[Faceman]

I don't know how it works in the US but here Catholic and Christian is never disputed as being two different things. However that may be because Catholics are the majority in Austria and South Germany.
Technically Catholics are of course Christians. [img]graemlins/doh.gif[/img]
a bit of history
the first schism 1054 separated Orthodox (right teachings from greek: orthos=right and doxa=teaching) from Catholics (all-embracing from greek: kata=about and holos=all)
The reformation in the early 16th century separated protestants (or Evangelics) from Catholics and spawned a lot of other reform movements namely the Hussits (who were killed by the Catholics after promising them favours) the Calvinists and the Anglican church and many else. Many of them traveled to the "New world" to seek refuge from religious persecution. The catholics had no need for that (as they were dominant) and therefore are now a minority in the US (if you count the "other Christians" as one of course, if not they are in fact the majority).

[ 09-10-2003, 06:18 PM: Message edited by: Faceman ]