Comparative Religions and Denominations

Catholicism is the original Christian denomination, while Zen is a Buddhist sect.

Catholicism is a revealed religion, which was given to men through revelation. Buddhism is NOT a religion, it is a philosophy that attempts to explain man's situation in the world and how to deal with it with no reference to God. As such, the differences are so vast, as you are dealing with two completely difference subjects, as to make any meaningful comparison impossible.

Answer:

At the base Catholics are a sect in the Christian group of religions and part of the Abrahamic tradition. Buddhist is an overall term for several Buddhist sects and traditions that are part of the Dravidian group of religions.

Except for the feeling that being "good" is better for the followers than being "bad" there are few similarities between the two religions. Examples:

• Catholics worship god(s), Buddhism doesn't
• Buddhists believe in reincarnation, Catholics don't
• Catholics revere Jesus as a divinity, Buddhists don't
• They both have some have teachings common to Hinduism
• Catholics have creation myths , Buddhists don't
• Buddhists feel man's "salvation" is essentially his own concern, Catholics see the need of divine intervention
• Christians have a Heaven, Buddhists don't
• Catholics pray for favours and special treatment from their deity, Buddhists have no deity
• The founder of Buddhism, Buddha, was just a man, Catholics see their founder, Jesus, as a deity
• Buddhists have no set of rules, Catholics have their ten commandments
• Buddhism is 500 years older than the Catholics or Christianity
• Buddhists and Catholics have legends of their founder talking from the cradle.

The Trinity is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit: three-in-one making one body of 3 separate beings. It can be difficult to visualize or make sense of: there have been analogies made such as with the candle [heat/flame/light] and with water as ice and vapour [solid/liquid/gas] but they are both dated: some people today wouldn't even have seen candles or ice, so any analogies with things that were common and easily understood in the the 19th Century to mid-20th Century are meaningless today. Candles have been replaced by the electric light, the ice-box was replaced by the refrigerator, and with global warming ice is becoming increasingly uncommon anyway. There are two analogies that make more sense from a modern perspective:-

Visualization (1).

Think of the Trinity as a corporation, with different branches or functions or arms, all separate and yet one body. (eg, Head Office, Manufacturing, and Retail.)

Visualization (2).

Think of the Trinity as a small family business, with Dad, Mum, and the Son:-

Dad is:-

· the nominal builder,

· boss

· designer,

· planner.

He is the One who gives the orders and delegates

Son is:-

· Dad's labourer ,

· 'boy-Friday', a 'go-for', labourer, final-year apprentice,

· Obeys what Dad tells Him to do,

· Really sacrifices Himself for the business, which one day He will run (His Dad had told Him: "Son, one day all this will be yours.").

He is the 'face' of the business which people see and know.

Mum is:-

the receptionist, phone-answerer,

· letter-writer,

· handles the paperwork and office- work,

· keeps the books, ensures things are running smoothly,

· settles and calms down the inevitable upsets and disputes,

· handles troubles and trouble-makers and pests,

· gives help and advice, gives a shoulder to cry on,

· is a good listener,

· works behind the scenes,

· uncomplainingly works day and night,

· is multi-tasking,

· does many things others are totally unaware of ,

Mum is often taken for granted and unacknowledged, but is the unseen power behind the Throne; without Mum the business would collapse.

'Dad' is God the Father, the 'Son' is God the Son [aka Jesus Christ ], and 'Mum' is the Holy Spirit.

This is a difficult topic, but I think it's best to keep it as simple as possible. We can see the Trinity in creation, creating as one: "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness...", meaning the entire Godhead was involved at once as one. "Us," "our," with the complete coördination that a person in [God's] image would picture. Elohim, a plural word, is one God. Mankind, made in the image of God, has a mind, a body and a spirit (personality).

Colossians 1:14-17 indicates that the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, is eternal God who created all things, for His glory and holds them all in control of His will. This perfectly coördinates with John 1:1-3, where it states that the Word was God and was in the beginning with God. Verse 14 says: "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us..." Back in verse 3, it tells us: "All things were made by Him; and without Him was not ant thing made that was made."

