Christianity and Catholicism have many similarities, but there are also many essential differences, how to distinguish them? Here are seven major differences between Catholicism and Christianity.
Catholic friends believe that Mary had only one son, Jesus, that Mary was a lifelong virgin, and that Jesus was her only son. Christians, on the other hand, believe the Bible that says that Jesus' mother and brothers came to her while he was talking to the crowds, so Christians believe that Mary had not only one child but other children, but Catholics believe that those people were the children of Jesus' relatives.
Catholic friends call clergy priests, priests are priests, usually the administrators of the church. Christians, on the other hand, consider such a title to be unbiblical and disrespectful to God, based on the Bible's words, which means that one person on earth cannot be called a priest, because there is only one priest, God Himself.
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Catholic friends believe that Mary, the mother of Jesus, was a perfect person from beginning to end, without blemish, and that she could not make any mistakes. But the Christians believe that Mary was just an ordinary person who also needed God's salvation when she made mistakes, and they based it on the fact that the Bible states that everyone can make mistakes, including Mary, and Mary herself said that she rejoiced in her Savior and that she needed to be saved.
The number of books in the Christian Bible is very different from that in the Catholic Bible, with the New Testament of Christianity having a total of twenty-seven books and the Old Testament having a total of thirty-nine books, which adds up to sixty-six books compiled into one large book. The Catholic Church, on the other hand, also interspersed some Apocrypha, or Apocrypha, with a total of 73 small books, so the number of internal volumes of each Bible used by both sides was different.
In addition to worshiping their God, Catholics also worship Mary and the clergy, explaining that they bow down because they respect Mary and others. Christian friends, on the other hand, have a completely different view, citing the principle of the Bible that no one or other people or idols should be worshipped except God, including Mary, the mother of Jesus. Both sides stand firm and disagree on this point.
Catholicism considers clergy, such as priests or nuns, not to marry, and there is an institution in place that prevents them from holding this office. Christians, on the other hand, believe that marriage should be respected by everyone, and that God is the witness of human ancestors, and advocate respect for people's free choice.
Moreover, Christianity refutes the Catholic theory with the example of the Bible, that is, the Catholic Church believes that Peter, the ambassador of Jesus, is the first pope, but the Bible records that this Peter had a mother-in-law, and if he was not married, how could he have a mother-in-law?
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Catholicism believes that the pope is not infallible, that is, the papal infallibility, and that there is no possibility of error when the pope issues some religious guidance on behalf of the church. Christians, on the other hand, believe that the Pope has crossed the line compared to the authority of the Bible, and that the Pope is an ordinary person who can still make mistakes, such as the absurd indulgences of the Middle Ages, which are now considered wrong.
Catholicism and Christianity are indeed similar from a distance and have historical connections, but a closer examination reveals that they are not only distinctly different, but also often opposite.