Thank you for a thoughtful response. There are points where we agree, and points where we don’t agree... yet... :o)
Let me go back to the Shape Note analogy. This type of singing is not part of specifically Catholic history and heritage, having developed in an almost exclusively Protestant culture (it reached its high point in the 19th century U.S. rural south/Southern Appalachia.) It’s not everybody’s half pint of sweet cider, but I really love it.
It doesn’t have to be divisive. It can be hugely enriching and heart-warmingly uniting. (The Gaia crisis was absolutely unprecedented in my experience!!)
Shape note definitely has its own ritual aspects.
I would strongly dispute the idea that “very little truth comes from ritual” as you said. The kind of ritual most Americans can relate to, I suspect, are traditional marriage ceremonies and traditional military funerals.
Lots of truth there, and beauty too.
I would strongly dispute the idea that “very little truth comes from ritual” as you said.
I am simply saying that the word of God should not be taught based on my or your experience on what the truth is but by Gods word only and he put what he wanted in the Bible.
I believe every one should read the Bible only and then draw their own conclusions.
The members of a Church i once went to was doing a ritual one evening, the preacher knew that it was my first time there so he explained that the ritual they were doing was not in the Bible but it was just something they wanted to do.
I really appreciated that simple honesty.