According to the story, the church was founded by Jesus, but started right off the bat with Peter at the helm.
Catholics follow the teachings of those who are in tune with Jesus (or claim to be), the popes.
They "correctly" interpret the scriptures and their own "interactions" with the divine, and provide the faithful with all the guidance they need.
The bible is a nice book, with nice stories, but they need not be the full truth. And thus need not be followed to the letter.
The guidance provided by the popes, however, should be in line with the teachings of Jesus, for he was the one who imbued them with that proximity to the divine...and those teachings have been preserved in the NT.
The OT is there to provide some support to the NT and some legitimacy to Jesus... the bits of the OT that don't align with these goals can be safely ignored as teachings or rulings of old times... no longer heeded by civilized people.
Let me know if I got anything wrong, CL,
Catholics follow the teachings of those who are in tune with Jesus (or claim to be), the popes.
They "correctly" interpret the scriptures and their own "interactions" with the divine, and provide the faithful with all the guidance they need.
The bible is a nice book, with nice stories, but they need not be the full truth. And thus need not be followed to the letter.
The guidance provided by the popes, however, should be in line with the teachings of Jesus, for he was the one who imbued them with that proximity to the divine...and those teachings have been preserved in the NT.
The OT is there to provide some support to the NT and some legitimacy to Jesus... the bits of the OT that don't align with these goals can be safely ignored as teachings or rulings of old times... no longer heeded by civilized people.
Let me know if I got anything wrong, CL,