Not only are we are being told to blindly accept the church tradition because they have the first and oldest traditions, we are given other false claims. To make a more convincing and uniform package, the Roman papacy rested in the authority that declared the Pope as the “sole vicor” of Christ on earth. In other words, the Catholic doctrine of “succession” was a convenient addition that defended their tradition as having the stamp of divine approval. For this reason, it is taboo for a Catholic to question the traditions of the church. Any religion that validates its practice by a subjective feeling, false claims of succession or the changing whim of the church leaders through the ages is walking on uncertain ground. If placed in a court of law, no convincing proof could be offered that the hierarchical organization of modern Catholicism with its claim of succession had its roots in Christ and his apostles. The essential reason is the fact that the body of Jesus Christ was never intended to be an earthly institution. A visible institution will change with the changing needs and wants of society, but not a spiritual relationship who are all one in Christ. This is the reason the apostles of Christ and the teachings of the Master were uniform and unchanging. History will show that hundreds of changes were made to maintain the Catholic church’s status in an ever changing world.
However, this claim is not unique to Catholicism. It is taboo for any religious organization to question the tenets of their doctrine. Therefore, to remain in good standing with any religious organization, one must never question the validity of their claims and continue in good standing.
As a result of this blind leap of faith in the tradition of the Roman Catholic church, the Scriptures are deemed insufficient by itself, the very opposite of what Paul teaches in 2 Timothy 3:16. There, he writes that all Scripture is profitable for doctrine, reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly furnished or equipped unto every good work. That’s as sufficient as it gets. They deny the “sola scriptura” or that the Bible is the sole authoritative guide. If it only gives a part of the gospel, it is believed that the oral tradition passed on through the church, gives us the “full gospel.” Such people believe that the oral traditions of the apostles (2 Thess. 2:2; cf. 1 Cor. 11:34) were carried on by their pupils and faithfully transmitted from one generation to another and that we have that unchanging guide in these holy men to whom the Spirit directs. Is there any wonder that people are unbelievers? If unbelievers have doubts about the infallibility of the written Word, how would we expect them to react to the claim of papal infallibility when past history shows repeated errors and inconsistencies from the teaching of their leaders?
Catholics are not the only ones influenced by their traditions. Every religious movement is based on historical events that define it and give it authenticity. For example, if you are Lutheran, you hear much about Luther and his efforts in the reformation era. Lutherans have a rich heritage of approximately 500 years. They, too, have their own creed and practices that set them apart from every other denomination.