Why do non-Catholics try to use our Scriptures against us?

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Thanks for enlightening us.
So you still stick to Scriptures to attack us now? Which theories do you normally push towards Catholics?
I normally don’t, frankly I don’t know them well enough to put up a decent arguement. I stick to science when I get engaged in religious debate. Normally I argue evolution, global warming or other sciency things the person/people I’m debating with refuse to believe or has a very poor understanding of. In my opinion people can believe whatever they want about religion, just so long as they don’t approach me and start shoving it my face.
 
Karen,
Why not make up your own Scriptures? Why take the true Scriptures and try to bend them to oppose the Church that wrote them and for whom they are written. Get your own.
I believe you are laboring under a misapprehension. When I use Scripture to discuss a position with a Christian, I am discussing it as the basis for the Christian’s position, not my own. I have seen no compelling evidence that the Christian Scriptures are authoratative for the entire world other than that it says so. I do not believe that I am bound by its strictures. The Christian says that he is, so I expect that there will be some relationship between the Scripture and the position.

Why would I use some other scripture to discuss with Christians what Christians believe? Why would I use something that the Christians did not claim as authoratative? Should I instead expect that a Christian would feel his religion should conform to the Vedic Scriptures or some other?

If you mean that I am trying to use Christian Scripture and claim it is authoratative for me, but that it does not mean what Christianity teaches it means, I would say that many Jews ask Christians exactly the same question. I would ask why you consider it appropriate for the Christian Church to use the Hebrew Scriptures, redacting them to fit the Church’s definition of what they mean rather than accepting that the Jews, who wrote them and for whom they were written, have the correct interpretation?

Perhaps we are talking at cross purposes. If you can give an example of a use of Scripture as an opposition to the Church, perhaps that will help me to understand what you mean.
 
Karen,

Why not make up your own Scriptures? Why take the true Scriptures and try to bend them to oppose the Church that wrote them and for whom they are written. Get your own.

CDL
:confused:

Are you saying protestants should “make up” scripture? I’m very confused. Scripture is the word of God…their God is your God.
 
@nichjake:

Thank you for the respectful manner in which you approach us.

The use of scripture from non-Christians (atheists, pagans) against Christians I best know of is taking Scripture passages from the Old Testament out of (historical, cultural and textual) context, so that they seem to advocate all sorts of horrors, and shoving them into the face of Christians, maintaining that this is what they believe. It’s actually sola Scriptura prooftexting of the worst sort, only not coming from Protestants but from non-Christians… (I don’t think you do that though, nichjake.)

As regards science/evolution, a knowledgeable Catholic is of course in a better position to argue and to clear up misunderstandings than a sola scriptura Protestant who is stuck only with the text of Scripture… The Catholic position is much more nuanced and sees science as a complimentary to theology, not as a danger or even its antithesis. Cardinal Schönborn of Vienna, Austria (my own archbishop!) has dealt extensively with the topic - see for example his catechesis here. I also recommend, for a popular take on the relationship between the Church and science, Thomas E. Woods’ book ‘How the Catholic Church Built Western Civilization’.
 
I know that this question is raised often but usually within the context of other questions. It just puzzles me why people think they should do it or even could do it.

As a United Methodist Pastor I knew that the Catholics were right years before I converted. I never used the Scriptures to attack the Church. I couldn’t understand then nor do I understand now why non or anti-Catholic think they can use the Scriptures against those by whom and for whom they exist.

Perhaps someone has an answer for this.

CDL
Why did Christ use Scripture against the Pharisees?
 
I normally don’t, frankly I don’t know them well enough to put up a decent arguement. I stick to science when I get engaged in religious debate. Normally I argue evolution, global warming or other sciency things the person/people I’m debating with refuse to believe or has a very poor understanding of. In my opinion people can believe whatever they want about religion, just so long as they don’t approach me and start shoving it my face.
Do you also use science to disprove religious belief? If so do you believe science has all the answers and the way to arrive at truth? What about Natural Law? Do you recognize the encompassing breadth of Natural Law?
 
scripture doesn’t exist because of the catholic church so don’t take credit for it… scripture was written down before there was even a church… all the catholic church did was put it together… besides… dont say “our scriptures”, the catholic church now isn’t the same church as it was 1800 years ago. so much stuff has happened… the only similarity the catholic chuch now has to the catholic church then is the name… the catholic church is decaying and anyone who would declare a human as “infallible” is the ignorant one…
The Catholic Church existed before time. See Ephesians 1: 1-5. She wrote the Scriptures by the power of the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.

If the Catholic Church isn’t the Church there simply is no Church.

CDL
 
maybe im just bitter because catholics i have come into contact with in the past have given me a warped view on the whole thing… you guys are right, it is very wrong for me to hostile toward you guys… i dont even know you. i have been rejected in the past for my non denominational beleifs by “catholics” and maybe that is the reason im so hostile toward it… maybe pray for me? i dunno. and you are right we are brothers in christ catholic or not… im sorry im so hostile… the catholic school i go to is just filled with catholic hippocrites (faculity included) that you guys might even be disgusted by if you saw them.
There are indeed hypocrites everywhere. I wish it weren’t so. I will pray for you. The journey home can be difficult. One of the greatest difficulties is seeing through all of the hypocrites and find the real Lord Jesus who is in the midst of the Church.

