Are Baptist Protestants?

In an attempt to validate their authenticity and their very existence, some Protestant denominations acknowledge the importance of having a historic line to the New Testament Church. Much of their foundation is built around proving that they are that Church. Growing up a Baptist I was well aware that we believed we were the "one true church", the original, and that all others were tainted, but it was not until after I became Orthodox that I heard the words "Baptists are not Protestant." This was especially surprising to me because I first heard it from the mouth of my Baptist Pastor Father. I had attended a Baptist University and had earned a baptist degree in Religion and had not heard it. I knew that the Baptist seminaries didn't teach it. The existence of the belief that Baptists are not Protestant should not have taken me by surprise since there are hundreds of different types of Baptist groups all with varying "baptist" doctrinal views. It follows that there would be differing views as to the history and origins of baptists. The problem lies with the fact that few Baptist pastors are theologians and even fewer are historians. These less than scholarly men are quick, however, to embrace the writings of a fellow pastor whose pamphlet, "The Trail of Blood", written in the 1930's has been elevated to a status, it seems, greater than that of the councils of the church, the church fathers or the great church historians. Their entire premise is based on a belief that Baptists have always existed but at times were persecuted and driven underground, their documents and verifiable proof of their existence destroyed by the Roman Church. They point to several groups who they say were Baptists. Rather than cover territory that has already been thoroughly charted I refer you to the article by Steve Ray. If after reading his article you can still believe that Baptists existed before the 1500's, then your greatest attribute is faith...blind faith.