Problems with Traditions 0, II &
III
Issues with Tradition
0
1. Rule of Faith
and Creeds dismissed or ignored.
2. Church
history dismissed or ignored.
3. Tradition 0
leads to the autonomy of the individual (final authority
is not the Word).
4. Tradition 0
leads to relativism. What is true for you is true for you
(or the way you interpret a passage is true for you).
5. Tradition 0
leads to subjectivism. (see #4 above)
6. Tradition 0
leads to theological chaos as each person determines his
or her own personal theology.
7. Tradition 0
is unbiblical. Scripture teaches that the Scriptures are
the possession of the Church.
8. Tradition 0
is NOT the tradition of the early church and is due to
the Radical Reformation.
Issues with Tradition
II
1. How was this
"extra-Biblical" material handed down in the Church? How
do we know it was passed down accurately? Where is this
material stored or is it all orally communicated?
2. The Roman
Catholic Church does not have an infallible list of all
the unwritten tradition.
3. This
tradition is only as old as the 12th century.
4. It is
impossible to know for sure anything said by Jesus or an
Apostle that is outside of what is already contained in
the New Testament.
5. The "oral
tradition" is not available to Christians. It is not
located in one book.
Issuess with Tradition
III
1. How can we
check for error when whatever is true is whatever the
Magisterium says is true. We can't look to the Scriptures
because only the Magisterium can tell us what the
Scriptures really mean. We can't look to Tradition
because only the Magisterium can tell us the contents of
the Tradition.
2. History is
clear that the Roman Catholic church has made mistakes,
taught errors, and suffered from heresy. There have even
been "anti-Popes" and Popes who taught heresy. There have
been Bishops (members of the Magisterium) who have lied,
committed crimes, and taught heresy.
3. There is no
consensus in the Roman Catholic Church considering how
many "ex-cathedra" statements have been made by Popes.
There is no official or "infallible" list of ex-cathedra
statements that are binding on all Christians.
4. Tradition III
leads to "Sola Ecclesia". It is not Scripture or
Tradition which determines Truth. Truth is whatever is
currently taught by the Roman Catholic Church. This leads
to the autonomy of the Church.
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