“Seconded.”
Yes, the main point is to study and learn for yourself.
Using other folks and resources as needed, naturally.
The whole of Christianity revolves around the notion that you are responsible for yourself. You don’t need corrupt temple leaders or high priests to forgive you. You don’t need an army of Catholic generals declaring this and that.
He rent the veil.
The RC hierarchy reminds me of Republicans on the Hill - they ALL know the truth of Freedom but they argue constantly and endlessly about the legal/social applications of it. Instead of just teaching and defending it.
Analogous to Christ and the veil, the Declaration of Independence rent the constraints of central authority over God-given individual liberty. This aspect is what makes us a “Christian” nation, NOT the simple fact that most citizens are Christian.
Just imagine, Christ was admonishing folks with “have you not read” back when extremely few could even read and essentially nobody had personal copies of the scrolls/texts. Which is partly why Israel had long-running get-togethers/feasts - so all could hear the words which were written up to at that time.
What’s He gonna say to folks sitting in pews and singing songs (not that those are wrong) but not reading anything on their own? Especially when the texts - OT and NT, translated or not, large print, audio, video, etc - are all out there for anybody and everybody. For free, online, on TV and whatever.
Those being led astray by liberal and other misguided churches are going to have a difficult time blaming ignorance on lack of access.