Can a person be Catholic and not believe the Bible?

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1ke said:
Or maybe just ask the person before you start accusing them of heresy. It’s not unheard of that someone misunderstands something along the way. So let’s not go throwing around “heresy” where there might just be “hearsay”.
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Hi!
I understand your position; however, too many times we have people who are set as sentinels (Bishops, Priests, Religious, Deacons, Catechists, Teachers…) who are introducing their own particular brand of belief (all you want to choose/reject buffet) as proper Catholic Teaching.

So I prefer to err on the side of Doctrine.

Had the OP stated something to the effect of “we don’t have to take everything literally…” then it would have been a different matter altogether; but the statement was that we need not believe in the Bible.

Perhaps I’m too pedestrian but I only see that as a challenge to both Scriptures and Church Authority.

Maran atha!

Angel
 
Freeway_Joe said:
Thank you all for the very helpful replies. I’m glad and reassured that faith in the Bible indeed is important to Catholics.
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Hi, Joe!
Glad to be of help!

Non-Catholic Christians actually believe that Catholics Popes mandated that Catholics did not read the Bible–from time to time I still meet up with one of those characters that hold steadfast to that notion, even to the point of expressing that Catholic Bishops do not even own their own Bibles… it would be laughable if it were not such a serious matter… then we have the knuckleheads that make such outlandish claims as your RCIA instructor… they are confused and are passing their “savvy” to the unsuspecting–I’m glad that you are hungry enough to search for answers beyond such confounding instructions.

Though the Church’s daily readings of Scriptures do provide a massive covering of the Word of God, it behooves each Catholic to develop an intimate relationship with Christ, His Church, and Sacred Scriptures.

God Bless!

Maran atha!

Angel
 
The biggest question is can one not believe any or all of the bible literally? Which parts are meant to be taken literally, that’s the million dollar question.

Most Catholics I know do not take Genesis, Noah, and the story of Jonah literally for obvious reasons. I’ve seen much internal arguments with religious friends over this.
 
Strydersroom said:
The biggest question is can one not believe any or all of the bible literally? Which parts are meant to be taken literally, that’s the million dollar question.

Most Catholics I know do not take Genesis, Noah, and the story of Jonah literally for obvious reasons. I’ve seen much internal arguments with religious friends over this.
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Hi!
The Catholic Church does not Teach that we must believe only in the literal meaning of the Sacred Text. Though this does not mean that we can actually determine that Sacred Scripture is not Inspired by God or that it is not the Word of God.

…I suspect that the internal arguments with your religious friends come from either the misunderstanding of Scriptures (everything taken literally) or the license, which too many take, to view passages that are not easily understood as figurative (non-literal) language because they deal with prophecies or principles that seem impossible to quantify.

Maran atha!

Angel
 
If you don’t believe in the Bible, then you don’t believe in God. In which case, why be Catholic at all?

Unless maybe you think it’s a good club to belong to.
 
mackbrislawn said:
If you don’t believe in the Bible, then you don’t believe in God. In which case, why be Catholic at all?

Unless maybe you think it’s a good club to belong to.
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Getting less and less popular everyday
 
thephilosopher6 said:
The Catholic Church put together the Bible. Everything in the Bible is what we believe.
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I think this is what some people are having problems with in regards to what they believe, Ive heard more than a few people ask why this particular group should have been the ones responsible for what is included and what is not.

Of course, as Catholics, we believe this was Gods choice, the CC was the religion God himself started.
 
He probably meant that one needn’t take all passages literally. When is class, ask him about “genres”
Often, these side conversations are confusing to those overhearing them.
 
adamhovey1988 said:
Getting less and less popular everyday
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Hi, Adam!
…popularity was never Jesus’ intent when He Founded the Church… as a matter of course Jesus actually Taught that narrow is the path/road that leads to Salvation and few travel through it… He also Taught that many are Called but few Chosen… He Founded His Ministry on Twelve Disciples… and when pressed by losing the fellowship of many (most) He actually continued on His Hard Teachings about His Body and Blood (must eat/chew/masticate; must drink)–at His low popularity level He Insisted on His Teachings and even asked the Twelve: 'What about you, am I too unpopular for you to follow? (Paraphrased! 🤓)
Maran atha!

Angel
 
jcrichton said:
Hi, Adam!
…popularity was never Jesus’ intent when He Founded the Church… as a matter of course Jesus actually Taught that narrow is the path/road that leads to Salvation and few travel through it… He also Taught that many are Called but few Chosen… He Founded His Ministry on Twelve Disciples… and when pressed by losing the fellowship of many (most) He actually continued on His Hard Teachings about His Body and Blood (must eat/chew/masticate; must drink)–at His low popularity level He Insisted on His Teachings and even asked the Twelve: 'What about you, am I too unpopular for you to follow? (Paraphrased! 🤓)
Maran atha!

Angel
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Yes, this is true! And out of his closest followers, only one of his apostles stayed when he was crucified.
 
adamhovey1988 said:
Yes, this is true! And out of his closest followers, only one of his apostles stayed when he was crucified.
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…and this one only because he was familiar to the high priest!

…yet, they were truly fearing for their lives, not something that most of us, at least in the West, have experienced.

Maran atha!

Angel
 
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