Yet, Colossians 2:9 informs us: "In Him (Jesus Christ, v. 8) dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily." As Christ had said in John 10:30: "I and my Father are one." and in John 14:9: "He that hath seen me hath seen the Father...". Jesus is the manifestation of the Father in the flesh. Isaiah 9:6 indicates that the child's name that was to be born, which is obviously Jesus, was called amongst other names, "The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father."

Being made in the image of God, this may be a good illustrative picture: If, in your mind, you conceived a thought to create a watch and your personal spirit agreed that it would be good, then your entire being (body, soul & spirit) would cooperate & get about gathering the materials & tools, crafting & assembling the watch. At no point would there be a separation of these entities of yourself in accomplishing the task.

All three persons of the Trinity are involved in coming into the heart of a believer, yet the Scripture says: "Christ in you, the hope of glory." Col. 1:27. Yet, the Holy Spirit indwells us. John 14:16,17. This is the Holy Spirit of Christ as Eternal God, whose name is: "Counselor,...The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father." Isaiah 9:6. The Trinity is one God.

Both Baptists and Anglicans are branches of "Christianity." However both Baptists, as well as the Anglican faith both come from very different historic and theological backgrounds.

The Baptist faith originated during the 16th century 'Radical Reformation'. Unlike other Protestant Traditions, Baptists were opposed to essentially all Catholicisity in particular the belief of infant baptism, and baptism by sprinkling rather than full immersion. The term "Baptists" comes from 'Anabaptists'meaning "re-baptizers." This is due to the fact that those of the Baptist tradition believe in baptism only after what they deem 'conversion.' Baptists do not believe in infant baptism because an infant cannot willingly choose to accept Christ as their Saviour.

For Anglicans, and a great many other Christian traditions, in infant baptism, the baptismal promises are made for them by their family or Godparents. Baptists see this as being an invalid baptism, due to the fact that the child him or herself is not making the promise and profession of belief. During the Reformation, the 'Anabaptists' as they were called during the Reformation period, preached that all who were baptized as infants needed to be 're-baptized' since they view infant baptism as not a 'real' baptism. Baptists also believe in baptism by full immersion, rather than simply sprinkling of water over the forehead as most Christian branches do.

The Baptist tradition teaches that in order to be fully and completely purified and 'born again' one must be fully immersed in water. Baptists do not view 'sprinkling' as a complete baptism, since they deem that baptism is to be an outward symbol of the transformation that has already occured when one has accepted Christ into their hearts. Thus, they feel only full immersion manifests that symbol of 're-birth'.

During the 16th century choosing to not baptize ones infant was seen as heretical by by both Catholics and Protestant Christians alike. Since infant death was so common in that time, the fear of an infant dying without being baptized was intense. Thus both Catholic Christians and the majority of Protestant Christians condemned the Anabaptist Movement.

Additionally, the Baptist teachings reject the belief in bishops and priests and the belief in 'apostolic succession' or the succession of bishops back to the apostles through the laying on of hands. The governing structure in the baptist tradition is extremely loose, and primarily each congregation governs itself the way it deems fit. There is no set 'hierarchical' system in the Baptist tradition, and the minister, is hired by the congregation to lead the congregation in worship and in it's ministries. However, the minister is seen as equal to the congregation, holding no special spiritual authority. Baptists reject the belief in the REAL PRESENCE of Christ in the Holy Eucharist and see it as simply a symbolic memorial meal. The concept of 'sacramental worship' as well as any worship involving any form of imagery, statury, iconography, paintings and most other physical symbols were and still are vehemently rejected by most Baptists. Most Baptist Churches are bare in appearance due to the fear of falling into the Old Testament trap of 'idolotry'. Thus the majority of artistic symbols or imagery are opposed by Baptists and not used in Baptist worship. The only symbol one may see in a Baptist church is a simple bare cross as a reminder of the sacrifice and resurrection of Christ as well as a small table used for when the 'Lord's Supper' is celebrated. Unlike Anglicanism, Baptists celebrate the Lord's Supper infrequently, and in some churches only once or twice a year.

The Baptist tradition is one based on the view of 'sola scriptura' or 'the bible alone' and rejects most major councils and creeds, seeing them as human based and not divinely inspired. The Baptist tradition believes in what they deem to be literal interpretation of the scriptures and 'word for word' acceptance of the Bible with little deviation from this.

