Robert, with all due Christian respect, this is absolutely impractical.
How do you know the books in the Bible are the right books? How do you know the Bible is the Word of God? How do you know something does or does not contradict the word? You can guess, you can never prove.
The Bible is a book. It does not a mouth, it cannot speak. It contains the Word of God, and is the Word of God, however, it ultimately is not totality of the Word of God. There is another source of the Word, called Tradition. Tradition and Scripture make up the One Word of God, as taught by the Catholic Church.
What about the Christians who believe Christ is leading them to embrace the teaching of the Catholic Church? I know I believe Christ is leading me to this. I know Catholics believe Christ guides them to know and understand the truth this way.
Now, is everything about God we can know taught by the Catholic Church? No, as the Church continuously becomes closer and more deeply in contact with the Word of God, and hence always has the grace and authority to proclaim New Dogma and New Doctrine from the deposit of Faith. For example, in the middle Ages, the belief in the Immaculate Conception of Mary was a pious belief, but as time continued, it became a part of the consciousness of the Church that this is and was revealed by God, and thus since it’s Dogmatic Definition is now necessary to hold the Catholic Faith.
With all due respect, Robert, Protestantism is a digression and not a progression from the Dogmas of the Faith as proclaimed through the Age of the Fathers.
A major difference between Catholics and Protestants is that Catholics view the Medieval as a legitimate era in which the Spirit deepened the Church’s conscience regarding the Faith. Protestantism is a rejection of medieval Catholicism.
Catholics embrace Medieval Catholicism, as well as the Catholicism of the Counter-Reformation, as well as the Catholicism of the twentieth century. We believe the Holy Ghost is continuously communicating with the Church as a communion, a family set apart through the Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, and as a result, we look as a community to Christ to test doctrine.
Hence, my reply to you is that Satan has no chance against the Church, for She continuously as a communion looks to Christ and finds the truth.
Robert, you are a very intelligent man. But intelligence does not necessarily mean that you possess Divine Faith. Ask yourself: do I understand what Catholics teach, and have I truly grappled with the notion that the Holy Ghost (John 15: 26-27), has never left the Church, and continuously leads Her in the path of Christ, the Way, Truth, and Life (John 14: 6) for the New Testament Church professed to be the pillar and foundation of the teaching of the truth (1 Tim. 3: 15).
God bless you,
Peter
