Am I wrong?

[PJM]

My casual and wholly unscientific observation is that non-Catholics seem to quote the OT with far greater regularity than we Catholics.

What does this say about them and what does this say about us? Or am I just missing something?

 

[Cachonga]

PJM:

My casual and wholly unscientific observation is that non-Catholics seem to quote the OT with far greater regularity than we Catholics.

Odd. I have heard a lot more NT Scriptures quoted by Protestants (especially Evangelicals) than OT. In fact, it seems to me that some of these people treat the OT Scriptures as if they no longer apply to us. On the other hand, it seems that the Catholic will more often quote “official church teaching”, only using Scripture when specifically asked to prove a point (this is not always the case in either situation, but it is common enough in my experience to have recognized it).

Having said that, I suppose this could also be a regional phenomena. I haven’t traveled enough to have a variety of experiences to go on (just what I’ve grown up with and am currently surrounded by, here in South Texas).

Personally, I believe the Scriptures (old and new) are to be taken as a whole, working together and confirming each other. I belive that when Paul told Timothy that all Scripture is God-breathed (2 Tim 3:16), he wasn’t limiting himself to the OT canon, but (since he was inspired by God) this refers to all of Scripture (old and new).

Hope this helps your survey!

Pax!

 

[Eucharisted]

Most anti-Catholics cite the OT because they either want to cool phrases or bash Catholicism
Some Protestants cite the NT because they either consider the OT irrelevant or don’t understand it
Jews cite the OT because that’s their Scriptures

 

[NHInsider]

I think it is true that Catholics are more likely to cite New Testament scriptures as we are more familiar/immersed in them (more than we are in the OT, not more than Protestants). Evangelicals excel at the study of Scripture and so are on average more familiar with the Bible as a whole (except the books they dropped) and the Old Testament in particular than Catholics are.

Outside of CAF, by the way, I almost never hear Catholics cite the catechism, btw. . . .

 

[Roman_Army]

My casual and wholly unscientific observation is that non-Catholics seem to quote the OT with far greater regularity than we Catholics.

What does this say about them and what does this say about us? Or am I just missing something?

It is probably because a lot of Protestants like the fire and brimstone, as well as the heretical zionist, dispensationalist, vengeance, hatred of enemies, iconoclastic, prosperity gospel types of theologies, and etc. There seems to be more fire and brimstone (or condemnation, or negative) perspectives to righteousness in the OT than there is in the NT. The NT is much more positive and heavenly oriented (e.g. the beatitudes, practicing virtue, and doing good works to get to heaven as opposed to focusing only on avoiding sins to stay out of hell). Then with regards to zionism, dispensationalism, vengeance, hatred of enemies, iconoclasm, prosperity gospel, etc. protestant ministers find more passages in the OT that they can distort and misinterpret to somehow prove those heretical positions.

Catholics for the most part try to use the whole of scripture. However, of course, Catholics give the NT priority because of the way it is the final fulfillment of all public revelation. As well as how it tells the story of Christ. The Church teaches that the Gospels have primacy and priority because of Christ, the Word of God becoming flesh. That’s why sometimes you hear clergy, religious, and even lay leaders recommend that people who are just starting to read the bible should start with the Gospels first and the NT, then read the OT. This is because it helps them understand the contents of the Catholic Christian faith more faster and efficiently than they would had they start from Genesis which can cause them to misinterpret things and lead them astray.

 

[PJM]

=Cachonga;5707309]Odd. I have heard a lot more NT Scriptures quoted by Protestants (especially Evangelicals) than OT. In fact, it seems to me that some of these people treat the OT Scriptures as if they no longer apply to us. On the other hand, it seems that the Catholic will more often quote “official church teaching”, only using Scripture when specifically asked to prove a point (this is not always the case in either situation, but it is common enough in my experience to have recognized it).

Having said that, I suppose this could also be a regional phenomena. I haven’t traveled enough to have a variety of experiences to go on (just what I’ve grown up with and am currently surrounded by, here in South Texas).

Personally, I believe the Scriptures (old and new) are to be taken as a whole, working together and confirming each other. I belive that when Paul told Timothy that all Scripture is God-breathed (2 Tim 3:16), he wasn’t limiting himself to the OT canon, but (since he was inspired by God) this refers to all of Scripture (old and new).

Hope this helps your survey!

Pax!

My question is sincere, perhaps its just me:shrug:

I’m one guilty of providing Scriptural replys. So many posters seem to think that “all the answers are in the bible.” Many, but not all are I do so hoping to respond at a level of there comfort?

 

[Axion]

I think a lot of protestants have a different theological outlook.

They tend to see Jesus as an object - a sacrifice, a victim - someone who did a “redeeming work”, which is “over”, but whose teachings and other statements and actions are less important. This reached its height in “dispensationalism” when it was taught that Jesus’s teachings (which contain a lot about works) were not for the age of the Church at all - but for the earlier Jewish dispensation!

Also protestant doctrine on the Bible sees it all as being dictated by God and of equal validity. Therefore Jesus’s statements hold no greater weight than those of Paul - or even much of the Old Testament - since all are “dictated word for word by God.”

So for two reasons, you don’t hear Protestant fundamentalists quoting Jesus a great deal. Matthew 25 would not please them. Selected bits of Paul and the Old testament are more comfortable in many ways.