The History of Anglicanism is based in the Church in England and dates back to the 5th Century when St. Augustine, who is deemed the first Archbishop of Canterbury came to England and converted the pagans to Christianity. During the Reformation in the 16th Century the Church in England under the reign of Henry VIII broke ties with the Roman Catholic Church forming the 'Church of England' or the 'Anglican Church'. However, the Anglican faith did not lose it's "Catholicisity" or catholic heritage.

Unlike most Protestant churches, The Anglican faith maintained the 3 fold ministry of deacons, priests and bishops in 'apostolic succession' (the succession of bishops traced back to the apostles through the laying on of hands and prayers) as well as the 2 primary sacraments of Baptism and Holy Eucharist and the five optional Sacraments of Reconciliation, Confirmation, Matrimony, Unction, and of course Holy Orders (ordination). Although the optional five are considered to be inspired by the guidance of the Holy Spirit, they are not seen as necessary for all Christians in the same way that Baptism and Eucharist are. Additionally, unlike the Baptist tradition, the Anglican/Episcopal faith teaches that Christ is truly present in the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist. The REAL PRESENCE view is one that is essential to Anglicanism and is one reason why the Eucharist is celebrated every week in Anglican/Episcopal churches and in some parishes every day.

Anglicans (or Episcopalians as they are known in the United States) practice both infant baptism and adult baptism, and see both as equally valid sacramentally. Typically infants are baptised and adolescents are 'confirmed' which essentially is a re-affirmation of the baptismal covenant made for the person when he or she was an infant. For some who come to the faith later in life and have never been baptized prior, adolescent and adult baptism is performed, shortly after the newly baptized is received into the faith, he or she goes before the bishop, affirming publically again their faith in Christ, and is confirmed. In the Anglican/Episcopal faith both full immersion baptism as well as baptism by sprinkling of water of the forehead are both seen as equally and acceptable forms of the baptismal rite.

Anglicanism is comprised of hundreds of different 'provinces' or 'sister churches' based all around the globe forming the 'Anglican Communion.' It is essentially a world-wide federation of churches, each of which traces its historical, theological, spiritual, and sacramental lineage back to The Church of England, which is viewed as the 'mother church' of the 'Anglican Communion.' The Archbishop of Canterbury is viewed as the 'spiritual figurehead' of the Anglican Communion, but is not a spiritual dictator. Each province is autonomous and governs itself as it sees fit. The American province of the Anglican Communion is known as The Episcopal Church and is led by the Presiding Bishop or chief bishop. The current Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church is The Most Rev. Dr. Katharine Jefferts-Schori, she is also the first female primate of any mainline Christian branch.

The Anglican Communion is the second largest Christian branch just after Roman Catholicism, and just prior to Eastern Orthodoxy which comes in third. The Anglican Communion holds strong at 80 million members world wide.

Outline

Islam and Christianity (long with Judaism) are all monotheistic, Abrahamic religions.

The religious book for Islam is the Qur'an (or Koran). The religious book for Christianity is the Bible. (The religious book for Judaism is the Torah).

The Qur'an

The Qur'an contains the recitations of Muhammad, the prophet of Islam. He died in 632 AD, and the Qur'an was written down by his followers after his death. It contains references to many other prophets, including those mentioned in the Bible, Abraham, Moses, Jesus, etc. Concerning Jesus, the Quran states in Al-Maeda 5:17, "They do blaspheme who say that God is Christ the son of Mary."

There is a chapter in the Qur'an named "Surat Maryam" (Chapter Mary) named in honor of Mary, the mother of Jesus. However, in the Bible, such an honor is not to be found. Out of the 66 books of the Protestants and 73 of the Roman Catholics, not one is named after Mary or her son unless you count the full name of the book of Revelation, "The Revelation of Jesus Christ." Instead, the New Testament books give the names of the writers who recorded the detailed description of the life and teachings of Jesus. For example, John and Peter were his Apostles and closest friends, Matthew was also an Apostles of Jesus, etc.

The Bible

The Bible is a collection of 66 books. The first part of the Bible contains the writings of Moses (5 books called the Torah, or Pentateuch) and all of the other Hebrew prophets (34 books). These books, recorded from about 1200 BC to 400 BC are the same collection of writings that the Jews believe in and follow. The second part of the Bible is called the New Testament, and contains 27 books including the four eye witness accounts of the life and ministry of Jesus, known as the Gospels. These books present Jesus as the fulfillment of all of the teachings of the earlier prophets. Jesus is called the Christ, or in Hebrew, the Messiah, which means the "Anointed One," the Holy King. The Bible also calls Jesus the Son of God and savior of the world, that was described in all of the earlier prophetic books.

