Dare To Ask Talk And News About Our Differences - This topic has 19 replies, 20 voices, and was last updated 17 years, 12 months ago by
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I was born and baptized in the Roman Catholic Church, but now at 32 and married with 3 children (who were also christened Catholic), I am interested in a nearby United Methodist church. I am unclear as to the specifics of the differences between the two. I really like the atmosphere of this ‘new’ church. I feel very welcomed and interested, but if it makes any sense I also am a little apprehensive due to the fact I am unclear regarding the differences. Can someone help?
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Name : Julie, Gender : F, City : Rochester, State : NY, Country : United States,There are many differences, as well as similarities. Methodists practice infant baptism, as well as education and training for youths that is similar to Catechism classes. Most churches don’t have communion every week, but will offer it once or twice a month. It will probably be grape juice and wafers. Rather than go into a long narrative, I suggest you approach the pastor or elder in this Methodist church and express an interest in learning more about the church and denomination. Many churches offer introductory classes to acquaint visitors with the doctrine, core statements, missions, etc. of that church.
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Name : Annie23893, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Christian, Age : 52, City : Atlanta, State : GA, Country : United States, Occupation : copy editor, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class,I am Methodist. One of the major differences between Methodists and Catholics is that we view our relationship with Christ as personal, and we do not need saints or priests to intercede on our behalf.
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Name : Chris Burkhart, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Christian, Age : 21, City : Athens, State : GA, Country : United States, Occupation : Student, Education level : 2 Years of College, Social class : Middle class,I’m Catholic so I know far more about that faith then Methodism. But here are a few differences. Firstly, Methodists, like all Protestants don’t follow the pope. They do not believe in Purgatory, and I don’t think they believe in the communion of saints. I also think that they, like most Protestants, believe that the Communion is a symbolic gesture, whereas Catholics believe that the Eucharist is literally Jesus Christ in ‘body, blood, soul, and divinity’. I would take issue with what Chris B. seemed to imply: that Catholicism doesn’t encourage a personal relationship with Christ. We do try to have a ‘personal’ relationship with him, and we pray directly to him. However, we believe that aside from that, there are ‘channels’ that the Church provides to enter in to a more complete communion with Christ and a better state of grace. For example: praying to and venerating the Virgin Mary and the saints, and the sacraments, especially Holy Communion. Prostestants tend to believe in salavation ‘sola gratia’ (by grace alone), ‘sola fide’ (by faith alone), and ‘sola scriptura’ (by Scripture alone). Catholics believe in the doctrine of sola gratia, but not sola fide or sola scripture. Faith must be combined with good works: ‘What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him?’ James 2: 14. Furthermore, Catholics do not believe that Truth comes solely through the Scripture. It comes from this, and from the sacred Tradition of the church, out of which the Scripture came in the first place.
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Name : Tom24127, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Catholic, Age : 19, City : Yonkers, State : NY, Country : United States, Occupation : Student, Education level : 2 Years of College, Social class : Middle class,I converted to Catholicism from Presbyterianism, which is similar to Methodism. One of the things that attracted me was the concept of the Living Presence of Christ in the Eucharist, which is only a Catholic thing and has been believed since the time of the apostles. The Catholic Church is the historical church of Christianity, but I can see why someone would leave it because of problems in individual parishes and the scandals in the Church at large. Methodists believe teh same things doctrinally as Catholics and the differences are largely based on styles of worship.
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Name : Melissa, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Catholic, Age : 20, City : Ocean, State : NJ, Country : United States, Occupation : student, Education level : 2 Years of College, Social class : Middle class,‘we do not need saints or priests to intercede on our behalf’ This is a sterotypical comment. I’m not pointing this out to be critical of any one person, but to educate those who have this misconception. First, Catholics do not have saints intercede on their behalf to Jesus or God or the Holy Spirit. They pray to Saints (not worship them, which would be considered worshiping an idol) in order to have them pray for them. Meaning, when you pray to a saint you are asking them to pray for you/with you… not guide you or help you to reach Jesus. Secondly, Catholics do not worship Mary — another common misconception. Mary is a special figure b/c she is Jesus’s mother. The prayer Holy Mary is saying (in a very basic way) Mary is special and asking her to pray for you in heaven. There is a big difference. Finally, priests do not intercede for Catholics either. They are there to guide mass, to talk to when you need help. Hope this clears some things up.
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Name : Jessica, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Catholic, Age : 21, City : Lansing, State : MI, Country : United States, Occupation : Pre-Medical Student, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Upper class,Catholicism teaches that the bread and wine are changed into the body and blood, soul and divinity of Jesus Christ. Jesus is truly present in Holy Communion in a supernatural way so that the appearance of bread and wine remain. It is a mystery we will never fully comprehend. *** In Baptism, we are made one body in Jesus Christ. Since living and dead are one in Christ, saints in heaven may pray for us as much as our fellow Christians on earth may. This ancient teaching is named in the creed as the ‘communion of saints.’ *** Our relationship in Christ is not merely personal but also social, communal. An ideal way to learn about Catholicism is to come to RCIA (rite of Christian Initiation for Adults).
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Name : F. K., Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Catholic, Age : 37, City : Kansas City, State : MO, Country : United States, Occupation : Education, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class,the difference between catholic and any christian church is somewhere in history somebody took exception with something they didn’t like about peter’s church. could be saint’s, virgin mary, politics, greed, leviticus, etc.
