Why are you Catholic and not Anglican or vice and versa?

[Upcycled]

These two religions are pretty similar aren't they?
Why did you chose one over the other?

I think that many of the current 'differences' between Catholic and Protestants are historical and political in nature rather than about religion as such.

I don't agree with amuminscotland that people believe that others of different denominations have it wrong, I know I certainly don't. I do believe that I have it right for me though but wholly accept that others are called down a different route.

As we move into the 21st century and a post-Christian culture generally, Christians of all denominations and churches find common cause because the majority of society is secular.

Sorry for being ignorant and insensitive but are all the Christians suppose to believe that Mary was a virgin or is it a symbol?

Someone may correct me on this, but I believe that there are a few Christian truths that are non-negotiable and that are essential to true Christian belief. I think they're somewhere in Paul, but I think it's a belief in the Marian doctrine, or Virgin birth; a belief that Jesus is the son of God made flesh; and a belief in the Resurrection. After that, anything's up for grabs, and the Church cannot insist that you believe anything against your conscience (for example, that abortion is wrong). However, the Church's get out on that is that a properly informed conscience will always agree with the Church's teaching!
Waiting for a correction here...!

Most Christian denominations agree on the basics of faith in the Nicene creed, and the bit in there says "by the power of the Holy Spirit he became incarnate from the Virgin Mary, and was made man"

But some people do debate whether the original word actually meant 'virgin' or might have been 'young woman'.

OTOH If you're going to believe in a God who made the whole universe, then believing he could also cause a virgin to become pregnant isn't that big a leap.

Just to answer the question in the OP, I am an Anglican by choice, because Anglicanism allows me to worship in a way I find helps me to feel close to God, while also not forcing me to compromise (too much!) on certain secular beliefs (e.g. in equality regardless of gender or sexual orientation) which I hold dear.

As it happens, I was also baptised and brought up in the Anglican church (although my mum's family were actually Methodists), so, yes, Anglicanism is also familiar to me. But having been agnostic for most of my adult life, and having been a bit put off by a tentative visit to my local church, which is a bit too ... err ... 'modern' (happy clappy, evangelical, whatever...) for me, I did think about Catholicism briefly, mainly for its emphasis on liturgy and on the Eucharist. In the end, though, there were too many things on which I didn't feel I could compromise (women priests, priestly celibacy, abortion, birth control...) for me to consider it seriously. Plus I am divorced and remarried, which I think would be a stumbling block. (My dvorce was my fault. I am not proud of it, but it's in the past now and I believe in a God who forgives.) I do understand that there are may Catholics who don't share the Church's teaching on these issues 100% and who 'get by' perfectly happily, but I think that it would be very hard actively to choose to convert against a backdrop of so many things I really couldn't sign up to.

So I remain an Anglican, and I am very happy in a high-ish church, where I can get my smells'n'bells and my weekly Eucharist along with a more liberal attitude towards issues around gender and sexuality. I know that the Church of England has a way to go on these issues, but, of the churches I know, it comes closest to ticking those boxes for me, and so that's where I will stay.

I am was brough up a Catholic in continental Europe, but as an adult more agnostic than catholic. I "regained" my faith before DS school application was due. I was hoping that having to go to church every week will help to bring my faith back. If anything I am feeling more and more detached from the church. All the pompastics of the mass feels fake and medieval. The main benefit of being religious is being a part of community.

Lately I feel drawn by paganism, I just think we owe so much to the nature and it is our giver and taker.

Once my DC finish their RC primary school (regret choosing it now), my current catholic church won't see me ever again.

But I don't mind finding another more relaxed church in order to be a part of community.

I started as a Methodist (father - Methodist, mother - self declared heathen) and changed to C of E in my teens. I went to a C of E Youth Club and it just seemed easier to fit in. I wasn't confirmed in the C of E until I was 28 though and have stayed there since then.

My crises of denomination have largely centred around the way women are viewed it the church. I almost left my PCC after the "no women Bishops" vote, it upset me so much. I wasn't sure I wanted to be part of the management of a church that felt this way, but was persuaded to stay by my lovely (woman) Rector.

Neither of my parents are religious and I was not baptised as a baby. I am an Anglican (attend an Anglo-Catholic church).

HoneyandRum as an Anglican I disagree that the church is moving more towards Protestantism. It is - slowly - getting more progressive on issues such as gender and sexuality but those are not inherently Protestant ideas - they are ethical not theological. I am an affirming/liberal Anglo-Catholic, as is my church, with absolutely no desire to go to the Ordinariate - many Anglo-Catholics like myself support female clergy and bishops, as well as LGBTQ lay people and clergy. Belief in transubstantiation is perfectly fine in Anglicanism and many do believe in it - you're just not forced to believe it.

Anglicanism IS a very broad church - it's supposed to be. Anglicanism as we know it was really invented by Elizabeth I - Henry VIII started the Church of England but it kept Catholic worship styles and theology, it was just a change in leadership. Edward VI made it super-Protestant, Mary I made England RC again. So to avoid having more religious conflict, Elizabeth I made the CoE a broad church or 'via media' to try to keep everyone happy. Because of anti-Catholic prejudice in England, for a long time it was very Protestant but the Oxford Movement and JH Newman had a more Catholic influence after Catholic Emancipation. So now it's the via media again. The variety of belief within the CoE means that altogether it is quite different from the RCC, even if individual churches are Anglo-Catholic. There are evangelical and MOTR churches too, we all sort of balance each other out. That is a positive IMO.

Oh and the Anglican church has priests, vicar and rector are job titles on top of that - they are historical titles that depended on how the priest got paid, but now all clergy are paid centrally so they are just historical. All clergy that are ordained by the Anglican church are ordained as priests - and the ordination system works just like in the RCC.

I was Catholic but am now Anglican. The main reason was because I got divorced after my ex-H was unfaithful, and then remarried.