Catholicism VS. Christianity

LikeAnOcean

enharmonic wrote:

There is a definite difference between religion and faith. They are two fundamentally different aspects of a spiritual life.

but my point is that thats not the point of the thread. Lets just use "belief" instead to keep from offending or confusing people. :rolleyes:

cornnifer

LikeAnOcean wrote:

No? Catholoism IS Christian. There are many branches of the Christian faith. The two main ones are Cathlic and Protestant.

Catholicism is a HIGHLY RELIGIFIED denomination of the Christian faith. Catholicism and Christianity are not synonyms.

LikeAnOcean

cornnifer wrote:

Catholicism is a HIGHLY RELIGIFIED denomination of the Christian faith. Catholicism and Christianity are not synonyms.

I BELIEVE YOU, but this is going off topic from the thread. Like I said, how about we use the term "belief" instead? Catholicism is a branch of the Christian belief? Better?

forgotten_child

Catholicism VS. Christianity

Catholicism is the only christianity, the rest are just cheap imitations.

FinsburyParkCarrots

Catholicism vs. Christianity? That's like saying, Glasgow Celtic vs. Soccer. Whether you're a Celtic supporter or not, you accept that Celtic play soccer, and good soccer, too, regardless of whether - for whatever specious reason - you think they don't stick to your personal standard of what a soccer team should be, athletically or ideologically.

By the way, I'm an ex-Catholic, God-ward agnostic, and an ardent Celtic supporter. :cool:

forgotten_child

come on the hoops

harmless_little_f***

cornnifer wrote:

Because you, obviously, have no idea what you are ranting about, i'd like to clarify some things. First of all i'm not quite sure what the original poster intended. That being said i would like to point out that Christianity and catholicism are NOT synonyms, so i'm afraid you're "laughing out loud" while not even understanding your own joke. Catholicism is a VERY HIGHLY RELIGIFIED denomination of Christianity. i've said it here before, Christianity, inand of itself, is NOT a religion. It just isn't. Its a FAITH. period. There is a huge difference. Catholicism on the other hand, is VERY religious. i don't mean any disrespect towards catholics as i have known catholics with very stron and respectable faith. I will say, however, that having attended cathloic school as a wee lad, and obviously seen the catholic culture, i know that there are many catholics with no faith at all. Many people are catholic by default. They were BORN catholic. Baptised catholic. Raised catholic. Many people are catholic because the church required them to at least proclaim it in order to marry their husband or wife in the catholic church. i've heard people say "I'm catholic, but, I don't really believe it". You see it doesn't even require faith.
Christianity, in and of itself, is not even a religion. ALL it requires is faith. No one is BORN a Christian. Non-denominational Christians do not even practice infant baptism. What makes a Christian a Christian is what they believe. Period. I am a Christian. My children are not. They aren't old enough to make that conciouss decison. There are no Christians by birth, marriage, culture or default. There is no confession, holy water, smoke, incense, robes, rosaries, rote memorization of prayer, Christmas masses in latin, or even celebacy for church leaders. i don't even have to go to church on Sunday if i don't feel like it. If ever i decide i do not believe Jesus was the messiah, i can no longer call myself a Christian. i guess i can, but it doesn't mean anything.
My point here, again, is not to disrespect catholics. i'm simply pointing out that although its very common for people to equate catloicism and Chritianity as synonomous, it is high ridiculous to do so. They are not the same thing.


And as an aside, neither religion OR faith have caused, promoted, or endorsed a single war in world history. Not one.

Without meaning to sound offensive, I'm guessing you're a Modern Evangelical, right? Because all of them bang on about how 'non-religious' they are, as opposed to Catholics who are 'very religious' - apparently (not in my experience, but hey).

I'm sorry; like I said, I don't mean to cause offence, but I am a Christian. I am a frustrated Evangelical Christian myself, frustrated because we tend to claim the monopoly on everything - truth, correct dogma, practice, 'non-religiosity' - all of which sounds highly 'religious' to me. Every time you disallow a Catholic to be one of the body of Christ, you are being extremely 'religious'. Remember the pharisees? They wouldn't have called themselves 'religious' either. But they would have called themselves 'right on matters of faith'. They were the Evangelicals/Catholics of their day. You say that faith has never promoted a war, and you're almost right. The only 'war' religion - or faith, whatever - does promote, and daily, is the fight between these two branches of the Christian faith. And it has to stop.

