Who is actually a protestant?

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Late to the discussion, but can't not comment. The question was 'who's a Protestant'? Well, I am. Brought up in a church going family, joined when I was 17 and continue with it now. From Martin Luther through the Westminster confession of faith that's my credo. Protestant because I believe fundamentally that Roman Catholicism is apostate, therefore I 'protest'. Here I stand for I can do no other, as a famous man once said.
 
Ive pumped plenty of catholic birds. Im definitely not bigoted or prejudiced against them , they aw get pumped just the same way!
 
Rangersmandownunder said:
The reformation allowed me this freedom of thought and is what has sculpted my views, Protestantism made Scotland a place of enlightenment and tempted academics from around the world to come and learn, it put us at the head of the empire during the industrial revolution and created all the good things that the current government uses as reasons for independence, it’s my opinion that the Catholic Church is still smarting from the reformation and holds Scotland in contempt because of it and is doing all it can to drag my old country back into the dark days of being fully controlled by Rome.

If people want religion then teach it in the home, take it out of the classroom or pay for the privilege to send your kids to a faith school or better still, leave the child to decide if they want to believe about a mythical sky fairy when they are old enough to decide for themselves.
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No it didn't; it replaced one dogmatic message fior a very slightly different one. You either accept it or go to hell. That isn't freedom; what makes you think that equates to free thinking? Scottish Calvinism, for example, is as repressive and buttoned up as any philosophy you will find. Free thinking? Never.
 
I was baptised by my gran in the kitchen sink (she was a minister), I have been to churches and read parts of the book but I would say that I am more of an agnostic than a Protestant (religiously).

In a cultural sense, strangely given my position on the religious side, I would say I am Protestant because I feel it is part of my background.

Religion is becoming less and less popular due to the way it has been used and twisted by people to gain and control power. The only religion to grow in strength is arguably the Muslim faith, as it is engrained in their society and all aspects of daily life tend to revolve around their faith.
 
Steve Snedden said:
The Jews do it best. To me Judaism is a religion but not to most Jews. I have known agnostic and atheist Jews but they all identify as Jewish.

We need to start embracing the fact that we might not be religious but we are culturally Protestant.
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Google says,
ProtestantDictionary result for Protestant
/ˈprɒtɪst(ə)nt/
noun

  1. 1.
    a member or follower of any of the Western Christian Churches that are separate from the Roman Catholic Church in accordance with the principles of the Reformation, including the Baptist, Presbyterian, and Lutheran Churches.
 
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Me :))
 
Im an atheist that was raised COS. I pity anyone that has to believe in a god, but who am I to judge. However this shite that has started back up with Clarke etc has reaffirmed my culturally protestant side though. I hate those bastards
 
bilkobear said:
I am most certainly culturally Protestant.
Every facet of my British identity and culture has been crafted by the Protestantism that shaped our nation and in particular that free thinking equality seeking Presbyterianism that has had so much influence throughout the English speaking world.
Protestantism made our societies they made our countries and they made them so special that they are the countries that most Catholics wishing to emigrate have always traditionally sought to go and live in.

But I don't believe in God.
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I feel the same. I do not attend church but if I am asked what religion I am, I say "Protestant" because I was brought up in a Protestant family and was baptised in The Church of Scotland and I am proud of that.
 
Thank God for the enlightenment which brought us our of the dark ages or we would all be brainwashed by the paedophile cult! :eek:

Although I'm not a Christian I'm very grateful to my forebears for protesting and reforming, Amen Brothers! ;)
 
Tbh, I have no time whatsoever for religion in any of it many many many forms. “Burn the churches, free the witches!”

Although, just last week I saw a fella cut down South St on a motorcycle, perfectly legally, with just a turbin on top of his napper. So if anything, I’m with they cnts.
 
Was brought up by catholic grandparents who supported Morton. I was in a non catholic school, went to BB but was never encouraged to support any particular team. I found out on my own to follow who I wanted and to this day, not one ounce of religious bearing. I believe in science...and Gerrard so %^*& the lot of them!!!

I feel sorry for the scum that have no choice!
 
Proud Protestant and believer in God.
Finding it hard to convince my grandkids. The world is changing regards religious views and beliefs.
 
TinyRick said:
I was 7 the first time I said out loud that I didn't believe any of it. I know this for a fact because we moved house when i was 8 and it definitely happened in our old house.
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I was the same, started out hating the whole church experience then decided that whatever life had in store for me it wasnt going to include religion.
 
Mr Snuffleupagus said:
If you don't believe in God, you are a cultural secularist, same as me. If you're an atheist, as you claim, you have no right to be identifying with any religious group, as our view of the world is at odds. Theists believe there is some form of omnipotent being which created humanity and which provides man's ethical purpose. This is true of all religions at all times. If, on the other hand, you believe man is a a member of the animal species, created by scientific forces and whose morality is innate and devoid of a creator, then you're an athiest.

Sounds like you are hedging your bets. If you don't believe Jesus Christ is the son of God, you should be rejecting religion completely, particualrly those who use it as a cover to spread hatred. You can't be half in and half out; you are a theist or you aren't; a believer in the divine or not.

