A few Protestants...
That would suggest to me that it's worth wording it more precisely to avoid that.
I rarely encounter this opinion in person. Usually, I get it from people who don't know me well enough to see my faith in action, such as people I meet over the internet.
I am blessed to teach ancient Christianity in my class because I teach sixth grade and it is California curriculum. Yes, I know, shocking...
It's awesome to teach with a textbook that has Christ, the apostles, mention of martyrs, saints, the Beatitudes, the Passion, etc. I do think the book is too stinkin' Western as it mentions the Pope with no mention of the Ecumenical Patriarch or Orthodox perspectives and Eastern saints, etc. I wish it had a little more depth.
Anyway, the first question I get from a whole bunch of kids is, "Are Catholics Christian?"
They say this because we are deemed by them as "idolaters" by their perceived thought of us worshipping, adoring, and venerating the Theotokos, Angels, ans Saints where it is actually contrary. They accuse us of having Popes as they think that we are with the anti Christ. The Pope is actually the Vicar of Christ in Earth which is totally good.
Protestants believe Catholicism is a form of paganism
I have heard this as well; but, I've always heard it in the context of dominations, and not Christianity itself. What I mean is when people compare Christian dominations by saying things like, "Catholics practice lent by not eating meat; Lutherans do not have to practice lent, or, if they do, they may withhold other objects besides meat," and so on. (I don't know if that statement is true or not, as I haven't been to a strictly Lutheran church since I was a kid.)
Really? I've, actually, never heard of this before. I have heard of people practicing ChristoPaganism before - that is, the cross between modern Pagan beliefs and modern Christian beliefs - but, I've never heard of people equating a sect of Christianity to Paganism. Is there a specific reason or context behind this?