“If there is one thing this Church does is writes things down. There are two thousand years of councils and synods where the successors of the apostles have, with the aid of the Holy Spirit as was promised by Christ Himself, sought to carry the Good News through the ages. It’s not a secretive cult.”
We have the Scriptures (from God, and in spite of the machinations of men). I have a seat at the table where I can listen to Paul, Peter, John, James, etc. I’ve benefited from men who have talked ABOUT them, no doubt. But the master class available to us through Scripture is superior (thanks to the Spirit)!
I do understand your point of view, and I hope you do not believe that Catholics don’t avail themselves individually of the divine revelation of Scripture. I’ve sometimes found that some of my non-Catholic Christian friends imagine Catholics to be a bizarre cult of God eaters. I’ve just never understood the animosity.