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A Catholic Answer (Catholics United with the Pope)
To ask which is the best religion, it is necessary to ask first what religion in general is supposed to do, then having ascertained the answer, to examine each religion in turn and find out which one does those things best.
For those who start with the belief that religion is something between a hobby and therapy, a way of feeling good about oneself and others, their answer presents itself immediately - whatever religion appeals to you is best . . . for you.
For those who believe that religion is something far deeper, far more meaningful, and far more outside ourselves, the process, and the answer will be somewhat different.
Confusion over terms?This question reinforces a general confusion over what is meant by 'religion'. Catholicism is not a 'religion'. Christianity is the religion of which Catholicism happens to be one denomination within a worldwide Christian Church that worships Jesus Christ as the divine Son of God.If you mean is Catholicism the best denomination, then this really cannot be answered. No denomination is perfect, but all worship Christ in their own - equally valid - ways. There are minor differences between denominations - for example, Roman Catholics place a greater emphasis on praying to saints, revere Mary more than the others and have certain doctrines, that are unique to Catholicism. Baptists believe in adult baptism only and only by full immersion, Pentecostals have an emphasis on the gifts of the Holy Spirit - especially the gift of tongues - whilst Salvationists shun all forms of sacrament and rely on scripture alone for salvation. Anglicans are a broad church which comprises so-called 'anglo-catholics' at one end, and pentecostal-like evangelicals at the other. This does not mean to say that any denomination is better than any other; whilst there may not be full agreement over minor doctrines, all rejoice in the worship of a Trinitarian God and believe in salvation through his Son Jesus.
However, if you mean is Christianity the best religion, then, as a Christian myself I would have to be biased and therefore cannot give an impartial answer. Suffice it to say that Jesus Christ himself asserted that he was "the way, the truth and the life - no man comes to the Father except through me". So, you decide.
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Catholic reduxIf you wish to belong to the original One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church founded by Jesus Christ that still follows the original teachings as passed down through Apostolic Succession, then the Catholic Church would be the best. However, if you would find living a Catholic lifestyle difficult, you can join another denomination that has distorted or ignored the original teachings of Christ and watered down doctrines to make them more palatable.
We can not judge individuals, that is up to God alone, so it is for no one on earth to judge whether any individual protestant is better than any individual Catholic. If you are asking why the thousands of protestant churches are better than the Catholic Church, then perhaps you don't realize that the Catholic Church is the only one that was founded by Our Blessed Lord, Jesus Christ, who guaranteed it, sent the Holy Spirit to guide it always, and appointed his Vicar to rule over it (see Matthew 16:17-19).
There are a number of physical differences that will distinguish Catholic churches from Protestant churches. Above or near the altar of a Catholic church you should see a crucifix as opposed to a simple cross in a Protestant church. There will also be a tabernacle with a sanctuary lamp that burns continuously which will be absent in most Protestant churches. Catholic churches will frequently have statues of the Blessed Virgin Mary and other saints which are absent in Protestant churches. Pews in most Catholic churches have kneelers which are absent in Protestant churches. When you first enter a Catholic church you will notice holy water fonts near the entrances. Many Catholic churches, especially older ones, have confessionals which are absent in most Protestant churches.
There are other minor differences but these are the most commonly noticed.
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Catholic AnswerShort answer is a Church. Longer answer is a Church established by God, guided by God, and guaranteed by God..
The Catholic Church is the Mystical Body of Christ:
The Church came into being when Christ died on the Cross, but it was formally inaugurated on Pentecost, when He sent the Holy Spirit as He had promised. St. Paul speaks of all Christians as members of Christ, so that with Him, they form one Mystical Body (Cf. 1 Cor 12:12-31; Col 1:18; 2:18-20; Eph. 1:22-23; 3:19; 4:13). St. Paul did not use the word Mystical. It was developed more recently to bring out the fact that this union is unique, there is no parallel to it. It is not the same as the union of a physical body, nor that of a business corporation.
It was commissioned by Our Blessed Lord, Himself, who set St. Peter, and his successors over it as His Vicars (see St. Matthew 16:17-19). Thus the Catholic Church is both Christ's Mystical Body AND it has a direct commission from Him to preach the Gospel to all nations and baptize all who believe. It has has the personal guarantee of Christ that it will last until the end of the world, that it will be One and that it will be guided by the Holy Spirit. It is thus indefectible and guaranteed by God. They have Christ's own priesthood who celebrate His Eucharist, and contain in their Churches the true Body and Blood of Our Blessed Lord in the Eucharist.
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Protestants do not have "Church's" in the strict sense of the word. Nor to they have a mandate from God. They are a heresy based on a mutilated form of the Scriptures (the New Testament of which was written by the Catholic Church as part of its preaching of the Gospel); they do not contain a valid priesthood, and thus do not have valid sacraments, nor, obviously, the true Body and Blood of Our Blessed Lord. They were all started within the last five hundred (or less) years by individuals, who also lacked a mandate from God, and lack any guarantee of the Holy Spirit. Thus they rely on preaching and feelings.
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Why is there no difference between a cult and Catholics?
