C
Conservative Mennonite
Guest
Are Anabaptists Protestant? The answer is definitely yes. Or at least, the counterparts of today's Anabaptists were. But, we do have to remember not all the Anabaptist groups of the Reformation are the same. The Catholics and other Reformers called anybody who practiced Adult Baptism 'Anabaptists.' The term Anabaptists means 're-baptizers.' There were Anabaptists who sought political change, and they were wiped out. The forerunners of today's Mennonites, Amish, and Hutterites were not seeking political change, they were known as the Brethren. That is part of the reason that they were so hated by both Protestants and Catholics. The Anabaptists were heavily persecuted by both. During the Reformation period, all the European countries had mixed religion and politics. Some countries were 'Catholic' and persecuted all those who weren't. Some were Protestant, and likewise persecuted others. But Anabaptists/Brethren were persecuted by all. Even the American government persecuted the Brethren even up into the twentieth century during WWI. More information on Anabaptist/Brethren History can be found at my homepage if you're interested.