Differences between Catholics and Lutherans. The Catholic Church is a Sacramental Church and always has been. There are 7 Sacraments,Baptism,Reconciliation,Communion,Confirmation,Marriage,Holy Orders,Sacrament of the Sick. There are two in the Lutheran Church, Baptism and Confirmation.
The Catholic Church believes in Transubstantiation. That is when consecrated by a priest the bread and wine while having the appearance of bread and wine is actually changed into the body and blood of Christ, it is no longer bread and wine. This is a mystery of faith and follows Christs command "Unless you eat my flesh and drink my blood, you will not have life within you." Catholics do not believe it is symbolic. When Christ told this to his disciples and they said who can believe this it is too hard to follow and they left, Christ did not go after them and say, wait I only meant it was symbolic. No he let them go and asked his apostles if they too would go.
Lutherans believe in Consubstantiation. That is, they believe it is the body and blood of Christ;and it still is bread and wine.
The Catholic Church is one, holy, and Apostolic. The Lutheran Church follows the same creed but there are various denominations within the Lutheran Church which vary on some of their beliefs. Some are stricter and some such as the ELCA accept women ministers and abortion under certain circumstances. The original Lutheran church which was born out of the protestant reformation does not even exist today. Almost from the beginning there was disagreemet among it's members and offshoots formed.
The Catholic Church has not changed it's doctrines and cannot. Despite the fact that almost every denomination has changed doctrinal belief to bow to the whim of the current ages, the Catholic Church alone has remained steadfast in spite of constant critisim. It will not change because it can't. What Christ has established cannot be broken or changed. The Holy Spirit has guided it through the ages and has helped to better define doctrines, but not change them. No human, not even the Pope can do that.
AnswerCatholics believe that love, faith, kindness, etc. are what give us eternal life, however Lutherans believe that you only need faith. Also Lutherans believe that Christ is the only authority in the church and Catholics believe the pope is. Everything else is basically the same.Another view: It is not correct to suggest that Catholics believe that the pope is the 'only' authority, or that the pope's position is above that of Christ. The Catholic church considers the pope to be Christ's earthly representative only, and in fact the 'first among equals' regarding his position among the church's bishops.
AnswerThe catholic and Lutheran Churches have different views on the eucharistic rite.the Catholics believe that the body of christ is revealed to us by the method of transubstination. this term refers to the bread and wine changing from one substance into another. bread to body. blood to wine.
the lutherans rejects such teachings.
AnswerMartin Luther believed that God had only set four sacraments to be followed by the church. On the other hand the church believed that all 7, were essential in the religion, as well as forgiving peoples sins with money. Lutherans don't have a "leader" while the catholic church does. AnswerCatholics were the first christians, the first followers of Christ. Jesus charged Peter to be the rock on which He will build his church, a mere mortal man to head His church here on earth. He was followed by those we would call Pope. It is true that the catholic church did prostitute itself in selling off sins for moneys much needed for the church. Also,Popes began to dabble in politics instead of souls. Martin Luther took great exception to the workings of the church at the time of his era and chose to break away with his fellow discontented followers. They did hold to many of the catholic ways but adjusted to their thinking those which they disagreed. They grew as more converts disgrunted with the catholic church joined their ranks. I am catholic and not very proud of those many dark years of the church, yet I remain catholic. I have attended Lutheran services on several occassions and was surprised at the similarities between the two. Les HeadlineYour answer is partly correct. The term catholic (lower case 'c') simply means universal. Because Rome was in power during the time of Christ and Constaintine later converted to Christianity and named it the state religion, the term Roman Catholic came about. However the first Christians were certainly not Romans nor known as Catholics. In fact the early Christians faced sever persecution from the Romans until the time of Constaintine.Now regarding Luther: He did take exception to the selling of indulgences and the proclamation of the pope that he could release souls from purgatory (which in itself has no Scriptural standing, but he had no intention of "breaking away" from the church. When Luther wrote his 95 thesis and posted them on the door of the church in Wittenberg, his hope was to engage in a debate with the church leaders so that the church may be reformed--hence the term The Reformation. Because Luther's stance was rejected by the church, and his life threatened, Luther did break from the church.
There are many more differences than what are listed here and in the other responses. Lutherans have only 2 sacraments, not 4 or 7: Holy Communion and Baptism. Lutherans hold Christ as the head of the Church and confess that we are under the authority of Scripture. We are saved by grace alone through faith in Christ. Our works are a result of our salvation , not a means by which we attain it. We believe that Jesus in the only intercessor and mediator between God and man and that praying to Mary or the saints is not Biblically based and is not pleasing to God. I could continue writing on this subject, but I would suggest doing a search for the "Book of Concord" which contains the Lutheran confessions and Catechisms.
AnswerThere isn't really much difference. Luther didn't think the selling of indulgences was right, and wanted everyone to be able to read The Bible. Other than that, he was pretty mainstream. AnswerWhen I was Lutheran,as my family raised me, they believed that you were saved when you were baptised, when you were a baby (sprinkled with water) now that I am nondenominational, I believe in salvation through understanding and believing Christ, and I was baptised by being emmersed in water which is not necessary for salvation, but God asks this of you, which symbolizes the new birth.I grew up Lutheran. What I do remember was our branch of Christianity had more exceptions to rules and (in my opinion) the faith was simpler. I went to a Greek Orthadox and Roman Catholic churches for Catechism trips, and I remember thinking it was very strict.
They believe in the same teachings, but Lutherans don't take them as literally as Catholics. And, we did have four sacrements. whoever keeps saying that Lutherans only have two is...wrong.
The Peace of Augsburg
The Peace of Augsburg
Predestination
Of course, the development of Lutheranism harm catholicism. It makes the member of catholics divided and loss its members. And later it makes the popularity slowly decline.
Christianity. In Latvia, Lutheranism, Catholicism and Orthodoxy. In Estonia, Lutheranism and Orthodoxy
The major difference between the two relates to the emphasis on predestination.
First there was just Christianity, then when Martin Luther broke of and started Lutheranism Christianity was renamed Catholicism, every other Christian religion broke of of Catholicism or Lutheranism, in this case, The Baptist church broke of of Catholicism.
Anabaptists were against infant baptism
Lutheranism, Eastern Christianity, Catholicism, and many others.
Romano-catholicism and lutheranism
Well it turns out their were some differences in between the two religions Lutheranism and Calvinism. Lutheranism says that you don't have to pay for your sins, and Calvinism is sort of like Christianity.
They are one and the same.