God bless you.

CDL
 
:confused:

Are you saying protestants should “make up” scripture? I’m very confused. Scripture is the word of God…their God is your God.
They may already have made up their own. It is difficult to tell. In any event, they should not use the Church’s Scrpture to defend their own church’s existence and to attack the real Church. Let them make up their own since they don’t like the Church that wrote the Scriptures in the first place. Either become Catholic and utilize her Scriptures or make up your own Scriptures. But it is hypocritical to use our Scriptures to attack God’s Church.

CDL
 
Indeed, why not? And, likewise, why shouldn’t non-Catholics cite Scripture to Catholics?
The Scriptures belonged and belong to Christ. He can do with them as He wishes. Since He formed a Church and inspired that Church to write Scripture it is the Church that has the authority to use that Scripture. Not some interloper.

CDL
 
Why not?

CDL
The Scriptures belonged and belong to Christ. He can do with them as He wishes. Since He formed a Church and inspired that Church to write Scripture it is the Church that has the authority to use that Scripture. Not some interloper.

CDL
And I’m sure that the Pharisees were just as surprised to have Christ cite Scripture to them—how DARE he? They were children of Abraham! If you are acting contrary to Scripture–Catholic, Protestant or other–then you should be brought to task by reference to the Scriptural standard. If not, then you don’t have anything to worry about.

Those of us who are Protestants do not believe that Catholics are the only people that can read and understand Scripture. That’s the reality of it all.
 
rr1213

What Protestant are you comparing to Christ Himself?

CDL
 
I was under the impression Scripture was for everyones use. Surely the Catholic Church lays claim to every member of the human race, even if they don’t accept that claim. If that is the case, then the church intends Scripture for everyone. So who has the right to say we can’t use it just because we don’t believe in it? Should I be banned from owning a bible? If I believe that a part of the Scripture backs up a point I wish to make in a discussion why should I be prevented from using it? Surely if I use it in a respectful manner you wouldn’t have a problem with it. And if the Scripture is perfect and God inspired, you will have a responce for me. It seems you are trying to say an atheist shouldn’t quote the bible. How do you intend to spread Gods word if you don’t think we should be allowed to use it? You will never convert anyone if you don’t engage with people, and to engage with people you won’t be able to have a discussion solely on your terms.

I do not believe that the Scriptures are holy. I do not believe in God. I therefore see nothing wrong with using a historical source, which I do not view as a purely accurate account of events, to back myself up in a debate.
 
What makes you think that only Christ can cite Scripture?
That’s not the point. Jesus was not trying to destroy Judaism. For that matter He used His own Scripture not someone elses.

CDL
 
I was under the impression Scripture was for everyones use. Surely the Catholic Church lays claim to every member of the human race, even if they don’t accept that claim. If that is the case, then the church intends Scripture for everyone. So who has the right to say we can’t use it just because we don’t believe in it? Should I be banned from owning a bible? If I believe that a part of the Scripture backs up a point I wish to make in a discussion why should I be prevented from using it? Surely if I use it in a respectful manner you wouldn’t have a problem with it. And if the Scripture is perfect and God inspired, you will have a responce for me. It seems you are trying to say an atheist shouldn’t quote the bible. How do you intend to spread Gods word if you don’t think we should be allowed to use it? You will never convert anyone if you don’t engage with people, and to engage with people you won’t be able to have a discussion solely on your terms.

I do not believe that the Scriptures are holy. I do not believe in God. I therefore see nothing wrong with using a historical source, which I do not view as a purely accurate account of events, to back myself up in a debate.
No one has suggested that you don’t have the right to use it. Reread my original post. You don’t have the right to use the Churches Scripture to try to destroy the Church. If you do you have relinquished your right to use them. The devil has no right to use God’s scriptues to attack God’s people.

If you aren’t attacking us then you are using them properly and respectfully and are in a sense Catholic already though not fully and you may not even realize it.

CDL
 
What makes you think that only Christ can cite Scripture?
At least Christ did not dabble with the OT canon and threw some books He did not like. Foreseeing the coming of Protestants, He even warned that not a single word should be set aside. That’s where the parallels end.
 
I was under the impression Scripture was for everyones use. Surely the Catholic Church lays claim to every member of the human race, even if they don’t accept that claim. If that is the case, then the church intends Scripture for everyone. So who has the right to say we can’t use it just because we don’t believe in it? Should I be banned from owning a bible? If I believe that a part of the Scripture backs up a point I wish to make in a discussion why should I be prevented from using it? Surely if I use it in a respectful manner you wouldn’t have a problem with it. And if the Scripture is perfect and God inspired, you will have a responce for me. It seems you are trying to say an atheist shouldn’t quote the bible. How do you intend to spread Gods word if you don’t think we should be allowed to use it? You will never convert anyone if you don’t engage with people, and to engage with people you won’t be able to have a discussion solely on your terms.

Why do you eat in Old Momma’s dinner table if you don’t recognize her existence?

I do not believe that the Scriptures are holy. I do not believe in God. I therefore see nothing wrong with using a historical source, which I do not view as a purely accurate account of events, to back myself up in a debate.
If the Bible in your view is not an accurate historical source, and you don’t believe in its holiness why argue on the use of the bible like an interested party then?
 
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