Similarities of Islam and Christianity:

• Both religions believe in one God (are monotheistic). The word "Allah" simply means "God" in Arabic.
• Both believe Jesus was born to Mary, and that Mary was a virgin.
• Both believe that Adam and Eve were the first humans on Earth.
• Both religions believe that Jesus spoke in the cradle and performed miracles.
• Both religions are concerned with obtaining peace between people and on earth. The word "Islam' stems from the Hebrew word "shalom" which means "peace".
• Parents and spouses should be honoured.
• Faith without works is useless (saying "I Believe" is useless)
• Homosexuality is forbidden.
• Humans have rights. i.e. murder, theft, violence and lying are forbidden.
• Society's laws must be obeyed.
• Fornication and lewd behaviour are forbidden.
• Spiritual illnesses include avarice, pride, greed, gluttony, envy, lust and sloth.
• Suicide is forbidden.
• Intoxication is forbidden.
• Both religions have extreme or fundamentalist members and sects, which, in the past have acted in ways so extreme that go against and forget the original purpose of the religion (which is to obtain peace). Refer to the Muslim Conquests, the French Wars of Religion, the Crusades, and the Reconquista. The violent behaviour in these events does not follow the tenets of the religions themselves.

Differences from Christian beliefs:

• Muslims do not believe that Jesus was the literal Son of God. They believe that he was a Prophet of God.
• Muslims do not believe in the trinity.
• Muslims do not believe that Jesus was crucified.
• Muslims do not believe in the "original sin" and that all people are inherently sinful. They believe that sin is an action that goes against God.
• Muslims do not believe that Eve was made from Adam's rib. They believe that man and woman were created equally from the same spirit.
• Muslims do not believe that they should act to convert people of other faiths.
• There is no priesthood in Islam. Any association with God is direct and personal, without the mediation of priest or imam (Islamic learned scholar). For Christians, any relationship with God must be through Jesus Christ.

Other Views:

• Christianity is the religion of peace, Jesus was the Prince of Peace. The same cannot be said about Islam or Muhammad.

• In Christianity God is all powerful - his spirit can come to Earth and touch the lives of individuals. In Islam God isn't as powerful - he is stuck away from Earth and to comprehend him doing so is blasphemy. This is a contradiction in Islamic theology as it teaches that Moses was visited by the spirit of God. One of the many doctinal flaws of Islam.

• Christianity is far larger than Islam and can be accepted by anyone. The Bible has been translated and you can talk to God in any language. In Islam - conversion and practice has to be in Arabic culture and the Arabic language. The Qur'an can only be read in Arabic, Arabic names are adopted and you can only pray to Allah in Arabic. Islam is not a religion for all people. Note, only a minority of the Islamic world can read the Qur'an in Arabic.

Origins of the Faiths

Abraham had a wife, Sarai, and she had an Egyptian slave girl - Hagar. Sarai could not get pregnant, so she had Abraham sleep with Hagar to produce a baby. That baby was Ishmael. Then later- supposedly at about 90 yrs old, Sarai was made by God to go by the name Sarah for some odd reason that makes no sense, then she because pregnant and gave birth to Isaac. Ismael was made the father of "twelve princes" but supposedly God made his covenant only with Abraham through Isaac.

Islamic Arabs trace their ancestry back to Ishmael while Jews trace their ancestry to Isaac. All the fighting today descends from the fact that Abraham had a child by Hagar, his slave girl.

1) The concept of Trinity. Both believe that there is only one God. Christians believe in the Trinity, that is "three persons in one God," all three of whom, as distinct and co-eternal persons, are of one indivisible Divine essence (ousia, substance), a simple being. Muslims believe that God is one and only one, which is in fact equivalent to recognizing only the person of God the Father. Muslims are totally refusing the concept of Trinity.

