CATHOLICS PROTESTANTS
Place of worship Church, chapel, Church, chapel, cathedral
cathedral
Use of statues and pictures Permitted as means Not used
of inspiration
Place of origin Palestine & Rome; Palestine & Rome, with a schism
Roman Empire originating in Germany
Birth of Jesus Virgin Birth Virgin Birth
Death of Jesus Death by Crucifixion Death by Crucifixion
Second coming of Jesus Affirmed Affirmed
Founder Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ, followed by Peter,
followed by Peter as Paul, and other disciples of Jesus.
the first Pope, then Position of The Pope denied, and
all Popes following eventually split off of The Catholic
Peter. church to attempt to re-establish
the original church.
Scriptures Holy Bible, a Holy Bible, a collection of
collection of canonical books in two parts (the
canonical books in Old Testament and the New
two parts (the Old Testament). Usually King James
Testament and the Version.
New Testament).
Usually Douay-
Rheims or Knox
Version.
Literal Meaning catholic - meaning Protestant - to 'protest'
"universal"
Concept of Deity Believe in the Trinity Believe in the Trinity of God.
of God. Three Three persons in one God:
persons in one God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit
Father, Son and Holy
Spirit
Clergy The Pope, followed Each church independent, headed
by Cardinals, by Pastors, Elders, and Deacons.
Archbishops,
Bishops, and Priests,
Monks and Deacons.
Women can be nuns.
Practices All Catholics are Regularly study the Bible, pray,
expected to and commune with other believers
participate in the on Sunday (or other day of
liturgical life of the worship)
Church, but personal
prayer and devotions
are entirely a matter
of personal
preference.
Resurrection of Jesus Affirmed Affirmed
Authority of Pope Affirmed Denied.
About Catholics follow the Protestants follow the teachings of
teachings of Jesus Jesus Christ as transmitted
Christ as transmitted through the Old & New
through the Old & Testament. Protestants believe
New Testament via that the Catholic Church stemmed
Rome and the from the original Christian Church,
Vatican and follow but became corrupt. Men can not
the Catechism. add or take away from scripture.
Catholics believe that
the Catholic Church
is the original and
first Christian
Church.
Belief of God Monotheistic; God is Protestants believe that there is
the omnipotent, only one God and that be has
loving creator of the revealed himself as the Trinity.
Universe. Believe
that God has
revealed himself as
the Trinity. Father,
Son, and Holy Spirit.
Day of worship Sunday. Personal Traditionally Sunday, but other
Sacrifice during Lent. days accepted if treated with
same level of focus on worship.
Life after death Eternal Salvation in There is no purgatory. Those that
Heaven (chosen trust in Jesus as savior go to
ones); Eternal paradise, those that trust in their
Damnation in Hell; own works for salvation go to hell.
Temporal third state In the end times, these groups are
before Heaven, let into heaven and the lake of
known as Purgatory. fire, respectively.
Identity of Jesus The Son is The Son is consubstantial with the
consubstantial with Father, which means that, in the
the Father, which Father and with the Father the
means that, in the Son is one and the same God.
Father and with the The Word was made Flesh and
Father the Son is one dwelt among us.
and the same God.
The Word was made
Flesh and dwelt
among us.
Marriage The Holy union of a The Holy union of a man and
man and woman. woman. What God has bound
What God has bound together, no person can separate.
together, no person Divorce permitted in cases of
can separate. adultery or abandonment.
Status of women Variable but treated Variable but treated with respect.
with respect. Women Usually, women are not allowed to
are not allowed to be be part of the clergy, but are
priests. However, permitted to teach or work in other
they can become areas.
nuns.
Status of Adam Sin came into the Sin came into the world, through
world, through Adam. Adam.
Saviour Jesus Christ Jesus Christ
Prophet Believe in all Believe in all prophets of the
prophets of the Books from the Holy Bible, and
Books from the Holy that Muhammad is a false
Bible. prophet.
Confessing sins To God through To God through Jesus
priests
View of other Abrahamic According to Catholic Judaism is a true religion, but they
religions doctrine, Catholicism do not believe Jesus is the
is the original Messiah. Islam is a false religion.
Christian Church. Pagan religions are also false.
Christianity is the
true religion. Judaism
is a true religion, but
they do not believe
Jesus is the Messiah.
Islam is a false
religion, pagan
religions are also
false.
Mary Mary is considered Mary is considered favored
favored among among women, and was chosen
women, and was by God to be the mother of Jesus
chosen by God to be through a virgin birth, but is
the mother of Jesus otherwise simply a human with no
through a virgin birth. other special attributes.
Thus, she is
considered holy, and
may be prayed to as
an intercessor to
God.
Purgatory A place of cleansing Does not exist
and preparation for
heaven. Also a place
where the
punishment due to
unremitted venial
sins may be
expiated.
Human Nature Humans are free to "original sin" inherited from Adam,
devote themselves to tendency towards evil, but the
knowledge and sins of the father do not pass
communion in the through the son, therefore
image of God. Children are holy, and until they
"original sin" reach the age where they can
inherited from Adam know good from evil, their sins are
- tendency towards not held against them.
evil (Infants must be
baptized)
Original Language(s) Hebrew, Aramaic, Hebrew, Greek, and German
Greek, and Latin
Means of Received at Faith in Jesus Christ as having
salvation baptism; may be already paid the penalty for your
lost by mortal sin; sins.
regained by faith
and penance. You
must believe Jesus
is the only son of
God, confess your
sins, must have a
relationship with
Jesus.
God's role in Christ can save Various forms of grace and free will.
salvation people and can In one extreme, God predestines
help in salvation. who will be saved and there is no
free will. In the other extreme it is
entirely the free will of man. Most
protestants are somewhere in
between.
Praying to Only for their Saints are anyone that believes,
Saints, Mary, intercession or help, and Mary is only a human. The only
and Angel at end of each intercessor between God and man
prayer you must say is Jesus, not saints, Mary, or
"but only God's will angels.
be done".
Saints A special group of Anyone who believes in Jesus as
holy people, who savior is a saint.
are venerated. They
may act as
intercessors
between God and
Man and may be
invoked in prayer.
Goal of Peace, Love and A relationship with Jesus
religion wilful submission to
God.
Religious Law The Bible and The Bible alone. Each person must
Catechisms, which verify all teachings through the
may be added to or Bible.
amended by The
Pope.
Belief Catholics believe Protestants believe that salvation to
that salvation to eternal life is God's will for all
eternal life is God's people. You must believe Jesus
will for all people. was the son of God and that he has
You must believe already paid the penalty for your
Jesus was the son sins to receive this.
of God, receive
Baptism, confess
your sins, and take
part in Holy Mass to
obtain this.
Angels Angels are unseen Angels are unseen creations of
creations of God, God, created from light. Satan is a
created from fallen angel who rejected God.
light. Satan is a
fallen angel who
rejected God.
Religion No. Faith in God No. Faith in God plays a very
which plays a very important role in Christianity.
atheists may important role in
still be Christianity.
adherents of
View of Protestant Protestantism is way church was
Protestantism denominations originally
cannot be established. Catholicism corrupt
considered with establishment of Papal
"churches"; they Infallibility. God reveals self through
don't believe in the scripture and prayer, not tradition.
true Eucharist. They
can't have true
priests or bishops
because a priest is
only valid based on
ordination from a
valid bishop
according to the
Apostolic Lineage.
Views on The Catholic Believing that Jesus Christ died for
other Church is the only your sins, and that by believing in
religions true religion. All him you are saved by faith, not
others are false. works, is the core principal. Any
religion confirming this is a true
religion; any religion denying it is a
false religion.
