I grew up between the Catholics and the Protestants. The Catholics had their academic and social situation sorted out. Most of the parents being married, most of the kids doing well in social and going on to post-secondary. They were also much less likely to dress like skanks and be hoes. And never got into fights. The Protestants always had fights at their schools and were seen as having a poorer education.

I'm neither, I follow more occult practices, but I think what you sense is bemusement that Catholics would ever not be considered Christian.

... to be fair, probably only the Amish, Mennonite or similar could be considered devoted Christians.

I have more respect for Protestants because there are so many random house churches and Bible churches that all create their own way of life and beliefs, they are more funny and deluded. I say that in a positive way, because you have to be deluded and brainwash yourself for success. Fake it til you make it and all that.

But in general, Catholics have become Protestants and Protestants have become atheists.

The Orthodox and Catholics were one church for about a 1000 years. Then they split up. I could see the argument for or against Orthodox being the true original Christian church but let's be real about Prostestants. They started off creating a massive brother war because a German autist decided his interpretation of Christianity was the best after 1600 years, and that he hated Luke. And he took a bunch of books out of the Bible. More intelligent politicians/rulers used his religion as a way to wage war, get power and wealth. He was too german and short sighted to see the genocides that would occur.

Note: Luther thought that since the books weren't written in Hebrew that they were illegitimate, but he didn't understand that the jews of that era didn't write in Hebrew. So he/Lutherans removed them.

The majority of the Protestants I have talked to have no idea what variety of Protestant they are - Baptists, Methodists, and the Presbyterians, reform, Episcopal, Calvinist or one of the hundreds of derivatives. Black Holiness, Quaker, Amish, Restorationist, Mennonite, United, Generic.

All of these church's believe completely different things, with different liturgies, disciples, standards etc. Whenever there is a disagreement within the church, they just split off to make a new version. That's why some have women pastors and others don't. Some are super pro-lgbt and others are anti. Calvinists believe in predestination. Mormons believe in baptizing random people and having multiple wives. Baptists don't believe in baptism until later in life. Some Protestants still have communication and copied everything from Catholics except the leader.

Anyone can start a Protestant church. I could start one, make cats have a starring role, and say that's how I interpret the Bible.

My favorite church is the snake handlers Pentecostal/Church of God, whatever.

All of these churches just put the head of the church/the founder/the local pastor as the leader instead of the pope. They all have a central authority that preaches to them.

The Anglican church began shortly after Luther did his thing because the English King wanted to divorce his wife and marry other women. That started up a huge genocide and cultural genocide. The Irish suffered for hundreds of years. And the English/Scottish/Welsh who were originally Catholic were forced to convert or be persecuted. It was a clever way to smash and grab land, buildings and treasure from the local communities that had built their churches and communities over hundreds/thousand years.

Then out of these new Protestants, the puritans were born. There was so much conflict between those denominations that they had to leave for the new world - as did many other groups.

I don't think Protestants ever really fought a war except against other Christians. Meanwhile, Islam had been invading since around 650. And even up until the 1600s Poland had to defend Christian Europe from being overthrown.

Despite all this history, with all the different beliefs amongst the thousands of different types of Protestants, they say Catholics aren't Christians? It's just bizarre. I only reasonI can think they identify as Christians is because they have so many divisions under one umbrella so they need a generic name. They have the Bible, even if they all interpret it differently.