2) Muslims believe that Jesus was not crucified but it was made to appear to his people that Jesus has been crucified. Al-Nisan 4:157-159 "And because of their saying: We slew the Messiah, Jesus son of Mary, Allah's messenger - they slew him not nor crucified him, but it appeared so unto them; and lo! those who disagree concerning it are in doubt thereof; they have no knowledge thereof save pursuit of a conjecture; they slew him not for certain. (157) But Allah took him up unto Himself. Allah was ever Mighty, Wise. (158) There is not one of the People of the Scripture but will believe in him before his death, and on the Day of Resurrection he will be a witness against them" (159)

Christians believe that Jesus was crucified to take away the sins of the world and then rose from the dead. In John 10:17,18, Jesus said, "17The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life-only to take it up again. 18No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father."

3) Christians believe Jesus is the son of God but Muslims believe Jesus is just the Prophet sent by God, just like their prophet Muhammad. In other words, Muslims believe Jesus is just like Adam, i.e. a prophet sent by God to give good news to the believers, and bad news for the disbelievers. In Islam, no Muslim is a Muslim if he does not believe in Jesus, his works and teachings. BUT: only as a prophet, not God.

4) Muslims believe in the inherent SINLESSNESS of man's nature. Gifted with the power of reasoning and choosing between right and wrong. While the Christians believe that every new born babies is a sinner in nature, and that salvation is not by their own efforts, but is by the grace of God given through Jesus Christ.

5) There is no priesthood in Islam. Any association with God is direct and personal, without the mediation of priest or imam (Islamic learned scholar). For Christians, any relationship with God must be through Jesus Christ.

6) The Qur'an contains the recitations of Muhammad, the prophet of Islam. He died in 632 AD, and the Qur'an was written down by his followers after his death. It contains references to many other prophets, including those mentioned in the Bible, Abraham, Moses, Jesus, etc. Concerning Jesus, the Quran states in Al-Maeda 5:17, "They do blaspheme who say that God is Christ the son of Mary."

The Bible is a collection of 66 books. The first part of the Bible contains the writings of Moses (5 books called the Torah, or Pentateuch) and all of the other Hebrew prophets (34 books). These books, recorded from about 1200 BC to 400 BC are the same collection of writings that the Jews believe in and follow. The second part of the Bible is called the New Testament, and contains 26 books including the four eye witness accounts of the life and ministry of Jesus, known as the Gospels. These books present Jesus as the fulfillment of all of the teachings of the earlier prophets. Jesus is called the Christ, or in Hebrew, the Messiah, which means the "Anointed One," the Holy King. The Bible also calls Jesus the Son of God and savior of the world, that was described in all of the earlier prophetic books. The Bible says in Colossians 2:9 "For in Christ all the fullness of Deity lives in bodily form." In John 17:4 Jesus prays before his arrest and crucifixion, "5And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began."

7) There is a chapter in the Qur'an named "Surat Maryam" (Chapter Mary) named in honor of Mary, the mother of Jesus. However, in the Bible, such an honor is not to be found. Out of the 66 books of the Protestants and 73 of the Roman Catholics, not one is named after Mary or her son unless you count the full name of the book of Revelation, "The Revelation of Jesus Christ." Instead, the New Testament books give the names of the writers who recorded the detailed description of the life and teachings of Jesus. For example, John and Peter were his Apostles and closest friends, Matthew was also an Apostles of Jesus, etc.

1 John 1:5-10: (NIV):

5 This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. 6 If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.

See related links for sources.

Back then, Judeo-Christian principles played a central role in the development of the democratic tradition.

Answer

The phrase "Judeo-Christian" traditions may be a misnomer, since Christianity was based on the alteration of Judaism. The term Judeo-Christian was created by Christians to increase legitimacy of Christianity as the replacement of Judaism.

To answer the Question:

Judaism is egalitarian and values all individuals, both men and women. The wealthy have no privileges; and the poor are valued, treated well and their opinions listened to. (Compare this to those societies in which only mature, land-owning males had any legal status.)

Judaism applied laws, and rules of moral behavior, to all its members equally. The laws of Moses form much of Western legal background.

