American Hardwood said:
Here is more on Scripture and Tradition. If you disagree with the arguments given, I would like to know what they are and why. I am always interested in hearing Protestant arguments because it helps me understand my own faith. Despite our differences we are brothers after all and brothers should not treat each other with disdain.
This is a good post. I think that explains some of our differences, that being said, every protestant Church or study group I have been involved in realizes the importance of solid biblical leaders/scholars within the flock to offer their guidance and insight, not completely unlike the Catholic church. I think where our main difference lies, is in the validity of non-biblical writings as being "holy" or "divinely inspired". Supplemental theological literature is common, but it's just meant to help better our understanding/strengthen our faith.
I DO believe the Bible is fully sufficient. That being said, I think it is extremely important to have devoted and well learned teachers to help dissect and communicate it, because a book that has been translated numerous times over thousands of years is not always going to be extremely easy to follow. You can read the Beatitudes for instance and it's great, but when you study with someone who has devoted countless hours to understanding it, it takes on a much deeper meaning.
One other difference while it's on my mind, is that the Lord's Prayer is not seen as a specific prayer to be recited at many protestant churches, but as a model prayer...some of us believe that in Matthew 6, Jesus was teaching people how to pray and giving them the blueprint. Nothing at all wrong with saying it in those words, it's a great prayer and I recite it from time to time, but I would hope most people expand further than that in their daily prayers. Many of us just believe this was Jesus actually teaching the first Christians how to pray and prioritize/order their prayer. Their human nature likely would have been to focus on just reciting a wish list of wants/needs, rather than giving praise to the almighty first and asking for the basics and focusing on forgiveness.