Originally Posted by Peace-be-with-you

Catholics believe in apostolic teachings. That these oral teachings go hand-in-hand with scripture. Couple that with the belief that Jesus built his Church upon Peter and the other apostles, giving them authority, you have the Church as the authority of Christianity, not the documents of the Church that followed. The oral teachings of the apostles, is the "tradition" that so many non-Catholics take as man-made stuff. Let me say that again. Tradition in Catholic terms, refers to the oral teachings of the apostles that are not always spelled out in the bible. To Catholics, these oral teachings of men that were given the authority to teach by Christ himself, are not mere supplemental teachings, but are held in equal weight as the written teachings.

Peace