Quote:

"I will insist that the Hebrews have done more to civilize men than any other nation ... fate had ordained the Jews to be the most essential instrument for civilizing the nations" (John Adams, 2nd President of the United States).
"Certainly, the world without the Jews would have been a radically different place. Humanity might have eventually stumbled upon all the Jewish insights, but we cannot be sure. All the great conceptual discoveries of the human intellect seem obvious and inescapable once they had been revealed, but it requires a special genius to formulate them for the first time. The Jews had this gift. To them we owe the idea of equality before the law, both Divine and human; of the sanctity of life and the dignity of human person; of the individual conscience and of collective conscience, and social responsibility" (Paul Johnson, Christian historian, author of A History of the Jews and A History of Christianity).

Answer:

It could be a poem or a simple few words that would make someone suffer. Also ritual can be preformed to curse someone.

Like give a dude a headache by turning their picture upside down then say something like "May your head hurt while you think of the wrong you did me!" Or maybe something worse.

Now remember that all you do comes back to you. If you hurt an innocent, the curse will reverse and hurt you instead. I repeat, magic is not to be used lightly.

Answer:

Buy books on spells. It will show you how to do things.

You can't curse somebody! It's make believe. Unless you're talking about a computergame.

It all comes down to belife, theirs not yours. try telling them you put a curse on them and whatch them mess up their life all on their own.

Caution: What is sent, is returned threefold. Be careful what you wish for.

The Seventh-day Adventists are the fastest growing denomination in the US in 2010. Please go to the following link to verify.

Assemblies of God: 2.9 million, up 1.27 percent.

The Catholic Church is not a religion, but a communion which is embodies the Christian religion. In common terms, you can say that the Catholic Church is part of the Christian religion, in the sense that all Catholics are Christian, but not all Christians are Catholic.

Like all Christians, the Catholic Church believes in one God, who is in fact a Trinity, and that the Son became incarnate as a man. The most basic beliefs are summed up in the Nicene Creed, and expanded teachings of the church are explained in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, but these are based on Divine Revelation, which is communicated in Scripture and Tradition.

The Catholic Church since Vatican II acknowledges that it is not synonomous with the entirety of the Church of Christ and that there are other genuine Christian Churches and ecclesial communities, which in some cases certain features of the Christian mystery have at times been more effectively emphasised.

It further holds that all major religions are genuine, if imperfect, attempts by humanity to respond to God's call, and therefore contain some truth. Those truths and all that is good in these religions ought to be celebrated and cherished by Christians.

In addition, the Catholic Church is the only place in which the truth is found without the admixture of error introduced by the Evil One. The Catholic Church, thus is the only religion established by God, Himself. It is also the only Christian Church, others are "Christian" only insofar as they participate in the truths that the Catholic Church holds from God.

The Catholic Church is NOT "part of Christianity" but the entire of Christianity. For a more complete discussion of this, please see the book, Salvation Outside the Church by Rev. Peter M.J. Stravinskas at the link below.

from The Catechism of the Catholic Church, second edition, English translation 1994

844 In their religious behavior, however, men also display the limits and errors that disfigure the image of God in them:

Very often, deceived by the Evil One, men have become vain in their reasonings, and have exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and served the creature rather than the Creator. Or else, living and dying in this world without God, they are exposed to ultimate despair. (Lumen Gentium 16; cf. Rom 1:21, 25)

845 To reunite all his children, scattered and led astray by sin, the Father willed to call the whole of humanity together into his Son's Church. The Church is the place where humanity must rediscover its unity and salvation. The Church is "the world reconciled." She is that bark which "in the full sail of the Lord's cross, by the breath of the Holy Spirit, navigates safely in this world." According to another image dear to the Church Fathers, she is prefigured by Noah's ark, which alone saves from the flood. (St. Augustine, Serm. 96, 7, 9: J.P. Migne, ed., Patrologia Latina {Paris: 1841-1855}38, 588; St. Ambrose, De virg. 18, 118; J.P. Migne, ed., Patrologia Latina {Paris: 1841-1855} 16, 297B; cf. Already 1 Pet 3:20-21.)

843 The Catholic Church recognizes in other religions that search, among shadows and images, for the God who is unknown yet near since he gives life and breath and all things and wants all men to be saved. Thus, the Church considers all goodness and truth found in these religions as "a preparation for the Gospel and given by him who enlightens all men that they may at length have life." (Lumen Gentium 16; cf. Nostra aetate 2; Evangelii nuntiandi 53)

They don't believe that Mary should be revered so much, but they do believe that she gave birth to Jesus and all that.

They don't pray to the saints.

They don't have a pope.

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