1. Insist he can interpret the Scriptures for himself
2. Speak his interpretations as categorical facts
You discount the movement of the Holy Spirit to guide us as we read the Bible.
The Bible is designed to be understood.
This is greatly aided by:
1). a working knowledge of the first century
2). a working knowledge of Greek
3). a willingness to read the text in context
The argument has not changed from St. John chapter 6 to today. Your premise easily translates into St. John 6:61 "Many therefore of His disciples, hearing it, said: this saying is hard, and who can hear it?" This came on the heels of Jesus proclaiming in St. John 6:54~59: "Amen, Amen I say unto you: except you eat the flesh of the Son of Man, and drink His blood, you shall not have life in you. He that eats My flesh, and drinks My blood, has everlasting life: and I will raise him up in the last day. For My flesh is meat indeed: and My blood is drink indeed. He that eats My flesh, and drinks My blood, abides in Me, and I in him. As the living Father has sent Me, and I live by the Father, so he that eats Me, the same also shall live by Me. This is the bread that came down from Heaven. Not as your fathers did eat manna and are dead. He that eats this bread, shall live forever."
This being said we would submit to you, that the more pertinent, efficacious and salvific discussion should center on the Eucharist and therefore Christ's continued presence here on the Earth through the Eucharist. He did after all promise to never leave us nor forsake us, to be with us till the end of time and this is His method for keeping that promise. The Grace's that we receive in a validly transubstantiated host are what helps us to keep out of "sins unto death" (1John 5:16&17) and opens our understanding of who we are receiving in the Eucharist. The Eucharist therefore is both the means and the end for our salvation, and so is a more efficacious matter for discussion, and that should prompt us rather to a discussion of the Priesthood and Apostolic succession and the fulfillment of Malachias 1:11: "For from the rising of the sun even to the going down, My Name is great among the Gentiles, and in every place there is sacrifice, and there is offered to My Name a Clean Oblation: for My Name is great among the Gentiles, says the Lord of Hosts." This obviously also necessitates a solid discussion on the continuing need for Priests and Sacrifice.
Humbly submitted by Trad Bishop
IMO there are many places where the Scriptures are not clear, and it's best to admit it straight-up. So going back to the two steps, in keeping with step (2) I'd expect a fundamentalist to make an interpretation anyway, probably in a dogmatic tone. Then I could fall back on step (1)issue my own interpretation. But seeing the game at play, I couldn't be dogmatic about it as in step (2), because step (1) tells me no interpretation is so compelling as to override the question of who made it -- so why take it super-seriously?
It sure is!
Understood by the TEACHINGS of the One True Church.
Explained according to Rome's interpretation.
Added to by wonderful Tradition.
I've NO idea where you Prots think that YOU can understand the deep things of GOD without help!
--Catholic_Wannabe_Dude(Hail Mary!!)
PS: Do you need any help,understaning the following?
2 Corinthians 1:13-14 NIV
13. For we do not write you anything you cannot read or understand. And I hope that,
14. as you have understood us in part, you will come to understand fully that you can boast of us just as we will boast of you in the day of the Lord Jesus.
--Catholic_Wannabe_Dude(Hail Mary!!)