As they’re part of the same religion, you’d think that Catholics and Protestants actually see eye-to-eye on several things. Unfortunately, that’s just not true because there are so many things that these two denominations just can’t stop arguing about. Here are 18 of these hot-button topics.
Who’s in Charge?
Catholics have a neat pyramid of church leaders, with the Pope at the top, who oversees all the bishops and priests. Protestants see things pretty differently, as they don’t believe any single leader should be in charge. As you might expect, this causes all kinds of issues since they can’t even agree on a leader.
Tradition vs Talking
If you ever go into a Catholic church, you might notice that they have a bunch of rituals that help them keep their traditions alive. Some of these are quite fancy and have a long history. Protestants prefer to have a good sermon and keep things straightforward by focusing more on the Bible. Instead of all that Catholic flair, Protestants prefer to keep things direct.
The Statue Situation
Likewise, many Catholic churches have statues and images of saints, which are meant to inspire the flock. But lots of Protestants dislike having these because they think they’re a form of idol worship. They stick to the “no images” rule quite seriously, and they’d rather keep the church a simple place.
Original Sin
Protestants believe we’re all born with original sin, and that means we’ve got to put in a lot of work to be forgiven for this. But Catholics think things are a little easier, as they believe that when you’re baptized, you’re starting afresh and removing this original sin. You’d think they’d agree on a fundamental idea like this, but apparently not.
A Little Extra
Many Protestants say that believing in Jesus is all you need to make it to heaven. That sounds pretty simple, right? Catholics, though, believe it’s a little more complicated because they think you need to do good deeds and take part in church sacraments to make it to heaven. To them, it’s more of a package deal.
Bread and Wine
One thing that Catholics and Protestants do agree on is that taking communion is important, but they do see things slightly differently. When Catholics take it, they believe the bread and wine literally turn into Jesus’s body and blood. Protestants, though, think it’s just a symbol that honors Jesus’s sacrifice, and they’re not expecting any miracles from it.
Mysterious Mary
Catholics look up to Mary, Jesus’s mother, quite a bit, and they see her as the Queen of Heaven. Although Protestants agree that she’s important because she’s Jesus’s mother, that’s about where the loyalty ends. They don’t give her extra titles, nor do they hold any special days in her honor.
Talking the Talk
In many Catholic services, priests use Latin because it’s part of their traditions, and they think it sounds a little classier. Protestants prefer to keep things more accessible by speaking whatever language the local people speak. This way, everyone can get the message of the sermon loud and clear.
Leadership Laws
Catholics only allow single men to be priests, and they’re pretty strict about this rule. Protestants are more inclusive, as they allow both married people and women to lead their congregations. They believe that having wider perspectives in the church can help them to appeal to a wider congregation.
Confessing Your Sins
Confession is quite formal for Catholics, as you tell your sins to a priest, and then this will help you to be forgiven for these sins. They believe this is the only way to be cleansed of your sins. Protestants take a more personal approach, as they believe you can talk directly to God in confessionals. They think you should be responsible without a middleman.
Celebrating the Saints
You might’ve noticed that Catholics practically have a whole calendar filled with special days for their saints. They mark these events with masses and prayers to honor those who have led good lives. While Protestants do acknowledge these historical figures, they don’t throw pirates for them. They’d rather focus on their teachings and don’t have dedicated days for them.
A Healing Touch
If you’re sick, a Catholic priest might anoint you with some special oil meant to heal you physically and spiritually. This is quite different from Protestants, who will say a prayer or two but don’t have an official sacrament for it. Instead, they believe that the community’s prayers during regular worship can heal.
The Problem With Purgatory
Purgatory is a place that Catholics believe your soul will go to so you can be cleansed before going to heaven. They think it’s a merciful way to prepare you to meet the divine without having to go to that place downstairs. But Protestants don’t think purgatory exists, as they believe you’ll go straight to heaven or hell instead. They think you need to do good deeds on Earth to go to heaven because there’s no waiting room before you get there.
Fasting Rules
Catholics have certain days where they believe abstaining from meat and fasting is absolutely essential, like during Lent. To them, it purifies you and helps you to be more spiritual, although Protestants don’t usually have set days for it. They think it’s more of a personal choice if they do it at all, and they don’t think it’s something you have to do at a certain time of the year.
Church Councils
Catholics believe church councils, like Vatican II, are important for making decisions. They rely on these councils to establish doctrines and directives that order the Catholic church’s work worldwide. Protestants still respect historical councils, but they allow people to interpret things differently and set new directions without the formality of a council.
Ending a Marriage
As you might expect, Catholics are tough on divorce and remarriage, as they think it’s completely not allowed unless the first marriage is annulled. To them, marriage is just too holy and permanent to abandon quickly. Protestants are usually a little more flexible since they’ll allow people to divorce and remarry under lots of circumstances. They prefer to focus on forgiveness and new beginnings instead.
Religious Texts
Of course, the Bible is important for both Catholics and Protestants. Protestants believe in “sola scriptura,” or following the Bible alone and allowing people to interpret it themselves. Catholics, though, think interpretations should come from the clergy. They think church traditions teach us what to do, as well as the Bible.
The Apocrypha
Similarly, Catholic Bibles have a set of books called “the Apocrypha.” Even though Catholics believe they’re useful for teaching, you won’t find them in any Protestant Bibles. They agree that they’re important, but they view them more as historical documents instead of scripture that comes from divine sources.
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