List of fundamentalist/evangelical "traditions"

[JustaServant]

Many fundamentalists and evangelicals consistantly say Catholics rely too much on “tradition”, while they do not.
Well, just off the top of my head I can name quite a few.
Feel free to add any I’ve missed.

Sunday school hour.
Sunday night services
Family altar
Standards.
Bus ministry
Old time hymns
King James Bible only
Wednesday night Bible study
Amens
Soul winning
Altars Calls
VBS.
Children choirs
Tithes and Offerings

 

[Kristin234]

Many fundamentalists and evangelicals consistantly say Catholics rely too much on “tradition”, while they do not.
Well, just off the top of my head I can name quite a few.
Feel free to add any I’ve missed.

Sunday school hour.
Sunday night services
Family altar
Standards.
Bus ministry
Old time hymns
King James Bible only
Wednesday night Bible study
Amens
Soul winning
Altars Calls
VBS.
Children choirs
Tithes and Offerings

I don’t see how any of these are traditions.

Sunday school hour isn’t a tradition. It is exactly what the name says - sunday school. It is about teaching kids about the Bible. At my church parents have the option of dropping them off at class where they are taught the Bible while the parents are in church. This is so they can teach the Bible to kids in a way they will understand.

I don’t understand how Sunday night services, Wednesday Bible studies, choirs, hymns, are considered a tradition? Can you explain why you believe these are traditions?

The Bible tells us to give tithes and offerings.

 

[MisterCorduroy]

The Catholic “Altar Call” occurs when we go up to receive Jesus in the Eucharist. Tell your Protestant friends “We have over 300 people go up during the altar call and receive Jesus every Sunday at my church!”

 

[manualman]

In my experience, protestants don’t object to people having “traditions” they object to the idea that Tradition (big T) is of the same status and weight as Scripture.

What’s interesting is that they accept a lot of that too, without admitted it.

1. The canon of Scripture itself is a matter of Tradition. Yeah, they reject the deuteros, but they don’t ACCEPT any of the early manuscripts that claimed apostolic origin that Tradition rejected long before Luther’s protest. (i.e. the ‘gospel’ of Thomas, etc).
2. The Trinity. The bible nowhere contains the word and honest people need to admit that if you hadn’t already been catechized on the subject you might well NOT simply read the bible and conclude that Father, Son and Spirit are ONE God in three persons. There were rather a few bar brawls over that issue before it became settled doctrine.
3. Communion. Be serious, nobody can read John 6 and conclude that communion is a mere symbolic remembrance unless they bring that preconceived notion (tradition) in with them first.

 

[LynJohn1023]

I don’t see how any of these are traditions.

Sunday school hour isn’t a tradition. It is exactly what the name says - sunday school. It is about teaching kids about the Bible. At my church parents have the option of dropping them off at class where they are taught the Bible while the parents are in church. This is so they can teach the Bible to kids in a way they will understand.

I don’t understand how Sunday night services, Wednesday Bible studies, choirs, hymns, are considered a tradition? Can you explain why you believe these are traditions?

The Bible tells us to give tithes and offerings.

God bless you dear. It’s ok to have traditions. It’s not ok to be a hypocrite. I am NOT calling you that. I’m stating the essence of the original post’s contention. Those things are traditions because they are fairly constant and predictable. They are even capitalized as jargon in many evangelical and high-protestant churches in their bulletins, etc. I’d have to give you the tithe response though. It is in Scripture and as such is in keeping with the greatest Evangelical tradition, Sola Scriptura. By the way, NO WHERE in Scripture does the Scripture call itself the sole authority. It does however refer to tradition and oral teaching in several of St. Pauls letters.

Look up Catholics and Evangelicals Together. You’ll see two wonderful things. We do have points of commonality (so much more harmonious than contending with each other) and there is a group of Catholics and Evangelicals who have the avocation of finding ways to come together WITHIN the edicts of their religions.

 

[LynJohn1023]

In my experience, protestants don’t object to people having “traditions” they object to the idea that Tradition (big T) is of the same status and weight as Scripture.

What’s interesting is that they accept a lot of that too, without admitted it.

1. The canon of Scripture itself is a matter of Tradition. Yeah, they reject the deuteros, but they don’t ACCEPT any of the early manuscripts that claimed apostolic origin that Tradition rejected long before Luther’s protest. (i.e. the ‘gospel’ of Thomas, etc).
2. The Trinity. The bible nowhere contains the word and honest people need to admit that if you hadn’t already been catechized on the subject you might well NOT simply read the bible and conclude that Father, Son and Spirit are ONE God in three persons. There were rather a few bar brawls over that issue before it became settled doctrine.
3. Communion. Be serious, nobody can read John 6 and conclude that communion is a mere symbolic remembrance unless they bring that preconceived notion (tradition) in with them first.

