I keep hearing all these "christians" say that Catholics aren't christians because they do things that aren't in the bible, and it seems real silly to me... a non-believer... that christians can think this.
When did the Catholic bible stop being Catholic? When did the Catholic bible become the ONLY source of the christian faith? Who gave the word that if it isn't in the bible, it isn't from the christian god?
Does this make sense to you? The bible did NOT assemble itself, nor did it drop out of the sky from the hand of god complete with instructions not to believe anything but it. Catholics put it together using CATHOLIC rules and guidelines. There are other versions of the bible that contain other books, but most christians don't read those, they read the Catholic version. It didn't assemble itself. It had to fit within the Catholic faith, and was NOT the only source of the faith. Catholicism made the bible, the bible didn't make Catholicism, so how can you call them unchristian?
2007-08-10 08:30:49 · 10 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
I agree. A lot of people that criticize Catholics for basing ideas on tradition do not even realize that many of their ideas originated from Catholics like Augustine (original sin and eternal damnation), Constantine (Sunday Sabbath), and of course the men at the Council of Nicea (they picked the four gospels to represent their religion). A lot of beliefs that are assumed to originate from the Bible actually originate from Catholic theologians.
2007-08-10 08:48:30 · answer #1 · answered by Graciela, RIRS 6 · 4⤊ 0⤋
Actually, the Douay-Rheims Bible is considered the Catholic Bible and has the seven
Deutero-Canonical books, missing from non-Catholic Bibles. It also has the "Devotions": Sacred Heart of Jesus, Immaculate Heart of Mary, and The Rosary. As well as:
Additional Reading
Introduction
Preface 1989 Edition
Catechism of the Bible
The Church or the Bible
The One True Church
The Church & Her Enemies
Against The Reformers
Dr David White's Conversion
Pope Leo's Encyclical
Latin Mass Locations
Christian Modesty
But I do know where you are coming from.
atheist
2007-08-13 09:26:27 · answer #2 · answered by AuroraDawn 7 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Most people do not know that it was the so-called "Church Fathers" who voted on this and created the Bible out of who knows how many different versions, books, etc... Considering that many of the "scriptures" were destroyed for being "blasphemous" and "heretical", it's hard telling exactly which ones were truly followed till after their little voting sessions occurred. Session which left some people dead and others exiled from their own homelands because of fear of someone believing something other than what they demanded.
No, it doesn't make sense, though I wouldn't say they rely on the Bible alone (no matter how much they claim they do). Traditions are a huge factor into this. We can look at our own nation for that alone... when slavery was legal. Many people used the Bible to justify owning slaves... and yes, the Bible most definitely supports slavery. Yet today, they would claim that is a "sin" of sorts (the Christian faith as a whole seems to just make up sins as they go). Yet, I've yet to see anyone come up with a convincing gathering of verses to claim it truly is a sin to own slaves. Just as with marriage... It's perfectly allright for me to buy my son a wife without him ever laying eyes on her and he would have to marry her or else I could have the elders stone him to death for not honoring his mother.
No, those who claim they only use the Bible for their faith, either are blind to these types of things or are flat out lying about it. I would prefer to think they are blind... I have this strange idea that all people have some good, but they're just easily mislead by what others tell them, rather than finding out for themselves what it really is.
Most things called UnChristian are just those things the individuals don't agree with. And in all honesty, they rarely have anything to back them up without picking and choosing verses, throwing them together no matter what the context is (though screaming at us Non-believers to stay within the context) and giving them to us as if that alone has some sort of authority over us.
BTW, Even most Catholics will tell you it is not the Bible alone................... They listen to elders, traditions, etc... in that, I would have to say, at least they are honest about it.
2007-08-10 15:45:46 · answer #3 · answered by River 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
This makes absolutely no sense to me. Because of this mere question, I can definitely appreciate the struggle of anyone outside of the faith who doesn't want ignorant bile spewed at them. I feel as if every other denomination is at war with me and fighting ill-equipped.
I consider myself to be well-versed in the annals of history, church fathers, and science, but somehow in all of my research and schooling I missed the part where the Bible fell from the heavens. I was also misled into thinking that the centuries before the Bible, people relied on oral tradition. Strange how any tradition carried on from the same time period (by the same people who put together the Bible) is dismissed as being non-Christian.
And what's with the surge of people making the distinction now between Christianity and religion? Well.. I give it to them that Christianity is a specific set of fundamental beliefs that one follows devotedly in order to confer a rigid set of ethics and morals that is guided by a universal tome of--- oh, wait.. that IS RELIGION.
It comes down to ignorance- the same as most other fundamental problems.
2007-08-10 09:03:16 · answer #4 · answered by Brandon H 2 · 4⤊ 0⤋
Religion is just as confused on the unified earth theory as science is of the unified field theory. The fact of the matter is that religion was supposed to bring us all together. God is love, among other things like truth. We have made the mess, all of us. It can't be untangle, we have to straighten ourselves out. The great minds of history have told us how and we have not listen closely enough. Now science has finally got us all on the same page almost after all the thousands of years running around Robin"s barn. We have been given dominion over the earth. We are co-creators and if we don't get it together no one can save us. It's our choice. Each one needs to use the new technologies in psychology, for instance, or just follow the sermon on the mount to change themselves. We have the tools. Everyone is crucial in the process. He doesn't want anyone to be destroyed, we can only continue to do it to ourselves or instead think again.
2007-08-13 10:39:15 · answer #5 · answered by hb12 7 · 2⤊ 1⤋
In the front of my Catholic Bible, it says that Tradition is as important as the Holy Spirit. I doubt that...
2007-08-10 09:18:36 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋
No kidding.
I never saw in the bible where worship should be held in old sports arenas.
And can anyone give me the bible verse where you're supposed to have rock bands during Church service?
2007-08-10 08:44:38 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
no the right way to believe is no rules no traditions but that doesn't mean u can be ungodly lol anyway jesus hates religion and tradition and all those rules that alot of religions have made up due to a controllin and legalistic spirit and all it does is condemn people if they mess up and the bible says that there is therefor now no condamnation to those that r in Christ Jesus
2007-08-10 08:48:29 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
my faith is based on tradition and reading the bible....
and yes, it is the traditions of the catholic church....
2007-08-13 10:29:43 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
i wonder how many of them actually knew this
2007-08-10 08:38:46 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