The Catholic Church is not a cult. It is the original Christian Church and traces its origins back to Jesus Christ and the apostles. To be honest, all those churches that split from the Catholic Church starting with the Protestant Reformation better meet the definition of cult.
Are the Reformation and the Catholic Reformation the same thing?
No, the Protestant Reformation is better titled the Protestant Revolt. The Catholic Reformation was just that, a reform of the abuses occurring at the time within the Church.
Do Protestants consider themselves to be better than Catholics?
Well that would depend on who you ask. Some Protestants would consider themselves to be better than Catholics but other Protestants would not. That said, most Protestant churches do believe that their doctrines are better than the doctrines of the Catholic Church. In other words, some Protestants believe that their doctrine is true but the Catholic Church's same doctrine on said topic is false incorrect in a not totally false way so in one sense, some Protestant churches do believe that they are better than Catholic churches but when it comes to individual Protestants versus individual Catholics, it varies from person to person.
Why was parliament better than king Charles?
from a perspective of a Protestant back then, he had made churches more catholic and he was financially worse(ship money)
Why are you called Roman Catholic?
The word 'catholic' means 'universal', so the catholic church (catholic with a small 'c') means the universal church of Jesus Christ - ie all Christian churches throughout the world, including protestant churches like Methodists, Baptists, Pentecostals, Anglicans and so on.However, the Roman Catholic Church is so called because it has its base in Rome, Italy, in the independent state (the smallest country in the world) within Rome called the Vatican City. The Pope, who is the leader of the world's Roman Catholics, lives at the Vatican City, so as this is in Rome, this particular branch of the universal/catholic Church is called the Roman Catholic Church (Catholic now with a capital 'C') because of its roots being in Rome..Catholic AnswerIt's just Catholic, not Roman Catholic. Roman is an epithet first commonly used in England after the protestant revolt to describe the Catholic Church. It is never used by the official Catholic Church. In other words, Catholics are only called Roman Catholics in English speaking countries by people (including Catholics) who don't know that it was intended as a slur, or are confusing their Rite with their religion.
Can you rephrase Henry VIII should split from the Catholic Church and start a new church?
Henry VIII never spit form the Church. He reformed the church, making it suit him better. He allowed Protestant beliefs to spread through England because he appointed himself head of the church. He was born a Catholic and died a Catholic. Hope his helped.
Which Church was the dominant one in Europe from the tenth century up to the period of the renaissance?
The Roman Catholic Church was the head of everything and held together Europe during its bad times. But once things became better and people started thinking more that's when other denominations started appearing like the Lutherans and other Protestant churches.
Did the church ever administer cruelty or unusual punishment?
A better question would be "when did the church not inflict cruelty or unusual punishment?" If by" the church" you mean the catholic, protestant, or Orthodox, (from which all churches basically sprouted out of,) then I can guarantee that their history is full of it. Frankly, without religion the world would have a lot less fighting, torture and wars. Can't we all just get along and be Unitarian Universalists?!
Is protestancy considered a religion?
Not as such. It obviously draws it's etymology from the root "to protest" in this case; to protest the Catholic church, or more specifically; the Popish system. Now, we know that Martin Luther (the reformer, not the racial rights campaigner) was the first to protest the Catholic Church, and so the German Protestant church became a "religion" for want of a better word. It is actually now a denomination. Then; other "protestant" churches arose, and so; it was more of a "movement" than an entire separate religion. Practically all Christian churches (including the Catholic church) have their basic, say; 5% of beliefs centered around the same ideology. This being so, the "shift" to protestantism can't really be described as a "new" religion. It might be argued that the shift in belief systems is so great that it is "tantamount" to a new religion, but this is just word-play, and not a real manifestation whatsoever.
What is the difference between romaan Catholic and Catholic?
Well, "catholic" spelled with a lower-case "c", is a word meaning, "all-inclusive". It is not necessarily a religious word, at all. Roman Catholic is a Christian religion, and the word, "Catholic" is a religious word meaning, "all-inclusive" or "available to all". There are 2 Catholic churches. The church in Roman-held areas was a rival to the church in areas of what is now Turkey. The head of that church was in Byzantium. Eventually, the 2 church group broke apart, one being called the Roman Catholic church, and the other being called the Byzantine Catholic church. The Byzantine Catholic church is today better know as the Greek Orthodox church and Russian Orthodox church. Thus church follows the old, old practices that the Roman Catholic church has abandoned or altered over the years.
Who has two major divisions catholic and protestant?
The Catholic Church was early on split into two segments. One segment was based in Rome, Italy, and was called the Roman Catholic Church. The other segment was based in Byzantium, Greece, which had replaced Rome as the Romans' capital. It was called the Byzantine Catholic Church, but is better known now as Greek Orthodox, Russian Orthodox, and so forth. Byzantium is now called Istanbul (ISS-tan-bool)
What was the movement to reform the Catholic Church called?
The religious movement in the 17th century attempting to reform the Catholic Church was the Catholic Reformation. It is often referred to as the Counter Reformation as well, because it was in response to the Protestant Reformation.