It doesn't matter whether I go to church in a warehouse or a church with a spire, or I worship to a rock band instead of an organ, or I listen to a preach instead of going to mass, I'm still allergic to religiosity in my own type of church. The modern evangelical church has its own traditions, customs, history, liturgies and practices that we have been slavishly stuck to for centuries, regardless of how culture is shifting, and regardless of how uninclusive those practices were. THAT is religiosity. Correct me if I'm wrong, but the slave trade was not chiefly the fault of catholics. Do not fall into the trap of 'more Modern means less religious'. It's so cliche. You are right about Catholics having many different emphases on doctrine to Evangelicals, but what happened to seeing the spec in someone else's eye without seeing the plank in your own? Evangelicals of different sorts are warring against each other all the time, and that's nothing to do with Catholicism.

Once again, I am sorry if I caused offence, I am just passionate about this topic. If Catholics believe Jesus died to save the world, they're alright by me. Like you said, there are many Catholics without faith. But there are also many Evangelicals who go to church because of it being modern, trendy, with a cool band, or because a 'hottt girl' goes to the student group - no faith either. As regards your other argument, I've known many people who were born into my 'faith', have a Christian family, they are loved by a Christian community, and they treat all that as a safety net, or permission to do what ever they like. Kind of like a president I know of.

Ahnimus

Here is a treat for all you believers

If those who lead you say to you, "See, the Kingdom is in the sky," then the birds of the sky will precede you. If they say to you, "It is in the sea," then the fish will precede you. Rather, the Kingdom is inside of you, and it is outside of you. When you come to know yourselves, then you will become known, and you will realize that it is you who are the sons of the living Father. But if you will not know yourselves, you dwell in poverty and it is you who are that poverty.
- (All the sayings of Jesus gathered from ancient sources and compiled into a single volume for the first time. Compiled by Ricky Alan Mayotte) From The Complete Jesus. (Pg 71) Jesus

harmless_little_f***

Ahnimus wrote:

Here is a treat for all you believers

If those who lead you say to you, "See, the Kingdom is in the sky," then the birds of the sky will precede you. If they say to you, "It is in the sea," then the fish will precede you. Rather, the Kingdom is inside of you, and it is outside of you. When you come to know yourselves, then you will become known, and you will realize that it is you who are the sons of the living Father. But if you will not know yourselves, you dwell in poverty and it is you who are that poverty.
- (All the sayings of Jesus gathered from ancient sources and compiled into a single volume for the first time. Compiled by Ricky Alan Mayotte) From The Complete Jesus. (Pg 71) Jesus

Interesting quote. What is your point?

Ahnimus

harmless_little_f*** wrote:

Interesting quote. What is your point?

My point is, if you really want to believe Jesus died for your sins. He says don't put your faith into anything but yourself. Organized religion is bogus. The Bible is bogus. The kingdom isn't in the bible, it's not in the church, it's not in the wrinkles on the pope's face. It's everywhere.

Anyway, I don't care what you do, I was just bored and thought I would share that.

catefrances

Ali wrote:

The Bible states:

"CALL NO ONE ON EARTH YOUR FATHER"

That includes a Catholic priest and Darth Vader.

adv

half the battle is won. Darth Vader is not from Earth. He is from a galaxy far far away.

and for all i know a catholic priest is my father.

harmless_little_f***

Ahnimus wrote:

My point is, if you really want to believe Jesus died for your sins. He says don't put your faith into anything but yourself. Organized religion is bogus. The Bible is bogus. The kingdom isn't in the bible, it's not in the church, it's not in the wrinkles on the pope's face. It's everywhere.

Anyway, I don't care what you do, I was just bored and thought I would share that.

