How do react to the claim that Catholics don't care to read the Bible?

[DebChris]

QUOTE=MarcoPolo;3134439]The first thing I might say is, “You should join the Church and set an example.”

I like this idea.

Otherwise I would like to say that the Catholics are subject to several Scripture passages at every mass.

Nearly the entire Bible can be heard by attending daily mass over a 3-year period.

Many non-Catholics are surprised to learn this truth.

And finally, I might say, “Maybe some Catholics don’t read it too much and they should read it more, but what is your point?”

Literacy is not a requirement for salvation. I referenced Dark Night of the Soul in my initial post. The faithful “read” the clergy when the Scriptures are proclaimed from the pulpit.

 

[Conservative]

Any suggestions?

I’ve heard way too much about this, and even if there is any truth to it, I’d like to have more feedback on this.

One of MY answers would be, that just because other non-Catholics or non-Christians may read their holy books more (assuming that they do), does not mean that they are making the right interpretations out of them. They can read them more, yes, but are they reading them correctly?

Any other ideas?

Raised pre-Vatican II, I can tell you that although there was Bible History Class if you went to Catholic school, I don’t recall there being much solid encouragement to sit down and read the Bible as many other religions do. I wish there had been more.

 

[Zooey]

How about inviting the people who say that Catholics don’t read the Bible, to come on over to CAF???
Nothing like actually meeting (albeit online) a:thumbsup: whole bunch of Bible reading Catholics, to change their minds!!

 

[SteveLy]

I was a cradle Episcopalian until 2 years ago when I made the difficult choice to leave that denomination. I left because they have abandoned Scriptural Authority, in no small part due to very few knowing any Scritpture. (readings at the Liturgy aren’t enough)

As I was discerning the decision to leave, I had been invited to consider the Roman Catholic Church by some wonderful RC members. I declined as I said I was looking for a church that was based on the Bible (rather than “Tradition”) . They briefly mentioned the importance of the sacraments and that was that…

This past year I read “Surprised by the Truth” and “Catholicism for Dummies”. What an education! I realized my beliefs and the the criticisms levied by Protestants are usually incorrect and based on perception rather than the reality that RC teachings are Scriptural (and so is Tradition)! Whaaat! I’d never heard that before. But if you don’t read your Bible, you won’t know it from the Lectionary readings.

If those caring people who had tried shepherding me had known and been able to explain the Biblical basis for the Roman Churchs’ teaching I may have investigated a bit and made a different decision as to where I wound up (Contemporary Non-denominational).

fwiw, I think you can tell your friend most Christians, Catholic or not, don’t read the Bible enough.

Peace,
Steve

 

[averheyen]

I don’t.

 

[Jennifer_G]

Let’s see… they should come over to my parish’s weekly Bible Study. (I haven’t been to one yet - most events are when I’m at work)

 

[Shylah]

There are many ways to be fed by Sacred Scripture. Liturgy (Mass + Divine Office) is so beautiful, and it is something that facilitates Scripture “sinking in” to our hearts, which is sort of the whole point of life in the New Covenant.

Tell them about your Catholic friend who often falls asleep hugging the Bible after meditating on various passages.

In Him,
Shylah

 

[michelolivier3]

i’m catholic since birth and i’m starting to doubt the catholic church. the catholic church believe in evolution and i believe in creation. how can the pope believe in evolution when people who created evolution did not believe in God nor Jesus.
do the catholic church follow the word of god or the word of men like darwin, haeckel, nazism, and co.?

“For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.”(2 Timothy 4:3-4)

“But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them— bringing swift destruction on themselves, Many will follow their shameful ways and will bring the way of truth into disrepute.”(2 Peter 2:1-2)

 

[adelore]

There is always bound to be someone who says this about Catholics. When asked this question what should you reply?

“I’m sure there are some Cathoics as well as __________ (Prodesents, or whatever Church the person who is asking belongs to) that don’t read their Bible. I can’t speak for them anymore than you can. But rest assured This Cathoic reads her/his Bible.”

You are now answering their question with respect.

