Catholic Vs Southern Baptist Essay

In the Christian religion, like many others, the belief in a single, ultimate, powerful being is upheld and practiced. However, unlike other monotheistic religions, the Christian belief in God is expressed in three parts: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This aspect of Christianity is unique and is part of what defines it. Although some people may think so, God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are not three separate beings. They are united as one in the Trinity, the same all-powerful God. God is the creator of all and the reason for our salvation as humans. The intent of this research paper is to discuss the similarities and differences between the religious principle views of salvation of Roman Catholic versus Southern Baptist. Roman Catholics

Roman Catholic services are held in sanctuaries that are richly decorated with artwork, crosses, statues, candles, incense, and kneeling benches. The elaborate decorations in the sanctuaries have a lot to do with the Catholic practice of worshiping icons. Catholic members also offer their prayers to Mary and the saints as well as to God during service. The services are very ordered and laid out, with much more participation by the church members during the service. Southern Baptist churches usually have few paintings and are usually decorated in a simple fashion such as they usually do not have any statue of saints or God himself but only have a cross symbol on their altar. Southern Baptists offer prayer to God through Christ during the service and reject the practice of praying to Mary and the saints. Southern Baptist services are not nearly as laid out and ordered, with much less participation by the church members during the

Southern Baptists believe that individuals must ask Jesus to forgive their sins and then trust Jesus in order to be saved. Roman Catholics believe that faith encompasses not only this trust but an intellectual assent to the basic doctrines of the Catholic faith. Furthermore, Roman Catholics believe that the good works that follow conversion play a role in saving the believer from sin and hell. Southern Baptists, on the other hand, believe that works are irrelevant to salvation. For Roman Catholics, salvation is a process. It begins at conversion and continues on through the life of the believer. It culminates in final salvation when the believer is raised from the dead and enters heaven. Southern Baptists believe salvation occurs in an instant and once this takes place, the believer is saved for all eternity. At the moment of conversion, final salvation is assured. The institutional church plays only a marginal role in salvation for Southern Baptists. While someone might be saved in a Southern Baptist church, the church is only the opportunity for salvation. Sacraments, provided by the church, are merely symbols of what has happened to the believer. For Roman Catholics, the church is God's chosen instrument of salvation. Roman Catholics believe that the church is the primary means by which salvation occurs, and that salvation does not