metmom wrote:
First off, those doctrinal differences you listed are a result of NOT following Scripture, of setting themselves up as authority outside of Scripture. Unless you can demonstrate that they USE Scripture to back up their beliefs, then you can't legitimately attribute them to sola scriptura. Are you not aware that every last Protestant denomination CLAIMS to use "Scripture Alone" to come to these (different) conclusions? Your argument is with them, not with me... since you're flatly claiming that these tens of millions of "Bible-believing, sola-Scriptura-holding" Christians are all wrong, and that you're right. That's rather a bold claim, don't you think?
It feels rather odd to be defending their clazims, like this, but... here are a few samples of their claims to be following the "Bible alone":
Seventh Day Adventists: (who believe that worship on Sunday is the Mark of the Beast)
Seventh-day Adventists accept the Bible as their only creed and hold certain fundamental beliefs to be the teaching of the Holy Scriptures.
Evangelical Lutheran Church of America (who believe that abortion is morally permissible)
Today, nearly five centuries later, Lutherans still celebrate the Reformation on October 31 and still hold to the basic principles of Luther’s theological teachings, such as Grace alone, faith alone, Scripture alone. These comprise the very essence of Lutheranism.
Anglican Church(es), who believe that homosexual marriage is morally permissible
VI. Of the Sufficiency of the Holy Scriptures for Salvation. Holy Scripture containeth all things necessary to salvation: so that whatsoever is not read therein, nor may be proved thereby, is not to be required of any man, that it should be believed as an article of the Faith, or be thought requisite or necessary to salvation. In the name of the Holy Scripture we do understand those canonical Books of the Old and New Testament, of whose authority was never any doubt in the Church. (from the Church of England "Thirty Nine Articles" of required faith)
Does that help, a bit? I'm afraid I'll have to let you dig up your own references to the other Protestant denominations (Google works well), since this is fairly time-consuming; but suffice it to say that you (and/or your particular faith-group) are not the only one to use "sola Scriptura"... and, more importantly, there are millions of "sola Scriptura" believers who disagree with you strongly on one or more critical issues of faith (e.g. they claim that one's salvation depends on them).