[pegleg]

Are the Orthodox Protestants?

Good point. No, they are in schism. The difference is their Church is of Apostolic origin. None of our Protestant friends can claim this of their Church so the are forced to come up with the "invisible church" theory which has no basis in fact.

[xzins]

I could think of all kinds of biblical arguments about how you view "protestant" churches.

It's really unnecessary. It's better to just do historic geneology. Just because my son disowns me doesn't mean that my grandfather is no longer his great-grandfather.

They left your church saying that THEY were the true expression of it. The point being....they're a BRANCH of you. Your grandparents are their grandparents.

If you came from the apostles, so did they.

Also, we've not traced the history of the other patriarchates nor of independent groups.

[malakhi]

Good point. No, they are in schism.

Meaning they broke off from the Catholic church. (Of course the Orthodox believe that it was the Catholic church which broke away from them).

The difference is their Church is of Apostolic origin. None of our Protestant friends can claim this of their Church

How is their situation any different from that of the Orthodox? They both arose from a division within the church. They may have tossed a greater or lesser amount of tradition overboard, but clearly their roots are in Catholicism.