Why do Catholics value tradition more than the Bible?

Question

From talking to my friends who are Catholics, that's what I seem to get. They value traditions that have no Biblical basis at all, such as purgatory and that priests can't marry. In fact, some of my friends who are Catholics have been told to not read their Bibles at all. When I look at it, Catholicism is almost it's own religion separate from Christianity. Why is it this way?

Answer 1

Some are still telling people not to read the bible?! I thought that went out in my mom's day. I remember, even as a kid, when my mom told us that they were told they weren't able to interpret the bible, that I was surprised. I didn't think anyone was telling us to do that anymore and, frankly, if a priest of someone told ME not to read the bible, I'd start studying it! I am as educated as many of the priests and I put my pants on just like they do, one leg at a time. They're not going to tell me that they have a lock on interpreting the bible! In fact, I attended a bible study class that a priest friend taught. So not everybody says that.

We don't rely more on tradition than the bible, but we don't take the bible literally either. Purgatory is something people don't really give much thought to anymore. Really, they emphasize the celibate priest thing more.

Remember that as the first Christians, Catholics became the law of the land for centuries. That was how people lived. Up until the 60s, people were not as educated as the clergy and, therefore, believed that the clergy had all the answers. If they told people not to read the bible, they sure wouldn't.

These days people are as educated and some, more so. They don't believe blindly, except for some older people who grew up like that. Many of us use the Church as a guide to Jesus and our salvation, not as the only knowledgeable ones. I am born again through baptism, I do accept Jesus as my personal savior, I think that it is logical that I am saved already, no matter what I do because Jesus died for my sins, though it is hard to get used to. But I am still a Catholic. We are not separate, we were the first Christians. I don't understand how so many Protestants deny that, not you. You were very respectful and I appreciate that.

Answer 2

Well, tradition is pretty important - but no Catholich would tell you it supercedes teh Bible.

There are some things the Bible is not 100% clear on - such as priests marrying or purgatory. Of course it perfectly clear to ME - what I believe is what the Bible says. But an open-minded study can see that there is at least some basis to justify beliefs in both purgatory and celibacy.

As for 'encouraged not to read their bibles,' well that's what your friends say....maybe not what was actually told them.

I'm not Roman Catholic, but can certainly accept the teaching as fully Christian. Some things I don't agree with (the "if I were Pope" things) but none of those are 'heretical.'

Answer 3

This is a long standing issue with Catholics and other Christians and was the cause of all the Medieval heretical movements which sprang up in opposition to what was perceived as the corruption of the Church - the Cathars, the Lollards, the Waldensians, the Brethren of the Free Spirit etc.

Here's a famous quote on this subject from the life of William Tyndale, the first man to translate the whole of the New Testament (and a large chunk of the Old) into English. He was burnt at the stake by the Church for trying to do so - why they didn't want people to read the Bible in their own language is up to you to decide - but when King James 1st of England came to print an English version of the Bible it was 90% based on Tyndale. So he won out in the end.

The story goes that Tyndale was inspired to translate the Bible into English after a conversation he had with a representative of the Catholic Church who said "We were better be without God's law than the Pope's" to which Tyndale fired back "I defy the Pope and all his laws, and if God spare my life, ere many years I will cause a boy that driveth the plough shall know of the scripture than thou dost".

One could argue that the Church is a million pound industry, hence its staunch defence of its traditions and its history of supressing anyone who disagreed with it.

Answer 4

Catholicism was the START of the GREAT APOSTASY that was MOSTLY referred to by the Apostle Paul.

As a part of the Great Apostasy the Catholic religion started to reject Bible Truths and INSTEAD injected their MAN MADE Ideas into their beliefs. The result of this was that The Catholic Religion even went so far as to burn at the stake ANYONE who even POSSESSED a copy of the Bible. A later result of this rejection of Bible Truths was the Blood Filled Crusades. Later when World War 1 and 2 were fought Most of the Protestant religions joined the Catholic Religion in spilling innocent blood. As a MATTER OF FACT Both World Wars broke out in the Middle of Christendom

So if you're looking for the TRUE Religion; START by Finding the ONLY WORLDWIDE Religion that Doesn't involve itself with any Nationalistic Wars ! ! !

