We have Bibles today. What has the past got to do with today?
Living "the Christian life" needs to have the assembling with others part of it. Self righteousness was dripping off the statement that he was born Catholic and lived a Christian life and not speaking to his relationship with the Father. Being Catholic and not being in jail doesn't save you. Righteousness only comes from the blood of Jesus. Thinking yourself righteous makes you as a filthy rag to God.
There is much more to being a Christian than knowing about some stories.
So many people believe a denomination will save them. Many believe being what they consider "good" will save them. How can anyone possibly know their Father and have never read the Scriptures He wrote to you?
Even from your comment, I see you are making excuses for not reading Scripture. Knowing a little history you might know many people that couldn't read, memorized passages in the Bible. A student in America in the 1700's could dazzle many clergy today that went to Seminary. In early days, a person in fear for his soul would learn as much as he could even though he had no Bible. It's all about your thirst and not what you have access to. His statement showed he wasn't thirsty and wasn't looking for a drink.
Also, many in the mid evil times went to hell, just as many will go there today. Look up "Blueback speller" on Google. That was the only textbook besides the Bible for hundreds of years in America. A farmer with a 3rd grade education had much of the Bible memorized in the Founding period. The Bible has been the most controversial book since the beginning. The travel to other countries were many times so the traveler could read the Scriptures that some didn't want them to read. Millions of murders were to keep Scriptures from being read.
the point is you don’t have to read the Bible to be a Christian..