 

[adelore]

i’m catholic since birth and i’m starting to doubt the catholic church. the catholic church believe in evolution and i believe in creation. how can the pope believe in evolution when people who created evolution did not believe in God nor Jesus.
do the catholic church follow the word of god or the word of men like darwin, haeckel, nazism, and co.?
)

May I ask where did you get the idea that the Catholic Church or even the Pope believes in Evolution and not Creation by God?

This is simply not true, The Catholic Church does believe in God and that He Created Everything. When I was a child the Catholic Church taught me that in one of my very first lessons.

 

[Cara_Serrano]

I also have read the entire Bible several times as well as going to daily Mass and hearing the Scriptures read from the pulpit every day. I’m also involved in an ongoing Bible study, so none of my Protestant friends ever question my devotion to Scripture. In fact, we have some great discussions because they know I can keep up with them scripturally.

Maybe this erroneous opinion comes from the fact that Protestants don’t usually see Catholics with a Bible in hand. We don’t bring our Bibles to Mass and we don’t usually carry them to other church functions.

 

[JesuXPIPassio]

My answer is this:

Sure a lot of Catholics don’t read their Bibles. Neither do a lot of Episcopalians, a lot of Baptists, a lot of every Christian denomination out there. American Christians as a whole do not study their Bibles enough.

To single out Catholics is biased and unfair. It’s fun and easy to point your finger at Catholics, but it is neither wise nor true.

Now, a lot of Fundamentalists make claims like that against us. For them, the Bible is practically the only thing they use. Catholics use the Bible primarily, but we also use writings of saints, encyclicals of popes, etc. So to them, it looks as if we especially do not use the Bible enough. That, too, is just a view coming out of arrogance and ignorance. If you read the Catechism, if you read enclyclicals, if you read saints’ works, you’ll see over and over and over their references back to Scripture. Saints all work to lead us to Christ, and their writings always encourage people to read the Bible more. People who truly commit themselves to reading Catholic works would constantly be reminded to study Scripture.

Any suggestions?

I’ve heard way too much about this, and even if there is any truth to it, I’d like to have more feedback on this.

 

[johnnydigit]

what’s funny is when you realize all the hundreds of thousands of religious brothers, monks, nuns, sisters, etc. who read the Bible and pray the Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office) for 5 hours a day (which includes tons of Scripture). they alone probably outnumber the total hours of “Bible-reading” protestants do. fortunately this number is irrelevant.

let us give thanks to our “special forces” who have dedicated their lives to lifting up their prayers for the rest of us, and boy do we need them! they have been called the “backbone of the Church”.

the only protestants i’ve heard of that even have religious are Anglicans?

 

[BarbaraTherese]

Actually we do not read the entire Bible. I recall reading somewhere the percentage of how much we actually do hear at Mass. I’ll have to look for it.

I first read The Bible from cover to cover literally at 7 years of age not that I think this is a general norm. I can still locate some quotation from The Bible I was searching for and get hooked into reading a whole Chapter or two, perhaps more…Certainly Revelations or the final book of the Bible is something I have researched and can thoroughly recommend Father Michael Fallon’s (scripture scholar) book “The Apocalypse - A revelation that history is graced”. Also Thomas Merton’s “On Opening The Bible”…researching can be a wondrous help to Biblical reading and understanding…and we have rich scholarship in The Church. I know a scripture scholar who is a priest whom I can ring on matters of Scripture. Prior to V2 the Dominican nuns who taught me were encouraging us to read Scripture and each week we had a particular Gospel to study including the leader of the group for that week (a student) spending time with our college chaplain researching the reading.

…that “we do not read the entire Bible” may need to be put more generally as “perhaps we may not read the entire Bible”…and yet I do wonder why one would conclude this, although I have no facts or figures to say it is not so, but then no facts or figures that it is so…

 

[The_Catholic]

I believe it’s because of the typical protestant myth, that Catholics are controled by the Bishops and told what to believe, and that the infamous Martin Luther refuted this and gave the Bible to the common man to read for himself. It’s what I was told when I used to attend my old protestant Church.

I haven’t read much scripture lately but I have in the past, and i own 7 Bibles, the Douay Rheims Bible, KJV, NAS, NIV, Catholic Action Bible (written in mid 20’th century, a very interesting version regarding all the extras it contains), Jerusalem Bible, and Catholic youth Bible. Douay Rheims is by FAR the best I think.

Take that protestants :extrahappy: