What exactly is the Catholic religion?
959926
A summary of Catholic beliefs is contained in the Nicene Creed (from the year 325): \n\nWe believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is seen and unseen. \n\nWe believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, one in being with the Father. Through Him all things were made. For us and our salvation He came down from heaven: by the power of the Holy Spirit, He was born of the Virgin Mary, and became man. For our sake He was crucified under Pontius Pilate; He suffered, died, and was buried. On the third day He rose again in fulfillment of the scriptures: He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end. \n\nWe believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son. With the Father and the Son, He is worshiped and glorified. He has spoken through the Prophets. We believe in one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church. We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.\n\nFor a complete description of what Catholics believe, see the Catechism of the Catholic Church: http://www.usccb.org/catechism/text/index.htm\n\nWith love in Christ.
868
Read about it the the Catholic Church' Encyclopedia
401377
here is a good website explaining it.\nI am not Catholic.
86850
I am a Christian, specifically Catholic.\n\nI believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.\n\nI believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell. On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again to judge the living and the dead.\n\nI believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting.
398824
Christianity is a religion.
729951
Hocus Pocus, pure and simple!\n\n(I was a catholic for 28yrs until I decided to study up on my "religion" from their own writings, and was amazed at the nonsense of it). They, themselves, convinced me it was false!
647812
Neither is doctrine. Catholics can believe whatever they want.\n\nThe Catholic Church does not take the story of creation in the Bible literally. Catholics believe it tells religious truth not historical fact. \n\nThe religious truth is that God created everything and declared all was good.\n\nThe Church supports science in the discovery of God's creation. At this time, the theory of evolution is the most logical scientific explanation. However tomorrow someone may come up with a better idea.\n\nAs long as we believe that God started the whole thing, both the Bible and modern science can live in harmony.\n\nWith love in Christ.
109999
Try Wikipedia. Look at this link, and then, go to the very bottom and click on the other links: Catholicism, Roman Catholic... etc.\n\nAnd also, Catholics are Christians, what are you talking about?
1176038
The Catholic religion was started in around 320 AD.  Christianity was a struggling religion at that time.  King Constantine was a believer in pagan dieties.  During one of his war campaigns he supposedly saw a cross in the sky and decided to change the religion of state to Christianity.  He started what we know as the Catholic Church.  But, many of his pagan ideas and festivals were incorporated into this new religion.  The Catholic religion became very powerful and is still so today.  Actually ruling the kingdoms more than the kings themselves.  The authority is self proclaimed and does not come from God.  They do not follow the bible if it contradicts their beliefs.  Their beliefs have changed a lot during their long reign.  The first Popes were allowed to marry and so were their priests.  Some Popes fathered sons that later became Popes.  Many of todays main stream religions are offshoots of the Catholic religion and carry with them the pagan teachings. Many people in England were frustrated by the Catholic churches teachings and that is a main reason many came to America to live.  But, their new religions still followed some of the Catholic teachings.  The World Council of Churches of today dictate what their members (of which most religions belong to, except for the Catholic religion but they weild great influence over this Council) what these main teachings are, Trinity, Hell Fire, Immortal Soul etc.
248937
Catholics are Christians.  \n\nChristianity has many different 'branches' called denominations, which all have slightly different beleifs on the interpretation of the Bible and slightly different practices.  Catholics are just one denomination.  Other denominations include Methodist, Baptist, Mormons, Evangelicals and so on and so forth.  \n\nHope this was some help!
797923
Ireland is largely a Christian country, mostly Roman Catholic. What are you looking for that this statement doesn't answer?
