Why do catholic and protestant churches pick and choose from the Bible?

Question

Why do their traditions over ride God's word?

Answer 1

Unfortunately, the religious world today misunderstands a lot of what God has written, whether deliberate or honestly mistaken. Some I think do I for tradition as you say and also convenience. I have heard many say "We've done it this way for as long as I can remember. Traditions are very much like habits, they are hard to break after a long time of doing it. Other groups approach it by saying "Well that is your understanding of scriptures, and this is mine!" I think the reason why most groups pick and choose from scriptures is a matter of inconvenience. The famous "I don't want to change, I like things the way they are." They form an ignorance toward God! Whatever makes them feel good and require the least they pick. Whatever makes them feel bad and require more they avoid. It is a pity that these groups have become lazy in the faith. I myself accept all scripture no matter what GOD requires me to do great or small. I don't pick and choose. Hope that was the answer you were looking for.

Answer 2

Pastor Billy says: you haven't provide enough information in your question to make a case for or against. The fact is even the Jehovah Witnesses and 7thday Adventist pseudo sects use God's word but it is not a matter of picking and choosing as much as it is alternate biblical interpreting tradition. The fact is everyone who uses or has a bible has tradition also you just don't see the obvious. Catholic or Protestant has little to do with the reality that everyone has "their traditions" including non-Catholics and those who think they are also non-Protestant. Which one are you? Baptist maybe, you're Protestant mate live with it. Now you'll have present a better worded question if you wish to imply a certain "tradition" over rides the other tradition of God's word.

Answer 3

Catholic doctrines are derived from Holy Scripture and Holy Tradition just as the Apostles taught us.

The Catholic Church does not use Holy Scripture as the only basis of doctrine. It could not. The early Catholic church existed before and during the time that the New Testament was written (by Catholics).

There were hundreds of Christian writings during the first and second centuries. Which New Testament writings would become official was not fully decided until about 400 AD.

Catholics believe that the Holy Spirit was guiding the early Church (and is guiding the Church today) to make the correct choices about things like:
+ The Holy Trinity (which is also only hinted at in the Bible)
+ Going to church on Sunday instead of Saturday (which is actually directly against one of the Ten Commandments)
+ The Communion of Saints
+ Which writings include in the New Testament?

Things that are even more modern like
+ Slavery is bad. Slavery is never declared evil in the Bible. This was one of the justifications for slavery in the Confederate States.
+ Democracy is good. The Bible states that either God should be the leader of the nation like Israel before the kings or kings should be the leader, "Give to Caesar that which is Caesar's." This was talked about a lot during the American Revolution.

This second source of doctrine is called Apostolic Tradition.

Do Christians who do not allow the continuing guiding force of the Holy Spirit to make their beliefs more and more perfect, still endorse slavery as Colossians 3:22 commands, "Slaves, obey your human masters in everything"?

With love in Christ.

Answer 4

You're right, they do pick an choose...more Catholics than protestants. Catholics believe that the Pope is the representative of Jesus on Earth, so they believe that the Pope knows what God wants for us now. As for Protestants, they try to single out the traditions that are really part of God's teaching versus the traditions of their day. They want to ignore what was merely a cultural thing and focus only on what is really important.

Answer 5

I don't follow. To my knowledge it is ALL churches that pick and choose from God's word. Not just the original Protestant branches and the Catholics. However, I see more picking and choosing in the more 'modern' churches.

Answer 6

One cannot have God for his Father, who will not have the Church for his Mother, and likewise, one cannot have the Word of God for his faith who will not have the Church for his teacher. It is the infallible teaching authority of the Church, as promised by Christ, which alone preserves God's Word from erroneous interpretation.


Christ did not say, "Sit down and write Bibles and scatter them over the earth, and let every man read his Bible and judge for himself." If Christ had said that, there would never have been a Christianity on the earth at all, but a Babylon and confusion instead, and never one Church, the union of one body. Hence, Christ never said to His Apostles, "Go and write Bibles and distribute them, and let everyone judge for himself." That injunction was reserved for the Sixteenth Century, and we have seen the result of it. Ever since the Sixteenth Century there have been springing up religion upon religion, and churches upon churches, all fighting and quarreling with one another, and all because of the private interpretation of the Bible.

Christ sent His Apostles with authority to teach all nations, and never gave them any command of writing the Bible. And the Apostles went forth and preached everywhere, and planted the Church of God throughout the earth, but never thought of writing.

Answer 7

According to Catholicism tradition is Gods word in writing (the bible) and by mouth (apostolic tradition). The church gave tradition to us and it decides what's what. We don't pick n' choose maybe you want to read what the catholic church teaches first? It would really help if you elaborated.

Answer 8

Probably for the same reason you probably break your national laws every day. ....... When was the last time you drove anywhere and did not exceed the speed limit? If you did exceed the speed limit ...... you broke the law.

Why did you do it? Why did you find it OK to break that one and not some other law? You are picking a choosing, just like the Christian who picks and chooses what to follow in the Bible and what to ignore.

Kev

Answer 9

Some do, some do not. We are not all alike.
I know exactly what you are saying.
To add a tradition and give it legislative authority in the church is to add to the Word of God.
My wife and I were targeted and now kept out of one church because of the personally held beliefs of certain members that cannot be found in scripture.
Thank God not all churches are like this.

Answer 10

Catholicism stemmed from a blending of Christianity and paganism in Rome after Constantine declared Christianity the official religion. This has infected many churches.

People may not like it, but check history. Christians used to go around destroying any images or statues. " Idols " . Idols were very important to Pagans. Catholicism blended the two, notice the pronounced presence of Mary? That's not Christian. The idea that one person ( sinner ) in the church can be closer to God than someone else ( pope ) is not Christian. Catholics think they can pray to dead sinners, that is not Christian. Catholics will even go as far to ordain a sinner a " saint " , that is not Christian. They will argue this, but the Gospel is the truth and none of these acts stands up to the Gospel.