Catholicguy,

You ask the difference between the visible and invisible church. If you ask a protestant, the reply will be that the invisible church consists of all who have responded to the gospel message, the Rev 3:20 test (Behold, I stand at the door and knock..) and have made Christ their personal Savior.

If you ask a Catholic, you will hear the response that the the church is visible, as Jesus refers to us as a shining city on a hill, visible to all. Protestants will view this comparison as a referrence to the contrast of the life of the believer to the decadence all around. Catholics view this comparison as a referrence to a structured, organized Church which the world can look to as a tangeable system of moral and doctrinal authority.

In many European countries, ancient cathedrals dot the landscape making the Church a very visible entity. In China and other hotspots of persecution, Christians meet in secret and Bibles must be smuggled in. Here the Church is very "invisible" as it must remain underground. The history of Christianity has shown the Church to flourish in both circumstances.

I hope this helps.

Liberalism -- Ideas so good, they have to be mandated.