As an ex-protestant, nobody loves protestants more than me. But I probably disagree with protestants as much as catholics do.

wym by ex protestant???

I used to be Wesleyan, which is a kind of protestant, but now I'm Baptist, which isn't protestant (depends who you ask)

Baptists aren't protestant!?

baptists (like myself) would be considered non-denominational

Correct
unless you ask a protestant, then they are, but Baptists say they're not protestant

Huh

ohhh

ahh kewl
I am reformed Baptist

Oh nice
I know a couple reformed Baptist, though I disagree with a few things

That's a very hard question to answer without devolving into stereotypes. Protestants encompass a very large group of sects some of which share more in common with Catholics and others which are further out there. I think the official modern Church position has regarded Protestants as Christians who are believers whose faith lacks the fullness of the truth which the Catholic Church possesses. Since Vatican 2 with the ecumenical movement the Church has strove to focus on the commonalities of faith that all Christians share rather than the differences which divide. On an individual level attitudes and opinions Catholics and Protestant have towards each other will vary, of course, based upon individuals and personal experiences. I've encountered and witnessed intolerance and rigidity on either side of the spectrum: Traditionalist Catholics who are rule-bound, rigid, "more Catholic than the Pope" and smug, self-assured Bible Christians who think everyone who doesn't interpret the Bible the way they do are going straight to hell, especially the idolatrous Mary-Worshipping Catholics. There are pharisaical, smug and self-righteous individuals on both sides. Personally I admire the command of Scripture which many Bible Christians have, and the simplicity and wholeheartedness of faith of the sincere Protestant who strives to follow the teachings of the Jesus of the Bible who doesn't overthink their faith and just lives it, in a way that me as a Catholic who tends to overthink things that probably in the long run matter little has trouble doing. What further complicates things, from my perspective, at least, is where I stand as a Traditionalist Catholic who has serious doubts about the orthodoxy of our current Pope. So if I question the orthodoxy of our Pope and his hostility towards Catholics who are attached to the Extraordinary Form of the Mass I can't exactly point fingers at Protestants who 'don't possess the fullness of truth' because in a way that attitude and position would put me in the Protestant/ Schismatic camp. You probably would get a more succinct answer to your question from someone who knows more, and/or is more qualified to answer, like a priest.

That's true, there's quite a big difference between Lutherans and Pentecostals for example
So you would be more in favor of ecumenicalism?
See that's something I don't get about how catholics view the pope. He's supposed to be infallible or whatever but all the more conservative catholics that I've heard would disagree with him.

Francis has been a problematic pope for many of the more Conservative Traditional minded Catholics. He is, I believe, the first pope who came up in the Vatican 2 Church and feels little ties to its past. He appears to conflate leftist political ideology with Catholic Teachings which is at odds with Catholics who aren't liberal or left-leaning politically. This is my opinion on this: I think the church is in the slow process of a schism, and I keep my feet on both sides of the fence, if that is possible. There are things I agree with on both sides, and there are things I also disagree with, on both sides. There exists division in the church which I believe is the result of the commencement of the Vatican 2 council. Many Traditionalists believe that the Vatican 2 council has set up a false conciliar church that has replaced the so-called true Catholic Church with a Protestantised liturgy and poor catechesis which has resulted in declining Mass attendance and calling of vocations to the priesthood and religious life. Then there are others who think that the Vatican 2 council started with the best of intentions but was high-jacked, so to speak by "enemies", or wolves-in-sheeps-clothing seeking to make changes in the church for whatever reasons. Much has been written about it and myself I don't pretend to understand or know the nuances of the opposing points-of-view, I just know that the ecumenical movement taken to its furthest conclusion will result in a world of Non-Denominational Christians which I don't think most Catholics, Orthodox, Pentecostals or Baptists would agree with. I am in favor of all Christians setting aside their differences and presenting a unified front against the real enemies of faith such as fundamental Islamism, occultism, New Age spiritualism, theistic Satanism, communism (atheistic) and other belief systems which are completely antithetical to the Christian faith as a whole. People can set aside their differences, agree to disagree on those things which they will never see eye to eye on and still work together and be peaceable while still retaining the integrity of their beliefs and the identity of their prospective churches.

Yeah, and it depends what the disagreements are. I'd say anything outside of how salvation works I could maybe overlook.

That’s a great answer actually. I’m a Protestant myself.

From my point of view, us Catholics tend to make plenty of jokes about Protestants but I suppose it really varies from section to section. Where Catholics and Protestants disagree is about Tradition in the church that isn’t from Jesus. Protestants tend to for the most part disagree with Catholic Tradition and hence don’t use as many sacraments, if at all. The other big difference is the Bible version and which books are included.

I make plenty of jokes about Catholics XD
Love 'em though

Yeah I need to learn more about the Catholic Bible.

?

depends on what kind of fun

^

May I ask what your faith is? I'm gathering from your question that it is neither Catholic nor protestant, so I'm curious.

Baptist
Protestants say that Baptists are Protestant, but Baptists say they're not Protestant

Did not know that...never really thought about Protestantism and what it is though. I consider myself a protestant, but now you have me wondering, lol. I'm a Methodist by the way.

Yeah, it's interesting. It's more nuanced than just "not catholic" because there were Christians all throughout the centuries that weren't catholic (or orthodox), but they existed long before the reformation, so you couldn't really consider them protestants. Baptists would say that's the sort of thing they are.
Yeah Methodist would be protestant. I recently came out of a Wesleyan church, which is a subsection of Methodism.

I could see that. Yeah I'm not super thrilled with the direction the Methodist church is heading right now, theres a movement to be less Bible based and the leadership in the church is not standing their ground. It disappoints me. If I ever left the UMC I would most likely join a Baptist church. Anyways, I'm not answering your question, and nor could I since I'm not Catholic. Interesting topic though!

Yeah I've heard about what's going on with the UMC. Definitely would recommend a good Baptist church though, just make sure they're really preaching the Bible cause not all of them are good.

I'm in the Bible belt, shouldn't be too hard to find one :) thankfully the pastor and leadership at our church is very traditional. I feel that if it came to it they would likely split from the UMC and join the new Wesleyan covenant church that has been proposed. I'd be ok with that.

Well good luck with whatever you decide!

Not going anywhere just yet, but thanks bud.

John Wesley?

deserving of death
nononon i'm kidding-
Really, something of lost bretheren.

ah yes, a catholic warrior

ready to execute all the protestant heretics

I don't really care what your religion is as long as your not a terrible person