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Name : michael, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Other, Age : 50, City : tucker, State : GA, Country : United States, Occupation : programmer, Education level : 2 Years of College, Social class : Middle class,One big difference between Catholicism and all Protetant Religions is the fact that for some reason (which may be a good reason for you), these Christians broke away from the mother Church. You should ask the pastor of the Methodist church you are interested in, why did this group form? When? And, for what purpose? What are they ‘protesting’? and why? You may find that you agree with their assessment, but before you join up with a group you should know what they believe in, otherwise you will still be of Catholic-mind, just going to another church. Don’t let the man-made traditions and customs sway your decision on such an important subject. Maybe you just need to attend another Catholic Church in your area. By the way, the word ‘catholic’ means ‘universal’ and we don’t believe you have to be Catholic for salvation. Good luck and God Bless you.
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Name : Linda, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Black/African American, Religion : Catholic, Age : 45, City : Atlanta, State : GA, Country : United States, Occupation : Professor, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Upper class,I’m Catholic and I don’t NEED to go through any saints or priests either, by the way are you saying you’ve never asked your mother or friends for advice only God because that’s what it’s like doing with priests and to some extent saints, we pray quite often without a priest.
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Name : Ashley, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, City : Pasco, State : WA, Country : United States, Social class : Upper middle class,I’m an agnostic but I was raised in the United Methodist Church, and my mother is a member of their clergy. Though I am an agnostic, I still support the Methodist Church financially and with volunteer time. A few brief things– Like the Catholic Church, Methodists believe in Holy Baptism and the Sacraments, in a pretty similar manner, though they do not believe in transubstantiation. You will find less reverence of the Virgin Mary in the Catholic sense, although United Methodists are becoming more aware of her as a distinct personality. Methodists also believe in ‘blessing’ people and animals (we usually have an annual ‘pet blessing day’ at my mother’s church), however they do not believe that objects can be blessed by anyone–therefore, a Methodist minister may not ‘bless’ objects. Anyone is welcome to participate in the sacraments in a United Methodist Church. You may take communion there if you’d like to experience this in a Methodist Church, and you are not violating any Methodist beliefs, regardless of whether you are/were a Catholic, a Hindu, a Buddhist, an atheist, a homosexual, a vegan, a circus clown, or a mass-murderer. Methodists believe that it is not within the power of a minister or congregation or even Church law to deny the Body of Christ to anyone who wishes to partake in it. Methodists do not have ‘First Communion’ for this reason, because children, non-believers, anyone, may take communion at any time. They do, however, have a similar process known as Confirmation–a series of classes about the history and doctrine of the Methodist Church, usually accompanied quite a bit of bible study (we read the entire new testament in my Confirmation Class), ended with a ceremony, usually during a church service, where the participants promise to uphold the Church and her doctrines, and the congregation agrees to support the participant in their spiritual journey. If there is anything else you would like to know, please feel free to email me and I will put in you touch with my mother, who is very well versed in Roman Catholicism also and is more qualified to help you decide if the United Methodist Church is right for you. Or, if you prefer to do more research on your own, ask the pastor at the church in your area if you can borrow the United Methodist Book of Discipline. It will certainly answer any questions you might have about the denomination.
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Name : Sarah, Gender : F, Race : White/Caucasian, Age : 24, City : Winchester, State : VA, Country : United States, Occupation : teacher, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Lower middle class,The most important difference would be that Catholics believe that the bread and wine are actually changed into the body, blood, soul and divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ. This is what seperates Catholics from every other chrisitan denomination. One needs to understand the deepness of that relationship before leaving the Catholic faith.
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Name : Ann-Marie, Gender : F, Race : White/Caucasian, City : Wichita, State : KS, Country : United States, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class,I’m a life-long Catholic, former seminary student, and have been in leadership positions in the Church. Most of the Catholics I have been privileged to know have personal relationships with Christ. And many of those would not claim to ‘need’ saints or priests to intercede on their behalf– they have spiritual lives apart from such mediation. While the communion of saints and the sacramental life of the Church are significant for Catholics, such beliefs do not prevent any individual from establishing and maintaining a deeply personal and intense relationship with God.
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Name : Jim-O, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Catholic, Age : 53, City : Long Beach, State : CA, Country : United States, Occupation : Librarian, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class,Catholics are supposed to have a personal relationship with God just as Christians are supposed to have relationships with Him. We don’t need Saints to intercede. We pray sometimes for their help because of their special bond between them and the Trinity. In a way you could equate it to asking an extra guardian angel, if you believe in such terms. There are a lot more fundamental differences between Catholics and most protestant denominations though. Most don’t beleive in core dogma such as transubstantiation, the Holiness of Mary the Blessed Mother, and so on.
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Name : Tim, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Catholic, City : Bothell, State : WA, Country : United States, Social class : Lower middle class,The saint issue mentioned does not factor into the differences. Saints are just members of the Christian community who have died, but can help pray for you like any living church member. A Catholic still convenes personally with God. The main differences are these: 1) Catholics believe that the Eucharist is the body and blood of Jesus (literally). Methodists along with other religions see it as a more symbolic celebration. 2) The church hierarchy is different. I’m sure there are more differences, but the beliefs are all rooted in the same place and the two churches have much more in common than say a Catholic and a Baptist one.
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Name : Oscar, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Catholic, Age : 22, City : Tuscaloosa, State : AL, Country : United States, Education level : Over 4 Years of College,
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