nature or religion. There are branches or sects to religions. A Christian can be a Catholic, protestant, Gnostic, Angelical, or orthodox.

Catholic and protestant Christians are a result of reformation that took place many years ago. These two sections of Christianity have a slightly different approach and ideology.

It is always good to be informed about their differences and reasons. The difference between catholic and Protestants is that Catholics believe that the pope is the highest authority after Jesus, who can connect them to the divine power.

Whereas Protestants do not believe in papal authority, they only consider Jesus and his divine teachings in the bible to be true. A catholic is a Christian who is generally associated with the Roman Catholic Church. They believe in the power of popes, the successors of Apostle Peter first head appointed by Jesus.

Catholics believe in hierarchy or ranking based on authority. They are the ones who use statues and pictures as a form of inspiration. Svigel contrasts the role of the Catholic priest with the Protestant idea of the priesthood of all believers:. From Luther on, we have the ability to confess our sins to one another, pronounce forgiveness as the scripture says.

Roman Catholics see veneration, not as praying to the Saints and the Virgin Mary, but as praying through them. This is seen as similar to asking a brother or sister in Christ to pray for you. Furthermore, Dr. He is the creator of all things. So she is the mother of angels. She is the mother of humanity, as is sometimes said. Moreover, the Catholic Church has also called her the Queen of Heaven. Historically, Mary was given a less prominent position in Protestantism as a reaction to this emphasis in the Catholic Church.

There is no equivalent to this kind of veneration in Protestantism, as Protestants emphasize direct access to God. While both Protestants and Catholics agree on many essentials of the historic Christian faith, there are key issues which continue to distinguish their beliefs and practices.

I agree Crystal. This particular teaching regarding Mary, along with several others, only perpetuate the Catholic sex-shame problem, which has alienated so very many Catholics. It's very sad, as our tradition is so rich in spirituality--richer than the Protestant tradition--which the author speaks to in the article. Thanks for reading Crystal!

As mentioned, I attended 15 years of Catholic school and didn't learn half of what I've learned in Protestant denominations in a shorter amount of time.

This is a huge invitation for Catholics in my estimation. The sad fact is many bishops and priests do not catechize and teach Catholic history or doctrine as well as apologetics. That's why so many Catholics are cannon fodder for fundamentalists, Pentecostals, Jehovah's witnesses and Latter day saints. I hate seeing the rich legacy of Roman Catholicism apparently going down the fundamentalist tubes. Countering my own disillusionment over much of the theology based on the many questionable historical "facts" asserted by Roman Catholicism and Christianity generally , are the broader metaphysical perspectives of philosopher Bernardo Kastrup and silenced bible scholar Thomas L.

Stepping back and taking a broader perspective is keeping me on on the same spiritual path I started on as a child, even if I am no longer "faithful" in the conventional sense of the word.

Don't worry, then, because, if what you have written is true, you are still part of "the Body of Christ. Thank you for this great piece. Loved this line in particular " Thanks for reading Bill. I have been surrounded by pilgrim believers for my entire life and have had incredible mentors. A gift from God, to be sure.

I hope the reference to the Jesuit poet was not indirectly saying that you have realised that when confronted with paradox or contradiction in thinking and talking about reality you now pass over it as sufficiently true if thought of as poetic. I will guess that the man who fell into atheism was most troubled by the error that science and Catholic faith cannot both be true at the same time.

First, modern science developed in Christendom starting about half a millennium ago and arrived and thrived amongst faithful believing Christians; it is NOT the fruit of the "enlightenment". Highly qualified scientists of many denominations of Christianity have no problem accepting that although the bible is not a scientific textbook, it describes the creation of the universe and the commencement of life in ways perfectly in line with the best of 21st century physics and biology.

Language scholars and experts are no less daunted by the bible content to do with genealogy and relationships, archaeologists are finding the remnants of peoples and centres of culture and historical monuments previously claimed to have been absent by atheist predecessors. Thanks for reading Alan, and I agree. The doctorate that Andy received while we lived in Texas was in experimental pathology.

We are both pro science and pro religion in our household and look forward to sharing this viewpoint with our kids. Your source for jobs, books, retreats, and much more. Faith Faith in Focus. Courtney Beck July 24, Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash. Seven tips for new Catholics, from one convert to another. Show Comments Comments are automatically closed two weeks after an article's initial publication.

See our comments policy for more. Woe to the generation that taught us nothing about the grandeur of the Sacraments. Courtney Beck. Kathleen O'Hagan. Michael Caggiano. Crystal Watson. Catholics see in the pope the successor of the Apostle Peter, the first head of their Church, who was appointed by Jesus. The papal office is justified by an allegedly unbroken chain of consecrations, ranging from the first century to the present. This continuous chain, known as the apostolic succession, is overall significant for different spiritual offices in the Catholic Church.

With the Sacrament of Holy Orders, bishops, priests and deacons receive a lifelong seal of God giving them sacramental authority over Catholic laypeople. This consecration can only be given to men.

Protestants do not consecrate specific persons into office, but rather accept the principle that priesthood can be transferred to every believer — even to women. The Catholics' views on the spiritual office are reflected in the Eucharist, or Holy Communion, a rite commemorating the Last Supper of Jesus with his disciples before his crucifixion. Once consecrated by a priest in the name of Jesus, bread and wine become the body and blood of Christ.

Non-Catholics may not participate in Communion. In the Protest Church, every baptized person is invited to share and is allowed to lead the Lord's Supper. This approach is not accepted by Catholics. Additionally, Eucharist has a different meaning for Catholics and Protestants. The bread, known as the Host, embodies Jesus and can therefore be prayed to. For Protestants, the ritual only serves to commemorate Jesus' death and resurrection.

In the Roman Catholic Church, there are seven solemn rites, called sacraments: baptism, confirmation, the Eucharist, matrimony, penance, holy orders and extreme unction. The church believes these sacraments were instituted by Jesus and that they confer God's grace. Most Protestant churches only practice two of these sacraments: baptism and the Eucharist called Lord's Supper.

They are perceived as symbolic rituals through which God delivers the Gospel. They are accepted through faith. Read more: How Martin Luther became the first Christian pop star. This is why they are rejected by Protestants.