I reject it all completely, as that's the logical conclusion of my philosophy. Don't be shy, be proud to reject all religion, with all its superstitious hang ups. Protestants and Catholics alike have done terrible things in the name of their supernatural friends; be culturally free of their grasp!
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Sorry mate but I feel you are guilty of playing word games here.

The poster made it very clear he was ‘culturally’ Protestant but doesn’t believe in God. Of course, technically, denying gods existence and claiming to be a Protestant is a contradictory position, but that’s why he identified as ‘culturally’ Protestant, to indicate he holds Protestant values but not the faith.
 
Having attended Christian churches in the past that aren’t Catholic, by definition I’d identify myself as a Protestant. To me personally this doesn’t really mean too much and, as others have said, it doesn’t change how I interact with people of different faiths. Each to their own and I respect that.

However, in the wider context of this country and it’s history it’s not easy to separate the significance of religion even from modern day culture. I think a lot of people mistakenly think that you can somehow put the issue of faith in a box, lock it up and move on. They forget how much the tension between Catholicism and Protestantism over centuries basically defined the nation (both Scotland and the UK) and that the cultural and societal divides will not just disappear overnight. In fact, they will probably never fully go away, such is the significance of the repercussions of all those historical events.

We can define ourselves based on an dictionary definition all we like, but the fact remians that the full meaning of being a “Catholic” or “Protestant” in this country is so much more than that to a lot of people, and it may always will be. It’s just how it is.
 
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I am a Protestant and and also an Orangeman.
I am a regular church attender and will be at the Methodist church tomorrow at 11.30.
I love Rangers second to only my family.
Hate everything to do with that rancid club and their followers.
 
My views as an adult are based on the more a religion dictates your day to day life the weirder I find people who associate with it. It starts to get really messy as the people who are living their lives based on a fairy tale can have normal people sacked, fined , jailed and even killed if they dare question them.

We have a large population in the UK that go and confess sins to a man who was removed from normal life as a teenager, never been married, never had sex yet he somehow “fixes” them. It’s like getting someone in to landscape your garden when they have spent their whole life locked in a upstairs flat with no windows.

I do get that some people get comfort from belief there is someone up there looking after them and will be there for them when they die. However to think that not eating pork, beef, meat on a Friday, chicken that has been humanely slaughtered will help that journey is something I can’t relate to.
 
larrymac said:
Proud Protestant and believer in God.
Finding it hard to convince my grandkids. The world is changing regards religious views and beliefs.
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Don’t you think that your grandkids views are much more likely to be right than your own. I grew up in an era where people believed in god, trusted everything that was said on the news, believed politicians. You get older and you realise that you have been manipulated all your life.
 
A no here too. I don't believe in God and believe that most religion is a form of control used to seperate people.

I do, however, believe in people's right to practice their faith if they want too and I would stand up and defend that right. Just don't try and convert me!

Personally I would say I agree with Humanist values and that you don't need religion to be a good person. I don't quite get the religious people who are good to please their God or get into heaven or whatever their motivation is, it just all seems a bit selfish which I didn't think was the point? It's something my partner, who was raised C of E, struggles with now.

I've nothing against religious folk at all, but I'd rather it was kept out of our interactions unless it's relevant.

My aunt and uncle are heavily involved in the church, as is my partners mum who, imo, actually has become devout to an uncomfortable level these last few years. Her kids are worried about her and her faith is getting between them. It's an uncomfortable situation but no-one can say anything.

I'm in England now and it's totally different down here.
 
Steve Snedden said:
The Jews do it best. To me Judaism is a religion but not to most Jews. I have known agnostic and atheist Jews but they all identify as Jewish.

We need to start embracing the fact that we might not be religious but we are culturally Protestant.
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there is no such thing as being culturally Protestant. You either subscribe to the faith and follow it's teachings or you don't. It's not a culture and claiming that somebody can be a non-believer or non-practicer cultural Protestant cheapens the beliefs of those who genuinely follow and practice the faith.
 
I’m not, no Rangers fans I know can really claim to be.

I don’t know any tims who are full practicing Catholics either.
 
I am a recent church attending believer yes and happy to say so. I actually have more appearances at church than Ibrox in the past year or so. Don't consider myself holier than thou or any less of a Rangers supporter for it.

It is man who is weak and corrupts, manipulates and is greedy but like most things we have to appoint blame rather than take responsibility ourselves.
 
Treble Kings said:
In what way, mate?
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It's just not a 'thing'. I couldn't honestly tell you anyone I know who is an RC. I couldn't tell you the nearest RC school, or chapel. I know religious people but they are C of E, or Hindu, or Muslim, I don't know any catholics in the way it was everywhere in Glasgow as I grew up.
 
Kinbo said:
Yet celebrate Christian traditions such as Easter and Christmas ? Yet not Ramadan etc

Atheists would believe in noting
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Christmas = presents, time off work, Queen's speech (followed by New Year) Party time
Easter = choccy eggs & Ben Hur on the TV & time off work.

Religion features less and less.

Ramadan etc are not widely supported in the UK with designated holidays.
 
_WATP_ said:
Christmas = presents, time off work, Queen's speech (followed by New Year) Party time
Easter = choccy eggs & Ben Hur on the TV & time off work.

Religion features less and less.

Ramadan etc are not widely supported in the UK with designated holidays.
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I've never known a non-practicing Muslim observe Ramadan. Nobody claims to be culturally Muslim.
 
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