Three words Protestants don’t understand (spoiler: the first is “Protestant”)

[trotsky]

Short article but informative - I've seen these misused/misunderstood here.

http://tobingrant.religionnews.com/2014/05/14/three-common-religious-labels-normal-people-dont-understand-mainline-protestant-evangelicals/

(The three words are Protestant, Evangelical, and Mainline.)

[Scuba]

1. The first example is a classic misinterpretation of the survey cited ...

The 2012 American National Election Study asked people if they attended worship services. If they did, then they were asked,

Do you mostly attend a place of worship that is Protestant, Catholic, Jewish, or something else?

Only 37 percent said Protestant, while 34 percent said “something else.” That’s right: one out of three churchgoers said that their place of worship was neither Protestant nor Catholic. Of course, the vast majority of these were Protestants who didn’t simply see themselves as “Protestant.”

The author has no evidence to back up that claim. The vast majority may have been thinking of mosques, taverns, golf courses, mountain valleys and other places of worship, per their own definitions.

[muriel_volestrangler]

3. Looking at the survey questions, this was only asked of those who attend worship services

Those who had answered 'yes' to "Lots of things come up that keep people from attending religious services even if they want to. Thinking about your life these days, do you ever attend religious services, apart from occasional weddings, baptisms or funerals?" (57.5% of the total)
and then anything apart from never 'never' to "Do you go to religious services (EVERY WEEK, ALMOST EVERY WEEK, ONCE OR TWICE A MONTH, A FEW TIMES A YEAR, or NEVER/ NEVER, A FEW TIMES A YEAR, ONCE OR TWICE A MONTH, ALMOST EVERY WEEK, or EVERY WEEK)? (56.8% of the total) (ie 0.7%, after saying 'yes' to 'do you ever...', then said 'never' to 'how often?')

Mosques do come in that category, but not the others, unless the respondent is taking the piss - there are not 'services' in those places (give or take Paganism). With other questions, they established that 4.7% of the population (whether or not they went to services) were members of religions other than Christian or Jewish - and "Eastern Orthodox" was very rare. Most of those 'other' are church-attending Christians, not Catholic, not Orthodox, but don't regard themselves as 'Protestant' either, though that is what a religious historian would call them.

[Scuba]

4. I know some golfers -and drinkers- who will disagree that they are not attending religious services.

If the survey provided a very specific definition, then the author's interpretation may be correct.

[muriel_volestrangler]

5. But few people are idiots like that

Most people, when answering a poll, take it seriously.

[Scuba]

6. I do not share your esteem for the seriousness of survey-takers.

[rexcat]

2. Better known as...

the low information religious! Appears to be a lot of them.

Do the evangelicals consider themselves as the only "true Christian bible believers?"

[rug]

7. "“Protestant” is a historic term"

It really doesn't apply to Christian movements that began after the sixteenth century or to the Orthodox.

Without checking the statistics, I'd say there are a very large number of non-Catholic Christians who are not historic Protestants.

[okasha]

8. And many Anglican/Episcopalians

don't regard themselves as Protestant, either.

[rexcat]

9. A rather narrow view on your part...

I would go along with "A Protestant is a member of one of the several denominations denying the universal authority of the Pope and affirming the Reformation principles: justification by faith alone, the priesthood of all believers, and the primacy of the Bible as the only source of revealed truth. Also, Protestants hold to the Nicene Creed."

From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protestantism

[rug]

10. That wikipedia cite is a partial lifting of a definition from Merriam-Webster.

This is the full definition:

1prot·es·tant noun \ˈprä-təs-tənt, 2 is also prə-ˈtes-\

Definition of PROTESTANT

1 capitalized

a : any of a group of German princes and cities presenting a defense of freedom of conscience against an edict of the Diet of Spires in 1529 intended to suppress the Lutheran movement

b : a member of any of several church denominations denying the universal authority of the Pope and affirming the Reformation principles of justification by faith alone, the priesthood of all believers, and the primacy of the Bible as the only source of revealed truth; broadly : a Christian not of a Catholic or Eastern church

2: one who makes or enters a protest

Origin of PROTESTANT

Middle French, from Latin protestant-, protestans, present participle of protestari
First Known Use: 1539

A rather haphazard post on your part...

[rexcat]

11. When it comes down to it...

if it is not RCC or Orthodox, Coptic and other sects within the Middle Eastern Region and more or less Western European in nature "Protestant" has been traditionally used. I go with the traditional view point and I will leave it at that.

I would also say that the Christian sects found in the US that are not RCC or Orthodox and have a Western European influence are, for all practical purposes are "Protestant." Does that clarify my opinion on the matter for you? All we are talking about is semantics. You don't want to accept my definition that is your prerogative but at least you know where I am coming from.

As an atheist the whole argument is rather trivial. I can also so say that for the most part if someone is religious there religious beliefs will be brought up in conversation, usually sooner rather than later. Talk about lack of humility.

As long as no one is cramming their beliefs down my throat they can believe what they want but when they want to make laws based on their religious beliefs that is where the argument starts with me.