Distorted Definition of Protestant

[2ndGen]

Actually, any person who is baptized in a Trinitarian formula is a Christian, according to the Catholic Church. If they choose to join the Catholic Church, they do not get rebaptized. Persons who need to be rebaptized when they join the Catholic Church (JW, LDS, Christadelphian) would not be considered Christian.

I concur.

I’m 2ndGen and I approved this message.

 

[ScottishColleen]

I’m Protestant…I believe in having baptism, repentence, faith, and a number of other things.

My protest (haha) in this case is where quite a few of us have been jumped on in the past for using the term RC or Roman Catholic (etc). Yet, it is an insult to me to include such as the Jehovah Witnesses and Mormons as “Protestant” (oh, and the Jehovah Witnesses deny the diety of Christ). Also notice that you have no problem saying “JW”, but RC is an offense? If you study the history of the Jehovah Witnesses, Mormons, and a few other groups, you will find that they did not come from any form of Protestantism, but rather were the invention of a few select people and they may have borrowed a few Christian tenents amoungst the other stuff they’ve pulled together. There are tenents that are necessary for anyone to be called a Christian, even if we believe one or the other is in err on certain issues. But there are reasons why we can’t include certain groups also.

Okay, complaint over

 

[MarcoPolo]

that is pretty common around here. Some will throw in all people who have no church but still claim to be Christian in as “denomination” too.

In a certain sense, I would have to agree with people who say this, even if these “no church” people are a denomination of 1.

 

[ScottishColleen]

Actually, any person who is baptized in a Trinitarian formula is a Christian, according to the Catholic Church. If they choose to join the Catholic Church, they do not get rebaptized. Persons who need to be rebaptized when they join the Catholic Church (JW, LDS, Christadelphian) would not be considered Christian.

Thank you…I had heard that somewhere, but wasn’t certain. This had been a discussion amoungst the Reformed as well and the consensus has been that we also accept the Catholic baptism as valid within our own churches (unless you are dealing with Reformed Baptists…then there is the joke of are baptists really reformed )

 

[East_Anglican]

Now this is interesting

When in doubt…

Dictionary.com
Prot·es·tant
–noun

1. any Western Christian who is not an adherent of a Catholic, Anglican, or Eastern Church.

So I am not a Protestant.

1. an adherent of any of those Christian bodies that separated from the Church of Rome during the Reformation, or of any group descended from them.

So I am a Protestant.

1. (originally) any of the German princes who protested against the decision of the Diet of Speyer in 1529, which had denounced the Reformation.

Now I’m not a protestant again.

1. (lowercase) a person who protests.
   –adjective 5. belonging or pertaining to Protestants or their religion.

Now I am a Prostestant again.

1. (lowercase) protesting.

Now I am a Protestant because I’m Protesting about the lack of clarity in this definition.

 

[mangy_dog]

This was posted in another thread in the Apologetics forum:

I’m sorry, but this is a very distorted definition of Protestantism. Sounds like someone is trying to toss in those that are not even Christian, simply to distort numbers.

Colleen, I think you are right. True Christian protestants believe in the divinity of Christ and are physically able to repeat the words, “Jesus Christ is come in the flesh”. Whereas non-christian cults/sects, do not believe in the divinity of Christ and are physically unable to utter those words.

Now, c’mon back to the Catholic church Colleen.

 

[East_Anglican]

Are only those that are Trinitarian Christian? As that may be the boundary, otherwise Christadelphians are definitely Protestant, and arguably JWs (Mormons no way). Christadelphians are the interesting one as aside from a different view of the Trinity they are pretty much the same as Evangelicals, yet I’ve heard evangelicals refer to them as a ‘cult’

They do not adhere to The Apostles Creed, The Nicene Creed or The Athanasian Creed. As they do not adhere to The Christian Creeds they are not Christians. Though they would say they are Christians to add to the confusion.

Actually, any person who is baptized in a Trinitarian formula is a Christian, according to the Catholic Church. If they choose to join the Catholic Church, they do not get rebaptized. Persons who need to be rebaptized when they join the Catholic Church (JW, LDS, Christadelphian) would not be considered Christian.

The RC Church is correct.

I’m Protestant…I believe in having baptism, repentence, faith, and a number of other things.

