I thought that the people who are called "Protestants" are Christians too.
sorry, I'm just confused.
2007-12-21 12:03:24 · 17 answers · asked by The Asker 4 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
There are three main divisions of Christianity - Catholicism, Orthodoxy, and Protestantism. All Christians who are not Catholic or Orthodox are Protestant. Some Protestant sects like to distance themselves from that label for some reason, but that doesn't change the facts. All Christian churches other than the one Chursh Christ Himself founded on the Apostles, the Catholic Church, exist in direct violation of the stated will of God, "that they all may be one".
2007-12-21 12:18:15 · answer #1 · answered by PaulCyp 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
The Merriam-Webster Dictionary (copyright 1998) states the following:
Protestant -
1) a member or adherent of one of the Christian churches deriving from the Reformation.
2) a Christian not of a Catholic or Orthodox church.
3) not cap.: one who makes a protest.
So, the Christians, who say they are not Protestant, may be correct according to the 1st definition. Churches such as the Lutheran, Anglican (Episcopalian), Presbyterian and Congregational (which derive from the Puritians) are defined by the first definition.
Baptist, Methodist, Assembly of God, Mormons, Jevoah Witness, Unitarians are defined by the second definiton.
While I am defined by the third definition.
Spell check took to long so I'm sorry about the typos.
2007-12-21 12:20:29 · answer #2 · answered by Laughing Libra 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Non-catholic Christians are Protestants.
2007-12-21 12:07:38 · answer #3 · answered by Tessa 5 · 6⤊ 1⤋
I have been a catholic for many years, and I still do not understand the jump ship Christians formula they use to call themselves Christians, the whole religious problem simply comes down to interpretation, if you don't like one you leave and start another, and people wonder why religion has lost it's credibility, all you have to do is listen to the nut cases on radio and TV, and people want to believe all that crap simply amazing in my view.
2007-12-21 12:22:08 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
You are not confused. Christianity started with the Catholics. All denominations broken from the Catholic Church are Protestants.
Many of the newer Protestant denominations believe it's the other way around.
2007-12-21 12:10:40 · answer #5 · answered by thezaylady 7 · 4⤊ 1⤋
Probably cause they think Protestant is a SPECIFIC religion like Anglican
Many christian churches don't actively mention which religion they are part of -- I know alot of Baptist churches that NEVER mention the word Baptist..they just say they are christians.
See Catholics are all united under 1 church..but protestants all break off and create their OWN churches..so saying they are 'protestant' or 'baptist' would seem to unite them to ALL Protestants or ALL Baptists... and I think they like being their own separate little church.
My wife use to answer me.. "I'm not Baptist... I'm Christian"
I'd tell her that the church she goes to is a "Baptist" church...and she'd get annoyed and say "Well I'm a chrisitian, that's all that matters"
2007-12-21 12:12:46 · answer #6 · answered by John S 7 · 4⤊ 0⤋
It could mean that they are Eastern Orthodox or Coptic. Both of those types of Christians are neither Protestant or Roman Catholic.
It could also mean that they don't consider themselves part of any particular denomination. They might just think of themselves as "Christian" without wanting to categorize themselves beyond that.
Or...
They could belong to one of those groups that believe that they are the only "true" Christians. Sometimes those type of people just refer to their group as "Christians" and consider everyone outside of their group "Non-Christians" regardless of the denomination of the outsider.
2007-12-21 12:16:33 · answer #7 · answered by Azure Z 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I don't know. I have thought the word Protestant was always used merely to differentiate from Catholic.
2007-12-21 12:08:25 · answer #8 · answered by Esther 7 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Probably, like myself, they are members of local, non-denominational congregations. Scripture has authority. We don't have national organizations that vote to determine what God's views are "this year" on issues. God is the same today, yesterday and forever. It's written in His book, so it's always true, and settled.
Didn't break away from the Catholic church - never was a part of it.
2007-12-21 12:15:20 · answer #9 · answered by teran_realtor 7 · 0⤊ 3⤋
There are only 2 kinds of Christians, Catholic and Protestant. Those who say otherwise are confused or trying to be different.
2007-12-21 12:06:43 · answer #10 · answered by Autumn Moon 3 · 7⤊ 4⤋