THE CATHOLIC CHURCH AND PROTESTANT “CHURCHES”:
Are they the same? No. Here are the differences.
Dear brethren in Christ, I’m sharing with you an article written by Shaila Touchton which is worth the read for Catholics and non-Catholics alike.
Shaila was born and raised in a well-educated family in India and has completed her Bachelor of Electrical & Electronics Engineering Degree from NMAMIT, India and other various Certifications Courses in Computers & Networking. Also she has Doctor of Biblical Studies, Doctor of Theological Study Ministries, Doctor of Christian Counseling and Doctor of Internet Evangelism.
In the article, Shaila lists 11 differences between the Catholic Church and the Protestant churches. The arguments employed by the author are applicable as well to other denominations and sects. In a nutshell, they are man-made.
I have formatted it for easier reading, highlighting the important ideas.
Let us pray to God for the unity of all Christians under the one True Church founded by Our Lord Jesus Christ as He Himself prayed: “That they may all be one. As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me (Jn 17:21).” Mary, Mother of the Church, pray for us!
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SEE AS WELL:
TOP 10 REASONS WHY THE CATHOLIC CHURCH IS THE ONE TRUE CHURCH FOUNDED BY JESUS CHRIST. Other Christian groups derive their elements of truth from the fullness of the Catholic Church in https://catholicsstrivingforholiness.com/2016/01/26/top-10-reasons-why-the-catholic-church-is-the-one-true-church-founded-by-jesus-christ-other-christian-groups-derive-their-elements-of-truth-from-the-fullness-of-the-catholic-church/
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PROTESTANT CHURCHES ARE MAN-MADE CHURCHES.
Shaila Touton
Here are eleven differences that I have found between the Protestant church and Catholic Church:
1. It seems Protestant churches have lost their roots and the church history can not be traced back to Early Church Fathers.
- They are not True Church founded by Jesus Christ Himself in Mt 16: 18 and are not confirmed by the Apostles in Mt 28: 18-20, nor are the Protestant churches built on Simon Peter in Mt 16: 18 and nor have they been defended by God Himself in Mt 16: 18-19.Catholic simply means “universal” or “worldwide.” The early Church Fathers used Greek word katholikos. Protestants are the protestors of the only Holy True Catholic Church.
2. Protestant Churches are man made which began in 16th century by Martin Luther who broke away from Catholic Church. Members follow this church which Luther named after himself and until the reformation by Martin Luther, they were Catholics.
3. Protestant Churches do not have a biblical priesthood both in Old Testament and New Testament and they deny universal priesthood, gathering all believers together in the unity of Faith with Jesus Christ being the High Priest. Pope, Priests, Bishops, and Deacons are the lawful unbroken successors of the Apostles which can traced back to Jesus Christ.
4. Protestants believe Bible only as sole authority and neglect the scriptures Matthew 18:17, Hebrews 13:17 to obey the Church and to keep traditions (1 Corinthians 11:2, Thessalonians 2:14-15).
5. Protestant churches do not have the altar sacrifice nor they are partakers of the altar according to Matthew 5:23-24, 1 Corinthians 9:13,1 Corinthians 10:18, Hebrews 13:10, Rev 8:3. The Catholic Church is Christ-centered worship while Protestant Church worship is pastor-centered.
6. Protestants believe that they are justified by Faith Alone and salvation is a one-time process.
- They believe “once saved is always saved” but ignore grace, faith and work that is required (Gal 2:16, Lk 12:46, Heb 6:10. We are justified by faith apart from works in the Sacraments (Romans 2:130).
7. Protestants follow an easy belief and emotional experience of salvation.
- Just by reciting the Sinners Prayer or with invitation to simple altar call, they think they are saved.
- The “Sinner’s prayer” cannot even be found in the bible, and is really not the scriptural means for one to come to Christ.
- It is a false assurance of salvation. Matthew 6:5-15 says when you pray, you are not to be as the hypocrites, for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners, in order to be seen by men. So how can the Sinners prayer save?
- Salvation is not a not a personal feeling. Salvation is an ongoing process and one can lose salvation (Matt 6:14-15, Matt 7:21,Matt 24:44-51, Matt 25:31-46, Mark 11:26, Luke 10:16, John 14:21, Rom 11:22, Rev 21:8, 21:27).
8. There are at least 39,000 different Protestant denominations in the world today and all of them express personal opinions and they all interpret Scripture individually.
- They divide the Body of Christ saying they had a revelation from God and were inspired by Holy Spirit. There is one truth, One Holy Church, One Baptism and One Holy Spirit which was founded by Jesus Christ himself, which guides to all truth (John 16:13).
- These 39,000 denominations of Protestant churches are daily divided into macro and micro churches.
- These Protestant Denominations are False Divisions that break off of God’s church (Titus 1:9, Acts 20:30).
9. Protestants claim to be solely biblical, God’s inspired Word and bible-based churches, but yet they rejected the deuterocanonical books which had supported the doctrine of purgatory, existence of the priesthood and supporting the Catholic doctrine.
- They rejected this because it did not fit in with their new doctrines. Hence they only 66 books in their bible instead of 73 books.
10. Many Protestant churches approve and support abortion and ignore Exodus 20:13, Genesis 9:6, Mt 15:19, Mk 10:19, Luke 18:20.
11. The majority of the Protestant churches insult and degrade, Mary the Mother of GOD and she has become the biggest obstacle and denial for most of Protestants.
- They often ignore the simple truth that Jesus is God, Mary is the Mother of Jesus and hence Mary is the Mother of God. We know that within the body of the Lord Jesus Christ, the fullness of God dwells. (Colossians 2:9). Hence Mother Mary is a God bearer or Mother of God. All generation to be will call Mother Mary as blessed (Luke 1:48).
ARTICLE SOURCE: http://www.catholic365.com/article/4922/protestant-churches-are-man-made-churches.html
ORIGINAL PHOTO SOURCE AND CREDIT: http://brianjannsen.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/MG_9664.jpg
I was raised Episcopalian. As an adult in my sixties I joined the Roman Catholic Church as we moved and the closes Church for us was a five hour drive one way. The Anglican Church (Church of England) was not started by Henry VIII. The Anglican Church and the Episcopal Church have Apostolic Session, meaning the Priest can trace their Priestly Lineage to the Apostles, therefore Jesus Christ. The Anglican and the Episcopal Churches believe that at Holy Communion the wafer and wine do become the actual Body and Blood of Jesus Christ the same as the Roman Catholic Church.
Side note the word Catholic means universal church. The Roman Catholic Church members should use the full name of their Church to separate from the Eastern Church and all other Churches that belief in Jesus Christ. Roman show the fact that the Pope is their leader, were as the Archbishop of Canterbury is the leader of the Anglican Church (Church of England)and the Persiding Bishop is the leader of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America. These Church leaders all answer to God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit. Meaning the Trinity. The three Churches also follow the same Church Calendar.
Now I’m just a common person not an educated Theological Person. I just know from being a cradle Christian and studying my Sunday School lesson and then my RCIA lessons.plus questioning the Priests who Pastured their flock like Jesus did.
The author omitted an important distinction, Consubstantiation (embraced by most Protestant Churches) in which the bread & wine retain these characteristics while also becoming the body & blood of Christ vs.Transubstantiation (embraced by the Catholic Church) in which the bread & wine actually and fully become the body & blood of Christ.
What about the Eastern Orthodox Church? It needs to be acknowledged that for 1054 years there was One Church. Then, in 1054, the Church of Rome split off from the four other mother churches and where Protestant churches split from.