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Why do people say "Catholics and Christians" in (USA) when Catholics are also Christians, as if they refer to it as a different religion. (lemmy.ml)

submitted 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago) by Hextubewontallowme@lemmy.ml to c/asklemmy@lemmy.ml

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Is this some sort of remnant of evangelical puritan protestant ideology?

I don't understaun this.

If you ask me, it'd make as much sense as Orthodox and Christians.... or Shia and Muslim...

I know not all Christians are Catholics but for feck's sake...

They're all Christians to me....

Edit:

It's a U.S thing but this is the sort of things I hear...

https://www.gotquestions.org/Catholic-Christian.html

I am a Catholic. Why should I consider becoming a Christian?

I now know more distinctions (apparently Catholicism requires duty and salvation is process, unlike Protestantism?) but I still think they're of a similar branch (Christianity) so I just wonder the social factor

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[–] PM_ME_VINTAGE_30S@lemmy.sdf.org 10 points 7 months ago (1 children)

Catholics are Christians, but Christians are not necessarily Catholic. For example, Orthodox Christians are not Catholic. Being Catholic requires, at the bare minimum, agreement with the Holy See and implicitly the dogma he endorses. Even this "minor" difference can be used to find non-Catholic Christians.

Precisely, Catholic ⊊ Christian.

The reason why this is the case has to do with the history of Christianity, specifically the various schisms throughout the ages as the Christian faith evolved. That's an incredibly complicated topic which I'm not qualified to discuss.

[–] Hextubewontallowme@lemmy.ml 2 points 7 months ago (1 children)

Catholics are Christians, but Christians are not necessarily Catholic. For example, Orthodox Christians are not Catholic. Being Catholic requires, at the bare minimum, agreement with the Holy See and implicitly the dogma he endorses. Even this “minor” difference can be used to find non-Catholic Christians.

I know that, but if you ask me, it's like saying Sunni and Muslim, one kinda emphasizes, if not "otherizes" (orientalize or occidentalize) the other... usually in a not good way...

[–] PM_ME_VINTAGE_30S@lemmy.sdf.org 1 points 7 months ago

One kinda emphasizes, if not "otherizes" the other... usually in a not good way...

Yeah. People have been killed over being Catholic in a non-Catholic Christian society and people have also been killed over being a non-Catholic Christian in a Catholic society.

But that doesn't mean that we can't or shouldn't differentiate at all between the dogmas of Catholics and the wider practice of Christianity.

(orientalize or occidentalize)

I mean there are lots of non-Catholic Churches with European origins, for example Lutheranism and Anglicanism. So I think it's a bit more complicated than "otherizing" with respect to that specific dichotomy.