That's cool, and I didn't mean that question harshly. I was curious as to your point, because I agree with you - in many ways. Not all, but many.

chopitdown

Ahnimus wrote:

My point is, if you really want to believe Jesus died for your sins. He says don't put your faith into anything but yourself. Organized religion is bogus. The Bible is bogus. The kingdom isn't in the bible, it's not in the church, it's not in the wrinkles on the pope's face. It's everywhere.

Anyway, I don't care what you do, I was just bored and thought I would share that.

Jesus actually says to believe in Him.

Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me; or else believe Me for the sake of the works themselves. John 14:11

Let not your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? John 14-1-2

Truly, truly I say to you, he who believes in Me, will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I go to the Father. John 14:12

soulsinging

cornnifer wrote:

Because you, obviously, have no idea what you are ranting about, i'd like to clarify some things. First of all i'm not quite sure what the original poster intended. That being said i would like to point out that Christianity and catholicism are NOT synonyms, so i'm afraid you're "laughing out loud" while not even understanding your own joke. Catholicism is a VERY HIGHLY RELIGIFIED denomination of Christianity. i've said it here before, Christianity, inand of itself, is NOT a religion. It just isn't. Its a FAITH. period. There is a huge difference. Catholicism on the other hand, is VERY religious. i don't mean any disrespect towards catholics as i have known catholics with very stron and respectable faith. I will say, however, that having attended cathloic school as a wee lad, and obviously seen the catholic culture, i know that there are many catholics with no faith at all. Many people are catholic by default. They were BORN catholic. Baptised catholic. Raised catholic. Many people are catholic because the church required them to at least proclaim it in order to marry their husband or wife in the catholic church. i've heard people say "I'm catholic, but, I don't really believe it". You see it doesn't even require faith.
Christianity, in and of itself, is not even a religion. ALL it requires is faith. No one is BORN a Christian. Non-denominational Christians do not even practice infant baptism. What makes a Christian a Christian is what they believe. Period. I am a Christian. My children are not. They aren't old enough to make that conciouss decison. There are no Christians by birth, marriage, culture or default. There is no confession, holy water, smoke, incense, robes, rosaries, rote memorization of prayer, Christmas masses in latin, or even celebacy for church leaders. i don't even have to go to church on Sunday if i don't feel like it. If ever i decide i do not believe Jesus was the messiah, i can no longer call myself a Christian. i guess i can, but it doesn't mean anything.
My point here, again, is not to disrespect catholics. i'm simply pointing out that although its very common for people to equate catloicism and Chritianity as synonomous, it is high ridiculous to do so. They are not the same thing.


And as an aside, neither religion OR faith have caused, promoted, or endorsed a single war in world history. Not one.

i think his comparison to sunnis ans shiites and wars had more to do with christians who feel compelled to establish that their "faith" if better than our "religion."

cornnifer

soulsinging wrote:

i think his comparison to sunnis ans shiites and wars had more to do with christians who feel compelled to establish that their "faith" if better than our "religion."

i hope the hostility i'm getting from this is simply a misperception on my part, because, i thought i made it very clear, that i wasn't disrespecting catholics. i was just pointing out the fact that thr two are not the same thing.

decides2dream

know1 wrote:

Can I speak for everyone else and say: "Huh"?????

What does that have to do with Catholicism v. Christianity? Furthermore, I don't think the bible says that. After all, it refers to earthly fathers all the time.

:P
exactly.
we luv ya ali, but sometimes..you lose us all.

why in the WORLD would it be catholicism vbs. christianity...??? i don't get it. christianity IS a faith, cornnifer is correct. if you really wanted to make some sort of 'comparison' would be better to say 'catholicism vs. protestantism'...altho i still wouldn't get the poit per se. both are relgions formed from the faith of christianity, but unless you want to compare/contrast...i really don't know what the true point would be.


and in regards to calling 'your father'....? um, since WHEN?! seriously, i am continually amazed what some think they are pulling out of the bible.

soulsinging

cornnifer wrote:

i hope the hostility i'm getting from this is simply a misperception on my part, because, i thought i made it very clear, that i wasn't disrespecting catholics. i was just pointing out the fact that thr two are not the same thing.

no hostility intended. just an observation that he wasn't saying they are the same thing. only that the original poster clearly seemed to fall into the "my view is better" camp.