Is Catholicism the first religion

Answer 1

This is a little difficult to answer because it is not clear what the questioner is asking. As stated above, Catholicism is not the first religion, that would be Judaism; but if you are asking if Catholicism is the first of the Christian religions, then there are further difficulties as Catholicism claims to be the only Christian religion as Our Blessed Lord was very clear in that He only established one Church, and prayed to His Father that It would be One. As, obviously, He is God, we believe that there is only one Christian religion established by Our Blessed Lord on His Vicar, Peter, and his successors - the Popes. Thus the answer to the question is Catholicism the first Christian religion would have to be: Yes, it is the only Christian religion and others are Christian only insofar as they are baptized and believe in the Nicene Creed in its classical interpretration. Religions such as the Orthodox, Old Catholics, Polish National Catholics, and Society of St. Pius X participate in Christianity as they have a valid priesthood, valid sacraments, and profess the Creed, although they do not observe union with the Holy Father. All other sects in the last twenty some centuries have been heretical to one degree or another in denying basic truths of Christianity, although they now claim the title "Christian".

Answer 2

Catholicism was certainly not the first religion in the world, since it was clearly predated by Judaism, and there are many even older religions.

Catholicism has some claim to be the equal oldest Christian religion, along with the Orthodox Churches, since they are both branches of the older 'Catholic-Orthodox' faith from which they were formed by the Great Schism of 1054. The Catholic Church will say that it is the only legitimate heir to the predecessor religion, but the Orthodox Churches will see it differently.

In any case, it is uncertain whether their predecessor religion was really the oldest branch of Christianity. There is much evidence in the New Testament of competing branches and sects of Christianity and all we can say of the 'Catholic-Orthodox' faith is that it is the one which survived.

Answer 3

No. There were many religions prior to the Catholics coming on the scene, including Judaism and a number of pagan religions. Catholicism was the first Christian religion, however.

Answer 4

No, Native Americans had their own religions, some of the pagan. However, Catholicism was the first Christian religion to arrive in the Americas.