My protest (haha) in this case is where quite a few of us have been jumped on in the past for using the term RC or Roman Catholic (etc). Yet, it is an insult to me to include such as the Jehovah Witnesses and Mormons as “Protestant” (oh, and the Jehovah Witnesses deny the diety of Christ). Also notice that you have no problem saying “JW”, but RC is an offense? If you study the history of the Jehovah Witnesses, Mormons, and a few other groups, you will find that they did not come from any form of Protestantism, but rather were the invention of a few select people and they may have borrowed a few Christian tenents amoungst the other stuff they’ve pulled together. There are tenents that are necessary for anyone to be called a Christian, even if we believe one or the other is in err on certain issues. But there are reasons why we can’t include certain groups also.

Okay, complaint over

I agree.

the consensus has been that we also accept the Catholic baptism as valid within our own churches (unless you are dealing with Reformed Baptists…then there is the joke of are baptists really reformed )

That’s because baptists have their own doctrine on Baptism, hence they are called Baptists.

I don’t like calling myself a protestant. I prefer to be called a Christian.

 

[mangy_dog]

Are only those that are Trinitarian Christian? As that may be the boundary, otherwise Christadelphians are definitely Protestant, and arguably JWs (Mormons no way). Christadelphians are the interesting one as aside from a different view of the Trinity they are pretty much the same as Evangelicals, yet I’ve heard evangelicals refer to them as a ‘cult’

Jehovah Witnesses are not christians. They call themselves christians at times but, they are not. They deny the divinity of Christ directly and at times, in a convoluted way.

 

[2ndGen]

Now this is interesting

So I am not a Protestant.

So I am a Protestant.

Now I’m not a protestant again.

Now I am a Prostestant again.



Now I am a Protestant because I’m Protesting about the lack of clarity in this definition.

See that?

If you were a Catholic, you wouldn’t be so confused!

:console:

 

[ScottishColleen]

Now, c’mon back to the Catholic church Colleen.

There are things that still keep me out. Shoot, I feel like Jane Grey…she got along with Mary’s confessor so well, but she just can’t be dishonest with herself and budge unless convinced

But believe it or not, I appreciate the heart and sentiment of the statement…we have a dear brother (old family friend) that is Catholic.

 

[East_Anglican]

See that?

If you were a Catholic, you wouldn’t be so confused!

:console:

It means I’m an Anglican.

 

[mangy_dog]

There are things that still keep me out. Shoot, I feel like Jane Grey…she got along with Mary’s confessor so well, but she just can’t be dishonest with herself and budge unless convinced

But believe it or not, I appreciate the heart and sentiment of the statement…we have a dear brother (old family friend) that is Catholic.

I am but a mangy dog and I wait for the crumbs to fall from the Master’s table, but I hope and pray that you will come home some day.
Hey - that rhymes!

Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum.

 

[2ndGen]

I am but a mangy dog and I wait for the crumbs to fall from the Master’s table, but I hope and pray that you will come home some day.
Hey - that rhymes!

Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum.

Awww…

:grouphug:

 

[ScottishColleen]

I’m feelin’ the love LOL!

 

[ralphinal]

I have no issue with being called Roman Catholic or RC. I do take offence ot being called part of the Roman Church or a Romanist, as some do.

JWs are their own thing, as are Mormons.

 

[Lepanto]

Everybody who claims to worship Christ is certainly a Christian.

All it takes to be a Christian is to be validly baptized. One need not claim to worship anything. (Of course that would be a bad Christian unless one were a child, or invincibly ignorant, etc.)

 

[Lepanto]

JWs are their own thing, as are Mormons.

I think they are most accurately considered Psuedo-Protestants because the founders of these two cults were Protestants, but their followers are not Christians (due to invalid baptisms).

 

[Syele]

I think they are most accurately considered Psuedo-Protestants because the founders of these two cults were Protestants, but their followers are not Christians (due to invalid baptisms).

Pesudo-Protestants? why not just the long time used “cult”

 

[2ndGen]

I have no issue with being called Roman Catholic or RC. I do take offence ot being called part of the Roman Church or a Romanist, as some do.

JWs are their own thing, as are Mormons.

The biggest insult is being called a “Papist”.

 

[Fred_4]

I’m not sure how anyone can say that Mormons or Jehovah’s Witnesses are not Christians. They believe in the Bible. Maybe they have a different view of Christ, but who’s to say the Holy Spirit is not guiding their interpretation of the Bible? Can anyone say that authoritatively? (Besides the obvious!) They have the Bible and faith in God and the Holy Spirit will guide them into all truth. Just as every other Protestant “knows” that his or her denomination/interpretation is really “correct.” Who’s to say which doctrines and beliefs are so central and necessary that to deny it makes one a heretic, or a cult?

Catholics have an answer for that. Protestants really don’t. They think they do… but they have no real authority for thinking that.