Oh, you’re good! I especially love the 3rd point. My wonderful father (a deacon in the St. Augustine diocese) once replied to an evangelical friend about Eucharist, “I’m just taking God at His word in John 6. I thought you took the Scriptures literally.”

 

[onemangang]

Baby dedications.
Declaration of faith baptisms
Order of service music, anouncements, reading\ sermon, “tithe collection”, “alter call” (optional) “communion” (optional) music, felowship time …repeat!

 

[andrewstx]

Getting “saved” without baptism
Total abstinence from alcoholic bevereges. tobacco, card playing, and dancing.
Midweek prayer meetings.
Revivals.
Evangelists.

 

[JillianRose]

Some have a tradition on taking communion once a month.

They also have a tradition to go door to door giving people flyer’s on salvation.

They have Traditions of Electing Deacons and Elders. (Which do not need seminary)

They have traditions of laying of the hands to “heal” someone.

Some get bit by snakes.

They have Trunk or treat around Halloween.

Sit in a service. They have an order or “tradition” on how they do their services.

One poster was right, they think that our traditions, supersede scripture. IT DOES NOT!!

I like to think of Mass as a really long prayer. Reminding us EVERY mass what Jesus died for us. Then we also get a Bible lesson, before you know it with in three years, if you have attended mass regularly, you have just read the whole Bible!! Cool!!

They will not understand that our Tradition, are from scripture. They just have 7 LESS books in their Bible.

How wonderful is it that we have the ACTUAL successors from Peter. In the protestant faith some pastors do not even have to attend seminary… YIKES.

 

[Dale_M]

In my experience, protestants don’t object to people having “traditions” they object to the idea that Tradition (big T) is of the same status and weight as Scripture.

I agree. Moreover, I think the list in the first post refer to customs, rather than belief traditions. Belief traditions are based upon a interpretation of Scripture which has become traditional within a given faith community, e.g. No dancing (Baptists), the Rapture (various churches), total depravity of man (Reformed and other churches of Calvinist lineage)

I think this discussion would be helpful if we identify which denominations have which traditional beliefs.

 

[JillianRose]

I agree. Moreover, I think the list in the first post refer to customs, rather than belief traditions. Belief traditions are based upon a interpretation of Scripture which has become traditional within a given faith community, e.g. No dancing (Baptists), the Rapture (various churches), total depravity of man (Reformed and other churches of Calvinist lineage)

I think this discussion would be helpful if we identify which denominations have which traditional beliefs.

Oh. You are so right Mr. Dale. I was talking about the Dutch Reformed church (a Calvinist branch), I attended when I was lapsed.:tsktsk:

They do not believe in confession to the priest, BUT in this particular sect, you had to stand up in the front of the congregation and say which commandment you broke and the tell them what you did!! Depending on the sin some people would unoffically “shun” you. Avoid you like the plague.

I will take my Priest any day, in confession, then to confess my sin to a congregation that will BLAB it!!

 

[Erich]

In my experience, protestants don’t object to people having “traditions” they object to the idea that Tradition (big T) is of the same status and weight as Scripture.

What’s interesting is that they accept a lot of that too, without admitted it.

1. The belief that public revelation closed with the death of the last Apostle

Mark Shea’s The Lens in My Eye goes into this (and other tradition-as-revelation topics) in much greater detail.

 

[Patavium]

Sinner’s prayer a tradition, no?

 

[JonNC]

In my experience, protestants don’t object to people having “traditions” they object to the idea that Tradition (big T) is of the same status and weight as Scripture.

What’s interesting is that they accept a lot of that too, without admitted it.

1. The canon of Scripture itself is a matter of Tradition. Yeah, they reject the deuteros, but they don’t ACCEPT any of the early manuscripts that claimed apostolic origin that Tradition rejected long before Luther’s protest. (i.e. the ‘gospel’ of Thomas, etc).
2. The Trinity. The bible nowhere contains the word and honest people need to admit that if you hadn’t already been catechized on the subject you might well NOT simply read the bible and conclude that Father, Son and Spirit are ONE God in three persons. There were rather a few bar brawls over that issue before it became settled doctrine.
3. Communion. Be serious, nobody can read John 6 and conclude that communion is a mere symbolic remembrance unless they bring that preconceived notion (tradition) in with them first.

Hi Manual,
You mentioned Luther in #1. why not in #3?

Jon

 

[JonNC]

I agree. Moreover, I think the list in the first post refer to customs, rather than belief traditions. Belief traditions are based upon a interpretation of Scripture which has become traditional within a given faith community, e.g. No dancing (Baptists), the Rapture (various churches), total depravity of man (Reformed and other churches of Calvinist lineage)

I think this discussion would be helpful if we identify which denominations have which traditional beliefs.

Lutherans:
Sacramental baptism
Doctrine of the real presence
Confession/Holy Absolution
The three Creeds
Justification by grace alone through faith

To name a few.

Jon

 

[Erich]

Hi Manual,
You mentioned Luther in #1. why not in #3?

