- Jul 1, 2013
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It does. And for reasons obvious and maybe not so obvious.Maybe the sola scriptura doctrine makes the realm of theological opinion harder to navigate.
For example, when I was a Protestant, I grappled with what I could justifiably believe in and what I had to reject. The basic core of the Christian faith, thankfully, is enshrined in Sacred Scripture. So that's good. But there are matters biblical and historic that present greater interpretive difficulties.
When it came to Sola Scriptura, I eventually settled on a hermeneutical approach where a given doctrine could not be explicitly spoken against or condemned by Sacred Scripture. But that left the door open to, say, Marian dogmas of the Catholic Church. So I had to revise my approach to matters not explicitly mentioned in scripture. But that took would logically take me to the Churches of Christ dilemma, where many of them refuse to use musical instruments in worship even though there can't possibly be a problem with it. Further, Sacred Scripture mentions the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit but there's a ton of Trinitarian theology that is at once absolutely orthodox and also entirely extra-scriptural.
Studying the Catholic faith helped me understand that Sola Scriptura is a logical dead end. It places an unfair burden upon Sacred Scripture and it's full of holes.
The problem is made worse by the lack of a single interpretive definition of Sola Scriptura. Does something have to be explicitly authorized by scripture? Must it only be condemned by scripture? Must it merely not conflict with scripture (and if this, who decides if something doesn't conflict with scripture?)?
None of these are problems with Catholicism, as it provides authority which anybody can measure and trace back to Our Lord Himself.
With all respect, I sometimes think the cradle Catholics may not realize how good they have it by having these structures and insights in their lives from the get-go. For converts like me, being able to receive the sacraments and participate in the Mass, secure in the authority of the Mother Church as my guide and teacher, are hard-won prizes found only after much search, study and dark nights of the soul.
I understand your point. And to an extent I even agree. But I do believe that as people, our intellects are limited. Even the biggest genius in the world is a blithering, babbling idiot compared to God. So I do believe there is grace for our diminished capacities. If anything, I view that as an endorsement of the Magisterium. That is where certitude lies; in an unbroken line stretching all the way back to Our Lord Himself. God guides the Church, the Church guides me and I guide my children. Seems logical enough to me.For something is only possibly a doctrine only if it is in the Scriptures; but if it is in the Scriptures, it is certainly a doctrine. But even then, I'm really not sure how one would decide whether a Scripture passage is sufficiently unambiguous enough to really know whether it implies a particular Scriptural doctrine or not. It does not seem that the ordinary action of grace entirely erases the gash of ignorance on much of anything. To not know is a mark of fallen humanity, and I become suspicious when I don't see enough of it. And I mean that not just in others, but also in myself (as I am often reminded).
I view your post as an expansion on my own. And a welcome expansion at that.Perhaps I am going beyond what you meant, but a good observation from your end nonetheless.
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