88696
The Catholic Church is a Church of sinners and much suffering. It is also a Church of saints and scholars. The story of the Catholic Church is a divine and human story. The Church is divine in its Founder, Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is the only founder of a religion who claimed to be God, and proved that claim by rising from the dead. The Catholic Church is also human - afflicted with all the frailties of human nature - the sin and suffering, but also the saintliness and scholarship. When the Church was failing God, God raised up prophets or reformers. A reformer is one who changes people's hearts, not revealed doctrine. There have been thousands of great reformers in the Catholic Church, like St. Francis of A$$isi, St. Clare, St. Benedict, St. Teresa of Avila, etc. The Catholic Church and the Bible have not, in 2000 years, changed any of the many truths revealed by God; among these truths: \n\na) that Holy Communion is really and truly the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ, \nb) devotion to Mary, \nc) confession, \nd) praying for the dead (Purgatory), \ne) the Pope is the visible head of the Church on earth. (Christ of course, is the invisible head of the Church.)\n\nThe following is a brief chronological listing of some of the significant events in Church history from its beginning:\n\nc. 32 Jesus Christ promised to found His Church. "... you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church..." Matthew 16:18\n \nc. 33 Jesus, the Good Shepherd, fulfills His promise to Peter by commissioning him to "Feed My lambs... Tend My sheep... Feed My sheep." John 21:15-18\n \nc. 33 Pentecost - The Holy Spirit came upon Mary, the Apostles and about 120 Disciples. Three thousand came into the Church that day. Jesus' followers took Him seriously. They preached the Gospel.\n \nc. 34 Judaizers begin teaching that one must become a Jew before they can become a Christian. The Council of Jerusalem answered the Judaizers in c. 50 (Acts 15).\n \nc. 45 The Didache, an important record about the beliefs, practices and rule of early Christians, was in existence. We have it today.\n \nc. 67 St. Peter and St. Paul were martyred (killed for their faith).\n \n70 The temple in Jerusalem was destroyed by the Romans.\n \nc. 50-313 Emperors Nero, Domitian, Decius and Dioletian persecuted the Church.\n\nIn Rome, the Church had to meet in secret to worship, receive instruction, and receive the Sacraments.\n \n96 Clement of Rome settles a dispute in the Corinthian church by exercising his papal authority as successor of Peter. St. John is still alive.\n \n108 St. Ignatius of Antioch, on his way to be martyred in Rome, was the first to call the Church "Catholic".\n\n370-405 The Catholic Church decided what books were inspired by God, and put them into one book, "The Bible". The list of the 73 inspired books, as we have them today in the Catholic Bible, was first compiled by St. Athanasius (c.297-373). This list was confirmed by the Council of Hippo (393), Council of Carthage (397) both in North Africa (St. Augustine was active in both councils), Pope Innocent I (405), and the Council of Trent (1545-63). The Bible was preserved by the monks, who copied it over and over again in handwriting for the next 1000 years until the printing press was invented in 1450.\n\n1450 Printing was invented by Johann Gutenberg, and the first book to be printed was the Catholic Bible. It is called "the Mazarin Bible" which was printed in 1452 in Mayence, Germany, at the request of Cardinal Mazarin.
64076
Catholicism is a religion and evangelism is not.
563929
I am a Roman Catholic and what makes me feel that my religion is a True one is that we Christians belong to a REVEALED RELIGION. i.e. God becomes Man, Dies for the whole human race, reconciles us back to our Father in Heaven and then Glorifies his name by rising from the dead.
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oh the one thing that you can be sure of is the Bible!\n\nif ur a believer of Christ, you are called a Christian.. But the concept of Religion enters when a person decides for his/her religious practices...\n\nChrist did not established religion. he didnt indicate if His church is catholic/baptist etc.\n\nand i can say that Roman Catholic Church is not the true Church...  it is because its doctrines are corrupted...\nchristianity is for real but not until Constantine made Christianity as a state religion for the byzantine empire...\n\nas you know, romans have different gods. They are pagan! when Christianity came, people dont know the nature of Christianity, its doctrines etc. They just know that Christ was the Messiah.... so that means people did not leave their sinful nature (idolatry, worshipping gods). So that is why we have Catholic Church, full of idol worship..\n\nÜ The Bible, the only thing that has not been changed even before Creation, will set you free... Coz the truth will set you free. God bless you!
929009
It sounds like your head is in the right place, but your heart is not.  Despite the uneducated repetition of some anti-catholics on this forum, the Catholic Church was the church founded by Jesus Christ.  As much as they try to point out the sins of churchmen or misinterpret scriptures to their own destruction, the facts - as you stated - still remain.  The true church CANNOT apposticise - Jesus promised that it wouldn't.  And the sins of some clergy doesn't make doctrine untrue.\n\nAll this being said, you can't come at people with attacks.  It turns them away so that they will never listen to your arguement.  If you charitably answer their objections, maybe they will see the truth.\n\nFor those of you who think that the Catholic Church is not the original church - please visit my website.\n\nhttp://www.geocities.com/orthodox_doctrine/
589766
Christianity the official religion of the country\n\n... another article\nhttp://www.northvegr.org/lore/roas/000_01.php