Jon

I realize you’re LCMS, so you may believe differently… but I was told by an ELCA pastor that Lutherans do not believe that the communion elements remain the Body and Blood of Jesus at the conclusion of the service – which is why there is no “small-t” tradition of reservation in tabernacles (or eucharistic adoration for that matter) among Lutherans.

If that is the case, then the belief that the communion elements either were bread and wine the entire time, or reverted to being mere bread and wine at the conclusion of the service, would be another example of a tradition of the status and weight of Scripture.

 

[manualman]

Hi Manual,
You mentioned Luther in #1. why not in #3?

I hope I didn’t come off as picking on Luther or Lutherans there. I just find it strange that Luther seems to have totally trusted Tradition when it came to the table of contents of the Bible (the exception being his opinion that Jerome’s critiques of the deuteros made them of dubious inspiration). In that, he was internally inconsistent. Tradition can be trusted for the canon of Scripture, but not for interpreting it? Why not?

As for #3, it seems to me that Luther isn’t somebody I can criticize for being internally inconsistent on this issue. Catholics understand that Luther read John 6 and interpreted it differently than Tradition did, but not that he contradicted it like so many evangelicals today do. I’m trying not to pick on the guy when it’s not necessary, you see. The people who are internally inconsistent are those that insist that communion is only a symbolic remembrance. Given the witness of John 6, that’s hardly something you can prove conclusively with Scripture apart from Tradition. (Besides, as an LCMS you don’t even claim to place no value on Tradition, do you guys? Now I’m just confused!).

 

[JonNC]

I realize you’re LCMS, so you may believe differently… but I was told by an ELCA pastor that Lutherans do not believe that the communion elements remain the Body and Blood of Jesus at the conclusion of the service – which is why there is no “small-t” tradition of reservation in tabernacles (or eucharistic adoration for that matter) among Lutherans.

If that is the case, then the belief that the communion elements either were bread and wine the entire time, or reverted to being mere bread and wine at the conclusion of the service, would be another example of a tradition of the status and weight of Scripture.

It isn’t as simplistic as this. Lutherans believe the presence is connected to the sacramental act, for Christ’s specific statement of its purpose - to eat and drink for the remission of sin. Lutherans regularly reserve the reliquae for the purpose of administration of the sacrament to the sick and shut-in. And the LCMS is quite careful, as was Luther, to not make statements regarding the reliquae beyond that, as Christ did not. Reverent handling of the reliquae, however, - either consuming all but that which is needed for the sick and shut in, proper reserving, or disposal - is very important in Lutheran and Luther’s teaching.

Jon

 

[cath4alltime]

Oh, you’re good! I especially love the 3rd point. My wonderful father (a deacon in the St. Augustine diocese) once replied to an evangelical friend about Eucharist, “I’m just taking God at His word in John 6. I thought you took the Scriptures literally.”

I go to a Charismatic Episcopalian Church (not ECUSA) now, where I have come to love the Blessed Lord in the Holy Eucharist (something I never did in the Catholic Church) and our Bishop was visiting and in his homily he said Protestants are Christians but they are starving themselves when they don’t partake of the Holy Eucharist and worse when they only believe it is just a symbol

 

[PRmerger]

I don’t see how any of these are traditions.

Sunday school hour isn’t a tradition. It is exactly what the name says - sunday school. It is about teaching kids about the Bible. At my church parents have the option of dropping them off at class where they are taught the Bible while the parents are in church. This is so they can teach the Bible to kids in a way they will understand.

I don’t understand how Sunday night services, Wednesday Bible studies, choirs, hymns, are considered a tradition? Can you explain why you believe these are traditions?

The Bible tells us to give tithes and offerings.

What we mean, Kristin, is the same thing that some non-Catholics mean when they object to our “traditions”; that is,** anything that Catholics do, believe, profess and proclaim that is not found in the Bible.**To these folks, these “traditions” that are part of Catholicism are wrong because the Bible doesn’t explicitly mention them. To wit: purgatory, praying to Mary, the Assumption of Mary, relics, veneration of the saints, fasting on Good Friday, wearing ashes on the forehead, etc etc etc.

As it turns out, there are a multitude of Protestant “traditions” that are also not explicitly mentioned in the Bible, yet are part of the culture of a particular church.

JustaServant mentioned some.

Here’s some more:

Having a steeple on your spire–not found in the Bible.

Bowing one’s head and folding one’s hands when praying–not found in the Bible.

Saying, “Jesus chose the nails”–not found in the Bible.

Music during worship services–not found in the Bible.

Stairs up to the altar–not found in the Bible. (In fact, I had a very fundamentalist Christian oppose the fact that Catholics had stairs leading up to their altars in some churches, “doesn’t it also state that there should be no stairs leading to G_d’s altar?” Who would have thought this was an abomination?? But, it’s true: there is no specific injunction in the Bible to have stairs leading to your altar. So if your church has one, Kristin, you’re practicing something not found in the Bible.