ONLY Jehovah's CHRISTIAN Witnesses fall into this category ! ! ! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Answer 5

Catholics do read the bible. I've read it and I'm Catholic. Obviously, your friend has had a bad Catechism teacher. We value both equally, tradition and the bible.

Titus 1:3 - God's word is manifested "through preaching" (not writing). This "preaching" is the tradition that comes from the apostles.

John 20:30; 21:25 - Jesus did many other things not written in the Scriptures. These have been preserved through the oral apostolic tradition and they are equally a part of the Deposit of Faith.

Jesus said to preach in his name and he said "whoever hears you, hears me". He rarely mentioned about writing anything, the way Christianity was spread was to spread the message and putting traditions into famlies. That is why tradition is important and not to be undermined.

Answer 6

I wish I knew.

The Bible says, summing up what Jesus taught in Mark chapter 7, that following traditions that contradict God's Word is wrong.

There is no one verse which says that, you have to read the entire chapter to understand that.

In 1546, when the Roman Catholic Church realized that Martin Luther and his 95 Thesis were correct, (note that Pope John Paul 2nd apologized to Luther on Oct 31, 1999) the Roman Catholic Church, added a bunch of additional books to the Bible.

The extra books are called "the Apocrapha" and they were added in a the Council at Trent.

Some of those extra books referred to "Purgatory" which was one of Martin Luther's major objections to the RCC.

Which is why, since 1546, Roman Catholic Bible have more books in them than non Catholic Bibles do. Non Catholic Bibles have 66 books, where as Roman Catholic books have more, I can't recall the exact number, something like 73 or 80? I'm not sure. I don't have a Catholic Bible handy to refer to.

Pastor Art

Answer 7

JESUS is the word of God, no longer the Bible. The Bible says so. See John a million:1ff. Your question is slightly nonsensical, in all risk by way of fact you're complicated "traditions" with the Sacred custom that has been preserved with the help of the Catholic Church. as long as you have your Bible open to the Gospel of John, turn to the very final verse of it. It says that no longer each and every little thing that Jesus did and taught must be contained in a e book -- or any sort of books. The stuff that wasn't recorded in a e book is Sacred custom. Paul refers to this returned in 2 Thess 2:10, while he encourages Christians to hold speedy to what they're taught with the help of mouth (Sacred custom) and with the help of letter (the Gospels & Epistles that ought to later be canonized into the hot testomony). Sacred custom is one hundred% approximately following Jesus. it is the way it helps us walk with Christ.

Answer 8

First of all, I completely agree with the one poster above who says that there is tradition in everything we humans do. Secondly, if any Catholic has ever been told by a person of the clergy not to read the Bible, they need to report that person to the Archbishop in their diocese. All Catholics are told to study the Bible. Third of all, the celebacy of the priesthood comes straight from the Bible. Perhaps you need to spend some more time studying yourself before you start casting stones.

Answer 9

You are wrong. As Catholics we not only value Scripture but, we live it as we are the Body of Christ and we value HIM more than any denominations as we keep his word by honoring the Mother he gave to us. How do you honor your spiritual Mother? I would venture to say --- not at all. We listen to the Bible at every Mass and we are encouraged to read it every day. Let me tell you something -- in all religions there are those who say they are of a certain denomination and act totally apart from their doctrine and then there are True representatives. You need to know the real ones. Get yourself a Catechism of the Catholic Church and read what it is about.

Answer 10

Pastor Billy says: I've seen one of your nasty little answers elsewhere. Listen, the bible itself is a... tradition. The publisher of it you decide to use is a... tradition. The version of bible you perfer is a... tradition. What tradition are you referring to in general? There is much tradition such as "sola scriptura" which Protestantism adheres to.

I suggest you get a stronger prescription so as to look more clearly mate.