Y_lifter said:
I caught that.. It's not just the Mass itself. I know its a ceremony vs others being a time of fellowship learning and ceremony.
It's the whole scope of catholacism(sp?) IMO that is still mostly in the days of Latin only Mass and the Priest was the only one that was to read the bible.
My Mother is 77 and as of last year had never read the bible. Sure, she knew the basic story lines and all but she said growing up you were not expected to actually read the bible. That was the job of the priest and they would read sections and tell you what you needed to hear..
I bought her a copy of "The Message" and she has enjoyed actually reading it and understanding her faith for the first time in her life.
well, your grams wasn't accurate, but her represewntation has merit in the following way.
Other Christina denominations follow a "bible only" belief system which essentially represents that anything not found in the bible isn't true or isnt important. They've centered the faith on the bible, so in effect it has become the central focus of their faith. This is a relatively new belief that was insitutted at the time of Luther. Once they determeined to ignore Church authority, they reuqired somethign with which to replace the lack. So they invented bible only.
Catholics conversely recognize that the Church existed 400 years before anyone ever thought of putting together the books which make up the bible. Since it was Catholics who actually complied the bible, I think tis fair to point out the following.
1)The bible was only ever intended as a tool of the faith, not to be a record of what the faith was. There is no manual in the bible outlining "This is what you need to do to be a good Christian" Certainly one can garner a good deal from it, but it was never a blueprint of the faith. This is one reason why you have hundreds of different denominations who cant agree on what it means to be a Christian.
2)To suggest that the Bible in any way replaces Church authority simnply is historically inaccurate. Centuries of tradition and accepted belief existed well prior to the compulation. The Church garners its authority directly from Christ, passed to Peter, and following an unbroken chain all the way to the current Pope. "And I anme you Peter (Rock) and on this rock I shall build my Church. And wehat you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and what you loose on earth will eb loosed in heaven, and hell shall not prevail against it (paraphrased)
It is on that authority that the Church claims its role.
3)Tradition was historically always an integral part of the faith. Other denominations have thrown that away, which is their choice, but again that is a new development
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