Is Catholic Tradition Equal to the Bible?

• Roman Catholic tradition (the exact word the Roman Catholic institution uses) contradicts the Bible repeatedly--the traditions are taught, adhered to, and practiced--even though they are open heresies against the Bible (e.g., Mary worship, and the blasphemous mass).
• Roman Catholics are required to believe that this multitude of traditions of men is 100% true--as true as (or even more trustworthy than) the Bible (for an example of this see the green writing near the bottom of this page of the Antichrist Slideshow). .

A Catholic once asked to meet with me. He brought with him a duffle bag of books to the meeting to prove his points. After a short discussion, we agreed to only use the Bible in our discussion. Catholics are taught that God's truth is found in many different sources outside of the Bible. That is a lie. Their rulers are deceiving them and leading them into error. They are taught the evil doctrine that the Bible, the word of God, is not enough. It gives me no delight or pleasure that people have been deceived and have dedicated themselves to an horrendous lie...

"I had been taught that the Word is relative and that its truthfulness in many areas was to be questioned."

--Richard Bennett, former Roman Catholic priest
from his written testimony at http://www.bereanbeacon.org/testimonies/Former_Priests/Richard_Bennett.pdf

The audio testimony of Richard Bennett reveals how his faith in the Bible was destroyed as he studied for the Roman Catholic priesthood and how, once the Bible was destroyed in his mind, all that he was left with was the pronouncements of "the Church." Listening to his testimony gave me a new found understanding of how heavy, oppressive, and back-breaking (if you will) the load must be for someone sincerely seeking the truth in such a system.

Why are Catholics taught not to trust the Bible alone?

When using the Authorized Version of the Bible,
a cursory examination of Roman Catholic doctrines
reveals that they are unbiblical--
they are a series of heresies and blasphemies.

Their leaders therefore debase the Bible in the minds of Catholics so that those same Catholics will listen to them and obey their unrighteous decrees and will ignore the Bible and disobey it. This leaves Catholics without the word of God and at the mercy of and with the word of those who would make merchandise of them. They must listen to all sorts of extra-Biblical and non-Biblical pronouncements from the past and the present--and any future decrees that come out of Rome. The Lord Jesus Christ condemned such traditions and said that when the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.

Matthew 15:1 Then came to Jesus scribes and Pharisees, which were of Jerusalem, saying,

Matthew 15:2 Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread.

Matthew 15:3 But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition?

Matthew 15:4 For God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death.

Matthew 15:5 But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, It is a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me;

Matthew 15:6 And honour not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition.

Matthew 15:7 Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying,

Matthew 15:8 This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.

Matthew 15:9 But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.

Matthew 15:10 And he called the multitude, and said unto them, Hear, and understand:

Matthew 15:11 Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man.

Matthew 15:12 Then came his disciples, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Pharisees were offended, after they heard this saying?

Matthew 15:13 But he answered and said, Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up.

Matthew 15:14 Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.

***** "TRADITION" IS PART OF ROME'S WAR AGAINST THE BIBLE *****

The Bible shows Rome's heresies to be heresies and therefore Rome has waged a long war against the distribution of the Bible and have killed people and burned people just for reading it. The following is excerpted from an article by David Cloud entitled, "The KJV and the Latin Vulgate" [emphases ours]--

The Council of Trent (1545-1564) placed the Bible on its list of prohibited books, and forbade any person to read the Bible without a license from a Roman Catholic bishop or inquisitor. The Council added these words: "That if any one shall dare to read or keep in his possession that book, without such a license, he shall not receive absolution till he has given it up to his ordinary."

Rome's attempt to keep the Bible from men has continued to recent times. Pope Pius VII (1800-1823) denounced the Bible Society and expressed shock at the circulation of the Scriptures. Pius VII said, "It is evidence from experience, that the holy Scriptures, when circulated in the vulgar tongue, have, through the temerity of men, produced more harm than benefit." Pope Leo XII called the Protestant Bible the "Gospel of the Devil" in an encyclical letter of 1824. Pope Gregory XVI (1831-1846) railed "against the publication, distribution, reading, and possession of books of the holy Scriptures translated into the vulgar tongue." Pope Leo XII, in January 1850, condemned the Bible Societies and admitted the fact that the distribution of Scripture has "long been condemned by the holy chair."

The Bible does not teach that there is a pope on this earth sitting in a palace on a throne that has some hidden knowledge under lock and key given to him that he can dispense at convenient seasons and everybody has to listen to him. God's word is revealed, not hidden, and it is complete.

...this commandment which I command thee this day, it is not hidden from thee, neither is it far off. Deuteronomy 30:11

***** THE WORD TRADITION AS IT IS FOUND IN THE AUTHORIZED VERSION ***

Sometimes Roman Catholic apologists feebly point out to the use of the word, "tradition" in the Bible. When the apostle Paul says, "Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle" (2 Thessalonians 2:15), he is instructing the people who heard him and his fellowlaborers speak God's precepts or who read those precepts in the epistles (letters) which they received--ALL OF WHICH WERE COLLECTED AND ARE NOW WRITTEN DOWN IN THE BIBLE IN ONE VOLUME. The words of the true apostles are now written down in the Bible. The Bible (specifically the Authorized Version) is the official, written record of God's word. The written word shows us God's commands and how to be saved--and keeps us safe from deception and heresy and blasphemy and tricks of men like these false teachers and leaders of multi-million dollar organizations that get their money and power by preying off of people's ignorance of the Bible which is the word of God.

***** THE DANGER ZONE *****

Anyone that adds to the Bible or subtracts from the Bible is in a dangerous position--

Revelation 22:18 For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:

Revelation 22:19 And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.

These words from Revelation chapter 22 are some of the last words in the Bible.

The people that add or subtract from the word of God are under the wrath of God.

The Bible presents plain, clear teaching. God makes his word known to his people (the natural man, on the other hand receiveth not the things of God, 1 Corinthians 2:14). WHAT GOD WANTS MAN TO KNOW HAS BEEN REVEALED IN HIS WORD AND GOD'S SPIRIT CAUSES HIS PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND HIS WORD. The Authorized Version of the Bible teaches us that God's people are a royal priesthood (1 PETER 2:9). We study God's word to shew ourselves approved unto God, workmen that needeth not to be ashamed rightly dividing the word of truth (ref. 2 Timothy 2:15). The Holy Ghost teaches us the meaning of God's word.

1 Corinthians 2:9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.

1 Corinthians 2:10 BUT GOD HATH REVEALED THEM UNTO US BY HIS SPIRIT: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.

1 Corinthians 2:11 For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.

1 Corinthians 2:12 Now WE HAVE RECEIVED, not the spirit of the world, but THE SPIRIT WHICH IS OF GOD; THAT WE MIGHT KNOW THE THINGS THAT ARE FREELY GIVEN TO US OF GOD.

1 Corinthians 2:13 WHICH THINGS ALSO WE SPEAK, NOT IN WORDS WHICH MAN'S WISDOM TEACHETH, BUT WHICH THE HOLY GHOST TEACHETH; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.

1 Corinthians 2:14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

1 Corinthians 2:15 But HE THAT IS SPIRITUAL JUDGETH ALL THINGS, YET HE HIMSELF IS JUDGED OF NO MAN.

1 Corinthians 2:16 For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But WE HAVE THE MIND OF CHRIST.

There is no mention in the scriptures of a "pope" or any man that sends down de