Catholic vs Baptist (With Table)

The primary difference between Catholic and Baptist denominations is that while the Catholics believe in baptizing even infants, Baptists only baptize those who profess the faith i.e. only believing adults.

Comparison Table: Catholic vs Baptist

Criteria	Catholic	Baptist
Origin	In 33 A.D. after the death of Jesus Christ by the first Bishop of Rome Saint Peter.	Baptists separated from the church of England between the 16th and 18th centuries. The first Baptist church was founded in Amsterdam in 1609.
Method of Baptism	Catholics perform infant baptism. It is the first sacrament.	Baptists only baptize those who are able to understand their faith that is adults.
Purgatory	Catholics believe for some sins the human soul goes to purgatory to purge the soul of the sins.	Baptists don’t believe that souls need to go to purgatory.
Lifestyle	Catholics lead an honorable and moderate lifestyle. Smoking, drinking, dancing is allowed.	They lead a very strict lifestyle where no drinking, smoking, gambling is allowed.
Veneration of Saints	They venerate saints.	They don’t venerate saints.
Power structure	There is a complex, hierarchical power structure with the Pope at its head.	They don’t have a complex power structure.

Christianity is one of the oldest and most widespread religions in the world. Over the centuries Christianity has branched off having many different denominations due to differences in doctrines, beliefs among both churchmen and followers of religion.

With every new age comes new teachers, new saints and they gain followers for their ideals. This happens in every religion. This is how Christianity came to have many different sections or denominations, namely  Anglican / Episcopal, Assembly of God, Baptist, Lutheran, Methodist, Presbyterian, and Roman catholic.

The three main sections of Christianity today are Roman Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, and Protestantism.

About Catholics

It wouldn’t be unfair to say that Catholicism originated with Christianity itself it has been here since the time Jesus Christ was born. The Roman Catholics have the biggest population amongst all religions in the world.

Christianity in general but Catholicism as well as played a decisive role in forming the course of western history as we know it today and had a huge impact on world history in general.

Christianity may well be said to have started with the birth of Jesus Christ, the son of God, on Earth. In 33 A.D. after being crucified by Romans, he showed himself to his followers known as the twelve Apostles. He chose Saint Peter to be the leader of the Apostles and gave him “keys of the kingdom of heaven”. As such, he was recognized the first Pope. It is a Christian belief that Saint Peter passes down the Apostolic power given to him by Jesus even today through the Popes.

The Catholics strictly believe in the ten commandments, the salvation of humankind through faith, the sacraments, worshipping, communion, infant baptism, etc. Unlike the Baptists who believe the human soul could either go to heaven or stay here on Earth, Catholics believe in purgatory.

They also practice veneration of saints who, they believe, can pray to God directly for them. Another absolute belief of the Catholics is in the infallibility of the Pope. This also contradicts the beliefs held by the Baptists.

Do you know? Difference between Baptist and Methodist

About Baptists

Baptists developed from inside the English Separatist movement, between the sixteenth and eighteenth centuries, when Protestant Christians were isolated from the Church of England. This is the most acknowledged view and the earliest Baptist church is viewed as a 1609 church in Amsterdam.

The second assessment holds that Baptists began from English Separatism and was enormously affected and framed out of Anabaptists, or Dutch Mennonites. The third and fourth historical references say that the Baptist church has existed in some structure since Christ and John the Baptist.

In America, a previous individual from the Church of England, Roger Williams, was isolated from authorities in the Massachusetts Bay Colony over his conviction on chapel capacities. In 1638, he established the main Baptist church in America in uncolonized Rhode Island.

Likewise in Rhode Island, Englishman John Clarke established a Baptist church around a similar time. The two men later got a contract from King Charles II ensuring religious opportunity in Rhode Island.

A few Baptists are of the belief that there are no human originator, no human power, and no human ideology.

Baptists are subscribers to evangelical theology. Their worship is based on believers’ church doctrine. Even then, within baptism, there are two parties -the general. Baptists who follow the Armenian theology and the particular Baptist who follow reformed theology.

However, most Baptists are evangelical in doctrine. The difference in beliefs within Baptists comes fur to the congregational administrative framework that gives autonomy to individual Baptist churches. 

Baptists are known to promote religious freedom and advocate for church, state separation.

Do you know? Difference between Lutheran and Presbyterian

Differences Between Catholic and Baptist

1) Origin

The Catholic Church was founded in 33 AD after the crucifixion of Jesus Christ by the Apostle appointed leader by Jesus, Saint Peter. The earliest Baptist Church was founded in Amsterdam in 1609. Baptism is a denomination of Protestantism that started when the protestants separated from the Church of England between the sixteenth and eighteenth centuries.

2) Method of Baptism

Catholics believe in infant baptism. Catholics believe in sacraments for the salvation of humankind and baptism is the first of those sacraments. Baptists, on the other hand, don’t believe in infant baptism as infants are not capable of understanding their faith yet. They only baptize those who are capable of understanding faith and those are adults.

3) Purgatory

Catholics believe that for some sins we can confess to the priests but for others, we must go purgatory, where after the purgation of our sins we return to heaven. Baptists believe that the human soul doesn’t go to purgatory.

4) Veneration of Saints

The Catholic Church generates saints as that believe the saints can directly pray to God for them. The Baptists don’t venerate saints as they only worship the holy trinity and venerating saints would be worshipping them.

5) Lifestyle

Baptists lead a very strict lifestyle. Smoking, drinking, gambling, even dancing is not allowed. Catholics led a life of honor and moderation. Drinking, smoking, and dancing is permissible here.

6) Structure

There is a complex hierarchical structure governing the Roman Catholic Church with the Pope at its head. There is no strict structure in the Baptist Church. They are community-oriented.