Unstump Me

[miafeliz]

Could someone explain to me why the Catholic Church is not considered a "denomination"? I don't seem to really remember why and don't have a good argument at the moment as to why.

Comments

[muraven]

Well, the way I understand it the whole mentality behind denominations is that they're all equal and it doesn't really matter which one you go to. Now, obviously not everybody in those churches has that view but it seems to be a common one. For instance, you'll have Presbyterians who will go to Lutheran churches and Congregationalists who will go to Baptist churches. I've actually heard Protestants use this mentality with Catholic churches, where they'll go to a Mass and listen to the homily and consider it to be no different from what they might get at their own church. Of course, as Catholics we don't consider what we do or what we are to be the same as what Protestants do or who they are as a church, so it doesn't really apply.

[miafeliz]

*Snerk* Ok.... I'm not choking on my coke right now. It's amazing how sometimes we want to say those things but stop ourselves knowing just how uncharitable it sounds.

For curiosity sake, I am a writer I think it would be interesting to see what they do in their churches, but to miss Mass? Nah. I've been to many weddings and funerals at other churches to have my glimpse.

[muraven]

Yeah, it's such a big difference that the distinction might very well be lost on those who have never actually been to a Mass.

[miafeliz]

That's the whole argument for catholic=universal.

[miafeliz]

Maybe so.

[catchingspirit]

I always hated that question, especially since whenever I was asked it growing up, it was pretty much guaranteed to really mean 'what denomination'. And all of the Christian denominations are still Christian.

[miafeliz]

And then you'd say, Catholic and then they say, oh... so you're a Catholic and not a Christian. That really annoyed me.

[catchingspirit]

Possibly because denominationalism tends to be a Protestant invention, so to speak. The term Catholic even outright means 'universal', while Protestants recognize so many different divisions it can be frightening.

[miafeliz]

That is actually part of my take on it as the universality of catholic with the little "C".

I saw a comment stating Catholicism is a demonination, which I've known isn't correct all my life, but couldn't put it into words why.

[azinazelle]

I think before the Reformation they didn't use the word Catholic to refer to the Church. Afterward the term Catholic was used.

[catchingspirit]

The term occurs in several creeds and prayers. Are those all developed/revised after the Reformation? (Honest question; I can't remember at the moment)

[azinazelle]

One of the things I've noticed with Protestant churches I could take communion with any of them just by virtue of my Baptism (I didn't have to be a member of the church). But in the Catholic Church I had to wait until I received my sacraments.

[miafeliz]

Right. I have a friend who is totally amazed by that. She's going to an Episcopal church now, married a Catholic and they raised their daughter a Catholic but she was a Baptist growing up and marginally a Catholic because she would go to Mass with her family but never formally converted.